OK, here's my prob. I've snapped two poles in the past year. One, was my bf's fault, he decided to "test the pole's 'strength'" one day, and you can just guess what happened. And last week, I snapped another one. Please don't ask how cause it's a reallllllly dumb story. Anyway, as my name says, I fish mainly for sharks and rays, so a small pole wouldn't do. I usually buy heavy but cheap poles. My last was a Wal-Mart shakespeare combo. I used to think, "what's the point in buying an expensive pole if the wear and tear of sharks and rays'll just break it over time?" Well I learned the hard way, and the pole was gone in a month. Yes, I had that pole less than a month. Last time I buy a pole at Wal-Mart I'll tell ya that, I've learned my lesson. Anyway, I always see ya guys postin bout light/medium tackle. But does anyone know any good but not so pricey heavier models and reels? Made especially for my kind of fishing. I know deep sea poles would be great, but they're a bit pricey for my range right now. I need a lot of strength, but also I need sensitivity. I really can't pay for a two hundred dollar custom right now. HEEEEEELP, please?:)

Sandra Love - Love's Outdoors & Sporting Goods
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Was that Shakespeare an UglyStick Tiger rod? They are cheap and actually perform quite well for such a relatively inexpensive rod. They have nice, fast tapers with a lot of backbone so you can flip baits or small jigs out and still get some good pull...

Turner's outdoorman sells "Californian" rods, both in the heavier e-glass sticks as well as the 12-20 # class graphite trigger sticks (which can actually be quite powerful) for much cheaper than the big names...They seem to perform well...

They also sell some other small name rods that seem like they might be built and tapered like many of the other west coasts rods but much cheaper with cheaper components like minimal wraps, cheaper guides, and eva handles...I forget the name...

St. Croix also makes great rods that are cheaper than the other big names with what I feel to be competitive performance...

If you can wait until the Fred Hall show you can go to the Turner's booth and find their whole line up on sale...I would do that, personally...

my $.02

-Mike Chung

When and where is that show at?

Sandra Love - Love's Outdoors & Sporting Goods
http://www.sbsociety.net
http://www.sbsociety.net/forums
http://www.sbsociety.net/topsitesphp

See www.fredhall.com for schedule.

Also, Seeker Rods makes some nice and sturdy conventional poles that are glass. Can pick them up at Sportmart, usually around $99 to $129. These rods are hard to break unless you do something silly, and they are guaranteed. Good for the pier for sharks and rays or for fishing rockfish from the sportboats.

-tree

Unfortunately, St Croix only makes lighter rods, and nothing you'd be interested in for sharks and rays. I agree that you should probably look for the Seeker rods. If you match a Seeker rod up with a Penn Jigmaster reel, you'll probably be good to go for under $150 for the whole package. I think Penn also makes some decent rods too, but I've never used them.

** tight lines make all my troubles go away **

St. Croix actually does make heavy saltwater rods as well as lighter saltwater rods...

They have a premier saltwater series as well as the tidemasters which are powerful trigger sticks...

http://www.stcroixrods.com/stcroix/products/rods/prem.html

http://www.stcroixrods.com/stcroix/products/rods/tidem.html

Good luck searching for the right rig at the right price...

-Mike Chung

You said the magic words S.G cheap price but quality product...Okuma fishing is huge in the saltwater world selling more product then any other manufacturer in the world...They sell most of the product over seas though..Check the link below they stock a lot of stuff in So Cal...if you need help getting exactly what you want I should bew able to help.

John Lake
Okuma Pro Staff


www.okumafishing.com

Thanks everyone for those suggestions. I'll go check em all out and see what deal I can get for em. And as for the Okumas, yeah that is a good brand, and as for the sold overseas thing, I don't know about that. Boss bait and tackle by my house sells Okuma reels, so I guess they're not just overseas. I heard they've been sellin em here for the past 5 years. Anyway, thanks again everyone. Goin fishin now :)

OOPS, by the way, that post by squidhead was me. Didn't wanna confuse you guys. Accidentally logged on the wrong name. (That's my bf's):P

Sandra Love - Love's Outdoors & Sporting Goods
http://www.sbsociety.net
http://www.sbsociety.net/forums
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hey S.G.
the Fred hall show is in long beach,ca. starts 1 week from this wendsday and runs thru sunday. cya there
dbajimbo

Yah I know they sell them in the states for a while now....I was just saying that most of there sales are over seas not to many people in the states seem to know of Okuma....Glad to hear you have