Help me choose a brand of reels and rods. 2024

Hook2Jaw reply :

Well, someone is going to link the best rod and best reel threads without ever reading this topic because that's the thing to do for some folks, but, for you guys that do read rather than hitting ctrl+v, here's my dilemna.

I want to use one brand of reels and one brand of rods because I'm a crazy person. I'd like to keep those reels below the 150 dollar range and the rods as well, and the rods and reels can be different brands. I just want the same brands so I'm matching and more importantly, for maintenance ease as well as the ability to have equipment that tunes in a similar fashion. I also believe having reels that perform close to the same will help me stay away from picking up a "favorite" setup for ease of use so I can broaden the amount of techniques in my arsenal.

I want a reel with a 5 or 6 speed on the low end, with a mid range of 6 or 7, and a high speed of 7 to 8.

For example, the Revo X is 80 or so bucks on eBay and comes in 5, 6, and 7 speed. The Daiwa Fuego CT comes in 6, 7, and 8 speed.

As far as rods go, I fish out of a kayak primarily so I've been thinking of trying out a 6'3" for jerkbaits. That's as short as I want in the rod holders behind me. For everything else, I'm a terribly stiff guy so my wrist movement sucks on the cast and I roll-cast and sidearm a ton. I've got a stack of rods standing straight up in the air, so my overhands are more of a diagonal to not catch a bait on a rod and end up with the mother of all birds nests. So a line of rods from 6-7'6" is key.

Can you guys give me a hand with all that?

Jelvas reply :

The Mojo Bass line from St. Croix has rods that fit pretty much all bass techniques you can possibly need. I´ve tried a few of them and really like them for the price. People talk very well of the the Dobyns Fury line however i haver never tried one so can´t say nothing about them.

You mensioned the possibilitie of buying from ebay... you can find Curado K´s bellow the 150€ price range all day. That would be my personal choice (with a few 70´s in the middle), however, and if you want to go to something even more affordable, there´s the Tatula CT´s that you can find in the 100 dolar range.

Hook2Jaw reply :

Thanks, @Jelvas! I had a good long look at those Daiwa Tatula CTs and they were in the running beside the Abu Garcia Revo X and the Daiwa Fuego CTs. I should probably spend the little bit on change on a better reel and grab them.

I haven't had a look at the St. Croix rods, so I'll give them a gander. Now I'm wondering how visually pleasing they are with a Daiwa Tatula seated on top.

Boomstick reply :

I'm a sucker for Daiwa rods and reels myself, but the problem here is they don't make a great finesse spinning rod option (the ML/XF finesse rod they make apparently has a very week tip and there's way too many complaints about people breaking it, which made me go with a different brand for this purpose). So I might have to go with St. Croix rods and Daiwa reels. I could easily go with Pflueger reels as well, the largest problem is they don't make the Supreme XT in a 8.1:1 which sounds like a deal breaker, but that's a great reel for the price. You could also go with Shimano for rods and reels, but you might be breaking budget just slightly to pick up the Curados.

That said, I wouldn't limit myself to one brand unless I got a sponsorship.

NYWayfarer reply :

On 5/18/2018 at 2:24 AM, Boomstick said:

That said, I wouldn't limit myself to one brand unless I got a sponsorship.

I agree but he did say he was a crazy person though...

J Francho reply :

At that $300/combo price point, you simply cannot make a bad choice. It's such a competitive price point. Okuma is a site sponsor, and I've been real pleased with what I've been sent to test. The EVX are very nice, light, and crisp rods to fish with. Daiwa is packing heat with the Tatula line. Shimano might be a little pricey for what you get, but they last forever. You can always mix and match reels and rods, like above with St. Croix rods, and Okuma reels, just never put a Daiwa on Shimano rod. The earth will reverse it's rotation, and the poles will flip their polarity.

blckshirt98 reply :

Shimano Curado I or Curado K for baitcasting, Shimano Stradic HG for spinning, Phenix Feather line for rods.

ww2farmer reply :

I have become a big fan of Daiwa's "budget" stuff. Namely the Aird X, and Fuego rods. As well as the Revros, and RG spinning reels, and the Fuego CT casting reels. The quality is much better than my previous favorite budget offerings from Pure Fishing....IE Abu, and Pflueger reels, Abu, Fenwick, and Berkley Rods.

I used to use Shimano reels and St Croix rods exclusively, and did so for many many years. But for the $300 you'd spend on a Shiman/Croix combo, you can get 2 Daiwa's that will not take a back seat to performance, durability, and quality.

dsqui reply :

Dobyns fury rods shimano curado k or daiwa tatula for reels can' go wrong fish with them all on dobyns rods Lews in my opinion has dropped the ball in this price range so they would probably.be my last choice but I havnt tried any of there newer stuffalso I've never been a big abu fan and I am slowly replacing all my Lews with shimano.

ClackerBuzz reply :

On 5/18/2018 at 7:57 AM, ww2farmer said:

I have become a big fan of Daiwa's "budget" stuff. Namely the Aird X, and Fuego rods. As well as the Revros, and RG spinning reels, and the Fuego CT casting reels. The quality is much better than my previous favorite budget offerings from Pure Fishing....IE Abu, and Pflueger reels, Abu, Fenwick, and Berkley Rods.

