Fenwick Rods

[scugpg]

Hi all - I'm tracking down a new walleye jigging rod this year and also want a 7' multipurpose rod for casting lighter jigs etc.

 

Looking at Shimano/Loomis/St Croix...but I was also interested in Fenwick. How do they compare to the usuals? Are they comparable in lightless and sensitivity? Never been around them but I see there are folks on here who love em. The Elite-tech walleye series looks interesting. What are your thoughts?

 

http://www.fenwickfishing.com/prod.php?k=3...20%281139445%29

Edited January 22, 2010 by scugog

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

i'd go st. croix

[solopaddler]

They're not bad.

Not as good as a comparably priced St. Croix though.

I'm not a fan of shimano rods at all.

[scugpg]

I'm not a fan of shimano rods at all.

 

I'd have to agree...they just don't feel right compared to other brands I've been looking at.

[smitter]

I bought a light action Fenwick HMG last year, it broke the first time out on a snag, super weak, I barely pulled on it and it broke. I think it was a manufacturer defect.

 

I returned it to Fenwick and they did send a replacement no questions asked, which is good. I'm really cautious with it now which is not the way I like to fish.

 

I recommend St. Croix Premier series. The best value for dollar in fishing rods in my opinion. I've broken them too, but only when I slam them in my truck tailgate

 

Also Shimano Compre are good and in the same price range.

[lew]

They're not bad.

Not as good as a comparably priced St. Croix though.

I'm not a fan of shimano rods at all.

 

It's funny how we all look at things differently Mike, I sold all my St. Croix musky rods and replaced them all with Compre's

 

As for the Fenwicks, one thing I've noticed on this board over the years is the high numbers of guys who complain about them breaking easily, infact it seems like they break far more often than any other brand.........at least that's the way I've always seen it anyways.

[Bernie]

One of the best rods I have ever fished with was a Fenwick....until it broke.

The next fave was a Shimano V-rod...until it got slammed in a door....dang!

Now use a Shimano Crucial, it's OK but not quite there.

Bought a GLoomis 7ft one piece but it isn't sensitive enough to suit me.

Shopping for a new one soon. Not sure what I will end up with.

[solopaddler]

It's funny how we all look at things differently Mike, I sold all my St. Croix musky rods and replaced them all with Compre's

 

As for the Fenwicks, one thing I've noticed on this board over the years is the high numbers of guys who complain about them breaking easily, infact it seems like they break far more often than any other brand.........at least that's the way I've always seen it anyways.

 

Funny for sure, I broke 3 different Compre rods last season.

[justin elia]

Hi all - I'm tracking down a new walleye jigging rod this year and also want a 7' multipurpose rod for casting lighter jigs etc.

 

Looking at Shimano/Loomis/St Croix...but I was also interested in Fenwick. How do they compare to the usuals? Are they comparable in lightless and sensitivity? Never been around them but I see there are folks on here who love em. The Elite-tech walleye series looks interesting. What are your thoughts?

 

http://www.fenwickfishing.com/prod.php?k=3...20%281139445%29

 

The Shimano Compre is a great series to go with. Been fishing a one piece 6'6" light and a one piece 7' medium action for about 8 years. I prefer the shimano rods over fenwick rods. Much more durable in my opinion. Good luck.

[BillM]

I've always really liked the Fenwick ultra lights...

[tdotfisherman]

I have a Fenwick that I use for my medium baitcasting setup..

 

I've had it for two years and it has worked great.. I love the feel of it.

 

Thumbs up for Fenwick.

[trevy727]

i love my fenwich. i also love my loomis and my st. croix. i've had 2 shimano rods and didn't like them at all. I ended up giving them away.

[danc]

My rule of thumb is to not buy a rod made from a company that became famous for making reels or tackle. In other words, don't buy a Shimano or Rapala rod because of the name. They make great products in their field of expertise, but suck otherwise. JMHO.

[basskicker09]

go st. croix you will not be disapointed

[CLofchik]

In the mid-range (gah, when did $100 rods become middle of the road!) Fenwick HMX/HMG has an edge over St.Croix Premier/Triumph. Fenwick's are noticeably lighter and have significantly better components. I liked my two Premiers when I first started using them, but the guides on them are just cheap crap. Once I had those stripped off and replaced with Fuji Hardloy's (which are stock on my Fenwick's) they're much better.

 

Contrary to Smitter, I've found the St.Croix's to be the worst value for dollar rod out there. Premiers & Triumphs use the same blank, only one is assembled in China and the Premier in the US. I had three guides on two rods lose their inserts, and frankly what are $100 rods using inserted guides anywho? Once you move up to the Avid & Legend it starts moving back towards St.Croix but I'm done with lower end offerings.

