Rods and reels – the good ones – almost always come with a huge price tag because they are quite specialized pieces of equipment. Gone are the days in the UAE where majority of the people you see lining the beaches, water breakers, below bridges and jetties use the long telescopic rods of old, most of them now hold a proper rod and reel.

While there are still some that buy from shops in Deira and Dragon Mart, a huge chunk of the fishing population have now quickly turned to reputable fishing tackle establishments to buy their fishing gear. However, the fact still remains – they are not cheap.

Not All Rods are Created and Sold Equally

Fishing rods are created with different processes and materials. These days, high-end rods are made using graphite. Some rods have a blend of fibreglass and graphite. Of the two, graphite is the most popular material for micro light to heavy rods. There are still a lot of fibreglass rods around especially for trolling, as fibreglass is more forgiving than graphite, especially in the most demanding of situations (like big game fishing) Lately, there has been a resurgence of “old school” glass – rods created entirely with fibreglass. Branded as “retro” rods – these are targeted at a very small market, therefore not something the average angler would consider.

We all know what fibreglass is and no one will really ask a lot of questions about it. However, the marketing world has blurred the vision on what graphite is. Don’t let this fool you – graphite IS a form of carbon, so when you see a rod’s label that says its carbon, they mean that it’s made of graphite. A lot of people don’t understand this and say one particular rod is better than the other because this brand uses carbon and not graphite.

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A rod manufactured with very high graphite content translates to a very light, stiff and sensitive rod – you cannot create a rod with 100% graphite as it would be very brittle. Getting the balance that would make the rod light, stiff, sensitive and one that would be able to stand up to the rough conditions of fishing is what rod manufacturers aspire to perfect – and all of us are expected to pay for that technology – this is the reason why the prices vary from one model to the next even from the same manufacturer.

While American and European model rods are good for their intended use, I have found that the models offered by Japanese manufacturers fit the needs of the average fisherman more than European or American made rods. The standard for offshore fishing still remains with American models, while most shore and specific boat fishing is covered by Japanese and other Asian brand rods, applications such as jigging, popping and shore game are dominated by Japanese rod makers.

The Biggest Question Is…

I am in the middle of upgrading my shore and rock fishing gear, which have been neglected for some time because I was for a long time; fishing off kayaks or chasing around fish with a fly rod – so imagine my surprise when I found the rods I was looking for and seeing the price tag on them costing like a fly rod, I didn’t expect them to be cheap, but spinning rods that are in same ballpark as a good quality fly rod is almost too hard to swallow. So I set about to find rods that would be able to fit what I was looking for and that would not break the bank.

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The question that breaks the bank is – what brand would be the best value for money? We all know how nice Japanese rods are and after the popping and jigging craze, we know that their rods are well suited for the purpose and can stand the abuse of GT, amberjack and tuna – the biggest question is – How deep are your pockets?

The answer differs from person to person – rod choices are pretty much the same as your preference on the food you eat or the underwear you prefer to keep the family jewels safe and secure, and how much you’re willing to spend for quality.

For me, the search has led me to use a Japanese brand that is easy on the pocket and one that has a range of rods that deliver the actions I’m looking for and in the lengths I find ideal for my style of fishing. The answer for me is MajorCraft.

For close to 3 years, I have been playing around with a few of their rods, from both the shore and boat – They have different ranges and I have used three in their middle range – Solpara, Crosstage and Skyroad.

What sets MajorCraft apart from most of the big name brands is the fact that they’re probably some of the most affordable rods that are built for specialized tasks – they have features you only expect from the top brands – but they don’t break the bank.

The Skinny on the Rods

Japanese rods will set you back a lot of money and a rod that’s worth over 1,000 AED is common. While other Japanese brands can set you back more than 1,000 AED, the average cost for a MajorCraft is about 600 AED. However, the cost alone is not enough to justify how good the brand is. MajorCraft mid end models, such as those I use are lightweight, strong, sensitive and surprisingly comparable to the big name brands. In a head to head comparison, you might find the rod a bit heavier than their (off by a few grams at the most) counterparts, but the biggest consideration is that they will cost a few hundred AEDs less than the other brands – sometimes by as much as half or more. For the angler who wants quality at a good price point it is a very good deal. It might surprise you though, that their rods are made with the same quality components as the big name brands – you will find Fuji reel seats and K guides on most mid end models – one of their lines even have the super high tech Torzite guides, you might pay a higher price, but the fact remains – these rods will not cost more or anywhere close to a rod with the same specifications from another Japanese manufacturer.

My most expensive MajorCraft rod is the Skyroad Surf. I got it for 850AED. This is a rod specifically made for flounder and flathead – two species I used to fish for back home and both are on my favourite fish list. The Skyroad Surf comes in three lengths and designed for long casts off the beach. A similar brand from another manufacturer would set you back around 1500AED more or less.

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I have two Crosstage rods one of their lower mid end ranges – one for light shore jigging which is one of the rods I use when I fish off rocks using metal jigs and a sea bass solid tip model that has worked well for me using light lures and soft plastics up to 15 grams. The solid tip is designed for sensitivity and can detect strikes that you would otherwise miss and is my go to rod for most situations. They were about 600 or so each.

Then there’s the “economy” version – Solpara, which I have three of. A very long one-used for fishing off rocks with heavier metal lures (it can cast up to 60 grams!), when distance is the main concern, I most often use this rod. An Egi rod and a light jigging rod from the same range rounds everything up for me. Solpara rods are around 500 AED.

Being in the UAE we’re lucky to have easy access to these rods – People from North America have to order the rods from Japan – most of the sale from these rods are in Japan because these rods are Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) products.

I paid full price for each of these rods. However, I still had money to buy the lures I wanted from the money I had left. So when I walked out of the shop (Barracuda in Sheikh Zayed road carries these rods here) I was still able to get myself some jigs (mind you, also some MajorCraft jigs) to use with the rod. Not a bad deal if you ask me.

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I have caught quite a fish on these rods including cobia, tuna and dorado offshore side by side with expensive rods, on shore and on the rocks, my rods have fished and caught kingfish, trevs, grunter, flounder flathead and many more – at times, even more than the expensive Japanese brands. I can say with confidence that it can cast jig and pull on fish just as well as the top end brands. They also come with a rod sock when you buy them, which is a huge plus for me – it is exactly what you would expect from a Japanese rod – at a better price point.

Another Rod?!

The rod as you may already know, dictates your lure presentation – it is what propels your lure to the distances you require and is also one of the tools that make the lure move to make it look like fish fodder. It is an important piece of equipment that helps you enjoy what you love, however, I believe that you should not let the bling distract you – if you can afford the expensive rods, then great, however, for the majority of us who are fishing on a budget, MajorCraft is a great brand to look at – The only reason why it is cheaper than the others is because they shifted their manufacturing from Japan to Vietnam, but the guys supervising the workforce are all Japanese and pretty much the same people overseeing the production in Japan. So it doesn’t speak Japanese – last time I caught a fish, it didn’t really talk to me and I doubt if it could read the sticker on the rod that said, “Made in Vietnam”.

 

Till next tide change,

Kit