Need Help Choosing baitcast combo 2024

luvs2fish reply :

I have been looking for a good baitcast combo that will last me a long time. I fish everyday if I can. Mainly on the river or a couple of ponds nearby or even creeks. I need something that I can use my box of lures with. Small to medium

crankbaits, small spinners, poppers, chatterbaits things like that. I’ve been using all of my sons equipment I like his Shimano bantam Curado 200b but he doesn’t let me use it too much lol and it is quite big in my hands. He bought a quantum pulse and I hate it. My husband did buy me a insight for her multipurpose casting rod. I do like it. I’ve been looking at the Lews Mach 1 combo. Would this be a good choice with what I’m fishing with?

new2BC4bass reply :

First to the forum.

I am not familiar with any of the Lew's combos. How much are you willing to spend? Looks like you need a rod with a softer tip (more along the lines of a crankbait rod). What is your preference for rod length?

I really, really like my Tatula rods. I have the 7' MLR, but you may prefer the 6'9" MLR'. I have come to enjoy their Regular actions since getting my first one. Although listed as a ML I would consider their ratings to be more in line with a Medium power rod (1/4-5/8 oz.). How light a lure do you plan on casting?

luvs2fish reply :

Thank you!!! I believe the lightest lure I have is 1/8oz and my heaviest is probably about 3/8oz. Rod length my current rod is 6’3” if I measured correctly. My sons with the Shimano reel is 7’3”. And it’s too long but I could stand a little longer rod maybe a 6’10”. Hubby said my budget is around $200 I could go $250. And that’s quite a bit of money so I really want and need something that will possibly outlast me lol. I’ve read about the Daiwa tatula ct. but it doesn’t come in a combo so then what rod would I buy for it?

kenmitch reply :

BPS and Cabelas have the Carbonlite 2.0 rod and reels on sale fir $79.97 each with free shipping. Might be worth a look to see if they'd work out for you.

Joshua van Wyk reply :

The daiwa Tatula ct is an awesome reel! You will be very happy with it. If you buy it from eBay you can get it $80 new. I recommend a dobyns fury 703 to pair with it.

luvs2fish reply :

And this set up will work with my crankbaits, poppers, small spinners? Also I looked at Cabela's but I don't know much about the baitcaster I have only been fishing it just this summer. I have always used spincast and spinning reels. So I have read where many people say the Tatula once set you really don't have to adjust even when you change your lure. Do you have same experience with it too?

also could I use a jig/worm casting rod with the types of lures I use or would have to buy a crankbait rod?

Russ E reply :

My 2 favorite reels are abu garcia gen4 revo's and Diawa tatula's.

the tatula is a little better at casting light lures. The revo is a little more comfortable in my hand.

They are both good reels.

the lews mach 1 is an ok reel, but it takes a lot of thumb control to prevent backlashes.

In my opinion there are a lot better reels for the price.

The best thing to do is go to a sporting goods store and handle the reels. See what feels better in your hand.

LionHeart reply :

Wouldn't get to hung up on trying to find a combo. In my experience it's best to buy seperately. I would have to agree about the Diawa Tatula CT. Excellent reel.

A rod is a little tougher. If you know for absolute certainty you will always be fishing those super light lures, I'd say go with a medium light but a decent medium power rod may serve you better. A medium fast rod can do a lot.

Take a look at the Dobyns Fury 734, or even a 3 power. Dobyns rods run a little on the soft side but it seems like that's what you may be looking for.

On second thought, check out Falcon Bucoo SR rods, they have a softer to than most and are well made rods.

Calibassassin reply :

On 11/3/2018 at 3:01 AM, kenmitch said:

BPS and Cabelas have the Carbonlite 2.0 rod and reels on sale fir $79.97 each with free shipping. Might be worth a look to see if they'd work out for you.

X2, I have a few of these setups and I love them. For this sale price it would be hard to beat this combo, imo. Trying to fight the monkey myself on a few more for this price.

luvs2fish reply :

That would probably be best to go to a sporting goods store and get the feel of the reels before i buy one. But they have so many options for one reel like 5.5:1 etc etc. With what I'm using for lures which would be better a 5, 6, 7 or what? This is for all the lady anglers out there, Have any of ya'll tried the new Trait Zaldain pink rods? They say they made to better fit a woman's hands and easier to hook set

LionHeart reply :

Most people tend to prefer a 6 or 7 speed reel for the lures you are planning to use. I think something 28-30 inch per turn (IPT) would be just right

burrows reply :

Welcome to the forums!!!

