Best budget 12 footers

[elmoputney]

6 minutes ago, B B said:

The okuma inc6000 are down to £50  

Yes I spotted that TFT have 8k's for £59.99 too, that's a lorra reel for the money, 

Angling direct have a massive balls out sale on at the moment too 😂😂😂

 

[salokcinnodrog]

13 hours ago, elmoputney said:

2 years later and one broken wychwood eye and I'm back on the lookout, 

Can't decide what to get next, or what tc at the minute I use 3lb, I want a little more backbone I think so I can chuck further if needed but I still want a rod that is an all-rounder, 

I can't get more wychwoods the same  as they have been discontinued now but I could use 2 of them as they are fine mainly, but then they won't match  😂 I can use up to 4 rods though so not sure what to do 

I've looked at the darant Valley 3.5lbtc 

Free spirit ctx 3.25 or 3. 5lb (more of an investment than the others) 

Shimano tx2 3.25 

Pro logic c2 element 

I've thought about a set of extricators with new okuma inc6000 for a close in stalking set up(would use most of the time at the minute as I seem to fish close mainly) then just upgrade to some beefier rods  for chucking further when I needed too, 

having had 10ft and 12ft I feel more natural with 12fts but I do like the idea of a stalking rod set up and a beefier set up, short rods would be useful for some of the margins too and for using with a baiting pole, so its a tough one and I don't know what to do, my 8ks are too big for smaller rods so would like the smaller reels I think if I went that way, aaaaaaaaaaagh help 

 

 

Obviously cos I have a tie in but have a look

https://rodhutchinson.co.uk/product/rod-hutchinson-sceptre-rods/

 

[elmoputney]

Thanks Nick

I am starting to lean towards the tackle box darent valley in 3.5lb, I think at the moment, I still like the cork, even though I know it gets damaged and should probably go for Japanese shrink wrap 😂

[emmcee]

One of my mates wanted a beefy set of rods a few years back for france but didn't want to pay the earth. He got the chub outcast in 3.5tc. He was that impressed with them that he has stopped using his top of the range free spirits and also brought a set of the chub 13ft 3.5tc and also quite a few of my other mates have them now. Preferring these rods to their much costlier other rods. If you're on a budget then these rods seem pretty damb good. I'm guessing they still make them. 

[elmoputney]

1 hour ago, emmcee said:

One of my mates wanted a beefy set of rods a few years back for france but didn't want to pay the earth. He got the chub outcast in 3.5tc. He was that impressed with them that he has stopped using his top of the range free spirits and also brought a set of the chub 13ft 3.5tc and also quite a few of my other mates have them now. Preferring these rods to their much costlier other rods. If you're on a budget then these rods seem pretty damb good. I'm guessing they still make them. 

I don't think they do make them now, from memory they were made by the same people that made greys rods, and the outcasts were very similar to the old prodigies 

[commonly]

I'm sure Highy will back me up when I say Sonik do reasonably priced decent RODS. Cork handle available. 

My 3rd rod (XTR 3.25tc) was snapped by a mate stuck in a tree 😭, other than that they've done all I've asked of them for 8 years. 

I am looking to change soon, to the shimano TX range, as much as anything to match my reels. Seem reasonably priced.

 

I brought the TX spod rod last year and I'm very happy with that. 

[...]

1 minute ago, commonly said:

I'm sure Highy will back me up when I say Sonik do reasonably priced decent RODS. Cork handle available. 

My 3rd rod (XTR 3.25tc) was snapped by a mate stuck in a tree 😭, other than that they've done all I've asked of them for 8 years. 

I am looking to change soon, to the shimano TX range, as much as anything to match my reels. Seem reasonably priced.

 

I brought the TX spod rod last year and I'm very happy with that. 

They do, but I think it's like reels, personal preference and depend on the circumstances. 

I've only ever used 3 sets carp rods - NGT Dynamic to start, then sonik SK3 XTR, now the Sonik Vader X. The Vader X have been the better rod for me. I'm happy with what I have at the moment, not looking to upgrade, but if ever I have a Snap/Break I will look into the RS rods. 12ft 3.25TC

[elmoputney]

2 hours ago, Highy said:

They do, but I think it's like reels, personal preference and depend on the circumstances. 

