Buy Lifetime over the counter rods, and if you travel fishing FLW, BFL or whever, make sure its a brand you can find about anywhere! Twice!! I have broken a rod out of town, once on Potomic River, and once on Lake Erie, both times I walked into the nearest tackle shop, and walked out with a new rod. I'm partial to the Crucials, I've broken one Crucial, and it was a factory defect, you wont break one trying to get a jig loose from a rock, and you wont break one casting a heavy crank.