I used to use Shimano reels and St Croix rods exclusively, and did so for many many years. But for the $300 you'd spend on a Shiman/Croix combo, you can get 2 Daiwa's that will not take a back seat to performance, durability, and quality.

This. I read his post last fall and decided to take a chance on the Aird X rods. They are insanely awesome and I'm 6 rods in. You just can't believe you're holding a $50 rod in your hands. Highly recommend and can't thank @ww2farmer enough for pointing me in the right direction. Also I just bought my 3rd Daiwa Exceler reel and they're performing great. Diawa is killing it

MickD reply :

You can get a Daiwa Tatula SV 103 on Ebay for $150- best baitcasting reel I've ever cast. I don't think they come in three ratios, but probably two. 5-6:1 is of marginal value anyway, IMO.

CroakHunter reply :

I'll mention a rod company that I feel like a lot of people overlook, and Thats falcon. I have been super impressed with my Bucoo sr casting rod. It's right up there with my tp1 speed sticks and fury's. Not my favorite rod due to the Eva handles. But easily in my top 5. On the reel side of it, I'm a big fan of the tatula and fuego lines by daiwa. Also have w lews lfs and a Shimano curado. All fish good but that tatula line and the price you can get them at is hard to beat.

LadiMopar reply :

On 5/17/2018 at 10:47 PM, Hook2Jaw said:

Thanks, @Jelvas! I had a good long look at those Daiwa Tatula CTs and they were in the running beside the Abu Garcia Revo X and the Daiwa Fuego CTs. I should probably spend the little bit on change on a better reel and grab them.

I haven't had a look at the St. Croix rods, so I'll give them a gander. Now I'm wondering how visually pleasing they are with a Daiwa Tatula seated on top.

Like basic black in fashion, Daiwa goes with everything!

Small disclaimer; as others may have seen in my other replies to these questions I admit I'm a 40 year brand loyal Daiwa gal, and had my choice of many brands when I sold tackle.

So, take it for what it's worth.

Wishing you the best in your search for the best set up for you. We certainly all have our own needs and reasons, so no matter what any one person's opinion is do what really works best for you. You'll be happier in the end.

burrows reply :

Powell endurance has all your Technics covered and shimano baitcasters are second to none. Spinning reeels go with diawa.

Hook2Jaw reply :

Definitely going to get a Daiwa Fuego CT and a Tatula CT in my hands and see how they feel.

Thanks for the advice, everyone!

As far as rods go, I'm still undecided. I'll figure it out.

NittyGrittyBoy reply :

I vote "that brand that cannot be mentioned" reel, paired with dobyns rods.

I picked up a dobyns this year and wish I would have sooner. MH fast, 6' something, it's absolutely my favorite. So whatever people say about dobyns is true

Hook2Jaw reply :

Please PM me the Lord Voldemort reel brand, @NittyGrittyBoy

NittyGrittyBoy reply :

Pm sent

Hook2Jaw reply :

Thanks man!

Beetlebz reply :

On 5/18/2018 at 3:07 AM, J Francho said:

At that $300/combo price point, you simply cannot make a bad choice. It's such a competitive price point. Okuma is a site sponsor, and I've been real pleased with what I've been sent to test. The EVX are very nice, light, and crisp rods to fish with. Daiwa is packing heat with the Tatula line. Shimano might be a little pricey for what you get, but they last forever. You can always mix and match reels and rods, like above with St. Croix rods, and Okuma reels, just never put a Daiwa on Shimano rod. The earth will reverse it's rotation, and the poles will flip their polarity.

This man speaks the truth. At that price you can't really go wrong. Also the earth might blow up.

LadiMopar reply :

On 5/18/2018 at 3:07 AM, J Francho said:

just never put a Daiwa on Shimano rod. The earth will reverse it's rotation, and the poles will flip their polarity.

A truer statement has never been spoken...and you most certainly never want to do the reverse either! Goodness knows what would happen to the stability of the universe! ????

J Francho reply :

There is no Daiwa or Shimano, only Zuul!

Hook2Jaw reply :

I truly appreciate the suggestions, everyone! While I could go up to 300 a combo, I think I'm going to keep them around 100-200 a combo by going with Daiwa Fuego CTs and a variation of Daiwa rods.

Here's my plan. I'm open to suggestions! It was due to suggestions from this thread that made me really look into the Daiwa Fuego CT.

Frogs/Large Topwaters : Daiwa Fuego CT 8.1:1 on a 7'3" Daiwa Fuego Heavy power Fast action. 40# braid.

Pitch/Flip/Punch : Daiwa Fuego CT 8.1:1 on a 7'3" Daiwa Fuego Heavy power Fast action. 40# braid.

Jerkbaits/Small Topwaters : Daiwa Fuego CT 6.3:1 on a 6'6" Daiwa Aird-X Medium power Fast action. 12# monofilament.

Cranks/Lipless : Daiwa Fuego CT 6.3:1 on a 7' Daiwa Tatula-XT Medium power Regular Action. 12# fluorocarbon.

