Rods and reels

[Kpinckley14]

I got a buddy who is lookin at getting a good rod and reel. When ya'll are lookin for a good rod and reel, what are the things you look for in both the rod and the reel? He is looking at the spinning reels as well as the baitcasts reels. Any advice for a good all around rod and reel will help.

[MallenManson]

Wish I could help ya, but I'm cheap!

[bamabassman]

OK, you have opened a can of worms pal, good ones at that. i too am pretty cheap on my setups. mainly cause i haven't gotten enough money to get the really good sets yet. i use abu garcia reels, have 5 of em. also have a pinnacle reel, like it alot too. and i use the lightening rod, cherrywood, and abu rod all from wally world. i WANT a revo reel and a fenwick rod. selections all depends on how much money you want to spend. then the rest is what you have confidence in. what feels good to you. have fun and hook em hard and fast. tight lines and bass dreams.

[MallenManson]

Originally Posted by bamabassman

OK, you have opened a can of worms pal, good ones at that. i too am pretty cheap on my setups. mainly cause i haven't gotten enough money to get the really good sets yet. i use abu garcia reels, have 5 of em. also have a pinnacle reel, like it alot too. and i use the lightening rod, cherrywood, and abu rod all from wally world. i WANT a revo reel and a fenwick rod. selections all depends on how much money you want to spend. then the rest is what you have confidence in. what feels good to you. have fun and hook em hard and fast. tight lines and bass dreams.

Same here, on the money. I just started fishing again last year and pretty much started over from scratch. Figured I was better off spending the money on the tackle.
Bought a Shakespeare Agility combo on sale for $40, then this winter I decided to add another setup and found a Cabela's tourney rod/Shakespeare Dimension comb on sale for another $40.
Just about finished with the lures, so I'll be hawking closeouts come fall.
And asking for reel reviews!

[bcklash]

He can't go wrong with the Extreme rods and reels from bps.

[bassackwards]

i just got a cherrywood from wallmart love it for the price i like quanum or pflueger but thats just me bassackwards

[MallenManson]

Originally Posted by bcklash

He can't go wrong with the Extreme rods and reels from bps.

Oh thanks alot! Now I'm openin up the catalog!

[BigBassin144]

First off, when you say a good rod and reel, are we talking a step up from what he has or are we talking $500+ for a combo? Either way:

I first pick what I'm going to do with the rod. Then, I figure out what length, power, action, etc I will need for what I'm going to be doing. Then I determine my price range and start looking. For a general purpose rod, I use something between 6'6" and 7', M-MH power.
I've used some bass pro rods and don't like them. IMO, they are balanced poorly, I don't like their grips, and the ones I have don't have hook keepers. (the last one isn't a problem any more, they added those. But I'll assume you're looking for a rod in the $150 range, cause that's what I consider "a good rod." Some good brands, IMO, are Kistler, shimano, daiwa, falcon.

As for reel, I again look at what I'm gonna be doing with it. My main concern is gear ratio and how much line is retrieved per handle turn. I generally (for a baitcaster) use a 6.3:1 gear ratio (which reels in about 26-28"). I'll go slower to cranks and faster for a few things, but mostly, I stay at 6.3:1. For spinning reels, I don't pay attention to that as much. IMO, "a good reel" is $150-250. Daiwa, Abu, Shimano are some good reels.

BB

[MallenManson]

Originally Posted by BigBassin144

First off, when you say a good rod and reel, are we talking a step up from what he has or are we talking $500+ for a combo? Either way:

I first pick what I'm going to do with the rod. Then, I figure out what length, power, action, etc I will need for what I'm going to be doing. Then I determine my price range and start looking. For a general purpose rod, I use something between 6'6" and 7', M-MH power.
I've used some bass pro rods and don't like them. IMO, they are balanced poorly, I don't like their grips, and the ones I have don't have hook keepers. (the last one isn't a problem any more, they added those. But I'll assume you're looking for a rod in the $150 range, cause that's what I consider "a good rod." Some good brands, IMO, are Kistler, shimano, daiwa, falcon.

As for reel, I again look at what I'm gonna be doing with it. My main concern is gear ratio and how much line is retrieved per handle turn. I generally (for a baitcaster) use a 6.3:1 gear ratio (which reels in about 26-28"). I'll go slower to cranks and faster for a few things, but mostly, I stay at 6.3:1. For spinning reels, I don't pay attention to that as much. IMO, "a good reel" is $150-250. Daiwa, Abu, Shimano are some good reels.

BB

Your pocketses are much deeper than mine

[Jim80]

Got a couple abu's and a pinnacle reels myself can't go wrong with them also got a daiwa reel that is pretty sweet and mostly I use lighting and cherrywood rods like bama


Jim

[MallenManson]

Originally Posted by Jim80

Got a couple abu's and a pinnacle reels myself can't go wrong with them also got a daiwa reel that is pretty sweet and mostly I use lighting and cherrywood rods like bama


Jim

I've looked at some Pinnacles. What model do you use?

