The cost of rods and reels these days

[Pegasus]

Maybe i am the only one thinking like this but why should a Rod / Reel cost more than 350.00 ?
I don't care if its a JDM or not All of these rods that sound like a sushi plate or an inspiring Samurai warrior
name like destroyer what are we destroying ? we catch the fish and throw it back.
I just wonder how many of these rods and reels at a cost of 650.00 plus are being sold in Japan local market
I mean the economy here sucks I can just imagine over there.
I know the quality is good but man the price is ridiculous.
These people know we are a population of gluts in everything we do, staring from food all the way down to fishing
they take advantage of it and make us pay dearly for it.
I don't know about anybody else but most of us have a mortgage, car payments, kids in school on so on.
When somebody spends 250.00 to 300.00 for a rod and the same for a reel isn't that enough ?
I mean how much better can these JDM stuff be I think they brake like any other rod.
I know I am going to get comments about balance and sensitivity maybe so but in my mind it doesn't justify the price.
Further more any rod that is priced at 300.00 will have sensitivity and balance.
most of the time sensitivity of the chart usually means that it can break much easier than something that is just sensitive enough. Why do we have to feel every pebble and every stick on the bottom when a fish bites there is no confusing it
Does anybody else feel the same way ?

[njbasscat]

No, I don't feel the same way. There are so many different price points that everyone who wants to fish should be able to find something within their budget. I am able to buy enthusiast level gear now but it was not always this way. Ten years ago, I was happy with a $200 reel and a $150 rod and to be honest, the more expensive gear has not put more fish in the boat. It simply enhances my time on the water. There really is no way to measure the gains between a Tatula and a Steez for example. The Steez is lighter and smoother but is it $400 plus better. Who knows. That's for the consumer to decide. Always remember, most of the pros fish with cheaper gear and would wipe the floor with most of us.

[steve1206]

Capitalism, baby. Just sayin.

That said, buy what you want to buy. To each their own. This isn't just a rod and reel conundrum.. It's all goods that are sold. A $20,000 car gets you from point A to point B, as does a $200,000 car...but... Well, you know...these decisions are made at a million different levels of commerce every single day...it's not unique to fishing gear. Don't sweat it.

[Pegasus]

No, I don't feel the same way. There are so many different price points that everyone who wants to fish should be able to find something within their budget. I am able to buy enthusiast level gear now but it was not always this way. Ten years ago, I was happy with a $200 reel and a $150 rod and to be honest, the more expensive gear has not put more fish in the boat. It simply enhances my time on the water. There really is no way to measure the gains between a Tatula and a Steez for example. The Steez is lighter and smoother but is it $400 plus better. Who knows. That's for the consumer to decide. Always remember, most of the pros fish with cheaper gear and would wipe the floor with most of us.

I get your point, and its a valid one. I am asking is a 650.00 plus rod with a destroyer like name that sounds like you are going to annihilate the bass population, 350.00 better than say an high end St.Croix or Power pro rod.
That enhance your experience on the water just the same.
I think we are being exploited and taken advantage of how we think and react.
If St. Croix thought that a rod that cost 650.00 + was that much better than their 380.00 legend extreme wouldn't they build one make more profit ? Because I think that the operating cost and materials wouldn't be much more expensive.
that the ones they already using.
Some people think ho ! if my 350.00 rod is that good imagine how much better my game would be
if I had a 650.00 + rod, but if the fish aren't biting that day it wouldn't matter what you were using, you will be saying
man this rod and reel would be nice if I could only catch some fish.
And imagine how pissed off you would be if your 650.00 + rod snaps on a hook set.
I am beginning to think that its becoming like a drug, that once you get immune to it, and it doesn't give you the rush
you look for something else, when in reality the rush is only in your mind.

[tywithay]

That's the difference between premium rods and enthusiast rods. It doesn't really matter if the Destroyer is "better" than the St Croix, you're paying for exclusiveness; not as many people have the Destroyer. That's like most other things in life. In most instances, you get what you pay for. There's always a line when the returns don't match the price, that's when you're getting into that exclusive range. Like was mentioned with cars earlier, a $20,000 car is a pretty dang nice car. Even a $30,000 or $40,000 might be reasonable and a little better than a $20,000 model....when you start spending $80,000 or even $100,000+ are you really getting a "better" product? I would be inclined to say no. If you have the money to spend though, why not?

