I have a business trip coming up which I'm taking golf clubs on. I also have it on good authority the resort has multiple stocked "lakes" on the premises and in free time I'd like to investigate them.

Any recommendations on a rod I could take apart and put in my golf bag for travel and be able to use when I get there.

I have spinning and baitcast reels so I could theoretically take either.

Depends on budget but St. Croix makes a travel series...

My kid swears by his TFO traveller. Uses it often times on the boat just like any other rod.

https://tforods.com/traveler-rods/

WestTexAG said:

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My kid swears by his TFO traveller. Uses it often times on the boat just like any other rod.

https://tforods.com/traveler-rods/

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That would be what's described as over budget. $240 is quite extreme

Look at the eagle claw trail-master. Its a four piece rod. Its bright yellow. Which is the best color for a fishing rod imo. Rods that are the same color as anything in nature do me no good.

In any event, Its a super ultralight rod. Its really well made rod. Aluminum fittings. Probably a synthetic cork handle but probably better in some regard.

You pair that rod with the smallest reel you can find with 4lb test. Fish the smallest possible bait, and have some small weedless baits on hand as well. Put all that stuff in a fly box.

Pair all of that with a Tenkara rod, and you got the smallest, lightest, and simplest setup you can buy.

I refined this setup over a a decade, going back and forth with different setups. It's maximum utility, lightest weight, and provides for redundancy.

Ultralight spinning rig can be fished in all weather and all conditions and in any environment, When conditions are perfect for Tenkara, I'll fish tenkara.

This setup provides you with a main rod, and an extremely lightweight backup rod, If somebody wants to go with you got two quality rods and will both have a good experience.

Thats what has worked for me and also what I wish i would have done sooner.

I got a Toadfish three piece for Christmas that I plan to use as a vacation setup.

Bass pro/cabelas has a 4 piece travel rod that is $80. I really like the action on lightweight rod for trout fishing but they have heavier actions available. And they are former Cabelas name brand which I think is better quality than alot of the bass pro stuff
https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/bass-pro-shops-fish-eagle-spinning-rod

You won't find a good quality rod for much less than that. The cheaper ones are typically buggy whips that are only good for ultralight pan fishing

St Croix makes good travel rods.

https://stcroixrods.com/collections/freshwater/products/triumph-travel-casting-rod-2020

I went on Amazon and just looked for a 2 piece with an IM6 blank. Found one by Diawa for pretty cheap. It has served me well on many trips.

Lonestar-aught-six said:

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I got a Toadfish three piece for Christmas that I plan to use and a vacation setup.

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Second toadfish... Their stuff is good and not too pricey for fly.

I had a few that ended up that way.

Any chance you have a link?

Lonestar_Ag09 said:

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Any chance you have a link?

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Too many years ago now, I guess.

Here is a spinning rod that is IM6 and seems ok.
Daiwa Laguna Rod https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008J71RM6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_01VY1G81ADW3KY2XBRDE

Should have a casting rod with similar specs that should be ok.

I'll second the TFO traveler series. 3 piece rod, comes with a nice carry tube. I used it on a recent trip to Costa Rica and it was really nice.

Lonestar_Ag09 said:

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WestTexAG said:

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My kid swears by his TFO traveller. Uses it often times on the boat just like any other rod.

https://tforods.com/traveler-rods/

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That would be what's described as over budget. $240 is quite extreme

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You could always get a telescoping rod from walmart or amazon that will do the trick. But if that's all you wanted, why ask for suggestions on an Outdoor board?

So that's where its at...buy Wal-Mart $29.99 crap or spend $240....nothing in between, got it. Stay squirrelly

There is a difference between going on a fishing trip and going on a trip and might squeeze in fishing. I have a $300 rod that I will bring on a fishing trip, but I have my $40 IM6 that I bring on trips where I might squeeze in some fishing. Not like grinding it out fishing, or hiring a guide. Talking about a body of water near the vacation house where you throw out for an hour or so, while drinking beer and waiting on the ladies to figure their **** out. Risking a $300 rod for that seems a bit reckless, so I don't. I get the impression that op is going on a trip and maybe fishing, not a fishing trip.

