Hi to all

Is there any advantage to buying expencive rod blanks like lamaglas or g lomis.
I know cost is one factor that i dislike.
I know that too many people put to much stock into brand names and not the product it's self.
All information on this subject would be very informative
Thanks in advance

Quality control and uniformity are generally better with more expensive rod blanks. However, if you spend good money on an inexpensive E-glass rod, it does not have to be over-priced to give you great performance.

RAINSHADOW and FORECAST make a wide variety of rod styles in E-glass or RX-(#) Graphite that are very affordable and well regarded. For $20-60 for the rod blank itself, with a Rainshadow or a Forecast rod blank, you could build almost any style of fishing rod you want.

Contact www.FISHSTICKS4U.com . They carry a full ine of BATSON Rod Blanks (Rainshadow & Forecast) AND Batson COMPONENTS. Check them out:

www.FISHSTICKS4U.com
Robert Tignor
rtignor02@comcast.net
Home Office: (804) 746-9711 ...

Happy New Year, -Cliff Hall+++, Gainesville, FL-USA*****

Price is not always indicative of performance or quality. Still, most of the more expensive blanks are quite good in the performance category. Most of the less expensive blanks are not quite on the same level of performance. The difference may be marked or it be slight - this oftens depends on the particular blank and what you're using it for. Longer rods in particular tend to show more difference weight, balance, response, recovery, etc., with the nod usually going to blanks that tend to cost a bit more. These differences are less noticeable in shorter or lighter duty blanks.

Quality is another matter altogether. I've seen inexpensive blanks that were of very high quality and I've seen very expensive blanks where the quality wasn't what I expected for what I paid.



............

Hi Tim,
I agree with Cliff 100 percent. I have built on G.Loomis and Forecast blanks and have found the only difference between the two
blanks with the same specs. was that the Loomis has a slightly higher resonant frequency and dampens quicker. Not by much
though and several people I fish with could not tell any difference at all. Although I have not used a Loomis I did not like, the price
is 100 percent or more greater than the Forecast modles.
Companys like Loomis, Lamiglass, St. Croix, and Fenwick havn't been around a long time for nothing. They do make some fine
products. However, sometimes I think in some areas, they are getting to big for their britches and price is one of those areas.
I have heard a lot of good things said about some Cabellas and Shimano blanks as well but I have never built one.

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

I build alot of rods using cabelas IM-7 blanks. They are inexpensive and perform well. As with alot of things other than just fishing rods, sometimes a small increase in performance costs a considerable amount of money. It is just a personal decision. If you can justify the price go big. Alot of people are raving about Rogue rods comparing them to G Loomis but considerably less expensive. I'll be building one soon to find out for myself. The Cabela's IM-7 light and med light blanks make great trout/panfish rods. For my crank bait and trolling rods I just use cheap fiberglass blanks. The fish basically hooks itself all I need a soft rod with a good bend to it. You can't go wrong with a big name like G Loomis etc... But often you can get by with much less. I do.