lookinforwalleye Posted March 21, 2008 Report Posted March 21, 2008 buy 2 Shimano Compre for 220 and take the wife out for a nice dinner with the 220 you save or buy 2 new reels to go with the Compre`s.
JustinHoffman Posted March 21, 2008 Report Posted March 21, 2008 Hello Sconceptor. Like Greencoachdog mentioned, if you are looking for a high-quality, high-end and lighter-than-air rod, then check out Kistler. They are just new on the market here in Canada, but have been going steady in the States for 10 years. Four lines of rods to cater to any angler's needs. The new lineup of Helium 2 LTX's are simply incredible....Although Loomis and St. Croix have been at the top for some time now, Kistler definitely needs to be mentioned when talking about Canadian-available rods... If you have any questions, or are looking for a retailer, just give me a shout. I am the National Pro Staff - Canada Division for the company.. www.kistlerrods.com Good Fishing, Justin
2 tone z71 Posted March 21, 2008 Report Posted March 21, 2008 St Croix all the way had both used both love the St Croixs ,but started recently buying Shimano rods again ,St croix is a lil proud of there rods and they are great but not worth the $$$ there asking
MAzing Posted March 21, 2008 Report Posted March 21, 2008 You can't really compare the two, G-Loomis only makes one line of rods and they are the best money can buy. I hear some complaining about repairs and such etc etc, but if you own a G-Loomis over a St-Croix you cut back your chances of needing repairs twice over. MA
corvette1 Posted March 21, 2008 Report Posted March 21, 2008 lifetime warranty my butt they want 75.00 for each rod plus shipping
eye-tracker Posted March 21, 2008 Report Posted March 21, 2008 I think G-Loomis and St. Croix offer the same type of warranty where you send the broken rod back and for a fee the rod is replaced. With the recent down turn in the USA economy I think companies are noticing there is no way you can run a business by replace product over the counter (Wish I could get a new car when it wont start ). I am sure rod companies could make a rod you could never break - but I would never want to fish with a rod like that. St. Croix warranty program: http://www.stcroixrods.com/content.asp?id=14 G-Loomis warranty program: http://www.gloomis.com/publish/content/glo...nformation.html In my opinion a quality blank made for walleye fishing - not bass fishing - makes all the difference as walleye have very soft mouths and you need a rod that allows a sweeping hook set and a soft fast tip that keeps the rod loaded during the fight, therefore the hook does not fall out of the ripped hole in the walleyes mouth. Also try to stay away from all the MH ML etc. as you can not compare a walleye blank to bass blank or even a salmon blank etc. Many of the companies are now going to power and taper ratings which make it easier to figure out what you need. -sheldon
muskymatt Posted March 21, 2008 Report Posted March 21, 2008 I have 3 Loomis and 2 st.croix rods and although I usually reach for the Loomis, the st.croix are very nice and of great quality. There is just something about the loomis that screams quality and they are so sweet to use. I would say you can't go wrong with either , it's a matter of feel.
Uncle Buck Posted March 22, 2008 Report Posted March 22, 2008 buy new or be cautious... i bought a used St. Croix Avid Float rod, and the cork is coming out of the handle.... not 1 or 2 pieces, but all around and along the whole length of the grip... talked to the guy at the local tackle shop and i'm SOL on it since i'm not the original owner... and even then, it would be did i register the rod etc... blah blah blah... there's a million excuses they can use...
trapshooter Posted March 22, 2008 Report Posted March 22, 2008 You can't really compare the two, G-Loomis only makes one line of rods and they are the best money can buy. I hear some complaining about repairs and such etc etc, but if you own a G-Loomis over a St-Croix you cut back your chances of needing repairs twice over. MA One line of rods?? Check again. High end Loomis are definitely one of the best money can buy though. I'll admit, I'm biased towards St.Croix. Their warranty program has been very good to me as well. I sent my broken rods directly back to the factory with a US $10 bill for return shipping. No questions asked. The top of the line blanks from both companies are all amazing rods, no question. It's Croix's warranty that does it for me. Things happen on the water, rods break. If I pay top dollar for a rod with a lifetime warranty, I don't want to pay $85 to have it replaced.
waterwolf Posted March 22, 2008 Report Posted March 22, 2008 (edited) seems like a high- risk investment to me . i see a lot of disgruntled owners of high-end rods so far. i've landed some pretty decent fish on " medium priced equipment" . i know i certainly out-fish a couple of friends of mine with their higher- end equipment so ,,,,, .i guess if you drive a ferrari to the store , it's more fun than driving there in a ford. as i slowly upgrade , i take pride in those purchases knowing that my interest is going to a new level. high-end gear is the dessert .,, but let's not forget why we go out for dinner . st. craw ? one day . hope i 'm not comparing it to my BPS rod that's outstanding for 1/2 price . my buddy's st.craw seems to do it for him. that's one nod. Edited March 22, 2008 by waterwolf
Garry2Rs Posted March 23, 2008 Report Posted March 23, 2008 I own both G.Loomis and St.Croix rods. G.Loomis is in Mount Hope, just south of Hamilton. St Croix is in Wisconsin. If you loose a ceramic line guide insert the rod has to go back for repair...for me it's easier to get service in Mt. Hope.
MAzing Posted March 23, 2008 Report Posted March 23, 2008 One line of rods?? Check again. High end Loomis are definitely one of the best money can buy though. I was talking line of quality, St-Croix come in premiere, avid and tournament. 3 different quality for the same rod.
trapshooter Posted March 23, 2008 Report Posted March 23, 2008 I was talking line of quality, St-Croix come in premiere, avid and tournament. 3 different quality for the same rod. same how loomis has different lines of quality... IMX, GLX, GL2 etc.
Garry2Rs Posted March 23, 2008 Report Posted March 23, 2008 For me, it's getting harder to justify new G.Loomis and St.Croix rods. In the past, Shimano's best rod, the Compre, was nice, but a bit clunky looking hardware wise. Sort of like a girl in an evening dress and Dr. Marten's In the last couple of years they have introduced the Crucial and Cumara rods and upgraded the Compre. This Fall I was in the market for a new 7 foot baitcaster. I looked at the Mag.Bass line of G.Loomis, but bought a Crucial for half the price.
Moosebunk Posted March 23, 2008 Report Posted March 23, 2008 Bought a Frontier 7 foot M-H spinning rod last year and liked it very much for pike. I'd use this too for deep water laker jigging if I was ever in the need, and, it pulled a few bass through the slop OK.
muskymike Posted March 23, 2008 Report Posted March 23, 2008 I would like to see this question as a poll. See what kind of results we would get since there are so many mixed responses.
irishfield Posted March 23, 2008 Report Posted March 23, 2008 This is no different than the GM/Chrysler/Ford debate... someone will tell you Honda is better. There are many good choices out there and they all have their uses. When it comes to Muskie....my Compre for trolling, St. Croix Premier for jerk baits, my "Spiel Special" Loomis for Bucktails and Petemania Muskie rods for new boat mates to use.
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