Auric Rod

You cannot buy the Auric Rod: it is found in Sunken Chests, which can be opened anywhere, so luck with chests decides when you get one. Its passive is the reason to want it. Fish caught with it have a random sell value between 2x and 6x.

The stats are solid but not special. Luck is 45, Lure Speed 45, Control 0.05, Resilience 20 and a maximum weight of 25,000 kg. Luck ranks 164th of 184 obtainable rods, so it will not help you find rarer species. Lure Speed is 139th of 184, Resilience 77th and the 25,000 kg limit is 51st of 117, which is a respectable ceiling for heavy fish.

That makes it a selling rod. The value multiplier averages out to something well above normal sale prices, and the weight limit lets you keep big catches instead of losing them. Pair it with a high-Luck rod for finding fish and switch to the Auric Rod when your goal is turning a full inventory into C$.

If you get one from a chest, keep it. It is not a progression rod, but few free finds are as useful for cashing out.