Duckett ghost 6’10 is a great rod, also a diawa fuego or a shimano slx best 100 reels on the market rite now.

new2BC4bass reply :

Too bad Fenwick doesn't still make the Elite Tech Smallmouth series. I have the 6'10" MF. It is rated 1/8 -5/8 oz. and is absolutely one of my favorite rods (if not the favorite rod) at this power. It would be the cat's meow (bee's knees?) for you. They sold for $129 (list), but would have been about $200 with a different name on them. Fantastic rods for the money. You could try a WTB ad on a few forums. Obviously I won't part with mine.

Dobyns list 1/4 oz. on the low end. Everyone says they fish lighter than listed. Maybe someone else can comment on their ability to cast 1/8 oz. I only own one Dobyns and it is the 703 CB Glass. Wouldn't mind owning more. Phenix is another company whose rods are said to fish lighter than their listing. As mentioned, the Falcon Bucoo is another option for rods fishing lighter than listed.

Speaking of 1/8 oz., can you cast that weight with your son's Curado 200B? I ask because 1/8 oz. is pretty light for a casting rod. I have no problem with #5 Shad Raps (3/16 oz.) on a few of my combos, but 1/8 oz. is very tough for me. I need more practice. For me the rod becomes very important at 3/16 oz. and less lure weights. You are now in the "finesse" range.

A few rods for you to research....in no special order.

Major Craft Dan Iovino 6'10" ML-EF 3/16-1/2 oz.

iRod Genisis II Harold's Lone Star 6'9" MLF 1/8-1/2 oz.

Hammer 6'9" Medium Moderate 1/8-1/2 oz.

Falcon BuCoo SR 6'6" Med-Mod 1/4-1/2 oz.

One that you would have to find on sale to meet your budget is the Villain 2.0 6'10" ML-EF....a $200 rod Got mine around $155 shipped from jet. Glen's Army Navy has them for $156, but I have no experience with that store. Tackletour has been impressed with the new Villain 2.0 line. Originals weren't all that great. My ML spinning rod is ok., baitcast rod a disappointment. New models are another animal entirely.

Reels are something I'm not sure I can help you with. Depends on your ability. Some guys/gals cast 1/8 oz. on reels I doubt I could, but then I am not all that great a caster. Most of my reels are older models, so may not be what you are looking for. A used Pixy would be my first choice. TD-Z 105H and Carbonlite (gold ones) are reels I have used to cast 3/16 oz. (and 1/8 oz. spinnerbait) with. I imagine I could do it with a Curado 51E, Scorpion 4x4 SVS or Alphas/Sol. For sure with a Tatula SV even though I haven't tried it yet with mine. (Got to rely on other opinions occasionally. )

I've read of others casting 1/8 oz. (or maybe even less) with reels such as the Tatula CT, Curado 70, various models of Lew's and the unmentionable company. Wow. You are right. Way too many choices. Tough to narrow the field down to one or two choices.

EDIT: If interested in the 6'10" Villain 2.0, keep an eye on Amazon. I have seen the price down to $130 on some models. Beautiful looking rods.

EDIT2: FFO is having a buy one get second one 50% off sale. Pflueger Patriarch $105 ($200 reel), Supreme XT $80 ($150 reel). I personally feel they are underrated. Ask smalljaw67 about his Supreme XTs. One of our Moderators fishes Pflueger reels. I really like my older Patriarch XT. Use it all the time with unweighted 10" ribbontail worms and 3/0 hooks.

Matt_3479 reply :

I also don’t know much about lews so I’m going recommend either a daiwa tatula 100 (smaller in size as you mentioned his reel felt a touch big) or Shimano Curado 70 as it’s also smaller in size. As far as rods go, I think it’s pretty tough to beat a dobyns fury 734c

new2BC4bass reply :

On 11/5/2018 at 11:22 AM, Matt_3479 said:

I also don’t know much about lews so I’m going recommend either a daiwa tatula 100 (smaller in size as you mentioned his reel felt a touch big) or Shimano Curado 70 as it’s also smaller in size. As far as rods go, I think it’s pretty tough to beat a dobyns fury 734c

But I highly doubt a 734C would work very well for what the OP wants to throw. No doubt it is an excellent all-around rod....for a bit heavier weights.

kschultz76 reply :

Take some time to read New2BC4Bass’s long post above, then do some research on the lower weight limits of the baitcasting rods and reels you’re looking at. I completely agree with his input, for the range of weights and lures you’re talking about you really need two different rods. I’d recommend going with spinning gear for the lighter lures up to 1/4 of an oz or so total weight. Then casting for anything over 1/4 oz. total weight. Yes you can throw lighter lures with BC gear, but anything below a 1/4oz tw is going to require more specialized rod and reel built for that purpose, not general purpose beginner or budget gear. Even 1/4 oz without the right rod and technique can be challenging.

