Rods, Old school v. New school

[BassManDan]

Just thinking about how some rods look exactly the same today s they did 20 years ago...(G-Loomis, Lamiglas, etc.) and comparing them to the new custom looking rods like Daiwa, Powell, Dobyns, , Phenix,etc.

Yes everyone will have their gleaming story of how "rod x" has been the best they've used blah, blah, blah....

What attracts people to different rods, becuase no matter how much someone says, "its the lightest most sensitive, blah, blah, blah...."

I build all of my rods, but I don't build rods that look like the same old straight cork rear grip and cork foregrip. I want a rod that first of all, suits what ever need a may have for it and a rod that people are gonna check out and say "Hey, that's pretty cool looking"

Don't know where I'm going with this, but I just don't get why people want rods that look like the same old boring worm rod.

[rob916]

Post some pics of your custom rods

[Vince Borges]

BassmanDan, It is interesting why some choose a rod based on looks only. The quality of the blank itself or the components dont seem to matter as much to some, or the actual performance you get out of the components. I think the problem with rods of 'Old' is that they have not yet made the change to the newer style. Everyone wants a lighter rod. Me personaly, I appreciate it at the end of the day ( wrists and elbows) My fishermans elbow seems to get better each month, and to this day, since making the switch to Phenix is almost non-existent. Too, you have to look at how they are made to ballance out. Todays reels are much lighter than those of yesterday. So to correct this embalance to todays reels, we are needing lighter rods. The split grip and no forgrip are areas that could and should be eliminated on most rods. This is the first step to making a lighter more balanced rod. Second, The reel seats of today are another way to help lighten the weight. And no, were not talking by ounces with these changes but by grams. And to me A rod like the Ultra MBX 700H that weighs in at 101 grams (almost 30 grams lighter than an equivalent GLX) is very well suited with the new Core, STX, and Steeze reels. Better ballance means less fatigue and increased sensitivity. But thats not to say all rods with the split reel seat or handle are top notch.

Vince

[Andy Giannini]

nm

[Oldschool]

Being old and Oldschool here is my take on light weight super sensitive rods; high sterngth with light weight materials gives the angler an advantage, less fatigue.
Being a jig fisherman, rod sensitivity is over stated; the line must move to transmit what is happening with the lure, the water dampens all vibrations traveling up the line.
Removing handle and foregrip material is todays hot look, it isn't functional, therefor will more than likely fade out.
Tom

[Phil]

Removing handle and foregrip material is todays hot look, it isn't functional, therefor will more than likely fade out.
Tom[/quote]

PLEASE EXPLAIN WHY ???

[fish_food]

Removing handle and foregrip material is todays hot look, it isn't functional, therefor will more than likely fade out.

Look at old 80s to 90s era BPS catalogs and you'll see Daiwa and Berkeley rods with split grips. 20+ years later, I don't think they've quite faded away...

[185vsfrog]

If you think non fore grip rods are new technology, you are wrong. Shimano had the magnumlite series of pistol grip baitcasting rods and trigger sticks that had no foregrips 20 years ago. They were super light and sensitive for their time.

[philip garcia]

I think that rods going from a full but grip to a spilt grip and the loss of foregrip isn't the style but evolution. The more things you have on a blank the less sensitive and heavier it is. The cork on the foregrip is not needed so why have it? Casting with a split grip is way easier because you have a nub to hold on to. There are other things that have made a rod better too. Rods use to not have hook hangers either, I wonder if guys thought that was a fad too? what about the blank though reel seat? The list goes on and on. Would you say that the lightwieght high speed reels are a fad to, I think not.

