Rod of the Year 2011

[bassbandit]

For many of us, the freshwater fishing is at an end so there is nothing left to do but reflect on this past years successes and failures. Last year I started a thread called by this same title and I found it very interesting to see which rod you guys have used the most of the past year.

For the sake of discussion, let's limit it to just one rod. The one rod you couldn't have fished without... Also, so we generate some good discussion, let's try to share a bit about what makes the rod special.

Here goes...

My "rod of the year" for 2011 was Powell's 733 casting rod. For me, this rod excels when fishing plastics and can pull double duty as a shallow crank and topwater rod. Because of this, it made it out on nearly every trip I went on over the course of the entire season. I know it isn't the most expensive or nicest rod I own, but there is just something about it that makes me smile when I am fishing with it.

Come on, guys! Let's hear it!

[bstuckey]

Dobyns 735C... can you say here froggy!

[KyAntares]

St Croix Legend Tournament "Teaser"

[fshrfwl]

Close tie between my Dobyns DX702SF and DX744C.

[godshippy]

For me it was a Dobyns Champion 734C. This rod can do so much...I can never leave the house without this rod.

[steve1206]

G Loomis NRX 873 CRR. These got used for football jigs post-spawn through the fall and brush hogs and big worms through the summer both day and night.

[Shimano-Or-Nothing]

Has to be my NRX 853c. I use it for my go to technique, jig fishing. It's perfect for skipping underneath over hanging trees. It's an awesome pitching rod too.

[spookybaits]

Having recently moved to the northern California mountains, I was inspired to get out and explore, hiking the beautiful mountain lakes. Hike fishing allows only one rod to serve as a 'do it all' rod and that rod for me has been a dobyns 705cb glass. I've thrown everything from texas rigged lizards to 6" hudds on it. It excels at all moving baits/reaction baits like topwater, cranks and small swimbaits which is 90% of my fishing and has been my go to rod. Light years ahead of the old E-glass rods.

[rh_916]

Phenix mbx classic 7'7" mh used it for bass and stripers. Also caught over 30 salmon up to 22pds with it

[Pin]

Daiwa Zillion 7'6" Flippin Stick, paired with a Chronarch 101B or Steez 103HL was my main jig pitching combo that I enjoyed the most this past season.

[Valky]

St.Croix Legend Tournament LTB63MF Sniper Spinnerbait. It contribute to most of my success throughout the year for both numbers and weight. Great short rod that help me pinpoint my spinnerbait, but lots of backbone to pull lunker out of cover. So sad that they stop their production for 2012

[dragon1]

Phenix UMBX Classic 7'7" MH....I have caught more bass and my biggest bass on this rod, the two years I have owned it.

Lipless rattlebaits up to 3/4 oz, spinnerbaits up to 1 1/4 oz, topwaters like the 100 size Sammys, big jerkbaits like the Deps Balisong 130 or even MB 110s to 5/16 oz jigs to 1/2 oz buzzbaits...this rod did it all for me the last two years.

Light, well built and put together, very sensitive, great tip, excellent backbone, and uniquely fishable. This rod IMO fishes between a GLoomis MBR 843/844 and in between IMX and GLX...in a 7'7" package.

[Eric Walsh]

NRX893 - weightless plastics - wow!

[DUZBASS]

This year I would say that rod that most impressed me was my Shimano Cumulus 7'1" MH, light, powerful, crisp and ridiculously sensitive, one of the best jig rods I have ever fished

[brokeneye]

mbr783 glx.

a lotta rods have come to the house over the years...the 783 is one of the few that has never been shipped back from it.