# looking for a new light rod



## jonnythfisherteen2 (Mar 5, 2011)

last year, i broke my 5' 6" light action spinning rod while out on the last trip of the year, now im lookin for a new one. not trying to pay over 30 for one really.
the one i got was a rod from a berkley trout fishing kit.


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## BassSlayerChris (Aug 9, 2010)

Go to your local store like gander or dicks and find the Berekly AMP spinning rod. It's 5'6" light action with a split grip. Should be only 24.99 I have three of them. 


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

i recommend the eagle claw feather light rod. they are really light but very tough. i have caught plenty of 6 to 7 lb eyes on my rods and never had a problem. but they are light enough to cast the small jigs and bend like crazy if you get a good crappie or gill on the line. you can get these rods from 5'6" to the 9' rod. if you ever try one you will always want to keep one. i have 4 or 5 spinning rods in the 6' and the 6'6" size and 2 spin casting rods that my wife uses.
sherman


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## todd61 (Nov 22, 2009)

sherman51 said:


> i recommend the eagle claw feather light rod. they are really light but very tough. i have caught plenty of 6 to 7 lb eyes on my rods and never had a problem. but they are light enough to cast the small jigs and bend like crazy if you get a good crappie or gill on the line. you can get these rods from 5'6" to the 9' rod. if you ever try one you will always want to keep one. i have 4 or 5 spinning rods in the 6' and the 6'6" size and 2 spin casting rods that my wife uses.
> sherman


Yep. Good rod for the money


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## JSykes3 (Oct 14, 2010)

I was told by a friend that Dick's has a nice light Quantum combo for $40.


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## elkhtr (Oct 23, 2006)

I have a few berkley lightning rods, I use braided line on them with a floro or mono leader, depending on the presentation (I am going to try some nanofil the next time I replace the line on the spinning reel). I really like them for feel, weight, action (for the price). A few bucks over 30, but if you keep an eye out for a sale, you may do better.

http://www.basspro.com/Berkley-Lightning-Rod-IM6-Spinning-Rods/product/1110220501167/


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## jonnythfisherteen2 (Mar 5, 2011)

that featherlight from eagle claw looks interesting. i guess i can give that a try ill see what i can find.


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

jonnythfisherteen2 said:


> that featherlight from eagle claw looks interesting. i guess i can give that a try ill see what i can find.


if you have trouble finding them they have plenty of them on ebay. and some of them are great prices. you will never regrett the eagle claw featherlight. just my opinion.
sherman


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## Jmsteele187 (Dec 22, 2011)

They are more than you're looking to spend, but the fenwick HMX 6' light power rod is a really nice rod. I received one as a replacement from the company that owns them and pflueger, when I got really bad customer service on a warranty deal with pflueger. The fenwick is probably ten times the rod they replaced. They really made up for the three months that it took to get a replacement. 


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## streamstalker (Jul 8, 2005)

I'll second the Berkely Amp rods. I had a 5 1/2 foot pistol grip casting rod for a lot of years until it went to the bottom of the Scioto River. Good, cheap rods.


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## Fisherman330 (Feb 13, 2013)

Jmsteele187 said:


> They are more than you're looking to spend, but the fenwick HMX 6' light power rod is a really nice rod. I received one as a replacement from the company that owns them and pflueger, when I got really bad customer service on a warranty deal with pflueger. The fenwick is probably ten times the rod they replaced. They really made up for the three months that it took to get a replacement.
> 
> 
> Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire



Just bought the same rod about a month ago. My friend has one of them and used it last year on the last couple trips and had to buy one. I paid 80 for mine, well worth the money though!


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## Jmsteele187 (Dec 22, 2011)

Fisherman330 said:


> Just bought the same rod about a month ago. My friend has one of them and used it last year on the last couple trips and had to buy one. I paid 80 for mine, well worth the money though!


Having used the fenwick last year, made me want to replace all my spinning rods with them. It is far superior than my ugly stick lite graphite rods. Now I just need the cash to buy 4 more of em. 


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## Fisherman330 (Feb 13, 2013)

Jmsteele187 said:


> Having used the fenwick last year, made me want to replace all my spinning rods with them. It is far superior than my ugly stick lite graphite rods. Now I just need the cash to buy 4 more of em.
> 
> 
> Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire



Thats funny you say that because i had an ugly stick i was using too. I am hoping to get another one or two fenwicks at the LBF sale in march, thats where i got the one that i just bought


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## draggin_ballz (Feb 5, 2013)

I'd strongly suggest the Gander Mountain guide series rods (either IM7 $39.99 or the IM8 $59.99). I know you said you wanted to spend under $30 but keep in mind that the Gander Mountain rods are really St. Croix. A couple years ago I snapped my 5'6" Gander Mountain Guide series IM8 rod on a tree walking down to the creek when it was about 15 degrees out. I took the rod back to Gander Mountain and showed them and before I could hardly get a word out the guy pulled the same rod off the shelf and said "there you go" (I didn't have a reciept and I had owned the rod for about 6 or 7 years. Nothing but Gander Mountain rods for me. Just a thought for you.


