Best $100-$150 rod for bass?

DJones2987 · Feb 18, 2018

Looking to pick up a new rod to go with my new Lews BB1 Pro Reel, got a few in mind. Thinking Medium heavy with a fast tip in 6'6" or 7' since I fish from my canoe or flat bottom all the time.

Dobyns Fury
St. Croix Mojo Bass
13 Fishing Fate Black Gen 2

Not against other suggestions, they're just at the top of my list.

Anyone got their favorites?

yakfish · Feb 18, 2018

I've always liked Berkeley Lightning Rods when I was fishing from a boat or from shore. Dunno if they still make them, I'm a kayak angler now, and I have to view rods as semi-disposable, LOLz. So now I run Ugly Sticks almost exclusively.

steves1911 · Feb 18, 2018

St Croix either a mojo or premiere. Both use the same blank. Mojo made in Mexico premiere in USA. Premiere has a better warranty. Mojo has the split grip.

Squaregrouper · Feb 19, 2018

Buy 3-4 good Ugly Stiks.

Biggfoot44 · Feb 19, 2018

My fishing activities have been in hiatus too long , so I'm out of the loop.

So enlighten me in a paragraph or so ; what would I expect a $150 rod to do for me, that a $50 rod doesn't do / does noticeably poorly ? Not picking at this time , trying to learn .

Archeryrob · Feb 19, 2018

MH are you after Florida large-mouth or Potomac small mouth? I have hooked up with Muskie even though they cut the line I held them with a ML rod for 15 seconds before they line cut. IMO, they weight of the rod can matter more for the size of the lure and casting than fish size especially in freshwater. The cabelas website does a good job of showing the lure weights for rods that other sites do not. Even if you don't buy from them you can get rod information.

I have used $150 rods and to be honest, I don't notice they are that much better. With Kayak fishing I have broken rods and tend to buy medium grade rods on sale and using Cabelas point and such. Although chasing these sales works better from October to Christmas. The Mojo Bass rods are jigging rods, IMO. I don't like them for anything except jigging as they just seem so stiff to me even the lighter weight ones with such a stiff butt section.

Here is an everyday value on a good rod. Wright & McGill Skeet Reese Tournament Casting Rods I would buy one of these personally before a Mojo Bass, but you have to be a fan of yellow.

Here is some TFO rods for $100, all limited stock so they must be moving fast. I would jump all over this if it was my money getting spent. Twice as good as a Mojo Bass even though I love St Croix.

Powell Inferno Casting Rod for $100

Now I would say, I would hold off on buy some rods until middle of the season or fall. Then store like cabelas will unload them on sale, but you have to look every week. Stores like Dick locally are no good as locals buy that crap for meager sales. If you want that TFO I would buy that NOW as its going to be sold and gone and done!!

Dave Taylor · Feb 19, 2018

squaregrouper said:
Buy 3-4 good Ugly Stiks.

DJones2987 · Feb 19, 2018

yakfish said:
I've always liked Berkeley Lightning Rods when I was fishing from a boat or from shore. Dunno if they still make them, I'm a kayak angler now, and I have to view rods as semi-disposable, LOLz. So now I run Ugly Sticks almost exclusively.

The Berkeley rods are still around. They're nice for the price.

steves1911 said:
St Croix either a mojo or premiere. Both use the same blank. Mojo made in Mexico premiere in USA. Premiere has a better warranty. Mojo has the split grip.

Thanks for your opinion. I prefer a split grip.

squaregrouper said:
Buy 3-4 good Ugly Stiks.

I've got about 6. The more expensive rods are much more sensitive to me.

Biggfoot44 said:
My fishing activities have been in hiatus too long , so I'm out of the loop.

So enlighten me in a paragraph or so ; what would I expect a $150 rod to do for me, that a $50 rod doesn't do / does noticeably poorly ? Not picking at this time , trying to learn .

Just sensitivity.

Archeryrob said:
MH are you after Florida large-mouth or Potomac small mouth? I have hooked up with Muskie even though they cut the line I held them with a ML rod for 15 seconds before they line cut. IMO, they weight of the rod can matter more for the size of the lure and casting than fish size especially in freshwater. The cabelas website does a good job of showing the lure weights for rods that other sites do not. Even if you don't buy from them you can get rod information.

I have used $150 rods and to be honest, I don't notice they are that much better. With Kayak fishing I have broken rods and tend to buy medium grade rods on sale and using Cabelas point and such. Although chasing these sales works better from October to Christmas. The Mojo Bass rods are jigging rods, IMO. I don't like them for anything except jigging as they just seem so stiff to me even the lighter weight ones with such a stiff butt section.

Here is an everyday value on a good rod. Wright & McGill Skeet Reese Tournament Casting Rods I would buy one of these personally before a Mojo Bass, but you have to be a fan of yellow.