What total weights are are you able to cast with your son’s Shimano Curado effectively?

luvs2fish reply :

No I only use my son's rod and reel with the heavier lures like buzzbaits, bigger spinner baits etc etc. He has a Binns Bros easy touch 7'9" heavy casting rod with the Shimano 200b. I went back and looked and all the lures that I have range from 1/16 to 3/4 oz. But I have a spinning rod and reel I use with the 1/16 and 1/8 oz I mainly use those to kinda jig fish around the dock. But when I fish my crankbaits and top waters I'm usually bank fishing and trying to throw against trees or rip rap things like that. I really appreciate New2BC4Bass's post I've wrote down the suggestions I've gotten from everyone on here and I will take the list with me when we go to Little Rock thursday. Basspro or Cabela's would have some of the rods and reels mentioned here?

My son is only 16 but he was thankful enough to have an older gentleman at church give him that rod and reel. Thats partly why he doesn't want me to "mess it up" lol.

So I guess I need a rod and reel to cast lets say from about a 5/16 up to my heaviest 3/4 oz lures. And just use my spinning gear for my smallies. Right?

Joshua van Wyk reply :

On 11/5/2018 at 9:57 PM, luvs2fish said:

No I only use my son's rod and reel with the heavier lures like buzzbaits, bigger spinner baits etc etc. He has a Binns Bros easy touch 7'9" heavy casting rod with the Shimano 200b. I went back and looked and all the lures that I have range from 1/16 to 3/4 oz. But I have a spinning rod and reel I use with the 1/16 and 1/8 oz I mainly use those to kinda jig fish around the dock. But when I fish my crankbaits and top waters I'm usually bank fishing and trying to throw against trees or rip rap things like that. I really appreciate New2BC4Bass's post I've wrote down the suggestions I've gotten from everyone on here and I will take the list with me when we go to Little Rock thursday. Basspro or Cabela's would have some of the rods and reels mentioned here?

My son is only 16 but he was thankful enough to have an older gentleman at church give him that rod and reel. Thats partly why he doesn't want me to "mess it up" lol.

So I guess I need a rod and reel to cast lets say from about a 5/16 up to my heaviest 3/4 oz lures. And just use my spinning gear for my smallies. Right?

A dobyns Fury 733 would work nicely for those techniques. I can throw a 3/16 oz swimbait on mine pretty easily. Daiwa Tatula is gonna be one if the best reels for the money. Also you can save a ton of money if you purchase on eBay. I got my Ct type r $100 off brand new.

bagofdonuts reply :

if you come to little rock. go by sports academy, they often have good deals on rods, and their H2O series rods are really good for the money.

I also think you'll like the diawa tatula reel that has been recommended above.

new2BC4bass reply :

Well, a lower weight of 5/16 oz. changes the whole ball game.

kschultz76 reply :

Are you only looking at options you can buy in person at BPS or Cabelas? Or are you interested in options you can purchase online as well?

Matt_3479 reply :

On 11/5/2018 at 9:22 PM, new2BC4bass said:

But I highly doubt a 734C would work very well for what the OP wants to throw. No doubt it is an excellent all-around rod....for a bit heavier weights.

I misread the 2nd post by the op, but after what she just mentioned I guess the 734c is back in play lol. As long as you have a spinning rod to cover the lighter stuff my most versatile setups are the 734c with a daiwa tatula sv and a 7 kistler helium medium-heavy rated 1/8-3/4oz with a chronarch mgl!

WRB reply :

Welcome to BR!

The ideal bait casting rod for your lures is Don Iovino Major Craft 6'8" Splash-It rod, see Tackle Warehouse for details. I own this rod and it's well made and I use for lures between 3/16 to 5/8 oz. Tackle Warehouse has Black Friday sale comming up and Christmas sales in Dec.

Reel is something you may need to pick up and feel. Shimano reels are a little narrower then Daiwa T wing reels for example. I use the original Daiwa TD Fuego baitcasting reel with the Splash-it rod, the reel is no longer in production.

