What rod/reel combo should I buy?? 2024

BillNye reply :

I need some advice on a decent budget set up. I fish from a canoe and usually use a spinnerbait, a t-rigged 5" senko worm or lipless crankbait. I fish spinner baits more than any other bait.

I've always fished a spinning set up so I was thinking of a Pflueger president 25 series with a mh/f 7 ft abu garicia veritas rod. I'm interested in a baitcasting set up but I don't really know much about them.

Looking to spend around 150.

Scarborough817 reply :

if you are more comfortable with spinning then go for it that setup sounds like it would do the job

BillNye reply :

What would be the advantage of a baitcasting set up? From what I've read its mostly preference.

A5BLASTER reply :

If you are looking for a baitcaster set up with that size rod, I would suggest taking a look at one of the Lews combos, they have a few combo,s for round a 100 that will be a dang good set up for the money.

I think it is mostly personal preference.

But for me I feel I have better control and better hook set's with a baitcaster setup and because I can Palm the reel and lay my line on my finger I can feel a bite better then on a spinning setup.

But this is just my personal thoughts.

BillNye reply :

I just checked out the Lews Mach II combo and it seems pretty nice. The color is a little much though!

I am kind of leaning towards a baitcasting rod but I'm a little nervous to plop down the money one one without every trying it.

22hertz reply :

Similar to you I fish from a kayak and usually have a 1/8 oz inline spinner tied on. I also use a small 1/8 oz jig a lot.

I fish those baits with a Shimano Curado 200I and a Cabelas Tournament ZX rod (model TZXC-71MH the rod that says Spinnerbait/Swimjig on the butt of the rod) and Pline Floroclear 10lb

Its a great setup. Its so light i can fish it all day without getting worn out. The rod loads up nice and can sling the spinner a long way.

Like you, a couple years ago all I had used was a spinning reel but was curious about a BC. I read up on them and it seemed like a lot of trouble to have to mess with adjusting the reel to the bait each time I changed lures. I also read you can get backlashes easily and have to learn how to cast a BC properly. I thought why would I want to go through all that...for what?

I found my Curado on sale for a deal I couldn't pass and bought my rod on sale after looking at everything in the $100 price range 2 or 3 times. The only reason I bought this setup is because I found everything on sale, and it turned out to be a good decision.

I found the Curado was easy to cast. Initial setup is a breeze. There is a wide range of settings that allow the BC to not backlash even though there are some settings that allow the BC to cast further or less far so i was happy about that. I like to set mine up so I don't have to thumb the spool and all I have to do is cast then put my thumb on the spool as the bait enters the water. As it turns out the BC is much easier to fish and makes more accurate casts than my spinning setup.

After getting the BC my spinning combo is collecting dust.

So here is my experience with the BC. I can make more accurate casts. I can stop the cast with my thumb if I throw too hard and start heading into weeds/trees/bank. I like the balance and feel of the reel in my hand while wrapping my fingers around the rod. I like how quick I can cast after retrieving the lure and how fast I can begin retrieving the lure after the cast. I like the lighter weight of baitcasters.

Right now the Cabelas ZX rods are on sale for $70 and I feel there isn't a better rod for that price. Even at full MSRP I would pick that rod over any other $100 rod. I recently had a chance to try a friends rod, the Duckett Ghost which was one of three rods I was choosing from, with the same Curado reel and it confirmed my choice as the ZX rod being a better rod, especially at the sale price. I have caught anywhere from a 1.5" herring (lol) to a 36 lb Stripe bass on the rod (using 10lb Pline Floroclear). 2 Weeks ago I caught approximately 70 shad weighing around 2-3 lbs each in just 3 1/2 hours during our annual shad run using a 1/8 oz jig. These shad give a decent fight swimming is a strong river current and gave me the chance to see the rod in action. Its a very versatile rod.

I recently bought a Diawa Tatula CT. I want to see how this reel stacks up against my Curado I. At just under $100 shipped I felt it was worth a try and I purchased another ZX TZXC-71MH rod to put it on. The Tatula CT is still shipping to me so i cant comment on it yet however I really like my Curado and I know its capable of doing what you want to do with it and I can without question recommend it. Its on sale at the moment for $150. Another reel to look at for the same price is a JDM Shimano Casitas MGL which will hold less line but be smaller, lighter and cast light weight lures better. The body of that reel is plastic so keep that in mind where the body of the Curado and Tatula CT is aluminum.

Darren. reply :

On 4/19/2017 at 10:44 AM, BillNye said:

What would be the advantage of a baitcasting set up? From what I've read its mostly preference.

