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  #1  
Old 05-23-2018, 09:40 AM
double gun double gun is offline
 
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Default Best spinning rod for $100+/- ?

Looking for a new spinning rod primarily for walleye/pike. I was leaning towards the Fenwick hmx series but after reading a bunch of reviews I'm having second thoughts.

Is it possible to find something decent in this range?
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Old 05-23-2018, 10:45 AM
HowSwedeItIs HowSwedeItIs is offline
 
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I'm sure you'll get different responses based on what you're using it for, but I've heard good things about the fenwick hmg. I looked at getting one a couple of years ago but ended up buying the Aetos. Was it $80 worth of improvement over the HMG? Probably not
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Old 05-23-2018, 11:00 AM
Stubb Stubb is online now
 
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I am no fishing rod guru by any means so keep that in mind but i've got a few rods in that price range so have a few to compare.

I bought a rod from WS just before they closed and first time using it, it snapped when i was lifting a 3 lb walleye out of the lake. Called Fenwick and they needed the reciept which i never had, offered to send them the rod itself but no dice, no warranty. That pretty much turned me off fenwick.

The rod that i was really impressed with for the price is the Pfleuger combo. It's on sale right now and in my mind you can't go wrong. here's the link.

https://www.cabelas.ca/product/10646...spinning-combo
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Old 05-23-2018, 12:02 PM
honker_clonker honker_clonker is offline
 
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I like the new shimano Convergence rods, they run around $80 and you can get them on sale periodically too. Nice and light, good components, sensitive and the 7'0'' which I like has a long rear handle.
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Old 05-23-2018, 12:07 PM
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Penner Penner is offline
 
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Huge Fenwick fan. Have several of their rods. Great rod for the price.
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Old 05-23-2018, 12:16 PM
ETOWNCANUCK ETOWNCANUCK is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Penner View Post
Huge Fenwick fan. Have several of their rods. Great rod for the price.
Yup same here.

Mine is paired with a Shimano Symetre 4000 with 50 # braid/ 50 # fluorocarbon leader. Pike Rod.
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Old 05-23-2018, 12:50 PM
Kurt505 Kurt505 is offline
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I like GLoomis rods and the new E6X line is reasonably priced.
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Old 05-23-2018, 01:00 PM
ROA ROA is offline
 
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I’ve had half a dozen or so Fenwicks. Nice rods for the money but I have broken every single one of them. Now, I have broken many different rods over the years so that is nothing new, but something about Fenwicks seems a little weaker than the rest.
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Old 05-23-2018, 03:39 PM
double gun double gun is offline
 
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As I mentioned I thought the fenwick HMx was the rod, but on fenwicks own website there are quite a few negative reviews and all say the warranty department sucks.
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  #10  
Old 05-23-2018, 03:40 PM
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trophyhunter trophyhunter is offline
 
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Default Best spinning rod for $100+/- ?

Another Fenwick fan here, I have the elite tech and like it a lot. Shimano’s in the $100 range are a safe bet as well.


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Last edited by trophyhunter; 05-23-2018 at 03:49 PM.
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  #11  
Old 05-23-2018, 03:42 PM
Anomaly85 Anomaly85 is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Stubb View Post
it snapped when i was lifting a 3 lb walleye out of the lake. Called Fenwick and they needed the reciept which i never had, offered to send them the rod itself but no dice, no warranty. That pretty much turned me off fenwick.
Similar thing happened to my Fenwick rod 2nd time out, and they wouldn't help me without the recipe, which I couldnt find
Looking back over the past 3 years, the only rods I've broken have been Fenwick, so I can't really recommend them.
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Old 05-23-2018, 04:16 PM
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Justfishin73 Justfishin73 is offline
 
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Sure seems that way, bought one sat, broke it sunday
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Old 05-23-2018, 04:23 PM
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RavYak RavYak is offline
 
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Fenwick HMG($120) or Shimano Clarus($110) would be the 2 I would look at in that price range. HMG is much nicer then HMX imo and very good reviews reflect that too.

Anything noticeably better is a significant jump up in price(like double or more).
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  #14  
Old 05-23-2018, 04:24 PM
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Walleye101 Walleye101 is offline
 
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Fenwick HMG.
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  #15  
Old 05-23-2018, 04:30 PM
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RavYak RavYak is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Stubb View Post
I am no fishing rod guru by any means so keep that in mind but i've got a few rods in that price range so have a few to compare.

I bought a rod from WS just before they closed and first time using it, it snapped when i was lifting a 3 lb walleye out of the lake. Called Fenwick and they needed the reciept which i never had, offered to send them the rod itself but no dice, no warranty. That pretty much turned me off fenwick.
There isn't a single company that will warranty a rod without a receipt. You guys need to keep your receipts if you expect to get warranty...

You also shouldn't be lifting a 3 lb fish out of the water with your rod... No walleye rod is meant to take that abuse.
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Old 05-23-2018, 04:36 PM
raw outdoors raw outdoors is offline
 
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I have never tried a fenwick but I have multiple st. Croix and I like them. I have resorted to a few cheap ugly stick GX2 when fishing with the family so my good rods don’t get stepped on.
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Old 05-23-2018, 04:40 PM
Stubb Stubb is online now
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RavYak View Post
There isn't a single company that will warranty a rod without a receipt. You guys need to keep your receipts if you expect to get warranty...

