Cal star rods

I saw a rod at bay side marine the other day that was pretty rad looking, one piece ,nice handle ,good eyes and length. It was like $300 tho maybe more..... It was a pretty good looking rod I would like to take home with me. it's a lot of money for a rod tho!!! more or less my question is if you have taken the plunge and spent that amount of money was it worth it? I'm looking for a good all around rod that I can mooch salmon, halibut, and lings with that will hold up to my abuse and still have good action .
Thanks

Ugly stick tiger rods  matched with a penn reel are awesome . 

Ugly stick tiger rods  matched with a penn reel are awesome .

+1

I like my Ugly Stik Tiger with Penn Jigmaster. It works for just about anything. That being said, the expensive rods are definitely worth it if you can afford it. I'm buying a different rod for jigging because the Tiger+Jigmaster combo is just so damn heavy and my arm got sore trying to jig it.

If most of your fishing has it in a rod holder, I don't see why you'd need better than the cheapo combo though.

I love my calstar 270. the build quality is much better than an ugly stik tiger but you will see me carrying a back up ugly stik in case my calstar fails

I like my Ugly Stik Tiger with Penn Jigmaster. It works for just about anything. That being said, the expensive rods are definitely worth it if you can afford it. I'm buying a different rod for jigging because the Tiger+Jigmaster combo is just so damn heavy and my arm got sore trying to jig it.

If most of your fishing has it in a rod holder, I don't see why you'd need better than the cheapo combo though.

. They have tiger lites also, seeker stealth series are really great cost isn't that damaging .

I'm a believer in cheap rods on my yak. I have seen many broken during a garage sale, or lost in the water. 100.00 is the most I seem to spend. IMO.

I use a Calstar 270-7 for salmon/halibut trolling. It's all glass, maybe too heavy for jigging but reasonably priced, about $160. I pair it with a Shimano Tekota LC or Diawa Saltist LC.

For jigging, I use a Calstar GFX 700 ML. I pair it with a Avet SX 2 speed. I have used this combo for 6-7 years and have landed YT, WSB, giant lings and halibut with it. A brutally powerful combo but it will set you back about $600.  A trevala/revo toro is the most commonly recommended kayak jigging combo and will save you about $200 over the calstar/avet combo, but the calstar/avet combo is made in the U.S. and is better quality and durability.

As far as rockfishing, salmon and halibut, an ugly stick/penn combo works fine. For YT, tuna and maybe WSB better equipment can improve your success rate so maybe worth the investment. I build my own rods and using them increases my enjoyment of the sport but rarely does it result in more fish landed.

I'm a believer in cheap rods on my yak. I have seen many broken during a garage sale, or lost in the water. 100.00 is the most I seem to spend. IMO.

Same here, I have a Calstar Grafighter sitting in the bottom of the Pacific. I never bought one after that.  I stay away from expensive reels too, the waves during a surf launch are full fine sand that ruins your reel. 

Ok, I used to be on the cheap is best side, but I realized that that is more of a suggestion on how one should begin kayakfishing. Don't invest a bunch of $$$ right off. Ugly stik & penn are a good combo.


Now that said,
......after a number of years (and being so fortunate as to have a custom rod builder in the family) I have upgraded to Calstar rods and avet reels. I really like them. I can't say that I have caught more fish with them, but they are very enjoyable to fish with as combos and the smooth drag and backbone of the rods makes me more confident that I won't be outgunned by a feisty ling or halibut.
For RF etc, I have a Calstar 700ML rated 20-25lb I think, and for larger things I have a parabolic action calstar B-something, rated 25-60lb (I have yet to really "test" this heavier rod, much to my consternation).
The rods were built with me in mind, so they would hold up to salt exposure and the brutality that can come from surf zone stuff. The majority of the time I stow my reels when launching or landing to keep the sand out of them.
Every time I land a fish on one, it is like a super cool "shaka bruddah" from my family.

so, if you wanna spend the $, go for it. If not, don't. It comes down to what gear you like to fish with and what is comfortable in your hands & mind.

My first albacore trip I used am ugly stick 7' tiger with a penn 500.  took me 20 minutes to get a 25# albie in.

the skipper mocked me.

Next trip I had a calstar 196-7' glass; with the same Penn 500.

Like night and day.  Calstar was (and is) awesome!!

Sometimes you get what you pay for.  I'm the first to reccomend ugly stick and jigmaster combo for yak fishing, but as we grow sometimes we want Mo.

Bushy

Calstar rods are badass. But definitely do some research on which model is best for you...before pulling the trigger. I like the 700ML for multi-purpose fishing. Sometimes you can find deals online, like at Chakbait: http://www.charkbait.com/cs/csrodCalstar.htm

Calstar makes awesome rod blanks. Learn to build them if you have time and the sticker shock wont be so bad and you can get exactly what you need. The glass blanks are really great and economical. Ive fished Tuna to 200# with them. The graphiter is an awesome rod. I dont know if its worth taking on the yak though. Unless you have money to burn. Calstar rods and blanks are top notch!

I love my Calstar rods bit haven't used it off the kayak yet.

Calstar makes awesome rod blanks. Learn to build them if you have time and the sticker shock wont be so bad and you can get exactly what you need. The glass blanks are really great and economical. Ive fished Tuna to 200# with them. The graphiter is an awesome rod. I dont know if its worth taking on the yak though. Unless you have money to burn. Calstar rods and blanks are top notch!

What all do you need to get started building rods? I've always wanted to get into making my own but all the stuff you can buy is kinda overwhelming