[bamabassman]

my pinnacle reel is a finesse reel. paired up with a abu tourney rod with a fast tip, mostly used for cranks and spinners. then i have a garcia silver max, 2 pro max's. all used for different types of lures. i also have 2 OLD garcia's 5:2:1 ratio's. used for worms and deep cranking. go and check em out. and oh yea, IF i had the money...yes i would buy an extreme rod from BPS. great feeling rod.

[Jim80]

For the pinnacle i have the lp100 for a $40 reel it is a solid buy I also have a abu 5500 a daiwa megaforce and a couple of basic abu baitcasters , for a spinning reel i got a shimano slade . Looking to a couple nicer reels by the end of the summer this year but truthfully i catch fish with the ones I got so I can't complain the newer reels would just be to satisfy an urge , got my eye on a revo .


Jim

[MallenManson]

Thanks for the info guys. Much appreciated

[MrPhotographer06]

i started back last year and pieced enough stuff to get me by..

bought a baitcaster lastyear . got a shakespere sigma and i love it. i put it on a berkly cherywood and it broke.. so i said well that one was my fault.. and the other one snapped in two again. i just put it back on a shakespere excursion MH.. works great!
this year i found a diawa shock spinning M combo for 30 on sale. regularlly 54.99 i think. the medium rod works good

also i've got two older rods.. a shakspere spinning.. my first ever reel on a quantum M rod.. it was my buddys but he broke the tip off and gave it to me.. its got to have a tip but i'm running it on a middle line guide

and i've got a 6'6 MH thats from the stone age.. my dads old good rod.. i think its quantum too.. its got a new tip on it and its running a light mitchell reel

if you wanna go cheep look for good combos at walmart, dicks or sporting places..

[DJ_Callahan_27]

For me you can't do wrong with Quantum rods and reels. Right now I only have one baitcaster left the rest was stolen off my dads house boat over the winter. That sucked. But I brought my fav. home thank god. The one that I have now is an Energy 770 PT (the burner 7:1) on a Quantum 6'6" mh rod. The ones I left on the house boat was older models of Quantum reels (Iron) on heavy action Ugly stick rods, 2 of them, and a couple of Abu 5000 5.3:1 I think on Abu rods 7' from wal-mart, going to miss those rods. For the money you can't beat the Abu round reels. But I think I will save my money and buy either Energy or if I can find one on sale a Tour Edition reels and Quantum rods for my replacements. Just my opinion. I realy like the smooth casting and reliablity of the Energy reel I own and the sensitivity of the Quantum rod.

[BigBassin144]

Originally Posted by MallenManson

Your pocketses are much deeper than mine

Lol, probably not. When I normally buy one rod and reel combo per year because I prefer to use a bit more expensive stuff. So I put some money away here and a little there, and then before spring I get a new combo.

BB

[bamabassman]

if i could stop buying more baits and such i could probably do what bb does, lmao. but i can't go into wally world without getting at least 20 bucks worth of baits. add that over a months time and i could buy some better rods and reels huh? hmmmmm...... ok, i'll try ,if i can,lmao.

[MallenManson]

Originally Posted by BigBassin144

Lol, probably not. When I normally buy one rod and reel combo per year because I prefer to use a bit more expensive stuff. So I put some money away here and a little there, and then before spring I get a new combo.

BB

I like the way you think. I plan on scoutin clearance sales in the fall.
I better start savin up

[BigBassin144]

I'd check out ebay too. at the beginning of the year, I planned on using the money I saved from teh year with some gift cards from x-mas and get a combo I had all picked out. Then my dad found a reel on ebay that I couldn't pass up. An Abu Garcia Skeet Reese Revo (retails for $280) for only $180. A bit more than I wanted to spend, so I still don't have a rod for it... But I got a while before we really start fishing. I should have a rod by the get together since I finally got a job, and I started this week.

BB

[MallenManson]

Originally Posted by BigBassin144

I'd check out ebay too. at the beginning of the year, I planned on using the money I saved from teh year with some gift cards from x-mas and get a combo I had all picked out. Then my dad found a reel on ebay that I couldn't pass up. An Abu Garcia Skeet Reese Revo (retails for $280) for only $180. A bit more than I wanted to spend, so I still don't have a rod for it... But I got a while before we really start fishing. I should have a rod by the get together since I finally got a job, and I started this week.

BB

I'll definitely be checking ebay, i'm always on there

[Rebbasser]

Obviously your wallet will be a factor, but inexpensive doesn't necessarily mean cheap. For $80-100 you can get a very serviceable rod and reel. Rods by Berkley such as a Lightnin' Rod are very good rods for the money. For reels BPS has some very good low end reels that will do a great job.

