# Is there a good Rod/Reel company - Made in USA?



## incucrash (May 7, 2008)

Looking for a good Rod that is pretty close to a ugly Stick in quality (or better) that is made in USA..

Same with Reel, I know some Penn is made in the USA, but looking for a general good rod/reel company made in USA...or at least not CHINA lol =]

Thanks
:beer:


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## basstardo (Jun 5, 2006)

You can still pick up 525 Mag's made in the US. Not sure what else though. Most of my Shimano's are made in Malaysia it seems, at the least the Stradic 2500FI I just got is.


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## eric (Oct 24, 2007)

wri lamiglass gloomis seeker gusa stcroix

avet accurate penn international


is just a few of them.


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## HellRhaY (Jul 6, 2007)

rods:
g.loomis -made in usa average price $250

lamiglas - made in usa average price $250

st.croix- made in usa average price $250

reels:
accurate- average price $800

zee baas - average price $1100

van staal- averag price $650

terry, All shimano reels EXCEPt the stella are mad ein Malaysia. Only the stella remains to be a japanese made reel.


a good rod that's pretty close to an ugly stick quality? LOL. 
ugly stick quality means the epoxy are all over the palce, the threads aren't packed and you can see the guide foot underneath the guide wraps. OR do you mean durable? where you can whip it in the rocks and it doesnt break?


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## HellRhaY (Jul 6, 2007)

ooeric said:


> wri lamiglass gloomis seeker gusa stcroix
> 
> avet accurate penn international
> 
> ...


wri, gusa, seeker i believe doesnt come as a prebuilt rod.


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## sprtsracer (Apr 27, 2005)

Same info on rods.

Reels: All Penn Spinning reels are made in China. The following Penn Reels are still made in Philly:

Penn GS Series (525Mag, 535, 545, 555
Penn Senators
Penn International Torques
Regular Penn Internationals
Not sure about the new Metal Senator, but I was told by a warranty Center that it was US Made as well.

If buying retail, check the box and it will say "Made in USA" as will the left sideplate. Chinese reels normally have a "Made in China" sticker underneath the reel foot.

Ebay has some of the older USA Made Reels fairly cheap. Jigmasters, 155, 200, 140, 146, 209, 309, etc. The newer 209, 309 and Jigmasters are now made in China, as are the GT series and the GTO


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## AL SEARS (Feb 10, 2007)

Call up Crowder Rods out of Stuart Fl, Crowder has many classes of Rods ,then All Star and also Falcon rods are made in USA


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## atblis (Jul 20, 2003)

*Falcon*

I'll throw in Falcon.

I have gotten very good service from their rods. 

Top notch components Fuji

Best quality wrapping/finishing I've seen on a mass produced rod.


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## emanuel (Apr 2, 2002)

US Reels. I believe Capt. Eric Mannino is a big pusher for them. Good flats reel.


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## incucrash (May 7, 2008)

HellRhaY said:


> rods:
> g.loomis -made in usa average price $250
> 
> lamiglas - made in usa average price $250
> ...


Thanks, didn't mean the actual craftsmanship, but they have lasted me years, so definitely durability and able to handle big fish without even coming close to snapping.... 


Thank you for all the responses, i'll be checking out these brands, I'm just trying to get away from China imports, as impossible as it seems

I'm ok with most other countries, I know most of my Japan made stuff and USA made stuff is high quality and i know it's supporting people right here at home


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## atblis (Jul 20, 2003)

*Hmm*

Uglies are decent for fighting fish, but not much else. Well, flag poles and they actually make a very good extension for clay target throwers, the red hand thrower thingies.

I barely remember the days when I used to think the Ugly Stick was the shiznit. I can't figure out if I am better or worse off for having moved on.


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## HellRhaY (Jul 6, 2007)

incucrash said:


> definitely durability and able to handle big fish without even coming close to snapping....


so when you talk about durability that limits us to glass rods or composites as these are more durable than grpahite.
take a look at the lamiglas tri-flex and g.loomis pelagic rods. these are warehouse built rods. i don't know you're budget but the lamiglas is affordable at around $150 and comes with lifetime warranty.
the g.loomis comes with lifetime warranty as well but it's about $400. However, the pelagic series is built on the obsidian blank, the blank itself costs around $130. if you'll have it custom built, you'll get titanium guides on your rod and it will be around the price of the warehouse built rod but much better craftsmanship and is suited accordding to your needs...


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## Lipyourown (May 11, 2005)

Star rods kick butt, so do Stellar Lites and they are half the price of a st croix. Not sure where Falcon is made but they are quality items as well.


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## snowy (Mar 7, 2008)

You can add Newell to the list of US made reels. HellRhay I guess they're still made in the USA at the moment but aren't Van Staal in the process of shifting their production to China?



HellRhaY said:


> van staal- averag price $650


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## HellRhaY (Jul 6, 2007)

snowy said:


> You can add Newell to the list of US made reels. HellRhay I guess they're still made in the USA at the moment but aren't Van Staal in the process of shifting their production to China?


yes, soon. if vanstaal can't find illegal immigrants that can be paid $5 per day, they're moving to china and pay the child workers there 20CENTS per day.


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## snowy (Mar 7, 2008)

I guess you're right there. I know you pay for quality and VS reels up to now have been of unquestionable quality but it does still seem a bit odd that at the prices they charge for their reels that they can't afford to pay American workers a decent wage to produce their product in the US.


