...or maybe even passing us, in some instances. In an earlier post, I commented on seeing Cabela's spiral-wrapped Fish Eagle II Trolling Series. Yesterday, I received their Fly-Fishing catalog. Check out the L-Tech Fly Rod Series!!! Exposed Split Reel Seat, Burled Cork Accent Rings, Machined-Sculpted Rear Hood and Locking Ring, Bronze Finish, Rod Weight of 2.6 oz. for a 9' 5wt.
Then absorb the reality of it's $210 price point.

I built this rod back in the 90's. The photo originally ran in an issue of Volume 4 Rodmaker. So Cabelas is still playing catch up.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

The price is very attractive but custom builders should be competing on the merits of performance, not price. They can compete in one area, not the other.

No doubt commercial rods are getting to be very good values in many areas, however.

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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/09/2009 12:37PM by Tom Kirkman.

George,
The reality is that rod manufacturers are intelligent, can use volume pricing to achieve excellent pricing, follow trends, and have the ability to use mass molding techniques to make fine reel seats and grips.
Then, combine that with labor for cents - rather than dollars and you have todays events.

As with companies world wide - in this day of reality, we all need to cut costs, and do all we can to maintain profit while minimizing expense, as well as maximizing production per hour and per second.

It is getting more and more difficult to demand prices that are 10X production rods, when there is not 10X the difference in custom rods compared to production rods.

Be safe
Roger

This is great!!! Soon enough the only thing custom builders will be have over production rods is aesthetics. The truth is no production rod will ever be able to totally customize a rod to a customers specific needs. Handle length, diameter, shape, finding & modifying a blank for a specific use. PRoblem is there are very few fishermen who care enough about such "minor" details, most only care about the price.

IMO
The new L-Tech is more about profit margins than technological achievement.
The SLI that it replaced was an American made rod with expensive American labor.
It was also a very good casting rod in line with Winston, Sage and Loomis.
The blanks were also available to the custom building market.
The L-Tech has done every thing to reduce material costs first.
Built completely off shore. Not available to the custom market. No exotic wood, no single foot guides, skeleton aluminum reel seat, molded locking ring.
If they wanted to make the rod as light as possible, Why double foot snakes ? Aren't Titanium single foots lighter ? Also more expensive.
I much prefer the rod that was replaced. Amboyna reel seat with nickel silver fittings. Single foot guides for dynamic weight reduction. Exceptional casting accuracy and sensitivity with light weight and attractive looks even with that high priced labor force..

Cabelas cannot custom fit the rod to those who do like that sort of thing.

you wait until some brainy twat invents a usb driven wrapper then we are in serious trouble. the perfect wrap in 11 seconds
OR better still reinvents the weaving loom ......
Just think a 100 colour weave PERFECTLY executed in 4 seconds.
THEN WE WILL HAVE PROBLEMS

IMO, those that are concerned are selling the wrong thing. Stop selling custom rods and start selling solutions.

There isn't a chain store or mass marketer out there that has the time OR expertise to custom fit a rod TO an angler FOR a specific task, taking all matters into consideration ... BEST OF ALL, it will never happen.

It's going to happen. They are going to cherry pick the best ideas. Honestly glad to see it happen with a fly rod (not to irritate anyone deliberately here). Bass rod manufacturers have stolen everything they can already and will continue to.

Be ready for manufacturers to be able to offer truly "semi-custom" rods. You can pick a handle style, a length, power, a build your own environment. Take note of the bass rod methodology post... the pieces already exist to make it happen. Not any different than ordering a boat, car, etc... you pick the parts and pieces from preselected components to make it your own.

Custom builders have a huge advantage in being able to put the one on one service to the sale and AFTER the sale. Here's one advantage - the production rods are going to have to rely on the price/value connection with no representation. When you talk to someone about your rods, you can show them why it's worth the asking price - what the rod will do for them. You have to be able to sell. You're not going to sell to everyone, but you don't want to.

Custom builders also still have lots of opportunity for innovation, creativity, etc. ask yourself.... what are YOU going to do about it? You going to build a good rod or you are you going to build something that will blow a customer's socks off? You going to let a manufactured rod be better? You want to follow trends or figure stuff out for yourself and be a trend setter?