[MallenManson]

Originally Posted by Rebbasser

Obviously your wallet will be a factor, but inexpensive doesn't necessarily mean cheap. For $80-100 you can get a very serviceable rod and reel. Rods by Berkley such as a Lightnin' Rod are very good rods for the money. For reels BPS has some very good low end reels that will do a great job.

Good info.

[Bassboss]

spinning:

Pflueger president I think they are like 50.00 bucks.

BC:

Shimano citica C--120.00 bucks!

I like bass pro shops a lot too, it's what I have now. But you should no that Pflueger constructs them, the BPS extreme reels I hear are the best for the money. I have a Bass Pro Shops Johnny Morris Gold Series Baitcast Reel, and love it! Very smooth casting, drag, retrieve and good over all performance!

You wanna look for a good gear ration in baitcasters, 6.3:1 is best over all! Also imo the most important factor is to have MINIMAL PLASTIC parts! You're gonna want light weight aluminum, also a good number of bearings, don't go under 4, the higher the better! Bearings make a reel smooth; A smoother reel means that you will be able to cast further, and reel easier! A titanima line guieds is also a bonus, but not a must have!

Nice all these BC reels are a bit pricey, I gonna snuggest a few rods, both under 50.00, and over 50.00.

Right now I have a Berkly Lighting Rod, I got at BPS for 20.00 or 30.00 bucks, I like it so far, but would like to upgrade! Good rod for the money!

For over 50.00, I was suggested by BigBassin144 these rods: Shimano Compre, Falcon Low Rider, or Daiwa Light and Tough.


I wish I could help you out with the spinning reel, and the rod better, but that last spinning reel I got was just a 50.00, that I did not pay attention to anything... that was when I was less into bass fishing! Ever since I've been baitcasting! (I've been really into the sport for only about 3-4 years.)

Hope this helps!

[BigBassin144]

Originally Posted by Bassboss

spinning:

Pflueger president I think they are like 50.00 bucks.

BC:

Shimano citica C--120.00 bucks!

I like bass pro shops a lot too, it's what I have now. But you should no that Pflueger constructs them, the BPS extreme reels I hear are the best for the money. I have a Bass Pro Shops Johnny Morris Gold Series Baitcast Reel, and love it! Very smooth casting, drag, retrieve and good over all performance!

You wanna look for a good gear ration in baitcasters, 6.3:1 is best over all! Also imo the most important factor is to have MINIMAL PLASTIC parts! You're gonna want light weight aluminum, also a good number of bearings, don't go under 4, the higher the better! Bearings make a reel smooth; A smoother reel means that you will be able to cast further, and reel easier! A titanima line guieds is also a bonus, but not a must have!

Nice all these BC reels are a bit pricey, I gonna snuggest a few rods, both under 50.00, and over 50.00.

Right now I have a Berkly Lighting Rod, I got at BPS for 20.00 or 30.00 bucks, I like it so far, but would like to upgrade! Good rod for the money!

For over 50.00, I was suggested by BigBassin144 these rods: Shimano Compre, Falcon Low Rider, or Daiwa Light and Tough.


I wish I could help you out with the spinning reel, and the rod better, but that last spinning reel I got was just a 50.00, that I did not pay attention to anything... that was when I was less into bass fishing! Ever since I've been baitcasting! (I've been really into the sport for only about 3-4 years.)

Hope this helps!

Ok, I agree with someof what you said, but definately not all... Pflueger makes good reels, and they do make BPS's reels. I have a Johnny Morris Signature reel which, although it's heavy, is a good reel performance wise.

6.3:1 is a good all around gear ratio. As for bearings, more is NOT better. We've talked about this before, and I believe only 7-8 bearing (including the anti-reverse one) are actually in the reel. After that, they stick them in the handle under the paddles... And having quality bearing is MUCH more important than have a lot of them... If you notice, Shimano has less bearing in their reels, but shimano uses one of the best bearings on the market.

As for line guides, If you're not using Braid, Alconite Guides are fine. If you are, you may want to spend more for SIC (Silicon Carbide) guides. When I build a rod for braid, I use all Alconite exept the tip. IT saves money and the tip is all you really need. But you can't get a storebought rod like this. It's normally all or nothing. I do use braid on rods with Alconite guides, and I haven't experienced any problems. Although Ihaven't fished with them long.

For good spinning reels, Pflueger President or Supreme, Daiwa Exceler or Tierra or Fuego (if you've got deep pockets), Shimano Symetre or Saros (I've bought reels cheaper than the symetre from shimano and wasn't too happy with them), Abu Garcia Cardinal 300 series or their new Soron STX.

I don't use a lot of spinning reels, but my Abu Cardinal 301 (small reel) I use for dropshotting is a great reel.

BB