 

Never had a problem with any of my three Fenwick HMX's, which I found to be the best rod for dollar

[EC1]

I used a 6' walleye class by fenwick before, and am very happy with it.

 

Other people might like different rods, But fenwick, st. croix, loomis - you can't really go wrong with any of them. It probably will come down with you and balancing the rod out, objective view on sensitivity, and the preference of the combo being lighter or heavier.

[anders]

I love them....actually just bought another one today...a 6 6 spinning

 

this will be my fourth one,

 

agreed, dont go shimano, i broke three this year, and i take extreme care with them

[ohhenrygsr]

I love my Fenwick Techna's. The Elite rods are an amazing touch to there line up. Awesome guides and very sensitive for Walleye fishing

[Moosebunk]

I hate to love Fenwicks and love to hate 'em too.

 

Yep... they break easy. But those walleye class rods were all class for me when I used them. Basically, they're the Berkely Lightning Rod at twice the price with a slightly faster tip. I found those walleye rods even better for pike.

 

Shimanos are good, always dependable. St. Croix I know nothing about.

[singingdog]

I have several of the HMX rods, which I have fished very hard and never had any problems with. I tested several - including Shimano, St Croix, and Berkley - before I bought my last Fenwick (a 7' UL). I just liked the feel of the Fenwick blank the best of any that I tried.

 

I have to say, of all the rods that I have looked at and fished, that Shimano Compres are the best bang for the buck: great blanks, good guides and consistent flex patterns. I have a 7' M that is a great bucktail rod.

 

St. Croix's are nice, but overprice IMHO

 

Breakage? I can never figure that out. I fish lots of days in a year, don't treat my rods particularly well, and have never had a rod break while fishing it.

[lew]

Breakage? I can never figure that out. I fish lots of days in a year, don't treat my rods particularly well, and have never had a rod break while fishing it.

 

I'm with you on that one singindog, in all my years of fishing I've only ever broken 2 rods and that was when a motor fell over on them in the back of a pickup. I too wonder what some folks are doing to break so many rods

[solopaddler]

All 3 compre rods broke within 3-4" of the tip. One on a hookset, one when I pulled back on a snag, and one when I was rigging the rod pulling the line through the guides.

 

If it happened once, fine. Twice I'm rethinking my choice. Three times strike 3 you're out.

 

 

(Side note, all 3 of these rods were brand new models last year. I have a 12 year old Compre rod that's been through the ringer and is indestructable)

Edited January 22, 2010 by solopaddler

[fish_fishburn]

Personally I think the compre rods are really good for the money. I have a couple of them. One is a 7ft single piece heavy action I use as a flippin stick, and it has been abused alot and still works great. I am not to crazy about the Shimano Crucial series rods. I have a couple of them and I dont like the feel of them. I think they are over priced as well. St.Croix premiers are good for the money, there tough and reliable but sensative too. A few years ago we had im6 graphite construction now there making im9 and most people think the higher the graphite content the better. And thats just what the manufactures want you to think, but theres a trade off. The higher the graphite content the more sensative they are but they are also alot more brittle and suceptable to breakage. I broke two crucials last year and they are im9 rods. I am going back to im6 or im7 and no higher then you get the best of both worlds. Also the im6 rod prices have come down considerably from 5 years ago.

[trapshooter]

In the mid-range (gah, when did $100 rods become middle of the road!) Fenwick HMX/HMG has an edge over St.Croix Premier/Triumph. Fenwick's are noticeably lighter and have significantly better components. I liked my two Premiers when I first started using them, but the guides on them are just cheap crap. Once I had those stripped off and replaced with Fuji Hardloy's (which are stock on my Fenwick's) they're much better.

 

Contrary to Smitter, I've found the St.Croix's to be the worst value for dollar rod out there. Premiers & Triumphs use the same blank, only one is assembled in China and the Premier in the US. I had three guides on two rods lose their inserts, and frankly what are $100 rods using inserted guides anywho? Once you move up to the Avid & Legend it starts moving back towards St.Croix but I'm done with lower end offerings.

 

Never had a problem with any of my three Fenwick HMX's, which I found to be the best rod for dollar

 

Great post.

 

Most of my rods are Criox Legend Tournament, Avid or Legend Elite. Great products backed by lifetime warranties.

 

I do have a couple Fenwick Techna AV's that I really like. Sensitive for a walleye jigging rod but the backbone is what I really love.

 

I think with a lot of rod manufacturers, if you buy their lower end stuff it just doesn't compare.

[craigdritchie]

Problem is, you really can't say all Fenwick rods are good/bad, or all St. Croix rods are great/awful, or all Shimano rods are wonderful/terrible. Every manufacturer out there has some specific models that are pretty good, and some that could stand improvement. This applies at every price point -- even to factory Loomis and Sage rods. There are many reasons for this, but it mainly comes down to the way rods are mass-produced today.