# Moonshine Rod Co.



## kwarner

Anyone used or heard anything good or bad about them?  Thinking about getting one of their #8 for redfish.


----------



## Killer Kyle

I've heard a lot of good about them. But most of what I have seen and heard of them is from people who got special deals on them to give reviews of the rod at a special discount. They are just another rod manufacturer. They all buy graphite rods from China on the Alibabba website and have their company name printed on the blank. It is a cheap graphite rod made in China, bought in bulk, made with mediocre materials and sold to you at a mark up. They make their money with pretty pics on social media and and ads like all small local companies do. They're just a cheap IM6 or IM8 graphite rod dealer. You're probably better off getting a TFO rod at a similar price with an outstanding warranty. Moonshine rods are for fadsters and hipsters. Their name just appeals to local markets for their marketing purposes. Moonshine rods are regular cheap old rods. Nothing special. Not worth the extra interest and speculation. They're just robbing your wallet. Get a real tried and true rod unless you just are feeling extra hip. "Moonshine" has become a trendy catchword the last year or two. All of the sudden "moonshine" is showing up in stores, young 18 year old boys have "southern shine" decals on their truck's back window, and teenage girls are walking around in pink "Southern Sippin'" shirts. That tickles me. Probably never had a drop of actual shine in their lives. Probably never even seen a jar.
The Moonshine rod co is just playing into that trend to try and make a quick buck.


----------



## salmotrutta17

^^^. What he said.  You don’t hear much about them unless iYa from them or their “prostaffers”.

All the larger names have “economy” priced rods.  Scott, Sage, TFO, etc.  You’re much better off sticking with a larger brand from a consistency and warranty standpoint.


----------



## kwarner

Right, I know what you mean.  Just curious about them.  Have a reel I'm wanting a new rod for after I broke the rod it was on.  Thanks for the information.


----------



## The mtn man

I hate the word moonshine, I won't buy anything that says moonshine on it. The true country boys that distill likker hate the word moonshine too, they would never sale a quart of there stuff to anyone that said moonshine. Calling a rod company moonshine is just dumb unless the rod was intended  to be used at night.


----------



## NCHillbilly

The mtn man said:


> I hate the word moonshine, I won't buy anything that says moonshine on it. The true country boys that distill likker hate the word moonshine too, they would never sale a quart of there stuff to anyone that said moonshine. Calling a rod company moonshine is just dumb unless the rod was intended  to be used at night.


I agree. I grew up in a family with a history of distillation, and was surrounded by many others who made it; and I never heard the term "moonshine" used to describe it. White likker, corn likker, or blockade likker were the terms I always heard.


----------



## Broadland

Don't know anything about the rods or moonshine.  I always look at the warranty info when on fly rods.  Moonshine charges a fee ... but they do give you 2 tips which is nice.  I miss the old Orvis warranty where they replaced everything at no charge for 25 years no matter how you broke it.  They no longer offer that deal.

I don't have one -- but I do like those Moonshine shirts!


----------



## The mtn man

NCHillbilly said:


> I agree. I grew up in a family with a history of distillation, and was surrounded by many others who made it; and I never heard the term "moonshine" used to describe it. White likker, corn likker, or blockade likker were the terms I always heard.


The only people that call it moonshine is either city folk, or the law.


----------



## Killer Kyle

kwarner said:


> Right, I know what you mean.  Just curious about them.  Have a reel I'm wanting a new rod for after I broke the rod it was on.  Thanks for the information.


What reel do you have?


----------



## Killer Kyle

NCHillbilly said:


> I agree. I grew up in a family with a history of distillation, and was surrounded by many others who made it; and I never heard the term "moonshine" used to describe it. White likker, corn likker, or blockade likker were the terms I always heard.


That clear stuff in the jar is increasingly difficult to come by in my neck of the woods. Seems like the art and tradition in my woods are going the way of the buffalo.


----------



## kwarner

Killer Kyle said:


> What reel do you have?


Reel is a Hatch 7+.  I only fish saltwater for reds.  It looked like their main target species were trout with the rods they offer so figured I would post here about it.  They offer one series that is a fresh/salt rod.


----------



## salmotrutta17

kwarner said:


> Reel is a Hatch 7+.  I only fish saltwater for reds.  It looked like their main target species were trout with the rods they offer so figured I would post here about it.  They offer one series that is a fresh/salt rod.



Nice reel.  I'd look at the Orvis Helios 3D 8wt before the Moonshine Rods.  I reached out to them a while back inquiring about the blanks they used.  The smart mouth of the guy I talked to told me all I really needed to know.


----------



## GLS

A buddy I went to school with had a dad who couldn't resist home distillery by the barrel full.  He did a little time for his dalliances.  The extent of it was discovered when his old home changed hands several times.  There were foundation issues discovered in a home inspection when it became apparent that he excavated below the house for his operation.  Another buddy was complaining about his teenaged daughter giving him fits.  I had to remind him about the time he was caught while a teen running likker for his uncle who was a "craft distiller."  He smiled and said : "you're right."  Both of these men have had successful good lives, btw.  Gil


----------

