What is the best travel fishing rod on a budget?

+2 votes
asked Feb 23, 2017 in Saltwater Fishing by sthowe10 (100 points)
I am going to Dominican Republic and I need a travel rod without breaking the bank.

4 Answers

+1 vote
answered Mar 28, 2017 by db64 (15 points)
I've built several travel rods that travel well I have good luck  putting them in my luggage(trust me I' ve  gotten  on planes with a 5' rod case and watched the stewardess  roll her eyes and stuff it in the forward locker )most are in the 29"-30" range , pack them in between your clothing . The blanks are available from several suppliers ( Mudhole , Utmost Enterprises ,Get Bit Outdoors, Acid Rod to name a few ) . Like anything fishing you can spend more than your first car on one but you can easily stay in the $100.00- $150.00 range maybe a little less if you get lucky on ebay. As for building a rod its really easy ( there is a ton of web sites and you tube stuff out there) it so cool to be able to catch a fish on something you built tight lines .....
+1 vote
answered Apr 11, 2017 by thunnus69 (385 points)
$100.00 will get you an American Tackle 7' 12-20#. 3 piece blank EVA handle, Fuji grip and ring lock guides.  I have two and they fit diagonally in my checked suitcase.  They're tough and light.
+1 vote
answered Apr 11, 2017 by Bojan (65 points)
edited Apr 11, 2017 by Bojan
I'm based in New Zealand, and we are a long way from anywhere, so I've been researching travel rods for a while now for my fishing trips.  Rod technology has improved immensely, and 4-5 piece rods are a good option now.  I'm starting to turn into a collector, as I have around 11 travel rods now, and often hunt down obscure models.

It depends what you are after of course, but I quite like the blanks on the Fox Trek Travel rods.  They have recently stopped making them, but there are a few floating around stores still if you do some searching.  The Okuma Nomad series are solid rods and good value, though they tend to be 3 piece and a little longer to transport.  The Daiwa travel rods also fit into that category, being mostly 3 piece.  They do the Saltiga G and Ardito travel rods.  Shimano has their Travel Concept series, and have everything from 3 to 5 piece rods for a variety of applications.  Penn also do a few, being the Rampage and Powercurve Recon Travel series.

The G-Loomis and St Croix rods get more expensive, plus there are a number out of Japan and Europe.  The Majorcraft Bone series travel rods are extremely good value and very compact, but also extremely hard to find!

I tend to like rods that come with a hard travel case/tube. They can be a bit bulky, but you can always leave the case behind if you choose.  It helps to ensure your rod arrives in good condition when you order it (I've had a few damaged in transport) and gives you protection in your luggage if you have a soft sided bag or something heavy packed with it.

If you can be a bit more specific about what you are targeting and their size, and whether you want spin or conventional, I could point you towards some options that I have researched.
0 votes
answered Mar 21, 2017 by bw3 (25 points)

I bought this travel rod for a trip to the Bahamas:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019TW94HY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It's got nice backbone and collapses into 4 short pieces that fit easily in a carry-on or suitcase. It's a quality light tackle rod, especially for the cost. Check it out.

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