I've only ever used 3 sets carp rods - NGT Dynamic to start, then sonik SK3 XTR, now the Sonik Vader X. The Vader X have been the better rod for me. I'm happy with what I have at the moment, not looking to upgrade, but if ever I have a Snap/Break I will look into the RS rods. 12ft 3.25TC

Nice one guys I had the 10ft vader x and they were alright tbh, another one to consider, will see what I can find 

[elmoputney]

Anyone used diawa crosscasts? 

I've seen a not too bad deal on a set? 

[elmoputney]

1 hour ago, elmoputney said:

Anyone used diawa crosscasts? 

I've seen a not too bad deal on a set? 

I guess I am going to find out Wednesday, I just pulled the trigger and bought some 😬 

I got 3 of these in 3.25lb for £200 on ebay https://www.total-fishing-tackle.com/daiwa-crosscast-carp-rod-tt

[B B]

1 hour ago, elmoputney said:

I guess I am going to find out Wednesday, I just pulled the trigger and bought some 😬 

I got 3 of these in 3.25lb for £200 on ebay https://www.total-fishing-tackle.com/daiwa-crosscast-carp-rod-tt

Corr you don’t hang about Elmo hope your happy with them 👍

[elmoputney]

5 hours ago, B B said:

Corr you don’t hang about Elmo hope your happy with them 👍

Rush of blood to the head or something I think 😂

[elmoputney]

I would buy whatever I fancied to do the job, but I was asking because I was on a budget, thanks to the pandemic and cost of living rises it meant fishing funds were low, I am quite happy with my crosscasts though, nice slim blanks, minima guides for the money I think they are pretty great tbh, time will tell if they last but I only got to fish a handful of times last year so hopefully they will last a while yet, 

[emmcee]

25 minutes ago, elmoputney said:

Isn't that an obvious statement though if money was no object, I would buy whatever I fancied to do the job, but I was asking because I was on a budget, thanks to the pandemic and cost of living rises it meant fishing funds were low, I am quite happy with my crosscasts though, nice slim blanks, minima guides for the money I think they are pretty great tbh, time will tell if they last but I only got to fish a handful of times last year so hopefully they will last a while yet, 

Buy what you can afford.  After all it's the last 6-8inches of your set up that's out in the pond that catches your fish and your watercraft obviously.  Carp don't care if you've got a £50 fishing rod or a £500 fishing rod. 

I'm pretty sure I've said this before on here somewhere but mates of mine swear by the lower end chub rods. To the point of using them over their much more expensive other rods. 

[welder]

1 hour ago, emmcee said:

Buy what you can afford.  After all it's the last 6-8inches of your set up that's out in the pond that catches your fish and your watercraft obviously.  Carp don't care if you've got a £50 fishing rod or a £500 fishing rod. 

I'm pretty sure I've said this before on here somewhere but mates of mine swear by the lower end chub rods. To the point of using them over their much more expensive other rods. 

My son is obsessed with carp rods. Over the years he's spent a great deal of money on several sets of three rods. His go-to, all-time favourites? Three Chub Outkasts that cost him £145, several years ago.

It isn't all about the money.

Ian.

[framey]

As a professionally trained rod builder 

why would you buy a pre made rod instead of making it I’m blooming sure I wouldn’t 

[emmcee]

23 minutes ago, welder said:

My son is obsessed with carp rods. Over the years he's spent a great deal of money on several sets of three rods. His go-to, all-time favourites? Three Chub Outkasts that cost him £145, several years ago.

It isn't all about the money.

Ian.

I was gutted I didn't buy a set when all my mates were buying them. I was a bit reluctant as in my mind chub weren't a name I associated with rods, especially when my rods at the time had seen better days and instead plumped for a much more expensive set. They are excellent rods that I brought but could have brought 3 sets of chub with what I spent. You live and learn. 