RealTalk said:

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SquirrellyDan said:

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Lonestar_Ag09 said:

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So that's where its at...buy Wal-Mart $29.99 crap or spend $240....nothing in between, got it. Stay squirrelly

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Honestly I looked for a while and didn't really find anything in between...but I'll keep being Squirrelly and you keep being an a** to people trying to help you out.

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LOL...you got mad when OP got snarky at your snarky comment.

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Just trying to be entertained on a Monday morning.

Correct, thanks for understanding, not looking for a rod to add to the collection on the bass boat, I'm looking for options to take along on trips. My OP even said the initial intended use was on stocked pond/lakes around a resort I have a business meeting at.

I fully understand there are folks who dont view a $200 rod as expensive and there for expendable but im not that guy...but I also would like something more than trash from Wal Mart that will maybe last a single trip, if that was the case id buy something when I get there and just leave it behind.

I have a couple of the 'newer' ugly sticks(a 5' ultralight and a 6' light if I recall correctly), the GX2's, that stay in my trunk with a couple reels and a small tackle kit. Generally only get used when I get the itch for white bass on the way home from work.

They work, they're not fancy, they catch fish, and they haven't broken. If they do break, they're cheap to replace.

TarponChaser said:

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Lonestar_Ag09 said:

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WestTexAG said:

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My kid swears by his TFO traveller. Uses it often times on the boat just like any other rod.

https://tforods.com/traveler-rods/

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That would be what's described as over budget. $240 is quite extreme

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$240 for a quality fishing rod is "quite extreme"????

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I laughed heartily at this too!!!! I don't buy crappy equipment. My limited time outdoors is not worth using some garbage to do so!

These would make excellent high quality rods. Both are 3-piece spin rods built on Rainshadow RX6 blanks. Putting the rod together is not that difficult, but takes a little patience. Lots of videos out there for guidance.

https://www.jannsnetcraft.com/rod-building-kits-rainshadow-spin/275652.aspx

https://www.jannsnetcraft.com/rod-building-kits-rainshadow-spin/275654.aspx

Lonestar_Ag09 said:

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So that's where its at...buy Wal-Mart $29.99 crap or spend $240....nothing in between, got it. Stay squirrelly

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You're asking for something pretty specific and there's not a tremendous amount of products available in that niche. So you typically do get the $29.99 "Pocket Fisherman" Wal-Mart crap or spending a couple hundred bucks.

St. Croix makes a 3-piece travel spinning rod that's $170. G. Loomis makes a travel rod called the Escape that's $685. The TFO Travel rods are $200-$240. Those are reputable rod manufacturers with fairly longstanding reputations behind them, obviously St. Croix and G. Loomis have been around a lot longer than TFO. I see Toadfish has a $200 travel spinning rod but I've got no clue how good it is.

LL Bean has a travel rod too but I don't know who makes their rods since they OEM everything. My first fly rod (which I still fish with) is an LL Bean Guide series. It's a 2pc 5wt that G. Loomis used to make for them 20+ years ago. It's actually a blast to cast and as it's a really slow action it's great to teach new casters because they can feel the thing load.

Anyway, I'm not somebody who thinks you've got to spend huge amounts of cash for quality conventional fishing gear. Which is somewhat ironic since I fly fish 99% of the time and am not shy about spending a ton of money on my fly gear. I just don't see the point in conventional gear although I do believe in paying for quality.

But, the point is that you're talking about something extremely niche in the conventional rod arena. Most manufacturers don't make travel rods anymore since there's little demand except for hard core guys who won't balk at spending a lot of money on their gear. And you're certainly not walking into a big box store to find a quality take-down rod. The conventional gear guys I know who use travel rods all use custom built rods.

I'm not advocating spending $700 on a G. Loomis travel rod but spending $100-$200 is probably the range you're going to be in to get something that's not a complete POS. Stay away from telescoping rods and stick with manufacturers with a somewhat decent reputation but the least expensive I'd consider are the $80 Fenwick travel rods. It probably won't be the quality of the other rods on here I mentioned but it won't be total garbage either.