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## snowy (Mar 7, 2008)

HellRhaY said:


> All shimano reels EXCEPt the stella are mad ein Malaysia. Only the stella remains to be a japanese made reel.


Aren't the JDM Twinpowers made in Japan? The ones on ebay certainly claim to be.


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## HellRhaY (Jul 6, 2007)

snowy said:


> Aren't the JDM Twinpowers made in Japan? The ones on ebay certainly claim to be.


i was talking about the USA reels. if you want to dig into JDM, yes the twinpower 5000 and bigger are still mad ein Japan, however i was told that newly revamped twinpower 1000-4000 are already made in malaysia.


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## snowy (Mar 7, 2008)

Gotcha. You're certainly right about the non JDM Twinpowers. My Twinpower 4000XTRA is made in Malaysia and I bought that one nearly two years ago. Maybe the JDM models are going that way too?


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## seajay (Dec 18, 2005)

incucrash said:


> Looking for a good Rod that is pretty close to a ugly Stick in quality (or better) that is made in USA..
> 
> Same with Reel, I know some Penn is made in the USA, but looking for a general good rod/reel company made in USA...or at least not CHINA lol =]
> 
> ...


If you are looking for a similar rod to the Ugly. Try a Pinnacle made by Silstar. :fishing:


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## Rockstar (Jun 23, 2004)

All Stars are great rods, I think they cast better than an Ugly Stik... and about the same price. I also think they look better, they have a hook holder too.


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## seajay (Dec 18, 2005)

Rockstar said:


> All Stars are great rods, I think they cast better than an Ugly Stik... and about the same price. I also think they look better, they have a hook holder too.


Ditto on that.:fishing::beer:


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## sprtsracer (Apr 27, 2005)

HellRhaY said:


> yes, soon. if vanstaal can't find illegal immigrants that can be paid $5 per day, they're moving to china and pay the child workers there 20CENTS per day.


See what happens when a good company is bought out by a cheap company? Same thing happened to Penn. Heaven Forbid that Berkley or Zebco would ever buy out Daiwa, Shimano, Avet, Newell, Pro Gear or Accurate!!! Where would we turn then?


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## seajay (Dec 18, 2005)

sprtsracer said:


> See what happens when a good company is bought out by a cheap company? Same thing happened to Penn. Heaven Forbid that Berkley or Zebco would ever buy out Daiwa, Shimano, Avet, Newell, Pro Gear or Accurate!!! Where would we turn then?


And what happened to Penn Reels? As far as Spinning it is hard to beat a Penn Slammer. Those little U.S. Reels will handle a 5 ft. Bonnet in Shallow water with no problems. And the Slammer can take the salt water without a glitch.


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## sprtsracer (Apr 27, 2005)

seajay said:


> And what happened to Penn Reels? As far as Spinning it is hard to beat a Penn Slammer. Those little U.S. Reels will handle a 5 ft. Bonnet in Shallow water with no problems. And the Slammer can take the salt water without a glitch.


Slammer is now made in China. I can tell you for a fact that the annodizing on the metal parts on the Chinese versions are of cheaper quality. Chrome plating on the conventionals (Jigmaster, etc) is paper thin. I've even seen the plating starting to flake off NEW reels. That leads to more scuffs, exposure of the brass/bronze/alluminum, and therefore more prone to corrosion and necessitating more care and maintennance. If they can't put a decent chrome plate on a part, that just makes me question the rest of the quality as well. It doesn't seem that the other manufacturers who have reels made in China have the same problem, which leads me to believe it's a Quality Control fault. You are right, however, in that the Slammer, especially the US Made Slammer, is a tough reel...I just have my doubts as to how the Chinese version will hold up...Long Term...in saltwater.


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## incucrash (May 7, 2008)

seajay said:


> If you are looking for a similar rod to the Ugly. Try a Pinnacle made by Silstar. :fishing:


I got one, love it =]



just trying to support US Market stuff...tired of seeing MADE IN CHINA


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## madiaz (Jun 11, 2008)

Greetings,

As far as reels i'm not sure since 80 % of mine are japanese , 2 taiwanese slh20's and the others swedish. 

As far as rods are concerned i probably would never buy anything other than U.S. manufactured rods. 90% of my rods are St. Croix Premiers. One time my fishing partner and i cast at the same time and my premier snapped his ugly stick like a samurai sword. I have one G Loomis U.S.A. rod and it is such butter i used it once and now it sleeps in it's own little blanket and once in a while i take it out and pet it caress it, daydream and put it away. Ultra sensitive and light. 

regards,
m.a.d.


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## madiaz (Jun 11, 2008)

correction... Daiwa SLH 20 made in Thailand


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## t58martin (Jul 18, 2005)

I had a slammer on my list of reels I want to eventually own, I won't buy one made in China..


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## incucrash (May 7, 2008)

madiaz said:


> Greetings,
> 
> As far as reels i'm not sure since 80 % of mine are japanese , 2 taiwanese slh20's and the others swedish.
> 
> ...



i need to start work @ shipyard before i can be all big bucks like you and get the St. Croix, HAHAHA.. jk

I don't mind japanese, canada (do they have a fishing market? lol), usa, etc... I drive a Honda made in Canada, I love to support counties who need it, but i'm tired of giving China my money, when 90% the stuff made there is of bad quality


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