I have a 28″ Jason Mitchell Meatstick that I feel is a fantastic rod. However, if you fish outside the guides near the tip freeze shut because they are so small. Once they freeze shut the rod tips get broken easily because the line gets caught in the iced up tip when reeled in if not careful. So…. I ended up stripping the guides off the rod and replaced them with larger recoil guides. Yeah, I know, I spent more money on the guides than what I paid for the rod. However, it’s still about $40-$50 less than a custom noodle/quick tip rod and I can’t believe what a difference it made in the action. If you can find a used Meatstick or one on the cheap, I would not be afraid to “upgrade” the rod like I did. I often prefer using the JM rod more than any of my light customs.