FishinGuy

I like the 2 PC for hiking through woods. Makes a big difference.

 
Ah.
 
I'm used to meandering through the brush with a 6'9" to 10'6" fly rod...that ain't much of an issue anymore. 

I use a 5'10 GL3 it's got the backbone to handle small/moderate bass and cats to walleye it's also a great crappie rod..

coldfront

great rod, mags.  a little out of my ball park these days, but i have heard they are a joy to use.

 
It is a dream and fairly pricey I think when I got mine it was $180 at BPS and that was 6 or 7 years ago.  But, I was able to splurge then unlike now lol...  Kinda funny my buddy has a 6' Ugly Stik Lite Pro and that thing paired with the right reel is pretty nice set up for just about anything he has it miss matched with a Mitchell 300 but aside from unbalanced he catches anything/everything with it... 

I have 2 Loomis a SJR 783-2 GL3 and the SJR 700 GL3.  I had a 6'6 Triump 2 pc and loved it but honestly I would never trade my 2 Loomis's for anything.  By far the best rods I've ever handled and caught fish on.  I have a 7' Md/lt Daiwa Steez SVF Graphite rod that is unbelievably light and well constructed but haven't caught any fish on it yet but only used it once...  And I've messed with and caught a trout on my girlfriends 6'8" St. Croix Avid Pearl and that is a very nice stick to I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a higher end rod with a shorter butt section for comfort etc.  But, nothing comes close to the classic Loomis rod lineup.  I have messed with NXR's and new GL2s and I personally wouldn't buy one and don't like how they feel.  I think Loomis lost some of the luster when Shimano took them over even though Shimano really only pumped a TON of $$$ into product R/D and didn't change much...  I want to pick up a NFC Edge rod the new line from Gary Loomis himself (Not like TFO with his name on it) he actually came back to the business for this one...  But atm it's a tad out of my reach...  Low end are $350 and the Top end Steelhead/Salmon rods are upwards of $600+...

I was a tried and true St Croix guy back in the 80's when every part on the rod said USA made..  I found out over time the guides, handles and reel seats started saying , made in China.. But the price said double or triple $$$'s.. Thing is when you are climbing through boulder strewn streams or rivers and happen to fall, they all break the same. It hurts me more to break a $50-$100.00 rod..
So my thoughts towards "some" rods have changed..
I dis-like the ugly sticks due to their weight (feel) in hand and sensitive ..
I go with an all out cheap 4'6" one piece graphite micro light rod rigged with a micro spinning reel and 6# mono.. Currently mine is a shakespear model..
The fight is awesome be it trout, bass or even a phat carp.. The 6# casts much better then 4# due to less stretch that happens on 4 after it gets all coiled up from fighting fish..
I use f-7, fj-7, f-9 or even f-11 rapalas.. Worms and 1/16th or 1/8th oz jigs and gulp maggots.. It casts like a dream..
Rod: $15.00, Reel $20.00 and line $6.00

 
Now think about this:
I catch up to 15# lake trout on 30" light rods with ultra light reels through the ice all the time from 100' deep.. It's not the size of your rod, it's how you use it that matters..lol
 
 

Coldfront:
in the early 80's rod choices were limited.. Graphite was new and fiberglass was the norm.. I owned a Ranger bass boat and fished a lot of tournaments around 1986-89, ugh..  Having to make thousands of casts in a set time meant you needed something strong, light and made for the type of lure.. Lucky a friend became a St. Croix dealer and I got rods at cost.. They were GREAT rods.. Most all are still in performance today except my ul trout rod.. It broke while falling..
If I were to post a picture you would see they all Proudly say, all components Made In USA..
I purchased another St. Croix 4'6" Ul rod about 10 or so years ago, it didn't display that USA as proudly and at the bottom of the handle a little sticker said assembled in USA with components made in China.. The Price was Retail at around $70.00..
It was a good rod but again I fell and it broke just the same..
Lesson learned.. It's not so much how much money you spend on a rod but how much you like it.. 

I use a 5'0 Berkley Lightning Rod UL for trout. I broke the tip last year so I put a tip on it but I will be buying a new UL this year. I want something in the 6'0-6'6" range. I don't want to spend a lot of money. Not sure what to get. I really liked the Lightning Rod. I still use it for a short little rod for when things get really tight. I think back to when I was a little kid and would use a $10 South Bend combo bought at K-Mart. Caught a lot of fish on that setup including some decent carp out of the Mon. Anyone have any suggestions on a UL for less than $100?

my question would be, why such long (spinning) rods for trout ?
unless one is trolling or casting heavy lures I see a longer rod as a big dis avantage.. A 4'6" or 5' one piece rod UL or micro light seems (to me) like the perfect set up for walking through brushy streams.. Having to break a rod down while walking through brus means carying 2 sections instead of just guiding 1 through ..
I really don't like 2 piece or long rods (for trout) as somehow they always seem to get broken.. The 2 piece is the weak link and inhibits some action on such rod, again IMO..
 
As said before, it's not so much the brand name any more , it's how you like the rod and is the price right..
 
Coldfront:
here is when that little sticker meant something:
Most all these are 30 or close too years old and in great condition. My last, and will be my last St.Croix is the fly rod in the tube.. It's an Avid I bought around 8 years ago.. While the blank says USA it Had a little tiny sticker on bottom of handel that said made in China but the price said otherwise

I do a lot of lake fishing for trout. Plus, I will be getting my boat on the water probably next year. I would use the longer rod for panfish also. Believe me, I will still keep a couple 4'6" or 5' footers around for those tight mountain streams although I don't fish those too much anymore.

Got ya and that makes sense for those situations . Okuma makes a nice 6'6" ul