Best Carp rod under ?100

Hello guys i dont post often on here but appreciate the feed back and flicking through the articles you put up.

I have looked through some reviews and but cannot decide on some potential new rods i may or may not bother buying.

I fish small waters mainly and for the past few seasons just fishing a small sussex river,so im not really after a mega chucker or anything.I havesome Diawa Powermesh-x's 2 1/4lb test curve and they have been brilliant for over 10 years.

I like them because i can give them as much stick as i like and they are relatively thin and bend right through towards the reel seat.the carbon wrap gives me confidence in this.

Problem is pulling line out from the reel they are no long as smooth as i like and i get a knocking as line peels off.i thought it was my reels but the drags on them are smooth as anything.A far more experienced fisherman than me looked at my set up andsaid it was because the rings on the rod were poorly spread out.

Well these rods never use to give me a problem and were £120 kwid when i bought them but hey-ho,i cannot afford to continue with them behaving like this as i fish under the rod tips alot and need fish to be able to rip off line smoothly.

So what are the best alternatives for under a 100 pounds in todays market?I see you can get the Greys Prodigy's on offer for £79.99 reduced from £125,but i had a feel of a 3lb tc version in the shop and i didnt like it,admittedly too heavy for me but it didnt scream quality.The cheaper chub outcast and a fox (warrior?)around the 2 3/4lb test curve felt much much better and looked and felt quality,strange?!

I have seen Diawa Powersmesh-z on offer for about £90 but dont know what they are like or if they have the carbon wrap which i so like. Also a Diawa rod called the 'longbow' for about £90 reduced from more which i have no idea about.Read up one of the reviews on here about a Berkley rod that RRP's at £80 which sounded good,but if i can get something reduced to that price from higher that matches what i need(not paying for distance work)then surely i will get more for my money?

Saying that I dont want to pay unecessary money for a rod if the only benefits are found through its long distance casting ability because for me,its not something i will be doing much!ijust need a thin blank with a real through action and preferably some kind of carbon/kevlar wrap.

Another series im neglecting is the Shimano Hyperloops,and alsothe 'tribal' range.they cost from anywhere as low as 50 kwid up to over 100 pounds but know nothing about them.

I know alot of you would say maybe just go into shops and see what you think but down on the south coast everywhere is relatively poorly stocked so i cannot really compare which is a pain.

Of the rods mentioned has anyone got any comparisons with what im after that they could reccomend?

Many thanks and tight lines.

Rory

Warriors ain't bad.

They're £50. He wants to spend nearer a £100 . . .

Sorry Crafty Carper, no intelligant input from me.

Hi Crafty. The Warrior is a good rod for the price.

Have a good look at TF Gear Intruder Slims. £89.99 but you may find cheaper. I think they have everything you are looking for (plus a Lifetime guarantee).

This is what it says on the tin...

Fantastic playing actions the Intruder Slim’s our the perfect all round carp rods. With a combination of power and sensitivity these rods can handle everything from margin fishing to extreme range pva bag fishing. <ul>[*]Beautiful progressive action [*]Super slick guides [*]Latest custom built styling [*]Latest sure-lock reel seat [*]Professionalhigh class finish [*]Lifetime guarantee [/list]

Just found them here for £78...

http://www.thetacklebarn.co.uk/tf-gear-intruder-slim-carp-rod_415_150.htm

Rubbish! get a pair of chub outkasts or warrior elites if you want to spend a bit more!/forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gif

Fox Warriors FTW.

Excellent rods which could perfectly properly have been sold for half as much again with no complaints - indeed, I suspect that more than a few people have passed them by because they were perceived to be too cheap !

Not the Shimano Hyperloops.... I have one which I was given as a present and can therefore do a side by side hand to hand comparison with the Warriors, and I have to say the Hyperloops are unpleasantly tip heavy and unwieldy by comparison and a lot less enjoyable and intuitive when playing a fish on.

go on e bay get more for your money

Cheers lads thanks for your time and generous input.Shine on you crazy diamond,i have to admitt as much as my 40 kwid bedchair from Hayesy is a bargin,im not sure how much i would go with thier rods.

I have to admitt i was disapointed in the greys for what was meant to be £130 of rod it didnt look or feel like it.

Question is,are my powermesh's dated and can you now get more for your money for less?I mean the fox aquos that i had a feel of felt very good(but have heard they have stopped making them?are the elites better than these?),as did the outcasts which seem to have faultless reviews.

Unfortunately the Elites seem to only go as light as 2 3/4lb test curve which is a jump up from 2 1/4lb so not sure.

Moody,both your suggestions form what ive seen are of similar price?

Quorky,ive had a quick look on ebay and have seen some Century Ak47 with twin tips,the pair are at 80 kwid with 3 days to go.what you think?(if thats a stupid question please dont sneak off and buy them hehehe).

I think i would prefer new as if you shop around you seem to always be able to get cash off.Im looking at new baitrunners too so surely i can wingle a good deal.

Anyone got first hand experiencewith these Berkley bad boys,B4s or whatever they are called?(whichever ones are around my price bracket)

Im tempted by the Wychwood rods too,are they renound for making decent rods?(not that reputation matters, as my opinion of the greys is thattheyarnt all that,although as mentioned ive never bent into a 3lb tc before so ill stay open minded not to offend!)

Again,the help is much appreciated,i hope i can get to a decent shop to try some of these out!

I never got to look at one of these when I was shopping for new rods crafty but people kept on recommending this one (WYCHWOOD RAPIER ROD)...

http://www.climaxtackle.com/wychwood/rapier_rod.htm

Cheers Shine On You Crazy Diamond.Seen them ones about and caught my eye.A few people on CarpForumUk reckon they are much better than the Greys Prodigys (followed by ashhhhhh!).

There is also a Prodigy plus but dont think these are in my price range.

I have seen 2 rods which i think could be the ones.

The first I have seen is meant to be 'the big brother to the Chub Outcast',the Chub Vantage.It looks like it has a beautifull carbon-wrap finish and an even slimmer blank.if they are of a higher standard to the outcasts,surely i cant go wrong?These are available for about £85 or less if i search around.

The second is the Harrison Jazz for about £90.its not a custom built rod like all the other models they do,but a Harrison is a Harrison and i have to admitt it seems very tempting.

Anybody had first hand experience with either of these two suggestions?

Many thanks once again!

whchwood own leeda and the leda giant was the best sub 100 quid rod bar none.

not sure what they are doing nowdays though.

Greys are superb rods, ignore them at your peril /forum/smilies/wink_smiley.gif

Hava look on Daiwa Whiskers. I used to use a 3 of them but 2,5 lb. If 3lb are performing that good I won't hesitate.Search Ebay, check local shops, maybe they have something left in the warehouse. Outcasts are worth looking. Even some Harrisons are finding new owners for less then that.

Ya mentioned Powermesh, bit heavy for me and chunky. I prefer more crisp action so I went on with Whiskers though.