Rod Arsenal. Quantity Vs Quality 2024
Spryguy reply :
Hi I'm new to bass resource and I have a budget of $400. I'm asking opinions on if I should get two $200 combos or one $400
J Francho reply :
Brand new, one. Used, two.
HoosierHawgs reply :
Question being... Are you new to bass fishing altogether? Do you already have some gear? If so, what do you have? How do you like to fish? All of these play into it as well as budget.
Silas reply :
On 7/22/2015 at 1:45 AM, J Francho said:Brand new, one. Used, two.
I absolutely agree!
Darren. reply :
Welcome aboard!
I'd go for 2 combos.
Canyon explorer reply :
My recommendation is not what I did but what I would do now if I were starting and wanted to be as good as I could be; and possible compete with others with the same aspirations.
First I would not buy a "Combo" because to keep the price down the rod is often not the same quality level as the reel.
I would select a 5 Star reel at the level of Shimano Chronarch SF, Quantum Tour or Smoke,or Diawa Lexa. At about $200 ea.
I would then selest a five Star Rod Similar to a G-Loomis MBR 843C or St Croix Legend or Avid.
The above are as good as any and have stood the test of time exceptionally well.
Senko lover reply :
I'd definitely go for two. You may even be able to get three, used, and still have some nice gear.
blckshirt98 reply :
I'd get two setups, used if you can find the right deals. One spinning setup for finesse, and one baitcaster setup where you can throw something heavier.
Big C reply :
Go for two, and put braid on both.
I would get a Medium Light Carrot Stix rod with a Lew's 7:1 casting reel. For t-rigs, shakey heads, chatterbaits, etc.
And a Medium Heavy Carrot Stix rod with a Lew's 7:1 reel. For frogs, swimbaits, jigs, blah blah blah.
It doesn't have to be Carrot Stix and Lew's. That's just what I would do.
bigbassctchr101 reply :
I would personally buy one 7'MH of good quality...*** 13/Duckett Ghost/Crucial, etc... and pair it with a Pro Qualifier... With a new rod and used reel that will set you around $165 (more so around $150 if you shop and look for deals on the buy and sell and ebay).
I would also get a 7' Med of same quality.
That will put you around $60-$80 to buy either a decent combo spinning rod or just a nicer quality spinning rod and you can find a spinning reel on ebay for $20 and it will do you just fine.
That will put you right at or just a hair over $400 and you will have the ability to have sensitive equipment (even if you get serious and want to start tournament fishing), and you have the capabilities to perform ALMOST every needed task you would need to do.
masterbass reply :
It depends on what else you have. If this is your first set up then I'd get 2, but if you're just adding to your arsenal get 1. I always try to buy used, especially reels because you can find some amazing reels at a discount. I've found some amazing deals on rods as well, but sometimes buying on sale new is a good idea because of the warranty.
Raul reply :
If it were my 400 bones ( not enough to get a nice reel and a nice rod cuz those cost more than 200 bones a piece ) I would get me 2 combos and it can be done.
Daiwa S rods are nice and cost $ 90-100
Daiwa Air D and Exceller reels are also nice can be found for around $100
Shimano Clarus rods are also nice and cost around $100
Shimano Caenan for $90
In the spinning reel department you can find very nice reels for around $70
Steveo-1969 reply :
Wow, lots of great advice already. Welcome to Bass Resource! As you can see, lots of helpful and knowledgeable members here. I would help if you gave us some more info on how you like to fish, where you fish, what baits and techniques you use. spinning or baitcasting, etc. For me personally, the location I fish and the types of baits I fish I can use a spinning rod 99% of the time. So after years of upgrading rods/reels I finally decided to buy a REALLY NICE spinning rod/reel. And I couldn't be happier with just that one rod. But I really enjoy fishing with a baitcasting rod also, so I saved my pennies and also bought a REALLY NICE baitcast rod/reel.
