Bottom line is buying top end gear isn't going to make you a better fisherman. It comes down to your knowledge and time spent on the water fishing. Plenty of guys toting cheap outfits holding them upside down that catch much more fish with bait than I do casting plugs!
I have a tendancy to play with gear a lot more than most people do because of my current lack of ability to fish. Now a days, I'm craving sleep more than anything else. Stress is really getting to me unfortunately.
Many of the current production rods offer a HUGE bang for the dollar! Majority of those rods come out of China - they are assembled fine and have pretty nice fit and finish now.
The largest advantage of a custom over a std factory rod is how it fits your body IMHO. If you are much taller you crave a longer butt end. If you are shorter (like myself) then you want the butt end an inch OR three shorter .... lol.
Downside to most factory rods is you many not be getting your full benefits from your rod, reel and line combination in terms of distance. Reality is the fish are much closer to shore in the dark so there really isn't always a big need for that extra distance. Some circumstances if you are on shore and can' get out farther and you know you need to clear 140 yrs or else you won't get a bit then you need all you can get.
One of the nicest production rods out there right now for the $ are the Lamiglas Super Surfs - underwrapped Fuji Alconite Guides, designed to be fished with super braids. M&D's (mikecc) had some on sale early Spring for under $300. I don't like the guide lay out on any of the other Lamiglas surf rods personally - for that kind of $, they better give me better guides and add a guide on the layout of the rod. (yeah, I've said this more than once, but WTF do I know :P).
Most of those Surf and Jetty (solid line of durable blanks as a whole, handles are way too long for me) Lamiglas rods are in the mid/upper $200 range.
You can always watch the buy/sell/trade board here and nice custom rods pass thru for reasonable $.
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