The blank is the most important part, of course...but there is a lot more in a fishing rod than just the blank and while the nicer/nicest components might not cost enough to justify a threefold price increase, they do make a rod much nicer to fish with.

I get my centerpin blanks from a guy in Oregon who makes them himself...for about $40 a pop. I'd probably buy a factory centerpin rod if someone would actually listen and stop making Great Lakes noodle rods for PNW steelhead fishermen, but instead I have to buy spey blanks and spin them up in centerpin configurations. Even with all the components they don't cost all that much for me to have them done.

Fish on...

Todd