and the cheap ones he enjoyed with friends . So , he devised a test .
He took two of the most expensive wines from the society ’ s cellars , then went to the local liquor store and bought the cheapest wine it had . He poured each into its own decanter , with one of the expensive bottles split between two separate decanters , so all the members believed they were drinking four different types of wines . Then he had them all taste each wine and rate them .
You know what the results were ? All “ four ” wines received nearly identical average ratings , and surprisingly , the two different decanters that contained the same wine were rated as being most different from one another .
Basically , take away the label and even the most experienced wine drinkers couldn ’ t tell the difference between an expensive wine and cheap one .
Hate the break it to you , but it ’ s probably the same with fishing rods .
Even most professional anglers , when being honest , will admit that at a certain point , all rods are quality rods , regardless of price point . That ’ s not a knock on them or rod manufacturers . The reality is they just don ’ t truly know all that goes into making a quality rod , just like the fellows didn ’ t know what all went into a quality wine .
Unless you actually make them yourself , it ’ s almost impossible to know — something pros like Matthew Stefan figured out only once they started building their own rods .
“ Honestly , it changed everything ,” the Bass Pro Tour rookie-to-be says . “ Learning about rod blanks and how they function , how guide placement and line sizes effect performance , … you develop a deeper understanding of the rod-reel-line-lure sequence . Building your own rods gives understanding on how all the pieces of the puzzle affect one another .”
So , if you truly want to answer “ yes ” to the question at the start of this column , you need to start building your own rods . Fortunately , Stefan has some tips for doing so , starting with …
it ’ s easier than it seems
Most anglers , myself included , have typically regarding building rods yourself as a complicated , mysterious process — one that couldn ’ t be done at home without an advanced degree in engineering or something .
Turns out , all you need is a kit and the ability to watch YouTube . Seriously , that ’ s how Stefan learned .
He bought a rod-building kit from Mud Hole Tackle , which included all the guides , reel seat , threads , epoxies and , of course , the MHX rod blanks . Then he sat down and watched a handful of tutorials on Mud Hole ’ s website . Before he knew it , he not only had a rod , but a dang great one , thanks to his improved understanding of what actually makes a rod great . Which then lent itself to another realization …
it sets you apart
In the land of the blind , the one-eyed man is king .
Well , most anglers are blind to how to build ( and just as importantly , repair ) fishing rods . Thus , by learning how to do it , Stefan inadvertently became the go-to guy for advice on rods because he actually understood what made a good one . He also found himself better able to pair rods to lures and techniques , which is something he says has been a key to his growing success in recent years .
Oh , and remember that repairs part ? Once other anglers find out you build rods , Stefan says , don ’ t be surprised if everyone from the local bass club to fellow professionals come calling to help
Some tools of Matt Stefan ’ s rod-building process . repair broken rod tips and guides . Not a bad way to make a little extra money , especially considering …
it ’ s far cheaper than buying rods off the shelf
Let ’ s do a quick math equation .
Say you want a high-end rod . Option A is to buy a premade one , which may run you $ 400 . Option B is to make one , which may cost you $ 200 for the rodbuilding kit and another $ 150 for the blank .
So , for the one rod , you save $ 50 going with Option B .
But say you love the rod and want a second one . Option A means shelling out another $ 400 , but Option B now requires only $ 150 for the blank and maybe another $ 50 for components , since you still have all the thread , epoxies and other materials from the original kit .
For two rods , Option B has now saved you $ 250 . Now imagine doing that for five or 10 , and it quickly becomes clear how much money you can save by building your own rods . That goes for guys buying $ 150 rods , too , as the cost of blanks and components goes down with your price point .
Throw in the ability to customize a rod ’ s handle style , length , colors , action , sensitivity and weight to whatever you want – and actually know why you ’ re doing these things – and you ’ ll finally be able to truly answer “ yes ” to that question at the beginning .
DECEMBER-JANUARY 2024 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM 29