Good luck,

Tom

the reel ess reply :

I don't think you'll find a baitcast combo for 1/8 oz spinners. But don't despair. You can buy 1/4 oz. spinners that they will cast. If you really need something for an 1/8 o.z lure, you'll have to go to a lighter spinning combo. That's in the light range. I have a cheap spinning combo that I use for those.

thinkingredneck reply :

Check out Pfluger reels, St Croix rods. Med The rods made for women might be a good choice as they are smaller in diameter. Buying without holding it is a risk to me.

new2BC4bass reply :

Delegating lures below 5/16 oz. to your spinning rod changes your casting rod and reel choice. (Rods especially.) Pretty much any casting reel should handle 5/16 and up. Pick one that feels good to you when mounted on a rod. My daughter is almost as tall as I am and her hands aren't too much smaller than mine. She could probably use any reel I do. If your hands are small, then you might prefer a small reel.

A thread on small reels for an 8 year old.

Read smalljaw67's post on the Supreme XT. He has always given me good advice. This is one of the reels you can find at FFO at a very nice price. That and the Patriarch. Both very nice reels.

With a 5/16-3/4 oz. range you are going to want a MH rod in most lines. A few Medium power rods can be found going to 3/4 oz. Don't know how well they would handle that weight. A few less than 7 foot rods to research. I've read good reviews on all of them. (Rod line...not necessarily each particular model listed.)

Ark Invoker 6'10" MHF

Daiwa Tatula 6'10" MHF (not the XT)

Dobyns Fury 6'6" HF

Okuma EVX 6'8" MH-Mod-Fast/Fast (unusual action nomenclature)

If you can handle a 7' rod, the Okuma Helios is a very light rod. Great price on the Helios here. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Okuma-Helios-Mini-Guide-Cast-Rod-7-MH-1pc/34742965

Liked my Helios 7' MF enough to buy a second one. Don't need another rod, but thinking about getting one of the 7' MHF rods anyway. Hard to pass up that kind of deal on such a good rod.

NYWayfarer reply :

On 11/2/2018 at 11:34 PM, luvs2fish said:

I’ve been looking at the Lews Mach 1 combo. Would this be a good choice with what I’m fishing with?

I have the Lew's Mach 1 baitcasting combo and it has performed great for me. As good as the reel is (dual brakes, 10 bearings, clickable cast control knob) I was surprised at how much I like the rod. Med/Hvy fast action is very sensitive with a great backbone.

The combo will work for everything you mentioned (Small to medium crankbaits, poppers, chatterbaits) with the exception of small spinnerbaits. I have mine spooled with 10# mono and have had little to no issues throwing all but the lightest of baits. It has been my workhorse combo this fall.

new2BC4bass reply :

On 11/6/2018 at 10:12 PM, NYWayfarer said:

I have the Lew's Mach 1 baitcasting combo and it has performed great for me. As good as the reel is (dual brakes, 10 bearings, clickable cast control knob) I was surprised at how much I like the rod. Med/Hvy fast action is very sensitive with a great backbone.

The combo will work for everything you mentioned (Small to medium crankbaits, poppers, chatterbaits) with the exception of small spinnerbaits. I have mine spooled with 10# mono and have had little to no issues throwing all but the lightest of baits. It has been my workhorse combo this fall.

Nice to hear from an actual user of the combo.

luvs2fish reply :

No I wasn't specifically gonna but at BPS or Cabela's I was just gonna handle some reels and rods to get a feel for them as some of you mentioned. I believe that would be the best especially for the reel. But I can usually find real good deals online. So i will probably buy online. I've got a pretty good list of rods to look at. But I'm really going to check out the Tatula CT. It seems to be the one mentioned the most. I'm a ok baitcaster (still working on that thumb control lol) So would the Tatula be the better choice as for learning to be a better baitcaster

Also to be sure I have it right I will be looking more at medium/heavy fast rods?

Joshua van Wyk reply :

On 11/6/2018 at 10:23 PM, luvs2fish said:

No I wasn't specifically gonna but at BPS or Cabela's I was just gonna handle some reels and rods to get a feel for them as some of you mentioned. I believe that would be the best especially for the reel. But I can usually find real good deals online. So i will probably buy online. I've got a pretty good list of rods to look at. But I'm really going to check out the Tatula CT. It seems to be the one mentioned the most. I'm a ok baitcaster (still working on that thumb control lol) So would the Tatula be the better choice as for learning to be a better baitcaster

Also to be sure I have it right I will be looking more at medium/heavy fast rods?