I guess what I'm saying is if I had $400 to spend I would first decide (based on how I fish, where, what, etc.) how many rods I thought I needed.
blckshirt98 reply :
If you just want to catch fish you can get by with one setup. I only started bass fishing about 3 years ago and for those 3 years could have gotten away with just one spinning setup because i dropshotted 90% of the time, because it worked for me and it got me fish. I could also use that spinning rod for other techniques such as c-rig/t-rig/wacky/small cranks/small spinnerbaits/etc. Recently I've been starting to branch out with larger crankbaits and swimbaits and getting into baitcasting gear, and it's just a whole different way of fishing that's a lot of fun. If you want to learn as many different techniques as possible, get two setups.
Spryguy reply :
I should have clarified. I have two Rods Already. A 6'6" medium fast baitcast and a 6'6" medium fast spinning
HoosierHawgs reply :
Buy yourself a 7-7'3" MH rod and pair it with a 7:1 reel for contact baits would be my idea.... Decide what direction you want to go in, and then don't deviate from that direction.
Basspro3106 reply :
i really like the veritas rods from Garcia quantum reels you can make two nice combos out of them for like 420.00 shipped and for a little added bonus you get a free hoodie from each manufacture. Free shirt from tackle warehouse and...... A free sticker:)
Any way that's what I did and couldn't be happier.
KayakKid reply :
I don't know if this is relevant, but looking back, I would have bought a boat sooner and built my tackle from there. I was mostly bank fishing (with the exception of vacations) a couple years back, and when I bought a kayak the possibilitys became endlessly greater. Last year I upgraded from my kayak to my current 1448 Jon boat and again I wish I had done it sooner just because fishing from a boat is more productive for me and is such a convienience. If you already have a boat then you are set, and if not it's just something to think about too.
SirSnookalot reply :
Question can't be answered as the OP hasn't mentioned what he wants to buy spinning or casting. I do realize in his clarification post he already has a b/c and spinning set up but that does not clarify his objective for a new purchase. I'm going to assume by combo he means buying a separate rod and reel as opposed to a manufacturer"s combo.
I don't make brand recommendations per se, but I would buy 1 combo to start before making a second selection. Your opinion may change on what you want or think you need for the second.
roadwarrior reply :
On 7/22/2015 at 8:56 AM, Spryguy said:I should have clarified. I have two Rods Already. A 6'6" medium fast baitcast and a 6'6" medium fast spinning
Make one great addition at a time and build your collection over the years.
WIGuide reply :
Since you already have 2, I'd probably look to add a really nice one. Even though you could search around and find a deal on used and possibly get two nice ones.
Jon G reply :
I'm a firm believer in quality over quantity.
BKeith reply :
Not knowing how you fish or what you primary species is you fish for, rod selection is difficult. Personally, I would not recommend going out and buying high dollar rods until you have a good feel for what you want in a rod and develop the feel for the baits used. There are a lot of rods out there in the $75 price range that the average newbee could not tell from a $200+ rod. Worm rods and finesse rods are the ones you need to pay the most attention to. Those are the ones you need to be able to feel the fish breath on the lure, and it takes a while to develop that kind of feel in your head and hands. Once you have developed your skills, then you start going for the rods and reels that "YOU" think complements your skills. Starting off with just any high dollar rod would be like putting Tiger Woods golf clubs in your hands and expect you to play your best round of golf. Knowing they are not going to have the fit or feel, and it wouldn't be long before they went in the back corner of the garage. Feel and fit is critical to sensitivity, that's why there are hundreds of high dollar rods to pick from by different companies.
For a bait caster, I feel there are three must have rods, a 6'6" medium with a medium fast tip, and 7' medium, medium fast tip, and a 7' Medium Heavy with a fast tip.
If you fish a spinning reel mostly, then you might consider the same in spinning rods but I never throw anything heavy enough with spinning tackle to need a medium heavy rod. For me, spinning is light and ultra-light use so I stick mostly with medium, medium light and light action rods for those. Mostly in the 6' and 6'6" lengths and an couple 7'.
