I think Avids have micro guides and the Premier have traditional. I have a couple Premiers. They are nice.

 

If you don't mind my asking, where are Fenwick Eagles on sale for half off?

I've been eyeing a few for a while, as well as their nice Walleye series of rods....for bass and walleye fishing.

Not that you asked, but think about using a Daiwa BG Spinning reel with your new rod.

 

best rod is spining 6'6" action,medium,medium,lighest and lowest price.
you can use for any fishing.

 

All of my spinning rods are two pieces. They're either 6.5 feet or 7.0 feet and ML or M Action.
On the lower end of the price scale, Ugly Stik Lite and Berkley Lightning Rods have served me well. For a little more $$$, Cabelas' Fish Eagle rods have been nice....but that's pre Bass Pro.
Money should be spent on a nice reel first...then the rod, IMHO.

 

All my Avids have conventional guides. Personally, I really like that particular series of rod. Compared to the Premiers (less $$) & the Legend Tournament (more $$'s) they are an excellent choice. I have fished extensively with rods in the 3 different series just mentioned. The Eyecon series by St. Croix sure feels great & is less than a comparable Avid. I haven't fished with an Eyecon so that is simply an 'in store' assessment. Mike

 

It's the Avid-x that has the micro guides.

 

eyecon handles are uuugggllleee!
i like the 7' ultralight in the avid. the other rods just a light. i was really wondering about the blanks, are they the same material with different hardware?

fenwick eagles on the website are on sale. though it seems to be closed till may 1st. actually, theyre on sale everywhere. i may get a couple of those for specialty fishing, sturgeon, large deepwater bottom dwelling musky...

 

eyecon handles are uuugggllleee!
i like the 7' ultralight in the avid. the other rods just a light. i was really wondering about the blanks, are they the same material with different hardware?

fenwick eagles on the website are on sale. though it seems to be closed till may 1st. actually, theyre on sale everywhere. i may get a couple of those for specialty fishing, sturgeon, large deepwater bottom dwelling musky...

my first choice is
6'6" medium,medium,
second choice is
6'6" medium, ligh,
with these rods i can cover all fishing,
i use main line 20# or 30# power pro to swivel and from 18" to 36" mono leader,
i can catch 3" perch in 30' up to 15 lb eye or steelie and 40 lb muskie.
i can jig,cast or troll with that.
i have no use for UL rod,
if you need rod for every purpose ,you need to carie 20 rods,i can do this with 2 rods.
try to flip 6 lb fish on high rock,like 5' or 10' of the water.the UL will brake.

if i need one more special rod for longer reach ,i woud go with
10'6" noodle rod,
i buy only reel what come with 2 spooles,and ever rod has same reel i can exchange with each rod.

 

Depends on what you're wanting to use it for and the conditions it will be used in/dragged around in/etc.

The fenwick eagles are on the heavy side and aren't as sensitive as other ul rods. But they are well built & can take a lot of punishment.

The avid is nothing short of being driven around in a limo. Quality long casts with lite lures coupled with extreme sensitivity. St. Croix also has a panfish series of ul rods. The tips are faster than the avids and they beefed up the backbone making it a lot sturdier than most ul's out there. It's common to see people who buy the st. Croix ul's to pair them with shimano stadic's and nani-foil line.

FWIW:
I wanted to setup an ul rod this year targets panfish. After handling, reading, looking, asking about rods I ended up with a 7' ul uglystick. Not the best choice by any means, was a tossup between it and the fenwick eagle. I went with the uglystick simply because they are extremely hard to break & the ul's have an extremely strong backbone in them. Wanted the setup to fish ponds, lakes, rivers, break walls, with kayak's, waders, ride around in the back of a truck or jeep, used in wooded area's, etc. Pretty much get abused and keep on ticking. I'm running 1/64th oz to 1/8 oz jigs using 4# test and a diawa regal lt 2000. So far with that setup I've caught 200+ fish since april 3/4? including perch, bluegill, catfish, crappie, large mouth bass. The largest was the 19" catfish and the smallest was a 5" perch.

My advice:
If you are able to keep that ul rod out of harms way get a avid. If not get 1 that's good enough/strong enough to keep you in the game and pair it with good line & reel.

 

I have owned both premiers and avids. The premiers are nice rods. The avids are WAY better. Much lighter, more sensitive, better action by far. However, if all you're going to do is bait up, cast out and relax as your bait sits on bottom or under a bobber, those things really don't matter. If you are baiting up and casting in a current using a drift, those attributes DO matter. So, depending on how you intend to fish, it may or may not be worth the extra money for a better rod.

 

Someone told me yesterday that the avids used the same blanks as their high end rods. Think I'll get one of those in a 7' medium light. Which is 4-10 lb test.

Still think lll pick up a couple of eagles for the bigger fish. Just west of me about 4 miles is the st Croix, which has areas that go to 60 ft deep. Another river about an hour away has holes in it that reach a 100 ft deep. There's probably some big fish lurking in there.

 

You should enjoy the avid! There good rods.
I have owned avids,eyecons,premiers,fenwick hmg's,triumphs,uglysticks,lightening rods....
I personly always go back the st.croix premier. It is my favorite. Over all of them.

 

Anyone ever handled a Piscifun rod or reel? They advertise as a higher quality product, with less price than St. Croix. Been considering getting a higher end rod and reel myself, but with my fishing style, time, spoiled kids, and the reality that kids around my fishing stuff doesn’t always go well, I just don’t want to throw down St. Croix money yet. A Piscifun combo is running $149 for a 6’6” medium rod with extra fast tip, and a medium sized spinning reel. Currently my favorite rod is a Lew’s combo, but just doesn’t have all of the perks I would looks for in higher quality.

 

Thanks for clarifying the guide issue, I failed to include that in my reply. I only have one rod with the small guides & I think it's an older Mojo Bass casting model (7'1" M) a friend wanted to sell. I've looked at the Duckett line & thought about buying a 7'11" (?) cranking rod with the micro guides. I haven't had the opportunity to handle one of them yet always but I've always been impressed with how light the rods in the Duckett line are. Conventional guides are are on 95% of my rods. Mike

 

I've had considerable experience with both, and have several legend series fly rods as well. I'm a St. Croix fan and probably own at least 15 of their rods right now. Except for one old Loomis, they are all I use. I really like the current 7' ML/F Avid spinning rods for all around stream fishing. They can easily handle a 20" smallmouth, or even a steelhead. They load nice with a 1/8 oz jig and handle braid well. Also, great sensitivity and "feel." The quality of the blank is obvious on first use. The handles aren't bad. I think they are a real bargain. The longer ones can be a little tip heavy, but, if you use a larger spinning reel, they may balance well for you. The last couple generations of the Premier have sucked in my opinion. The blanks are a little soft and a little slow, but generally good. The handles are the issue: absolute junk. I understand they are inexpensive rods, but $15.00 rods at Walmart have better handles. It is ridiculous, but they won't even hold the reel tightly, and they are extremely uncomfortable to fish with. The grips are also way to small. For the small difference in price, get the Avid. There is no comparison. Also watch out for the "X" series. Brittle and prone to breaking with a fish on the line.