My rods aren't cheap. But I sure can tell you why paying more and going with them is a good decision compared to a production rod.

Jim - I was writing same time as you... you got it going on with your post. When you sell solutions, you're attacking it from a whole different angle that can prove to be very successful.

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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/09/2009 03:50PM by Alex Dziengielewski.

A buyer does not puchase anything unless it provides benefits which meets his or her needs. The trick is to uncover the customers need and to support those needs with the desired benefits of your product. If you have only the skill to uncover the desired price point - and nothing else - you compete with many with the "big box store" low price mentality wondering how to deal with the customers indifference, objection and skeptism. Features do not sell products and never will - Benefits to the Customer Are The Key?

Bob can you believe this subject came up today!! Amazing!!

Recently saw a video of a midwest rod manufactuer that specializes in musky rods that was touting
an extendable handle that the rear grip extends out from 10 to 19 inches ( not 100% sure of numbers ).
Supposedly using some sort of cam lock system. From what I could tell it looked well made. The rods
were imported and made to one of the owners specs. Have not seen one yet but should soon with all the
musky chasers around here. They will sell and definitely cut into the handle extension market on musky
rods. There supposedly is another rod that has an extendable handle targeted for the bass market by a diferent
company. But it can only be used closed or extended fully as the musky handle is fully adjustable over its range.
Supposedly weight change is minimal but that can be overcome by the split grip concept.
As long as there is a market for it somebody will give a shot and this a good example.
Tom Cooney

Hey guys you are looking at this the wrong way. It takes the knowledge of custom rod builders (designers) who are inventive enough to makes the great changes in our craft. Remember you are not in compitition with the big box stores. You are Craftsman. You are suppose to sell your knowledge. Take a look at cars, it was the back yard mechanic that made all the great changes in cars to day. The way cars look and drive today took the back yard guys . Take what the big box stores sells and improve on it. Stop whining and make the new changes that are coming with the new materials that well soon hit our maket. This means you have to know what is coming and how to adapted to the market

Good Wraps Bob

For a true custom builder, I think we need to be constantly vigilant that we aren't 'Gaining on Commercial Builders'!

Who wants to compete with commercial builders? If you are a true custom rod builder, stay up with tecknowledgy. and constantly improve what the commercial guys put out. Also a true custom rod is built for a specific purpose and fits the user like a glove. A custom rod has nothing to do with the fancy wraps, weaves and glitter

Good Wraps Bob

Good discussion.

I do think that custom builders will continue to outpace commercial. However, the commercial is becoming better and better, so that an increasing percentage of the products out there is 'good enough' that I think it will cut into some custom sales. Just my guess.

Mo

Mo just as long as you stay up whats available. An keep up with the new tecknowledgy, new stuff is coming up in the next year as far as blank material goes. I can remember 55 years ago the only type of rods available were steel and solid glass. Look at what we have to chose from today

Good Wraps Bob

One market segment - bass - we presently have them stumped! They cannot figure a way to get the micros on a rod properly that meets a lower price point - in this case improvement will require higher prices - which business model does this provide an advantage?

Since we are dealing with only 10% of the fishing public - now it is maybe 8%. Remember when you could build a rod for cheaper then off the shelf ??

Give them some time and they will have special people to ( custom build ) a rod for you.

Plus people are learning how to build there own rods. Just look at how many questions are ask on this board, let alone all the other boards out there. That 8% is maybe even smaller.

The only people that are really making out are suppliers. Got to buy parts some where ! Unless you like to work for maybe 10 cents and hour.

Bill - willierods.com

I doubt the custom rod market ever constituted 8% of the total market. It would be a stretch to envision that it ever garnered more than 1%. But that market is still there.

There have always been successful custom rod builders and there always will be. The guys who use their heads will continue selling rods.

There is vast room for improvement in many areas of fishing rods. Take handles and grips for instance - they are almost universally incorrect from a good ergonomics standpoint and not a single commercial maker and few custom makers have bothered with this badly overlook aspect of fishing rods.

..........

give them time and they will. They have too. They want to keep up with what is popular so they can sell more rods. Common sence. They probably wate to make sure there is a market that will stick around a while.

Bill - willierods.com