unmamfqlm:

To start, you need to stay away from Berkley rods in my opinion. Unless they’ve “upped” their game recently their stuff isn’t of very good quality. You can get you a pretty decent rod for 40 or 50 bucks. I guess the first question from me is what do you fish for? There’s definitely not a “universal” rod for all fish out there. I’ll go out on a limb and guess you’re a Bass fisherman? If so, a medium heavy rod is always a good choice. A somewhat “universal” rod for me when fishing Bass is a 6’6 medium heavy. I fish everything from crankbaits to jigs, to plastics, to top waters on these setups more times than not.
I have always loved Abu Garcia reels and rods. They have several nice quality rods in the 50 dollar price range. I’m sure you can find them on Bass Pro or Cabelas. They also have a really cool rod out called a Vendetta which is very nice also although they are a bit expensive (70-80 bucks).
Other than Abu, I’ve always liked the Quantlm stuff. I have to admit they also have some nice stuff for a great price. I wouldn’t personally buy a cheaper end reel from them but as far as the rods go you won’t be dissappointed with them.

Bottom line, don’t go out and buy you a 20 dollar rod. The rod is more important than the reel is as far as I’m concerned. A 20 dollar rod just won’t have the action you need to catch fish not to mention many are made out of some very strange things that won’t last. If you can afford it, I’d use every bit of that 50 bucks you mentioned. But yeah, definitely check out the Abu Garcia items. I’ve always been very happy with even their cheaper end stuff.

Also, be sure to get a casting rod. I’m assuming you knew that but if not, there is a big difference between a casting rod and a spinning rod. An easy way to identify a casting rod is to look at the eyes. If the first eye is small it’s a casting rod. You’ll see that the first eye on a spinning rod is considerably bigger than the others.

kewl kat:

the best rod in that price range to me, is the Shimano Convergence. they run $50 for a 6’6″ and $60 for a 7′. shimano uses good quality components in their rods, like fuji line guides and reel seats. their im6 graphite will give you decent feel and the warranty is one of the best, if not THE best of any rod manufacturer in the industry.. if u break it, simply send it back to shimano or take it to any store that sells the that shimano rod and they will give you a new rod right over the counter, no questions asked… unless it’s broken in 3 pieces with tire tracks all over it. lol sure there’s lots of other rods in that price range… but do they have that lifetime warranty? ive owned tons of different rods, from berkley to gloomis, but my rod rack at home is full of shimanos. if youre like me, you want to get your money’s worth when buying tackle and shimano will give it to you.
check out the rod and read reviews on it here: http://www.cabelas.com/p-0060380123764a.shtml
good luck

Fish Guru:

Do not rush to buy a cheap rod, i use a 5′ gloomis gl3 medium action rod, $210… but will last you as long if not longer than 4 $50 rods, and you will notice the quality… depending on the fishing, i use this rod for trout fishing and small bass fishing