TarponChaser said:

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Lonestar_Ag09 said:

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So that's where its at...buy Wal-Mart $29.99 crap or spend $240....nothing in between, got it. Stay squirrelly

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You're asking for something pretty specific and there's not a tremendous amount of products available in that niche. So you typically do get the $29.99 "Pocket Fisherman" Wal-Mart crap or spending a couple hundred bucks.

St. Croix makes a 3-piece travel spinning rod that's $170. G. Loomis makes a travel rod called the Escape that's $685. The TFO Travel rods are $200-$240. Those are reputable rod manufacturers with fairly longstanding reputations behind them, obviously St. Croix and G. Loomis have been around a lot longer than TFO. I see Toadfish has a $200 travel spinning rod but I've got no clue how good it is.

LL Bean has a travel rod too but I don't know who makes their rods since they OEM everything. My first fly rod (which I still fish with) is an LL Bean Guide series. It's a 2pc 5wt that G. Loomis used to make for them 20+ years ago. It's actually a blast to cast and as it's a really slow action it's great to teach new casters because they can feel the thing load.

Anyway, I'm not somebody who thinks you've got to spend huge amounts of cash for quality conventional fishing gear. Which is somewhat ironic since I fly fish 99% of the time and am not shy about spending a ton of money on my fly gear. I just don't see the point in conventional gear although I do believe in paying for quality.

But, the point is that you're talking about something extremely niche in the conventional rod arena. Most manufacturers don't make travel rods anymore since there's little demand except for hard core guys who won't balk at spending a lot of money on their gear. And you're certainly not walking into a big box store to find a quality take-down rod. The conventional gear guys I know who use travel rods all use custom built rods.

I'm not advocating spending $700 on a G. Loomis travel rod but spending $100-$200 is probably the range you're going to be in to get something that's not a complete POS. Stay away from telescoping rods and stick with manufacturers with a somewhat decent reputation but the least expensive I'd consider are the $80 Fenwick travel rods. It probably won't be the quality of the other rods on here I mentioned but it won't be total garbage either.

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Thank you Tarpon, your response is exactly why I come to TexAgs for advice. There is always someone who has a good grasp on basically any and all niche areas. I'm always going to have better success with less loss of money than trying to figure out the online world of shopping for anything niche.

I guess my biggest point is what's the point of busting someone's balls (not you) for stating something is over their price range. I can totally understand that if the starting point is $200+ so be it, I wont be buying that, but so be it.

Your recommendation of the Fenwick rods is basically exactly what I was asking for. Same with a few other folks who were helpful with some ideas... Thanks!

Just to be clear- I don't have and have never used the Fenwick travel rods. I just know that despite them not being a premier rod maker any more they still make decent stuff. They were the first rod manufacturer to build graphite rods in the early-70's and through the 80's they were one of the biggest names in the market but for whatever reason they dropped off.

My only problem with your expectation is telling us you don't want something over-budget, but yet never mentioning what your budget is. If you had a price range in mind initially, why not say it? People will still recommend what they think is best on Texags. We don't like people leaving the OB with poor information.

Thanks for the snobby fly fisherman dig at us conventional guys that like to use nice gear. Same to you buddy!

St. Croix has good travel rods

Aggieangler93 said:

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Thanks for the snobby fly fisherman dig at us conventional guys that like to use nice gear. Same to you buddy!

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I can't help it if you refuse enlightenment.

You might give this a gander too.

https://www.tackledirect.com/daiwa-ardito-multi-piece-travel-rods.html

Aggieangler93 said:

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My only problem with your expectation is telling us you don't want something over-budget, but yet never mentioning what your budget is. If you had a price range in mind initially, why not say it? People will still recommend what they think is best on Texags. We don't like people leaving the OB with poor information.

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I didn't go into it with a set price range because I didn't have a clue what the costs were...I knew I just didn't want to waste money on something that would end up being junk and didn't want to just go buy a $30 throw away....so when one of the first recommendations stated was $240 option and one of the first responses was what was my budget all I said was...that was over it. I don't know what else to say there.

And thats where tarpon hit the nail on the head in his description

TarponChaser said:

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Aggieangler93 said:

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Thanks for the snobby fly fisherman dig at us conventional guys that like to use nice gear. Same to you buddy!

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I can't help it if you refuse enlightenment.

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I could use some lightening....for sure.