Casting Reels

[jooleyen]

I'm getting a new setup with my saved money after christmas and my b-day, and I'm gonna get a nice setup.

What are the top three casting reel companys in your opinion? Even though I've only owned one casting reel, I like Pflueger so far.

What rod should I get?

I was thinking a longer thicker rod. What could I use a longer rod for? Flipping and weedless topwater?

Any suggestions?

Thanks-

Julien

[WTL]

Diawa, Shimano and Abu Garcia IMO, but that excludes some fine reels.

[skeeter944]

i realy like the feel of the pflueger trion,thats a good reel. also,quantum has some really nice reels,i like the accurist pt,and of course daiwa has the new viento,which is just an outd=standing reel. i would go with what you like though,remember,we arent the ones fishing with your new setup,you are,so get what you want.

[ToPwAt'R GuY]

I like quantums,pfluegers,and diawas. Abu garcia makes some pretty good reels too if your short on budget. A rod that will work in most fishing techniques is a 6'6" mh . I would recomend fenwicks or all star rods.

[jooleyen]

I'm realllllly confused. There is sooo much to pick from. I think I want a Pflueger Daiwa. All I hear is good from them. Please someone suggest some specific models. I can't tell which one I should pick just by feeling it.

Any help is appreciated.

Julien.

[skeeter944]

how much would you like to spend? if it is in the $100 range,then the pflueger trion and daiwa advantage would be your best bets.

[texasbasser]

i have this quantum tg400cx tournament grade reel i got for 70 bucks with a rod at walmart.cant find pics of the rod though. I have had no problems with this reel yet. its awesome!


also, good reels i like are shimano, quantum, and diawa.

[BassMoJo]

Quantum son. Accurist PT is what i got 119.95

[jooleyen]

I think I'll spend anywhere under $200.00

[skeeter944]

then get a team daiwa viento if you are going to use the reel for soft plastics. match it up to a flipping stick of your choice,and you have an excellent combo for flipping!

[jooleyen]

I meant $200.00 for the whole setup all together. Can I also use it for topwater (frogs)? What makes the reel so good for soft plastics? Do you mean worms or any soft plastics?

[skeeter944]

oh,then get this
http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catal...rTarget=browse
or this
http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catal...rTarget=browse
they are both excellent combos,i would go with a 7' mh or a 7'6''h,but the 7'mh would be better for bank fishing.

[jooleyen]

Sweet. Which one would you pick? What kind of setup would you get for jig fishing?

Let's say I get one of these. What baits should I use for my 6'6" and what should I use for my new 7' or 7.5?

[skeeter944]

well,i would get the 7'mh pflueger president and put 20lb fluorocarbon line on it,as for which lures to use,the 7' mh would be my worm/jig rod and the 6'6'' would be my spinnerbait/crankbait/topwater rod.

[jooleyen]

Cool. That's what I wanted to hear. But don't you need heavy braid and a thick heavy rod for thick cover with topwater mice and frogs?

Julien

[Rebbasser]

Jools-I started using Team Daiwa 153 HST reels earlier this year-a little expensive at $139 but they are the best I have used. My next favorite reel is the Bass Pro Shops Extreme reel-on sale right now for $49.

Rods: First, figure out what you will use it for the most. If you will use it mostly for treble hooked baits get a medium action. For single hooks-soft plastics, jigs, spinnerbaits-go with medium heavy.

IMO a 6-6 MH rod is the best all around bass rod.

In another thread you mentioned going to Bass Pro. When you do, go to the reel bar and pick up and crank several. Find which one feels right to you. Then do the same with the rod, and if possible put the reel on the rod and see how it feels. Bass Pro Shops brand rods are good quality, but I don't use them because I do not like the hump handle they have.

My point is this: Getting recommendations on rods and reels is an excellent idea and makes for a great starting point, but it all comes down to what works for YOU, not what works for someone else.

You ask what makes a reel good for soft plastics? When fishing soft plastics the reel really doesn't matter. The reason is that most soft plastics are fished with the rod, not the reel-twitching of weightless soft plastics, lift and drop with a Texas rig, or dragging a Carolina rig-all are fished with the rod.

Baits like crankbaits and spinnerbaits are fished 50/50 rod and reel.

Rod length-if you are thinking about a 7 footer get a heavy action. You can use it for flipping/pitching, makes a good Carolina rig rod, and has the backbone to fish a frog/rat in the grass. If you are going to use it for these applications I highly recommend using braid.

I'm a big fan of Falcon Low Rider rods-qood quality and won't break the bank.

[WTL]

Rebs, right. There are a lot of different personel preferences with reels that you figure out later on. I prefer round reels, machined aluminum and they don't have to be fast but I want them to have good drags. That informs my decisions when picking a reel. For that reason I'm big on Garcia.

The extreme reels are a great value, but pretty much all the reels mentioned here a good.

[adamgambill]

I showed a nice chaep setup in the class. section. Its a Pinnacle Platinum Plus on a Lexus rod, total spent $66. Its a good all around setup, dont use it in too much wind and it needs a little weight, but for a starter cant be beat. My personal fav is the green curado(its still avalible second hand such as e-bay) on a quarrow(dont use anymore). I think the rod was about 50 and the reel was a trade out for a Castaic. I will be buying another castaic to put on a loomis. I really like that setup. But like as mentioned before, go feel them out and find what you like. I personally have never liked the quantum reels mainly because my hands are big and I need a little wider spool than most therefore Shimanos in a 200 size have always done it for me. Its your stuff, get what you want. The trick is to go to BPS, Gander, Cabelas whatever, find a reel you like around 150 and go look at the bargains on rods, it always worked for me and you would be supprised at what you will find in the bargain bin. Remember when daiwa interline rods were all the rage, I got one (and hated it) for 35 bucks in the bin right when they came out. Just look around.

[jooleyen]

Where would you go? Cabelas, Bass Pro, Gander?

Do they keep those combos or are they only there for a little bit? Do you have to order combos online or can you buy them there?

I think I picked my reel but what about my rod? I'm gonna get a 7 or 7.5 Heavy. What do you think? Recommendations?

Thanks-
Julien

[JB]

I'd start out with a 6-6 medium heavy and at all three stores they have hundreds of rods on display and the reels are usually under glass, just ask the clerk to check them out...they have combo deals setting around too, but you may find them cheaper, on the other hand you can piece the exact reel to the rod when you put them together yourself..

[jooleyen]

Yeah, but what are some rods that you've had good experiences with?

[skeeter944]

bass pro shops extreme rods are good,so are the bionic blades.

[Rebbasser]

Jools-a "good" rod is relative. Just keep in mind you get what you pay for. Price can tell you a lot, because for the most part the higher the price the better the rod. If you go with a rod that is $50 or more you should be in good shape.

[skeeter944]

yeah,what reb said. also,get the best you can afford.

[jooleyen]

I hate rods when the reel sits only 6" from the butt of the rod and it looks like the bionic blade does just that. But maybe it's just the picture.

I was thinking of getting some soft plastics from ebay scince some of them are cheaper. Do you ever purchase from ebay?

Can you feel the difference in the rod? Even as a beginner moving from a 20 dollar rod to 50?