[Oldschool]

Removing handle and foregrip material is todays hot look, it isn't functional, therefor will more than likely fade out.
Tom

PLEASE EXPLAIN WHY ???[/quote]
Very early bait casting rods were made with a removeable pistol grip style handle, the foregrip was a nut that tightened the rod into the handle. The extended fore grip came along with the extended trigger grip style straight handles, similar to a spinning rod. This style rod was first popular in salt water applications like popping rods.
The trigger grip style rods have been popular for bass fishing for over 35 years. Split handles have come and gone during those years. The one problem the split handle creates is loss of control of the rod with slippery wet hands.
I hold my rod by the foregrip in front of the reel and do not palm the reel. Prefer to run the line over my index finger to feel what is going on. That is why I prefer a fore grip and a full handle to control bass with one hand around the boat and not loose control of the rod by holding the blank only. Oldschool methods.
Tom

[Vince Borges]

I hear Mercury is dropping the OptiMax and bringing back the Black Max. And Ranger is going back to a tri-hual. I never land a fish by moving my hand from the grip of the reel seat to the fore grip or rear grip. My hand stays right there on the reel, not the blank, or the handle. The reason for this is incase that fish desides to surge, espeasily a big fish I want my hand right there to disingage the reel and not rely on my drag to stop line, or even rod breakage. Technology in rods and reels has advanced leaps and bounds over those of 20 years ago. Phenix is not going back to a heavy Boron and no, Mercury is not going back to carburators

Vince

[g-man]

Post some pics of your custom rods

building your own is COOL! But for those of us that do not have that option???


I go with light, handles, and looks! We make our choice based on the performance!

POWELL!

[Oldschool]

Makes you wonder how we caught all those giant bass over years with that old heavy ugly low performance tackle. The bass must be smarter today then yesterday or maybe the fisherman are......
I better through away those old Lamiglas titanium rods.
Tom

[FR0G]

This will always be a debate no matter what. People like Oldschool that are fine with the old, out dated stuff, will always be saying the new stuff out today is not needed and what not. I hate to say it, but your too afraid of change. I see all the new rod specs to be very usefull. No foregrip allows my finger to be placed on the rod for added sensitivity, exposed blank on reel seat equals more sensitivity, split grip takes a little weight off and makes it more comfortable to cast plus it looks awesome, the new guides that are out are amazing, and we are also adding some bling to the new age rods as well. Look at the new Dobyns rods for example. They look great of the color accents, the blanks are a smaller diameter, they are super light, and people are just dying to get their hands on them. Oh well, you old school guys can say what you want, but I'll stick to my split gripped, no foregrip, sensitive new rods.

[Oldschool]

My mind is made up, don't confuse me with facts, I'm staying with my split bamboo calutta rods. I have them wired with a strain gages and exceleromters and hand warmer for cold days.

Tom

[mark poulson]

Tom,
Didn't I read somewhere that you had a battery pack in the handle of one rod rigged with lead core, so you could shock up the fish?
Or maybe that was another Tom...

I still have the first rod and reel I got with green stamps. It is fiberglass, heavy, and still works.
But I like the newer, lighter rods and reels. I make a heck of a lot more casts today than I did fifty+ years ago, when I used to walk the streams with my Roddy setup for trout.

[Rod Martin]

Old School vs New, If you're used to fishing with the rod you have now. It should not matter, old or new.

BUT if you're coming up into fishing now, you would not buy old tech.

the rest is rod guys selling rods to fishing guys that have money buring a hole in their pocket.

That said I'll keep some of the old and maybe , just maybe buy one of those new fangled rods Vince has

[texas john]

When I first started gearing up a few years ago my brother told me dont buy anything under and IM-8 rod. I have fished with some of his older IM-6 and 7's and there is a difference in the sensativity of the rods. This being said, I still caught fish on those older rods. I noticed the other day that I was quick to pull the trigger on one of my newer higher sensativity rods, it just felt so good....Anyway in some areas the older rods were better, but I would never go back to anything less than what I am using now. But to each his own and Im sure Tom using his older stuff could probebly out fish a lot of people on this site..

[Oldschool]

Joking aside, oldschool verses new is more about sculpured rod handles than rod blanks. All my oldschool rods have state of the art rod blanks; 6/12' to 7 1/2'. I prefer the oldschool cork handles and foregrips.
If you want to improve your bass fishing; focus on trouble free smooth reels, state of the art line and hooks. The rod is just one of the components and should fit your style of fishing, not mine or anyone else.
Hmmmm... battery powered line; power fishing at it's best.
Tom