Mike - seriously - I've been to the Bald Hill SA and many others. Sure the reels are the same for the most part but the rods are generally crap. I went in there less than 9 months ago and I checked out literally 50 rods, I found only a couple that were splined right and they still had lousy components for the most part. Even the "Good" rods, the ones which advertised Fuji guides and graphite blanks were really pretty bad. SA has some of the reels but not all and not the one I mention to you. It's just not available to them.
There are some good off the rack rods but you can't get them at SA or any of the "Marts". It just doesn't happen and I'm being very sincere when I say that. The Daiwa Sealine's are pretty decent people say, the factory Lami's, St Croixs, & Loomis rods are pretty good too (maybe not ad good as one taylored to you custom). The off the shelf Ugly Sticks (great blanks) are not well built.
Now you can get 965/975 Penns at SA (at higher prices than what CCT has them for) and you can get Calcutta 400 reels at the same price as everyone else (price fixing by Shimano). But you DON'T get the knowledge that a good shop has. You don't go into a SA (or the 'Marts) and ask to upgrade the stock drag's with smoothies - they'll try to sell you some Costa Del Mar's instead. They just don't know and the rare one that does can't help you like a good shop can.
Just being honest with you on this. I've bought rods from these places, then I bought custom, and now I build my own. I'm a decent judge of quality and know a little about what I'm talking about and 95% of SA's rods S U C K . The boat rods, they do a little better on (harder to screw up) but any of the coastal/surf rods are pretty lousy.
I wish you would believe me on this because I'm very sincere about what I'm telling you here...
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just looking for some help so i don't buy the wrong thing...
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This is
exactly the advice I'm trying to give you.
Same with getting spinning first and then moving to conventional (you'll often use the spinner - imagine if you get a GF this summer that wants to fish - what'll you do then
- you like girls, right? JK
