what is the worst fishing rod you've ever owned?

[CHUMSALMON]

the worst fishing pole i ever bought was a browning midas 8'6" 8-12 lb. , i broke 4 of these rods in less than two months of fishing. I bought one because they were on sale for about $45, i thought how could i go wrong, cheep rod as a back up, when i fist bought it i thought i'd give it a try, first trip out i broke the tip off while casting a spinner. I thought that was just a fluke, well i managed to do it three more times and they all broke in the same place!!! I finally gave the rod away! and was glad to see it goooooooo! images/icons/mad.gif

[Threemuch]

I have never broken a rod, but my least favorite has got to be the shakespear sturdy stik. These things are heavy solid glass pool cues and cheap, so I guess you get what you pay for, but the action is horrible. The butt flexes almost as much as the tip with a big fish. The reel seat even flexes.

[Ramstrong]

That's easy. One of those green quantum salmon steelhead rods. Absolutely horrible, esp for about the same price as an IM7 buzz ramsey rod.

[CHUMSALMON]

hey threemuch,
My dad has one of those rods, he bought it when we first started to fish for sturgeon, your right what piece of JUNK!!! His does the same thing, the reel seat even flexes!!!! images/icons/mad.gif

[parker]

In the last month, I've snapped a Loomis GL3 fly rod and a Lamiglass Certified Pro rod.

Over the course of the year, I've watched two other GL3 baitcasters snap in half.

Can't say the same about any of my All Star Elite rods. They just keep on fishing and fishing and fishing.

Parker

[Tanner]

Ramstrong,
I agree with you on most of the Quantum rods. However, about 5 years ago I wanted to buy a cheap backup rod for bobber fishing for fall chinook. I ended up buying a 9'6" Quantum rated for up to 40 lb line. This thing has the action of a telephone pole, but let me tell you, I have landed at least 30 big fall fish on this rod that I paid $39.95 for at Fishermans. This rod just keeps going and going and going. I own several nice Lami chinook rods and some Berkley Buzz ramsey rods and this Quantum has become my primary bobber rod.
The beautiful part about this rod is it was real cheap so I don't even bother ever cleaning it. 5 years of bobber and egg fishing, you can just imagine what the lower part of the rod and the cork and real seat look like. Yum images/icons/grin.gif

[ 09-06-2001: Message edited by: Tanner ]

[Ramstrong]

Tanner,

I had the rod that was rated lighter. 10-17 I think, the lower half of the rod would flex so much that the line angle from the reel to the first guide would fray the lin and I'd lose fish. Maybe the big stick would work better in your situation but avoid the lite one's they suck.

[willierower]

One those Quantum rods with the red butt. The tip broke off while threading the tip through the guides. I never even got to use the rod, It broke as I was rigging it for its maiden voyage.
Or maybe it was that St. Croix noodle rod I had built. Whoever built that rod at the factory had the taper backwards, The tip was stiffer than the butt. And all the finish on the blank flaked off. What a piece of garbage.

[Master Baiter]

I had the same two problems as Willierower with two of those Quantum rods. The finish peeled on the first and the tip broke on the second. ***!!!!!! images/icons/mad.gif The store I bought it at traded it out for a Browning Midas which I have used once and keep as a back up for rookies to use. That was the last cheap rod I bought.

T

[ 09-06-2001: Message edited by: Master Baiter ]

[TH]

Anything w/o a warranty.... all rods will break, either from angler error or a defective blank, make sure you buy a rod w/ a warranty... $25 for a new rod sure beats $155
(TH prices)

[Uncle Roman]

I have broken two Quantams, 1 was a steelhead one that broke at the tip while castng a small spinner, and the other I broke about the same time I made contact with a snag......and I didn't even get a chance to try to pull it free........what a bunch of crap...... images/icons/confused.gif

[Nanook]

Lamiglas so called oversized Sturgeon rod. Broke three in a row. If the 50-80 Ugly
Stick could be broken, it would have been by now, and has not been. images/icons/rolleyes.gif

[Snapset]

I built a salmon rod on an old Fenwick HMG blank. First trip, I hook a nice fish, it runs and the rod shatters, in five 2 foot long sections. I sent it to the factory with all my expensive hardware on it and they sent me an 8' 3" Legacy, which was crappier yet. They didn't send my hardware back either, and I am sure it was worth more than the new rod. It broke the first year, and I had had it with Fenwick. Their old glass rods were jewels, but I will never buy another new one.

[Trick]

Worse rods I ever used had the name "Master" on them. They cost little and little reliability was what you recieved. Do they even make these anymore?

I've owned a fenwick eagle trout rod for almost two decades and I love it. It's even taken abuse from two of my boys and it keeps on bringing them in. Never owned any other fenwicks so I can't vouch for their salmon rods.

Broke one of my g-1000's Lamis last salmon season after about 15 years of loyal service. Have another one about the same age still kicking along. Lamiglass replaced it this spring for $50. Have had a Daiwa Eliminator for about 10 years that has caught countless salmon and sturgeon and has only lost the ceramic part on the tip eye. I've abused the hell out of this rod and it won't give up.

[Robert]

Master sucks. My sister and I each got one for christmas. They were 11 foot with the casting guides. After 2-3 months of sturgeon fishing the guides were getting worn really bad. I exchanged for another one because that was all the walmart would do. It really sucked. Whenever possible avoid steel guides, they where out very easy. Go with ceramic guides.

[Salmonator]

Yes master rods do suck. The worst rod i've ever owned that I expected to hold up for awhile was a Lami series 500 steelhead drift rod. That thing was a 90 dollar piece of junk.

Parker nice little plug for allstars. But I will agree with the thought that you can break any rod. I've broken 4 loomis rods over the last 6 or 7 years and every one was due to abuse. I've been under the impression that anyone trying to trash Loomis rods either doesn't know how to use one, had a bonafide rare defect (find me a rod builder that has never put out a defective blank) or has a hidden agenda... Joe

[Beek]

My 3 week old 10' Penn Power Stick Sturgeon rod that snapped today casting an 18oz weight. Piece of shat. Shoulda bought the Ugly Stick.

[Deleted User]

Who in the Portland area remembers an old rod maker named Johnny Hooker? Ugliest rod I ever owned! guides were not straight and the garish wrappings made this rod hidieous! I also believe he used blanks that were 2nds because the tip had a big crook in it. I was new to fly fishing and ran into old Johnny at the Sportmans show many, many years ago. Only bought one though images/icons/grin.gif

[Tilla]

I had a Diawa rod that never made it to the water before the tip just fell off. I have a couple of their saltwater sealine reels., but the rodsn uh-uh images/icons/frown.gif

[jawbreaker]

I have to agree about quantum being the worst. I bought a Quantum rod and the first time I used it I hooked an average size nothing special 20# Chinook and the rod snapped in half. I took the rod back the next day.