Are my Cumara's outdated?

[MSBruno]

Nothing wrong with them, fished them for 8 years now ... lately having the itch to see if my 8 year old "high" end rods are still as good as the every day, run of the mill rod. Never thought they were heavy or dull feeling, until I picked up my friend's BPS CarbonLite (white) rod and it felt soooooo light.

 

 

Has technology come far enough and outdated my rods?

 

[12 Volt Man]

I think rods have come a long way in the last 10 years when you are comparing mid to high end stuff of today versus say 10 years ago.

 

rods are generally lighter, better balanced and we have access to all these great technique specific tapers that were only beginning to get noticed 10 years ago.

[Steve]

that is an interesting question.

 

while rods have moved to specific tapers, and lighter blanks, it is arguable whether the rods are actually "better" now than before.

 

Rod manufacturers have moved to many cost savings, that don't improve the rod, but reduce the costs.

 

These include EVA foam handles, split grips, etc.

 

The Cumara and the Cumulus rods, at least the original runs, have almost a cult like following. I see rods selling for more than the original price.

 

Don't get "too" wrapped up in the "lightness" of the rod....as light doesn't automatically equal sensitive.

 

the other thing to watch out for is "high end" names, such as st croix / g loomis, and their "bargain discount" models.

 

These are often not even built by in the same factories as the rest of the lineup....often in china by a 3rd party company, than rebranded.

 

The G Loomis Frontier and St Croix Mojo Bass are good examples. Your paying for a chinese sub quality rod, but with a brand name attached.

 

Do some searching on the rod model you are looking to replace. You may get a better feel if "upgrading" to a bps rod is actually worth it.

 

Tackletour is a great resource for these types of questions, as many of the anglers on there are true enthusiasts.

[aplumma]

I have over the years collected fishing rods not due to their name but what they feel like in my hands. If the rods you have still feel like they are extensions of your hands then enjoy it. If you find a rod that calls to you then budget and buy the new rod. The older rods are kept around to use again as they call to you. I have around 25 rods from ultra light to saltwater rods some are name brand and others where Built by Spiel over the years each one of them are special to me for at some time they felt special in my hands. I will say the rods that are light and balanced with the correct reels are a blessing on the days when I fish from dawn to dusk.

 

Art

[manitoubass2]

Very good advice in this thread!

[landry]

The carbonlites are very light and sensitive.

I think most new rod "advancements" are hype to get us to do exactly what you are pondering.

[mike rousseau]

If it ain't broke don't fix it!

 

Looking back I wish I held onto all my older rods

[dave524]

I wouldn't trade my late 80's vintage Loomis float rods for anything on the market today, that being said there has been a great improvement in what I would call middle priced rods, those around a hundred bucks or so.

[Steve]

a couple specific examples I can provide. First is the Shimano Crucial. I own a couple original run Crucials. One broke. It was replaced with a new model one.

 

There is literally night and day difference in the quality, and responsiveness, between the original Crucial, and the new one. The new one literally feels dead. BUT, it has a sweet split grip and an EVA foam handle.

 

For trolling Quinte I have 8 Shimano Clarus 9' Rods. I have three generations of Clarus rods within those 8.

 

The original "reddish hue" ones are by far the best. The middle "brownish hue one" is the almost as good as the original. The newest "black" ones are by far the worst.

 

Just a couple specific examples I thought would be worth providing.

 

Happy New Years everyone.

Edited December 31, 2016 by Steve

[12 Volt Man]

for what its worth, the St. Croix Mojo's have been redesigned for this year with the SCIII blanks (same as Avid) so that's a big improvement. not sure if the price has been increased?? And the newer Entry level G. Loomis (the E6X's) are amazing. I own the MBR843c E6X and love it. granted, its not a cheap rod (they go for about $230/240 or so), but compared to a Loomis NRX rod it sort of is lol.

Edited January 1, 2017 by 12 Volt Man

[porkpie]

The only time my fishing rods become outdated is when they break.

[msp]

I wouldn't be so quick to get rid of your old rods. I have made this mistake in the past.

Lots of good advise here. A great example is the crucial rods. They had a bad run for a couple years where the quality just wasn't there

Seems like they have come back around. Another example is the Shimano Vrods

Amazing rods that have a cult like following. People love them.

If you really still like your rods , keep them. This doesn't mean you can't still buy new ones

[manjo39]

I have both Carbonlites and Cumaras. I'll trade you my Carbonlites for your Cumaras.