What are the cons w/ a 2-piece rod?

[Gus]

I'm looking at getting my first surfcast setup. A two piece seems to be more convenient but I have seen many remarks about it not being the way to go....what are the cons to a 2-piece rod? Can I get a decent rod for $100?? I plan to use my Penn 6500ss with it!

[Got Stripers]

There are numerous cons when it comes to a two piece and an equal number of pros when looking at a one piece. In my mind anyway, the only reason for a 2 piece rod is if you absolutely need it to pack smaller to be transported, either to the beach (if your drive a small electric car, lol) or if you plan on flying to fish out of state.

I didn't own a single 2 piece, but did buy a couple cheeper 2 piece Shimano rods to bring with me to the Keys recently. Again, that would be the only reason for me to own one.

Tight lines.

[JohnR]

Welcome aboard Gus,

I agree with GS. Unless you need to travel or must break a rod down into 2 pieces for transporting, get a one piece. Generally, the feel and capabilities of a good 1 piece will be very noticeable when compared to a 2 piece. Also less chance for failure at the most unopportune time. If you can find a way to transport your rod external to your vehicle, it would be well worth the slight extra aggravation of a one piece surf stick. Most good one piece rods start around $140-160 figuring a 9' custom stick for casting wieghts of 1-4 ounces... Many from this site and others have gotten the 1088 Sabre from http://www.capecodtackle.com which is one of the better but still affordable 1 single piece surf sticks available. Obviously, nicer are available but the price can rise pretty quick. You can build one yourself for about $100

Good luck and Meery Christmas...

[Mike P]

Most of the prejudice against 2-piece rods stems from the day when they stuck a metal ferrule about midway up the rod. It created a huge "dead spot" there that affected both the action and the sensitivity of the rod. Most of today's 2-piece blanks have a "spigot" style, graphite to graphite ferrule, more towards the butt, in the beef of the rod. Blindfolded, a lot of people couldn't tell whether a rod of that style was 2-piece or 1-piece.

There are still negatives with 2-piece blanks. One, the ferrule can wear--sand can cause the "male" section to wear or the two pieces to jam together, and over time, the "female" section can crack due to the flex of the rod under a load. Also, when you have a fish on, the tip section can twist out of line with the butt and the reel, creating the same type of situation you'd have with a rod built off-spline. Other than space, the only other reason to buy one is if you're in love with the feel and action of a particular blank, and they only make it in 2-piece, like most of the Loomis and Breakaway models longer than 10'.

Mike at Cape Cod Tackle is building my first-ever custom 2-piece, on an Al Star (Breakaway) 1266/2 blank. I'm eager to see how this works out in actual fishing, as I love the action and light weight of that blank. If the negatives come up, like the tip twisting, I can always epoxy the two pieces together to make it a 1-piece.

[Gus]

Thanks to all who replied!

Mike P. that was the answer I was looking for! Now I can make a decision on which way to go!