[...]

Had the Sonik SK3 XTR (paid £60 2nd hand) for ALL 3....now on the Vader X Rods, Paid £100 BRAND NEW for all 3.....no issues at all ever. 

[emmcee]

2 minutes ago, framey said:

As a professionally trained rod builder 

why would you buy a pre made rod instead of making it I’m blooming sure I wouldn’t 

I'm guessing he means he brought the blank and built the rod to his own spec'. 

Everyone's choice/opinion will differ on every subject.  All my carp rods have been and  are custom built. First set were century and since then all have been Harrison blanks. A mate of mine once asked this rod builder if he would strip and rebuild a set of daiwa magnum tapers, the rod builder said  he wouldn't use daiwa rods to grow runner beans let alone fish with Haha. But that's his opinion and plenty of anglers would say otherwise.  

[emmcee]

This rod builder doesn't gain anything from slating daiwa though.  And as I've stated , He is a rod builder, not a rod maker. He mainly builds on  Harrison blanks and forgive me if I'm wrong but I think Harrison's know what constitutes an excellent rod blank, especially seeing that they make them for all disciplines in our sport. 

[framey]

I think in a rod the main thing is 

action ,will it be able to get you to where you need to fish 

if it does,it doesn’t matter if it cost 50£ or 500£ 

until the last few years I never spent over 120£ on a rod as food and clothes for the kids came first 

then sonik came out and I could then afford to get 3 as it was always a 3 for 2 deal.

Now I can afford nicer things so can upgrade the rods 

I still have 2 sets of infinity rods 

also have a2 sets of free spirit

cosmetics mean nothing when all said and done

people rave about Alps seats 

“I” think they look stinky winky cheap and  bulky 

I still havent paid over 250£ for a reel though lol 

and most are under 100

 

[salokcinnodrog]

Try this for a budget https://rodhutchinson.co.uk/product-category/black-friday-weekend/

 

Personally, yes I prefer to use more expensive rods, having had Century rods for years, although I also got a set of RH The Ones at a very good price which I am currently using. 

I can build rods, rebuilt some of my Century Armalites and I built my stalking and bass rods. Building rods is a labour of love for me, but not always economic. It didn't help when my blank supplier who imported the blanks and guides I used from America sadly died. 

Some, but not all cheaper rods are awful. If the rrp is £50, how much are they made for? Considering the price of transport from the Far East, and the carbon used... Some higher quality carbons the Chinese are not allowed to use due to trade embargoes. 

For that reason I would prefer a better blank produced in Japan, UK or US 

[elmoputney]

Thanks for all the input guys, I think the main point of this thread has got somewhat lost along the way, 

I've also got some rods that will do the job for now, like framey said I have to stick on budget for now, as I also want to keep a roof over my families head, 

As for mentors I have always received great advice on here and that usually boils down to location, keep it simple and use a decent bait and a rig you have confidence in, its too easy to get sucked down a rabbit hole and disappear into the abyss if you over complicate things and I try to stick to that 

[buzzbomb]

19 hours ago, elmoputney said:

 I'm not that fussed about it if I am honest,to me a rod is a tool and if it works it works 

Regards 

 

 

I've bought used rods from expats in the US and Canada (usually a pair for the price of 1 bargain rod), bought US market Shimano rods (didn't need the 13 footer), a cheap mail order 3 rod set of Ultimates (never heard the word graphite) and a few others.  We have a 1 rod rule here but I like having lots. 😃  Some of the used ones are pretty soft, some aren't, but there is only one of the cheapies I don't like.  Even one of the two 2.25lb fiberglass Ultimates I still have which is very well worn after 20 years is still fun to use in the close quarters river swims, as is an old worn out Spirit I bought from an expat in Chicago (broke a guide insert in the other one).  The reels that came in that Ultimate kit were burned out catching big fish (as was the Mitchell with the alarm built into the spool; yay warranty!) so I'm not as compromising about reels.  

[salokcinnodrog]

Sorry, I edited the thread to remove some of the off topic posts.