Texas/Carolina/Jigs : Daiwa Fuego CT 7.3:1 on a 7' Daiwa Aird-X Medium Heavy power Fast action. 14# fluorocarbon.

Spinner/Blade/Swimjigs : Daiwa Fuego CT 7.3:1 on a 7' Daiwa Aird-X Medium Heavy power Fast action. 14# fluorocarbon.

Swim/Glidebaits : Daiwa Millionaire S300 on a 8' Daiwa Fuego Heavy power Extra Fast action. #30 copolymer.

A lot of thought went into this with room to have a complete lineup with a lot of matching setups so they can pull double duty in the situation where I want to cycle through two colors/sizes to accommodate the fish and really nail what they're after. The choices were also made in the case my girlfriend or brother is fishing with me and we're tossing the same baits.

Should I go with a slower gear ratio reel for spinnerbaits, bladed jigs, and swim jigs or is the 7 speed money?

How does the Daiwa Tatula XT 7' Medium Regular do for cranking and lipless?

Is the Daiwa Millionaire S300 a decent reel for swimbaits? How does the 8' Daiwa Fuego Heavy power Extra Fast action sound for swimbaits? I think it should work for stuff with stout hooks, but treble baits probably won't work out.

Tagging @ww2farmer and @ClackerBuzz for their experience with the Daiwa reels and casting rods.

Give me your thoughts, fish junkies!

ClackerBuzz reply :

Wow that is one heck of a TW order! ????

I like the Aird X (spinning and casting) so much that I ordered 3 Tatula XT casting. The Aird has a 1yr warranty and I wanted to upgrade to the Tatula 5yr warranty. However I returned all 3 rods b/c the reel seat was bulky and didn't fit in the hands near as nice as the Airds. I haven't tried it but the Fuego seat looks virtually identical as the Aird so should fit nice in the hands.

I like the lengths on everything except the Pitch/Flip/Punch. 7'3" would be great for punching but shorter = more accuracy so I'd go 6'6" or 7' for pitching and flipping. I'd go shorter and make the frog rod double as ur punch stick.

7.3:1 is fine for moving baits.

The Millionaire reel looks good and is probably a steal @ $61.95 for the 250 on amazon. honestly I think you'll have your hands full learning so many other techniques that larger swimbaits will take the backburner. My SB combo sat collecting dust for 2 years before I was ready to use it. Of course ur in the south and if you fish non-pressured water you might have great success right out of the gates.

Hook2Jaw reply :

@ClackerBuzz thanks for the honest opinion, further slamming me into Daiwa fanboyism before I've even held one.

I don't really flip, but my pitches aren't like your pitches. I do it from a kayak so they're a sidearmed pitch. Still keeps the bait low, still keeps the entrance soft. Still very accurate. I've been doing it with a 7' Medium Heavy and was hoping I could get a bit more distance with 3" added on. I'll try to test a 7' versus a 7'3" before I make the call on the pitching setup.

How do you like the Aird-X for cranking?

blckshirt98 reply :

Much respect at your ability to stick with one brand for rods and reels!

Hook2Jaw reply :

@blckshirt98, it's my OCD kicking in. I've been wearing the same boots for 12 years.

Fishingmickey reply :

OK Hook2jaw,

You've heard fromt he Diawa contingent and the Curado K fan club. Let this Shimano fan boy speak about the Shimano Casitas and Citica. These are the slightly lower priced Shimano's that cast and perform very well. A hundred for the Casitas and a buck fifty for the Citica. I feel their performance is almost as well or equal to the Curado K and Curado 70.

As far as rods go. The Mojo Bass is a winner, The Shimano Sellus is a good rod too for very little bucks. Slightly more will get you the Clarus or Compre. I haven't fished a Doybn's fury or Diawa Avid's So I can't speak about them.

Spinning reels again Shimano. the mid priced reels are great performers. Spinning rods same as above.

Same brand of boots (wolverine dura shocks) and reels for well over 12 years.

Good luck,

Fishingmickey

Hook2Jaw reply :

Thanks @Fishingmickey,

I c'aint justify spending the extra money on Shimano reels. I've got friends who use them exclusively for inshore fishing, while I'm a stalwart Penn guy when it comes to the salt. Yes, I could spend the extra money, but I think I'm gonna get more bang for my buck at 70 a reel from Daiwa and be able to afford some good electronics for the Hobie this year. Yes, they're definitely good reels. I don't believe they're good enough to spend 30 more bucks each, not for me, anyway.

Chippewa Classic Loggers here, brother.

Shimano_1 reply :

I'd go with daiwa fuego ct's or curado k's. Either can be had on the big auction site for less than you're wanting to spend. Both great reels thatif cared for will last you for years. As for rods I'm a big fan of cabelas brand rods. The zx and xml are both great and lifetime warranty. That makes it convenient of you live near one. As already stated there are tons of good options tho. As anglers we are spoiled these days with all the great gear that's affordable. You're not the only one that's "crazy" I have all zx rods and curado k reels. All my rod socks are red to match my triton lol.

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