For reels, there are a ton of good spinning reels you can buy in the $75 price range.
However for bait casters, I feel you need to at least double that. Good bait casters make life a whole lot more pleasant on the water than the cheaper ones
For me, a minimum three bait casters and one or two spinning reels would be my starting point.
I feel you should not start buying the high dollar stuff until you have a feel for what you really like and want.
Master Bait'r reply :
On 7/22/2015 at 1:31 AM, Spryguy said:Hi I'm new to bass resource and I have a budget of $400. I'm asking opinions on if I should get two $200 combos or one $400
I'd get two.
One Medium/fast or Xfast spinning and one MH/fast casting.
I'd get *** rods and Probably pick a Lew's LFS and one of the Pfleuger Supremes for the spinner. Two killer combos for right around $400. Of course you'll still need line but hey, that's another thread entirely.
Edit: Didn't see you already have combos. In that case I'd go towards building your dream rig for your favorite presentation or maybe a froggin' setup.
kschultz76 reply :
You've got a ton of responses for far, and there's some valuable input and experience in them. However I don't think you've got clear enough requirements in your post to settle on the right answer. I'd assume if you are willing to invest $400 into fishing gear you're getting serious about the sport. But how serious? How often will you fish? How often can you afford to make additional investments? Are you going to be an avid angler for the next year, the next 5 yrs, the next 20? Where do you fish and how?
Hopefully you have answers to all of these questions and can share some more info. I think you will far better advice and reach a much better decision if you can articulate a very clear goal. I have found my worst decisions have been made when I bought gear just to buy it, or just because it was a deal, as opposed to having a goal and a plan then finding a good deal.
All of that said the best very generic advice I can give you is to buy the best quality gear your budget allows to suit your needs. If you need two rods and two reels and 400 is all you can ever invest, then buy the best 4 pieces of equipment you can for 400. Only you can decide if the enthusiast level investment, and diminishing returns you will see of investing in more and more expensive gear is worth it to you. I admittedly spend ridiculous amounts of money on higher end gear then is likely necessary or justified for me, however it's something I love and enjoy, and I work hard for my money. If I had a tighter budget I could do very well with more modest investment and would never suggest anyone has else shouldn't do the same. And some people would consider the money I spend to be modest compared to what they have into gear so it is all relative..,
Love to give you some better input with better info if you can provide because I've gone through upgrading a lot of gear in the past few years.
Good luck!
*Hank reply :
You would be much better off to get two.
WRB reply :
Best advice given. Good quality rod- reel combo will perform for years.On 7/22/2015 at 5:48 PM, roadwarrior said:Make one great addition at a time and build your collection over the years.
Tom
FishTank reply :
I would buy just one nice setup at a time. Fishing has taught me patience and time is on my side. I would rather spend $400 on a setup that fits my needs than two set ups that get me by.
kingmotorboat reply :
I have a 7'1 medium heavy *** that I use for jigs and heavy t rigs and a medium *** I.use for light t rigs and everything else both casting. One thing I can say that medium definitely has some serious backbone
illinifan4152 reply :
Quality. I wasted a lot of money the past couple years buying quantity when I should have just started with a couple quality setups.
DogBone_384 reply :
I'd get two setups. Of all the reels I own, Shimano, ***, BPS PQ, are my favorites. As far as rods go, *** and Abu's Veritas top the list. I recommend handling them before buying.
When travelling light I bring a M casting & ML spinning setup.
Good luck & go with what feels best in your hands.
Batson reply :
Well if you talk about quality, just go to custom rods.. You can get everything you want in any way!!
Spryguy reply :
Thanks for all the responses!!! I got a 7'0 MH fast dobyns champion casting rod and a Lews tournament pro speed spool for Texas rigs and jigs. I think I have a great start to my fishing future
J Francho reply :
Nice rig! Congrats.
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