The Tatula is one of the most user friendly reels. I have multiple Daiwa reels and they remain my favorites.

new2BC4bass reply :

On 11/6/2018 at 10:23 PM, luvs2fish said:

Also to be sure I have it right I will be looking more at medium/heavy fast rods?

In my opinion.....yes. Remember there is no industry standard. Some MH (or any other power) rods fish in their rating. Some can handle lighter (than rated). Some can handle heavier. Pick a rod you like. Either look for reviews on it, or ask here for opinions from people that already own the rod.

The vast majority of my rods...and all of my reels...have been purchased sight unseen. I depend on opinions of members here and other fishing sites. I've only been disappointed once. Sadly it was a rod I didn't research first. Lesson learned.

EDIT: I have to add that I've become a fan of Daiwa's Regular action rods. Not my first choice for a dedicated jig rod, but very versatile, IMHO. A Mod-Fast or Med-Fast is a good option if you plan on using a lot of treble hook lures yet it still should have enough power for single hook lures as long as you don't go too beefy with the hook.

WRB reply :

On 11/6/2018 at 10:23 PM, luvs2fish said:

No I wasn't specifically gonna but at BPS or Cabela's I was just gonna handle some reels and rods to get a feel for them as some of you mentioned. I believe that would be the best especially for the reel. But I can usually find real good deals online. So i will probably buy online. I've got a pretty good list of rods to look at. But I'm really going to check out the Tatula CT. It seems to be the one mentioned the most. I'm a ok baitcaster (still working on that thumb control lol) So would the Tatula be the better choice as for learning to be a better baitcaster

Also to be sure I have it right I will be looking more at medium/heavy fast rods?

You can search my years of rod recommendations and I have never suggested a rod was ideal for anyone with the exception of my recommendation to you in this thread.

MH/fast is too stiff to effectively cast the lures you use.

Checking our rod/reel combos at a tackle shop by touch and feel is a good idea.

Tom

luvs2fish reply :

UPDATE:

Went to Bps and they were sooo helpful. I decided on the tatula and a vendetta rod. It’s like they were made for my hands lol. Thank you all for your input. I liked going in with a little knowledge before hand.

Choporoz reply :

On 11/9/2018 at 1:40 AM, luvs2fish said:

Went to Bps and they were sooo helpful.

Congratulations!

Not sure I would have ever expected to see those words all together in one sentence. Really is good to hear.

Joshua van Wyk reply :

On 11/9/2018 at 1:40 AM, luvs2fish said:

UPDATE:

Went to Bps and they were sooo helpful. I decided on the tatula and a vendetta rod. It’s like they were made for my hands lol. Thank you all for your input. I liked going in with a little knowledge before hand.

Good choice, that was my first combo too.

luvs2fish reply :

The gentleman said it was a good pick. I was kind of worried about the help I may or may not have received but I went straight to fishing and the first person I saw. Seriously it was like he waiting for me. And he only works 1 day a week. This person was the most knowledgeable person ever

Joshua van Wyk reply :

On 11/9/2018 at 5:17 AM, luvs2fish said:

The gentleman said it was a good pick. I was kind of worried about the help I may or may not have received but I went straight to fishing and the first person I saw. Seriously it was like he waiting for me. And he only works 1 day a week. This person was the most knowledgeable person ever

His name wasn't Brad by any chance?

luvs2fish reply :

U know I got in a whirlwind of fishing talk. It wasn’t until after I left I realized I didn’t even catch his name. He works on thursdays only. Wears glasses ima say 50ish. He gave me a ton of rule of thumb tips. I explained some of the troubles I was having and they were simple fixes. He is originally from Wynne

Joshua van Wyk reply :

On 11/10/2018 at 4:17 AM, luvs2fish said:

U know I got in a whirlwind of fishing talk. It wasn’t until after I left I realized I didn’t even catch his name. He works on thursdays only. Wears glasses ima say 50ish. He gave me a ton of rule of thumb tips. I explained some of the troubles I was having and they were simple fixes. He is originally from Wynne

Oh, that isn't him lol. There's a man at my local Cabelas named Brad and he's a goldmine of information. It would've been ironic if it was the same guy ????????

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Need Help Choosing baitcast combo 2024

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