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Old 06-24-12, 04:45 AM   #1
Hoosier
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Question New Combo

A little fun for everyone( I guess ). I took my brother in law out today on my boat to fish. Hes a city boy and it was the first time he ever hit the water to seriously fish. We spent the day bass fishing and by the end of the day he said i dont see how you do this for 12 hours at a time my arm is killing me. He was using a spincast all day. I told him thats why i use bait casters. After about ten minutes of teaching him on my Revo he picked it up really quick. My question to you is should he start with a cheapo combo or take that 100-150 that youd pay for a descent one and try to build his own rig. Do you think you could build a great combo for that price. If so what would you suggest for an all purpose all around first timer to buy.
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Old 06-24-12, 08:01 AM   #2
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$150 (IMO) will not buy a "great" combo - but it will get you a "pretty good" one, certainly "decent". OK, I used the quotes as everyone's idea of each will vary. To me great means near top-of-the-line and would require spending around $200 for the real and the same for a rod. $400 is not something I'd suggest a new angler to spend, before the bait money has really sunk his teeth in his neck.

With $150 to spend you could check the secondary market - many lightly used rods & reels can be found at about 50% of retail. When found, that can get you better quality but also comes with a risk of the seller's description not being accurate. I would recommend if you search for used, check forums like this one and others - those offers are usally trustworthy (at least I've found them to be). I would be very carefull searching for used equipment on advertising forums like Craigs List.

If you choose the "new" route, then look at the big outdoor stores for their store brand combos - especially if you catch a sale. Those combos are decent (in the $150 range) and offer a savings over buying the same rod & reels individually. One I've used and found to be pretty good is the BPS Extreme combo. That combo will save about $40 over the individual every day price and more when it is on sale. The other stores have their own brands, but I have no personal experience with those and the BPS reels have a decent reputation.

Depending upon what lures/bait your BIL perfers to fish, would determine which rod I'd recommend. The reel would be the same, one with a 6.3:1 ratio, which is a good all around gear. If he like reaction baits - I'd suggest a 6'6" Med; if plastics then a 6'6" MH. That's a good all around length, providing good casting control (accuracy) and reasonable distance. That's not to suggest you cannot use either for both style baits, but I'd suggest the rod based upon his primary preference and could be used for the secondary lure/bait choices until he decides to purchase another.
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Old 06-24-12, 08:04 AM   #3
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He should get the very best combo his budget will allow. It's easer to learn on decent gear and it will still be serviceable when he gets a season or 2 under his belt. On a $150 budget, I would get a 7'2" Powell Diesel rod and a Daiwa Exceler reel. That actually goes $10 over budget but that $10 gets you an aluminum framed reel, which should last a lot longer than one with a graphite frame. The rod is a high quality graphite rod from a respected rod company and the reel is packed full of features and built on a solid platform with good components. I have one that's been going strong for about 8 years.

My philosophy is to get gear that will last a number of years and that won't be disposable when he becomes a more seasoned bass fisherman. You will probably get a wide range of answers to this question but that's what I would do.

The good thing about buying from TW is you won't pay tax if you don't live in CA and shipping is free on any order over $50.

boogieman's suggestions of looking for used gear or going with store brands is a good one as well. This would be best done by you or someone else who has more knowledge about what to look for.
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Old 06-24-12, 09:58 AM   #4
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Or the same rod and get a PQ on sale.
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Old 06-24-12, 10:53 AM   #5
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Untill he decides he wants to become a dedicated bass fisherman, or any other kind of fisherman, I would recommend buying a good but not very expensive combo. Don't buy cheap, as that leads to frustration for new casters and takes away from the fishing experience. I always recommend the same combo for new casters. It's a good outfit without a lot of investment. I recommend a BPS Pro Qualifier 6.4:1 matched with a Garcia Vendetta rod. Either a 6'6" M/F or 6'6" MH/XF.
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Old 06-25-12, 12:05 AM   #6
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As usual you guys always come through for me as i do not have a bps near me. I now have an excuse to go to Nashville or St Louis. Thanks as always guys.
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Old 06-25-12, 05:58 AM   #7
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How about the Clarksville one? Over by Cincinnati.
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Old 06-25-12, 12:09 PM   #8
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I agree with what most everyone has said. Don't waste money on cheap gear and get the best available that is withing his budget. Buying used is a good option and one that has saved me a ton of money.

For entry level reels, I don't have too much experience. I do however use a BPS PQ reel in my own arsenal of $200+ reels (that's retail and nowhere near what I paid). I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good reel without spending a fortune. The rods isn't nearly as important for someone when learning the casting reel, but again you don't want something that isn't up to the task once he gets better and more into fishing.

For rods on the remainder of his budget, I'd look at Powell, Abu Garcia, shimano, or even some on the BPS rods like the carbonlight.

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Old 06-26-12, 09:18 AM   #9
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My suggestion(after messing with the cheapo combos for way too long)...eBay.
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Old 06-26-12, 10:28 PM   #10
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I think a decent combo would serve him getter over the long run rather than a cheap one to learn on.

I'd take a Lews speed spool (100 bucks), and put it on a similarly priced rod. I definitely won't disagree with joe on the Powell Diesel rod. Others to look at would be the vendetta, and I think the Daiwa Arid feels extremely nice for it's price, wouldn't know how it fishes though, same deal with the $75 Daiwa T.
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