Here is some TFO rods for $100, all limited stock so they must be moving fast. I would jump all over this if it was my money getting spent. Twice as good as a Mojo Bass even though I love St Croix.

Powell Inferno Casting Rod for $100

Now I would say, I would hold off on buy some rods until middle of the season or fall. Then store like cabelas will unload them on sale, but you have to look every week. Stores like Dick locally are no good as locals buy that crap for meager sales. If you want that TFO I would buy that NOW as its going to be sold and gone and done!!

I'll look into those. Thanks. Sounds like i should go medium on the rod then?

outrider58 · Feb 19, 2018

DJones2987 said:
Looking to pick up a new rod to go with my new Lews BB1 Pro Reel, got a few in mind. Thinking Medium heavy with a fast tip in 6'6" or 7' since I fish from my canoe or flat bottom all the time.

Dobyns Fury
St. Croix Mojo Bass
13 Fishing Fate Black Gen 2

Not against other suggestions, they're just at the top of my list.

Anyone got their favorites?

For bait casting, I've found that one brand just doesn't cover all the bases. For spin-casting, St.Croix all the way. Bait casting, I probably own 5-6 different brands depending on each rod's use. I carried over 15 rods on my B.boat. Two thirds of which were bait-casting rods.

outrider58 · Feb 19, 2018

squaregrouper said:
Buy 3-4 good Ugly Stiks.

NO!!!!!

DJones2987 · Feb 19, 2018

outrider58 said:
For bait casting, I've found that one brand just doesn't cover all the bases. For spin-casting, St.Croix all the way. Bait casting, I probably own 5-6 different brands depending on each rod's use. I carried over 15 rods on my B.boat. Two thirds of which were bait-casting rods.

I'm really interested in the dobyns rods, the fury is $109 and people are raving about it hoping to put my hands on one this weekend at cabelas.

steves1911 · Feb 19, 2018

Biggfoot44 said:
My fishing activities have been in hiatus too long , so I'm out of the loop.

So enlighten me in a paragraph or so ; what would I expect a $150 rod to do for me, that a $50 rod doesn't do / does noticeably poorly ? Not picking at this time , trying to learn .

It's all about sensitivity. For me most my bass fishing is for smallies on the Potomac. Some days they hit very soft and spit the lure out quickly. If you don't have a sensitive enough rod to feel those light strikes and set the hook the second they mouth your lure you won't catch anything.

DJones2987 · Feb 19, 2018

steves1911 said:
It's all about sensitivity. For me most my bass fishing is for smallies on the Potomac. Some days they hit very soft and spit the lure out quickly. If you don't have a sensitive enough rod to feel those light strikes and set the hook the second they mouth your lure you won't catch anything.

I've missed a lot from my ugly sticks not being sensitive enough. What rods do you like? Medium or medium heavy?

steves1911 · Feb 19, 2018

DJones2987 said:
I've missed a lot from my ugly sticks not being sensitive enough. What rods do you like? Medium or medium heavy?

All depends on what I'm throwing. If I were to choose a rod to cover most applications for smallies it would be a 7' med weight fast action baitcasting rod. I usually keep a med-light spinning a med baitcasting and a med-hvy baitcasting at minimum rigged and ready to go. Spinning rod usually only sees action in summer with weightless plastics or finesse tubes. Most of my rods are St Croix 4 premieres an avid x (my favorite) and a mojo musky. My biggest smallies have all been caught on my musky rod lol. Big smallies love huge baits in the fall.

ChannelCat · Feb 19, 2018

steves1911 said:
It's all about sensitivity. For me most my bass fishing is for smallies on the Potomac. Some days they hit very soft and spit the lure out quickly. If you don't have a sensitive enough rod to feel those light strikes and set the hook the second they mouth your lure you won't catch anything.

That's also very true when light tackle jigging for striped bass in the bay. Live lining for rockfish? You can get away with an Ugly-Stik, since you need to let the striper run with the bait before the hook set.

As for the rods. basspro has some good selections, but I would avoid the Bionic Blades. They were good years ago, (the blanks still are), but the quality of the finished product has gone down the tubes since they started mass producing them in China...

DJones2987 · Feb 19, 2018

Well I bit the bullet and ordered a Dobyns Fury 663C. It's a 6'6" Medium heavy but they say it fishes like a medium. I called dobyns directly to ask for advice and I was blown away by a real person answering the phone and taking time to suggest which rods I should look at. I chose a 6'6" because I'm used to that length and like it.

I'll update with how it feels.

Archeryrob · Feb 20, 2018

Here is another aspect of rods that you might find helpful. Once you buy that kayak make sure you can lean forward, extend your arm with a weight bending the tip and clear the bow. Stripers will run like hell once they see the kayak and you normally need to do that. 6'-6" might be enough depending on the length of the kayak and your arms.

Best $100-$150 rod for bass?

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