You also shouldn't be lifting a 3 lb fish out of the water with your rod... No walleye rod is meant to take that abuse.
they may not be meant to but all of my other comparable rods do. I'm sure Fenwick makes a good rod, my very first fly rod was a cheap fenwick and i loved that rod. Just sharing my experience with them from last year.
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  #18  
Old 05-23-2018, 05:12 PM
Poppa Poppa is offline
 
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I have 3 rods....Fenwick Eagle, Shimano Clarus and Ugly Stik. The Fenwick is solid, the Clarus is DYNAMITE and I got a killer deal at Fishin' Hole last year, and the Ugly Stik is my heavy duty rod that I keep around primarily for pike fishing...
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  #19  
Old 05-23-2018, 05:21 PM
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SamSteele SamSteele is offline
 
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Okuma Rods often get overlooked. I have a Dead Eye that I picked up for $60 on a sale that is a really decent rod.
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  #20  
Old 05-23-2018, 05:42 PM
dustinjoels dustinjoels is offline
 
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The st. Croix triumph series is right around that price point. It’s the lower end of the st. Croix rods, but I would say it is still a good rod in that price range and comparable with the HMG or the convergence.

My choice would be between those three and would come down to personal preference of the style you like. Do you like cork or felt handles? Solid or split handle? A long butt or a short butt? These are all things you should consider. Go into the store and feel out a few of the ones mentioned before you buy. It’s amazing how sometimes you just wont like the way a rod feels in your hand at all.
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  #21  
Old 05-23-2018, 06:04 PM
bobalong bobalong is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RavYak View Post
There isn't a single company that will warranty a rod without a receipt. You guys need to keep your receipts if you expect to get warranty...
That must be a new thing as rods with life time warranty never used to require a sales slip. No point with a life time warranty.
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  #22  
Old 05-23-2018, 06:18 PM
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EZM EZM is offline
 
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I's say at around $100 the best rod out there is going to be a St.Croix Triumph.

One step up to a Eyecon series ($140) and you will never need a better rod.

I have a half dozen or more St.Croix's and twice that many Shimanos, Fenwicks and other brands (none of them cheap rods) and the only comparable rod is my G.Loomis (but it's my most expensive stick and more than twice the price we are talking about).

Solid, light weight, outstanding feel, fast response, great handles, solid seats and smooth guides.

Recent Fenwicks, to be blunt, although soild and sensitive have proven to be brittle and have broken (twice for the same series of rod for me) so I have been a little shy of these lately.

St.Croix is highly recommended.
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  #23  
Old 05-23-2018, 06:25 PM
Kurt505 Kurt505 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EZM View Post
I's say at around $100 the best rod out there is going to be a St.Croix Triumph.

One step up to a Eyecon series ($140) and you will never need a better rod.

I have a half dozen or more St.Croix's and twice that many Shimanos, Fenwicks and other brands (none of them cheap rods) and the only comparable rod is my G.Loomis (but it's my most expensive stick).

Solid, light weight, outstanding feel, fast response, great handles, solid seats and smooth guides.

Recent Fenwicks, to be blunt, although soild and sensitive have proven to be brittle and have broken (twice for the same series of rod for me) so I have been a little shy of these lately.

I broke my HMG somehow and I don't even know how?

I bought a St Croix triumph for my son and love that rod too, I'd get one before the fenwick any day.

I lucked out when I bought my last rod, the fishing hole had their big sale and accidentally put the 40% off tag on the GLoomis. I brought it up to the counter and they said this wasn't supposed to be on the GLoomis but honored it regardless. I was pretty happy about that one!
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  #24  
Old 05-23-2018, 09:04 PM
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RavYak RavYak is offline
 
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I've used a few different fenwicks including one of my main rods(Fenwick Methods) and the only one I ever broke was an Eagle and I would expect any ML rod to break if you snag it on a tree walking through the bush. HMG's have limited lifetime warranty so yeah can be a bit of a hassle and will likely cost you a few bucks to get a replacement(think you pay shipping).

Fenwicks might be more fragile but that comes with the territory when you consider what you are buying. These Fenwick rods are like bargain deal walmart equivalents to high end rods, light and very sensitive but cheap. If you treat them like an ugly stik you will break them but if you treat them like you would a high end rod shouldn't have an issue(always the odd lemon though).

Guys have mentioned St. Croix and G Loomis rods, I personally think sensitivity wise an HMG is ahead of Triumphs and Premiers(same graphite material used for both, Premier just has higher quality components and made in USA instead of China hence why it costs more). Avids and E6X's are more sensitive and better rods but you are talking over twice as much to buy those quality of rods.

Sensitivity isn't everything though(except in certain situations like jigging) so yeah check out Triumphs and see how they feel to you. Personally not a huge fan and highly prefer the Premiers feel instead but again you are jumping out of this price range.
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