# Gander Mountain Guide Series Rods



## Beave

I got to use a guide series rod yesterday, and I was really impressed. I went fishing with a guy from work and asked to take a go with his 9ft - 8wt rod. I was very impressed with the rod, enough so I went to Gander Mountain today and looked into them.

Normally I'm the kind of guy who avoids the store brands because of some past bad experiences with some Cabela's waders. I think that store employees are often told to recommend the store brand products even when they aren't necessarily the best in their price range or most suited to what the customer wants. For that reason I've never really given the Guide Series rods any attention when I was in Gander Mountain.

After using one yesterday though, I went in and gave them a closer look. I may take some crap for this, but I actually think that they're a better rod than the St. Croix Pro Graphite line. They had both rods there in a 9ft-8wt, and I got to play with them both. What most impressed me about the Gander Mountain rod was that it had a nice quick action, and for my needs that's better than the St. Croix which is more of a medium action. Construction-wise I didn't find it in any way inferior to the St. Croix either, and I think the guides on the Gander Mountain rod were actually a bit better. (Not that titanium guides mean anything to me.) If cost wasn't an issue and I had no idea of the St. Croix brand name, I would have put the Gander Moutain rod in the same quality catagory but just below the St. Croix Imperial rod.

They had a sign up saying the rods were $10 off and came with a free rod tube, so I ended up picking one up for $60. 

If you aren't one of those people who has to have certain brand names I'd recommend trying the Guide Series fly rods out if you're shopping for a new rod and there's a Gander Mountain near you. For those of you fishing on a budget it's a good way to save a few bucks. I've tried about 6 different brands of rods out in the last three weeks, from Sage, Orvis, and Redington, to the Scientific Angler rod/reel packages you can pick up $80. Of all the rods I tried, I think the Gander Mountain rod was probably the best intersection of quality and cost.


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## quix20

i just picked up a 6wt guide series rod. i like it for the most part, but i am not sure it is a true 6wt. i had a really hard time casting it a great distance, just didnt seem to have it. maybe it was just me, i'm not the greatest caster, but my old rod was much easier to cast.

for the price i think they are worth it. i would have gotten the 8wt to use for salmon/steel, but dont have a reel big enough for that yet. 

i looked at the st. croix pro graphite also, and it definately felt more whippy to me than the guide series. i cant wait to really give it a test this weekend. that is of course if the salmon arent cooperating with me (always have a back up plan when you fish).

i just wish they had a 3 or a 4 piece rod. it is gonna be hard to fit it on my boat in two pieces that are 4 1/2 foot long, but i will have to make do for now


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## GreatLakesOutfitters

If you get a store brand rod you are buying a product right from China or Korea, or some other foreign company.
If you get a St. Croix or Loomis you get a rod built 100% in the USA. 
You may 20-30 bucks more for a St. Croix but the quality of workmanship is more than morth it.
The St. Croixs are great rods, you should be able to find a rod you like. They make them in all different actions.
[email protected]


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## STEINFISHSKI

I have a few older guide series that were made by St. Croix. I'm not sure who makes them now.


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## quix20

the guy at gander mountain told me that they are made by a company named quarrow. i have heard of them before, but dont know much about them.


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## Beave

While I normally go out of my way to buy a US made product, there's a point where it gets too costly. The Guide Series rod isn't US made, but I got it for $60. I liked it better than the $90 St. Croix Pro Graphite rod. To go to a St. Croix Imperial (that I did like best) would have cost $140. It was a better rod, but $80 is too much to do on my budget.


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## sideshow

See where that employee steered you wrong was on the warrenty behind the rods. St croix rods are number one american made by a bunch of cheese heads. Number two all their fly rods carry unconditional lifetime warrenties.. not to bad for a low end fly rod.. number three a $60 fast action fly rod in my opinion probably has a fairly weak wall higher cheap modulus graphite or they just punch a bunch more glass into the makeup to get the taper. My feeling on it is you never go wrong with a St Croix avid series for the money hands down.. best rod on the market for the money. Quarrow is a new company out there making some pretty cheap steelhead rods that we have had marginal at best success with.. not very good sensitivity. I sell alot of them to guys who want to surf fish because when I rod is bouncing around in a rod holder you know you have a fish on.. and thats that.

sideshow


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