In reality, every one of us on this site could use an Ugly Stik with a $40 spinning reel and catch nearly as many fish as we do now. For some people having nicer gear gives a different enjoyment on the water, plus there's the added benefits of ease of use, better components, sensitivity, etc.; that can lead to more fish in the boat. A Destroyer rod adds to that enjoyment for some people and it's worth the extra money for them to have it.

[njbasscat]

No, I don't feel the same way. There are so many different price points that everyone who wants to fish should be able to find something within their budget. I am able to buy enthusiast level gear now but it was not always this way. Ten years ago, I was happy with a $200 reel and a $150 rod and to be honest, the more expensive gear has not put more fish in the boat. It simply enhances my time on the water. There really is no way to measure the gains between a Tatula and a Steez for example. The Steez is lighter and smoother but is it $400 plus better. Who knows. That's for the consumer to decide. Always remember, most of the pros fish with cheaper gear and would wipe the floor with most of us.

I get your point, and its a valid one. I am asking is a 650.00 plus rod with a destroyer like name that sounds like you are going to annihilate the bass population, 350.00 better than say an high end St.Croix or Power pro rod.
That enhance your experience on the water just the same.
I think we are being exploited and taken advantage of how we think and react.
If St. Croix thought that a rod that cost 650.00 + was that much better than their 380.00 legend extreme wouldn't they build one make more profit ? Because I think that the operating cost and materials wouldn't be much more expensive.
that the ones they already using.
Some people think ho ! if my 350.00 rod is that good imagine how much better my game would be
if I had a 650.00 + rod, but if the fish aren't biting that day it wouldn't matter what you were using, you will be saying
man this rod and reel would be nice if I could only catch some fish.
And imagine how pissed off you would be if your 650.00 + rod snaps on a hook set.
I am beginning to think that its becoming like a drug, that once you get immune to it, and it doesn't give you the rush
you look for something else, when in reality the rush is only in your mind.

My experience with Megabass rods is that they are much more versatile than rods sold here. I have actually thinned my quiver of rods out by getting some MB rods. Rods that we are accustomed to here in the US seem to be much more technique specific than the MB rods I have tried. I sold 6 rods last year and replaced them with 3 MB rods. I have not tried anything above the X4 line but can only amagine they get better the higher you go. JDM rods are also built like works of art and use top notch components and materials. I don't think you can compare JDM rods to other rods on sensativity alone. If I were after pure sensativity, I would probably just buy a bunch of NRX or Zbones. You definitly don't need a JDM rod to be successful on the water. You also don't need a $10k tv, an $80k Range Rover, etc. but these things are still sold, just to a smaller market.

[uljersey]

While I don't own any truly "high end " gear, we all benefit from it in a somewhat indirect way. The technology we enjoy and take for granted these days has it's origins in things like space research, weapons technology, etc. - - it all filters down from the top and is everywhere around us from the phones and computers we use to the cars we drive. Tackle is not that much different. Reel makers benefit from advanced machining techniques and are achieving tighter tolerances with a frequency unheard of decades ago, along with exotic materials to build them with. What you would consider the worst reel you could own today would have likely been an enthusiast darling a mere 10 - 15 years ago. In my (unsophisticated ?) opinion, we're in a golden age of rod building right now. One can buy a middle of the road stick that is extremely sensitive, balanced and well made for well under $200.

Ten years from now when sub 5 ounce reels are the norm, you'll wonder what all of the fuss was over a Steez.

It's nice to live in a time when there's something for everyone, not just junk on one end and the unattainable on the other.

[Pegasus]

I knew somebody was goin to bring up the 20,000 dollar car compare to the 80,000 dollar one
how can we affiliate the 2
its a dam rod rolled from a sheet of carbon graphite or what ever
where is the complexity there.
even if a rod is built with nano technology you can compare a rod to an automobile
I mean how many parts does a reel have for gods sake
Of course a 20,000 dollar toyota corolla would not be the same as a 200,000 Bentley
but I think that a 650.00 rod can't be that much different than a 350.00 one there is not enough
engineering between the 2 to warrant the price. Like I previously said a St. Croix legend extreme
can't be too far away from a Megabass that cost 650.00 I never fished a Megabass but I am certain
quality wise sensitivity wise the difference can't be that much.
Now just because some fishing enthusiast in Japan starts selling rods with Japanese symbols on it
everybody thinks they own a samurai sword give me a brake please.

