It's a valid question - I would have been asking the same. I expect its not a lot different from buying a custom made suit. Not everyone wants one and off the rack is good for most. For some its purely subjective - I know what I want in a rod and I want someone to make it exactly the way I want it to be.
We can all buy rods from our local shops and box stores and nothing wrong with that. I'd be doing that today if I hadnt of met Rolly.
For me it came about the opposite way - I met Rolly, began to understand what he could offer, saw a couple of his rods, (one which was donated as a prize in our Hardwater Challenge), liked what I saw, and then I talked to him about my ideal summer rod. And while there are many rods out there and most will work great for me - its so much different especially when the fish is on, to have a rod exactly as you wanted it. Now that I got some use of my summer rod, I was able to feel if the spinnerbait wasnt sitting right as we trolled, or if there were weeds on it. It will sound dumb but I enjoyed catching the fish in a different way this last trip. I wouldnt want another rod at all now.
I cant wait to do the same on the ice this winter. Some guys are making some great points about their ice rod needs, but I dont want one as long as them. I want it a couple inches shorter so it packs properly in my bag. So that will be one of the things I look for when I go to Rolly for an ice rod.
regards, Mike.
