# Custom Rods



## Addicted2Fishing (Apr 15, 2014)

Are custom rods actually needed? I was planning on rod building for my trip this summer, but i totaled my car and $650 is a lot of money to spend just to build 2 rods


----------



## jiggly (Apr 12, 2015)

Really all up to you. You can buy decent rods off the shelf at some local shops that will work fine. If you can budget it and want the best then go for it.


----------



## ThaFish (Feb 27, 2013)

No, custom rods are absolutely not needed bro. Don't get me wrong, I've got a couple of customs, but honestly I prefer my Star & Loomis shelf rods.


----------



## Ragon210 (Jul 11, 2013)

no!


----------



## pierboy01 (Jun 2, 2010)

A custom rod has never caught a fish on its on. It's the person holding the rod that catches the fish. But every rod I own is custom so it's totally up to you.


----------



## southern yakker (Jun 25, 2012)

I personally would rather a good reel than a high end rod. I've caught plenty of big fish on cheap rods and good reels. Custom rods are nice but the price usually isnt. If you can find one already built for cheaper and you're dead set on a custom rod go that route. I've fished with many off the shelf rods that were way better than some customs.


----------



## Ocean Master (May 20, 2008)

Guys that fish the pier can usually afford custom rods and tackle because they don't need that much for a day of fishing. A bait combo and fishing combo.

When rigging a boat for a day of fishing 8 to 15 rigs are needed.

There are plenty of store bought rods that get the job done as well as the custom rods. Their just not as pretty..!


----------



## Hawkseye (Feb 17, 2012)

A custom rod is absolutely NOT required to have a blast catching fish. 

Having said that......I do own a couple that I wouldn't trade for all the tea in China. They were both custom built with a specific type of fishing in mind and they damn sure outshine every other rod I've ever owned for that type of fishing.

Most of the local tackle shops in this area carry their own "custom " line for everything from Cobia to Specs. 9 times out of 10 these local shops "customs" will do every bit as good a job as the higher end rods sitting on the shelf next to them for 1/3 the cash.

When you get down here, go to one of these shops and tell them what you're looking for and how much you can spend. They'll hook you up.


----------



## 49913 (Apr 18, 2014)

Custom rods certainly aren't necessary. And it depends a lot on how much an angler knows about the subject, and what matters to him. But if you want an eye opener, trot on down to the tackle shop of your choice, and start spinning rods from the tip end to see where the spine lines up. I've been asked to leave Bass Pro Shops for doing just that. Anybody that thinks ANY factory rod, including Loomis's, has had the spine lined up properly and the guides static checked for how efficiently they carry a load, is probably dreaming. Production rod makers don't have the time or the trained help to spend setting one up properly. They rarely use enough guides, and you know darn well that they're using the cheapest guides and epoxies they can get away with. But is custom necessary? Nope.
BTW, you'll probably get a good blank with a Loomis, or a St. Croix, but the rest of them? How do you know what you're getting? Just wondering.


----------



## TarponDan (Nov 29, 2011)

Nice to see someone mention the spine of a rod, sometimes referred to as spline. That's one area where customs beat off-the-rack rods. I've gotten a bunch of broken St. Croix rods to repair, and even the Legends and Avids are not splined. A rod built off spline will torque when it is put under pressure--casting or battling a fish. Usually there's not much difference in feel, but there is a difference.


----------