[Bass Junkie]

I knew somebody was goin to bring up the 20,000 dollar car compare to the 80,000 dollar one
how can we affiliate the 2
its a dam rod rolled from a sheet of carbon graphite or what ever
where is the complexity there.
even if a rod is built with nano technology you can compare a rod to an automobile
I mean how many parts does a reel have for gods sake
Of course a 20,000 dollar toyota corolla would not be the same as a 200,000 Bentley
but I think that a 650.00 rod can't be that much different than a 350.00 one there is not enough
engineering between the 2 to warrant the price. Like I previously said a St. Croix legend extreme
can't be too far away from a Megabass that cost 650.00 I never fished a Megabass but I am certain
quality wise sensitivity wise the difference can't be that much.
Now just because some fishing enthusiast in Japan starts selling rods with Japanese symbols on it
everybody thinks they own a samurai sword give me a brake please.

Quite simply, welcome to Tackle Tour And in all fairness, the $20,000 vs. $200,000 argument is using a price spread that is slightly off base. A $200,000 car costs ten times as much as a $20,000 car. A $650 rod is less than twice the price of a $350 rod. The difference is nowhere nearly as dramatic. You yourself state you have never fished a Megabass. Maybe you should, it might change your perspective. It's not all in the sensitivity. Some JDM rods posses an action and taper that cannot be found in USDM rods, and many of them posses a beauty and pride in craftsmanship that has never even been approached in the US market. Take for instance the G.Loomis NRX rods, the flagship of one of the top rod manufacturers in the United States. They are known for poor craftsmanship, it has been a problem, although decreasing in frequency, since they debuted. And regarding the Japanese lettering and Samurai sword, it is that in a way. It posses an air of the exclusive, the special, the set aside. Rods here in the US are a dime a dozen. Many do not seem to have much of a personality, they are mass produced, and even the highest tier rods here lack much of a character. Look at some of the traits of Megabass rods: rare, discontinued, limited, aesthetically amazing, the list goes on. Look at the Slant Bridge concept! There is a soul to such a rod.

[BigG]

I have been fishing for 50+ years and I have never paid to much for a rod or reed. The nice thing about this is I get to decide. Personel choice, simple as that.

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

Fishermen just lseem to be willing to overpay for items in general I think. I look at $150 aftermarket aluminum spool and correlate that to other hobby of mine. The same machining involed with a spool likened to an aluminum wheel on an on-road rc vehicle but the AL wheel will only run$25 or so $100 set of 4 in that market. A little piece of carbon fiber handle and some spindles run $80 for a reel. In RC that amount of CF with spindle run ya $15-$20 or so, can get a whole CF chassis for $80 10-15 times the amount of CF along with the tooling cutting designing of chassis, shock towers, braces. Its all what the market will allow the fishing maket allows a lot.

This CF Heli chassis around $50 and people think $100 for a reel handle is a great deal

[BucketHunter]

Prices are prices. It's the value of the dollars spent that bring us to points like this.
I just read a thread where a brand new 500+ dollar rod needed to be modded for balance in a big way.
That's just unacceptable in my books. But people will continue buying this stuff because of the name on it, or whatever.

[bassasaurus]

It's your money. Spend it as you see fit. As for me, I'll spend it on JDM.

[romans]

just get the megabass rod already,you know you want one.

[Teal101]

Fishermen just lseem to be willing to overpay for items in general I think. I look at $150 aftermarket aluminum spool and correlate that to other hobby of mine. The same machining involed with a spool likened to an aluminum wheel on an on-road rc vehicle but the AL wheel will only run$25 or so $100 set of 4 in that market. A little piece of carbon fiber handle and some spindles run $80 for a reel. In RC that amount of CF with spindle run ya $15-$20 or so, can get a whole CF chassis for $80 10-15 times the amount of CF along with the tooling cutting designing of chassis, shock towers, braces. Its all what the market will allow the fishing maket allows a lot.

This CF Heli chassis around $50 and people think $100 for a reel handle is a great deal

There is a HUGE difference between a reel spool and an aluminum RC wheel. The tolerances, precision, and balancing is not even close to the same. An RC wheel is not designed to spin at 30,000+ rpm.

As for the carbon fiber, can't argue with you there!

I just got my first Megabass stick and am in love. I got a Black Jungle and it blows my Dobyns Champions away. Very awesome stick. Super sensitive. Extreme craftsmanship. The Zillion Type-R I have paired with it is equally as impressive. A Curado or Revo doesn't even compare. You get what you pay for. There is no way you can convince me a St.Croix LE rivals the MB BJ. I've used a LE, it is a damn good rod, but the MB is a step above by far.