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## Jmsteele187 (Dec 22, 2011)

If you go with a gander mountain rod, get on while you can. All the GMs up here are dumping anything that's not related to guns. I imagine it's just a matter of time before they all do the same. I however, was always told (by the GM sales guys) that the GM rods were by Pflueger, not St. Croix. That doesn't mean it's not true though.


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## draggin_ballz (Feb 5, 2013)

The St. Croix part was told to me about 5 years ago or so, so maybe they are different now. I do know I like my GM rods more than my St. Croix.


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## "Big" mark the shark (Jan 21, 2010)

For around the $30 mark I would try the ugly stick.Love mine.


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## celtic11 (Jun 30, 2011)

Walmart sells an Abu Garcia Cardinal "tournament series" rod. About $32. I have the 5'6" light one and it was great to me for river fishing this past year. 

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## Amerson (Jan 8, 2013)

Cabela has the featherlight on serious sale. I got three and love them. Good luck. 


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## ranger373v (Oct 26, 2012)

celtic11 said:


> Walmart sells an Abu Garcia Cardinal "tournament series" rod. About $32. I have the 5'6" light one and it was great to me for river fishing this past year.
> 
> posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


Some wallys have a 6'6" vendetta on clearance. Normally $90 for $45...i bought 3...may go buy 2 more. They are almost as nice as my carbonlites


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## sbreech (Jun 6, 2010)

draggin_ballz said:


> I'd strongly suggest the Gander Mountain guide series rods (either IM7 $39.99 or the IM8 $59.99). I know you said you wanted to spend under $30 but keep in mind that the Gander Mountain rods are really St. Croix. A couple years ago I snapped my 5'6" Gander Mountain Guide series IM8 rod on a tree walking down to the creek when it was about 15 degrees out. I took the rod back to Gander Mountain and showed them and before I could hardly get a word out the guy pulled the same rod off the shelf and said "there you go" (I didn't have a reciept and I had owned the rod for about 6 or 7 years. Nothing but Gander Mountain rods for me. Just a thought for you.


Gander mtn rods have Made in China right on them... so they are definitely not St Croix. They have been that way as long as I remember. That is not a disqualifier at the requested price point though. Still a nice rod.


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## t.stuller (Feb 25, 2010)

BnM Sharpshooters are real nice and $30. They come in 5', 5'6", and 6'. they are ultra lite, but have a stiff back bone. They claim to be made to bend not break.


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## celtic11 (Jun 30, 2011)

ranger373v said:


> Some wallys have a 6'6" vendetta on clearance. Normally $90 for $45...i bought 3...may go buy 2 more. They are almost as nice as my carbonlites


Went to Walmart after reading this. They had a barrel of rods that were on clearance last year and are back out this year for the same prices. They have Conolon premiers, ugly stick lites, Berkeley lightning rod and bionic.. all marked down about $6. I don't know why they refuse to mark them down any more. 

Then I found another section that had vendettas, kvd, pflueger echelon and maybe a few others.. the vendettas were marked down to $64. The other ones were only about $10 off. Oh they also had the Abu cardinal rods I previously talked about for $25.

Decent deals I guess but I am not really in the market for a rod. Unfortunately my Walmart will hold em for a year at that price and let half of them get broken before they mark them down anymore. 


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## ranger373v (Oct 26, 2012)

celtic11 said:


> Went to Walmart after reading this. They had a barrel of rods that were on clearance last year and are back out this year for the same prices. They have Conolon premiers, ugly stick lites, Berkeley lightning rod and bionic.. all marked down about $6. I don't know why they refuse to mark them down any more.
> 
> Then I found another section that had vendettas, kvd, pflueger echelon and maybe a few others.. the vendettas were marked down to $64. The other ones were only about $10 off. Oh they also had the Abu cardinal rods I previously talked about for $25.
> 
> ...


only some..maybe only 1...?

Only the one out of 3 walmarts here have em on clearance.


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## celtic11 (Jun 30, 2011)

ranger373v said:


> only some..maybe only 1...?
> 
> Only the one out of 3 walmarts here have em on clearance.


I didn't head over to our other Walmart to see theirs. The one close to me has them on clearance they just aren't marked down as much as yours were, which seems to be typical of this Walmart.

I remember reading last fall about people picking up the Abu Garcia conolon premier rods for $10-$20. My Walmart had them marked down to $35 from $42. They had them at that price all fall, then put them away in December then got them back out recently at the same price. 

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## ranger373v (Oct 26, 2012)

celtic11 said:


> I didn't head over to our other Walmart to see theirs. The one close to me has them on clearance they just aren't marked down as much as yours were, which seems to be typical of this Walmart.
> 
> I remember reading last fall about people picking up the Abu Garcia conolon premier rods for $10-$20. My Walmart had them marked down to $35 from $42. They had them at that price all fall, then put them away in December then got them back out recently at the same price.
> 
> posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


It deals with your location. This walmart is no where near a lake or river...they dont sell much fishing stuff..likewise the walmart near the ohio river had the humminbird 998 $400 cheaper.than bass pro did...location is key to deals...


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## jonnythfisherteen2 (Mar 5, 2011)

I like how those whip'r rods look. I'll look into a 6 foot.


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