Has anyone had any experience with the Gander Mountain Brand rods? I was snooping the other day and saw a IM8 rod that felt real light and nice. Didn’t buy it, but am curious as to how good they are. The IM8s are suppose to be ALOT more sensitive than the IM6s and IM7s so I thought maybe it would be a decent rod. Alot less than the St. Croix Avids but are they any good? Thanks
I’ve got two of the Gander Mt. IM8 rods are really like them. They are lightweight, sensitive, and are a pleasure to use.
What is the sticker price on these rods…..?????
Most of the blanks{graphite} are made in asia and are sold to berkley ,croix etc. So forget the name and go for the feel and then maybe the price. You probably pay more for the name than you do for material .
I think some of that steeper Croix/ Loomis type cost is lifetime warranty too. I was just at Gander and I think I saw the IM8’s retailing around $70-$80, but we should just ask waterfowler……………..he works there. :O) Check out those Rapala Long Cast rods too…………….really nice for $50.00!
The IM8 rod that I looked at was priced at $60.00 and they do have some other rods at $80.00 and also some less expensive rods at $30.00. That was at Gander Mt. in Rochester. It would be interesting to see what waterfowler says since he works at a Gander Mt. store. Waterfowler- are you out there? We would like your advice. Thanks
last week I bought a 6′ IM8 rod at gander mountain for a friend who is blind, we have not been out yet with it, but it does feel light and sensitive, the store in burnsville MN had it at $59 and on sale for $49, am not sure how long the sale is on. I may get one for myself as I’ve busted the end off one of my jigging rods, never sure how that happens, Jack.
Hey, I’m back in the country again. Went back to SD for some late season roosters and archery deer. OK, now that the cat’s out of the bag. I do work their, but these are strictly my opinions. Without knowing anything else, the IM8 by gander is a great rod. It’s very light and seems sensitive in the store. I don’t personally own any. I’m a St. Croix fan. In my opinion, you should buy the rod that best fits your budget/needs. I don’t think a person who goes fishing 1-5 times a year should be buying avids. Especially when a $30.00 berkley will do the job. Again, just my opinion though!!
I work at GM, actually w/ Waterfowler, and own one of the IM8 rods in 7′ med. action. They are pretty good rods for the money, and much better than the GM IM6 or IM7’s. I have a 7′ St. Croix Premier ML action and can’t really tell much difference between the two in terms of sensitivity, though the St. Croix does have a slightly faster action. The GM IM8 does not and will not compare to a St. Croix Avid. That’s like comparing a Corrolla to a Corrvette. At any rate, it doesn’t seem to bother the walleyes and saugers any when I stubble across a few. They are a good value, especially when they are on sale at $10 off for $50.
You might want to look and see if the GM near you has any Gary Roach IM7 lightning rods left. We’ve had them on clearance for $39.97 for some time now, so selection is thin. Have the price scanned on them even if they’re not marked as clearance, they may not have been marked.
You can find some good deals on open water rods now if you scrounge a little, though you might not have many rods to scrounge through. Hope this helps. Bret
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