Welcome aboard! Your setup looks fine, tho I'd probably go

for a MF or MXF rod.

To your quoted question above, yep, its mostly preference.

I'd only recommend one if you want to learn how to cast and

fish with one. But honestly, it is not necessary to simply enjoy

the sport of fishing.

I went the baitcaster route and have only one reel with 2 rods

left (one rod is MH, the other ML - for diff techniques). I still

fish it, but not as often. And I spent $$ on the reel - a Shimano

Chronarch 50e with upgrades (had 2, sold 1 - have other brand

casters, just never use them, or passed along to my sons).

That said, I like having learned and become skilled at using one,

but after all the time I spent doing so, even with the goal of

going all baitcasting, I ended up back in the spinning gear camp

for 98% of what I do. Spinning is just (to me) simpler, less

worrisome with windy situations, equally as accurate (you have

to learn accuracy for either).

Both are tools for a job. Both work, both can "hammer", both

can "drill", etc. On a particular technique one may be better

suited than the other, but that doesn't mean you can't do said

technique with the other.

CTBassin860 reply :

I'd drop 100 on a spinning reel like the Daiwa BG and put it on a Berkley lightning shock.150 for that deal at the most.

BillNye reply :

Thanks for the advice everyone but now I'm more confused that I was when I started!

For reference I fish in smaller ponds in Rhode Island (~50 acres) where the depth to bottom is usually less than 10 feet. I would say most of my fishing is done in water less than 5 feet in depth. The water is usually a light brown color with decent visibility, I can always see the bottom unless I end up in the deepest part of the pond.

My current set up are two cheapo 7' MH/M action shakespeare rod combos from the mid 90s that I had from when I was a kid. I fish mono on one and braid on the other. I really would like an all around rod but the more I look into rods and reels the more confusing the options are. Since I've bought a canoe this year as opposed to shore fishing like I have over the last couple years and have already gone a bunch this season I'm looking for something that will last and I will be happy with for a while.

There is nothing worse than spending 150 and the immediately wishing you would have spent a little extra.

NYWayfarer reply :

If you are near a Field and Stream store the have an exclusive rod and reel, the Lew's Carbon Fire.

The rod is new for 2017 and looks great with Winn grips. $49.99 Spinning reel and $79.99 Rod buy the reel get the rod 50% off offer good until 4/22/17

I bought the reel last year and love it. It was my first Lew's.

fishnkamp reply :

First off I have never fished in a kayak but I have fished off several canoes. Almost every time I read a kayak angler's posting I see them mention how longer rods are more difficult to deal with. I know from my own experience fishing in a canoe has made me feel that way. In both cases we sit almost in the water.

I would suggest you stay with a spinning rod around 6'6" to 6'9" just to handle better.

None of the baits you mentioned weighs over 5/8 or so. A rod like a Veritas 6'6" medium will work well for you. All of the Veritas rods handle lures a little heavier than they say, so I think that rod would work really nicely. Another great option would be a Powell Inferno 6103, that is a 6'10 inch medium power rod that has an extra fast tip. You would spend $100 for that rod compared to roughly $80 for the Veritas. I would stick to the 6'6 Veritas instead of the 7 foot medium Veritas only because you mentioned throwing really light baits, the 7 footer will handle the heavier baits better but if you decided to throw a 5 inch grub on a 1/8 ounce jighead the shorter rod will cast it better.

I can tell you from experience the Pflueger reels are terrific. I fish with several 35 series Presidents. My wife fishes with 6 rods and four have Presidents( 2 are 30's and the other 2 are 35s) one Pflueger Supreme 35 and one SHimano Symmetre. She has caught bass up to 6 pounds, several stripers up to 30 inches, and many big 6 to 8 pound catfish using only those reels.

I would match the 6'6" Veritas medium or the Powell Inferno 6103 with a President 30 series reel, add some good line and go fish.

By the way we have tested many lines over the years and have settled on Berkley Fused FireLine in 14 pound test ( same diameter as 6 pound mono) for all of our spinning gear. It feels really wiry when you first touch it, but softens immediately once it gets wet. It lays very nicely on the reel and has no memory issues. I always load half of the reel with Stren Original Clear Blue 12 or 14 pound test as backing then fill the rest with the FireLine. This saves money. Most of the time I run a short 4 foot leader made of 8 pound copolymer, fluoro or mono.

Once you own this combo I would look at a Berkley Lightning Shock rods in a 6'6 medium. This rod has the perfect medium moderate action to throw crankbaits, traps, some topwaters, etc. economically. Both my wife and I fish these rods along with many much more expensive combos. These rods usually cost $49. If you check your local Walmart you may find one marked $32 or $49, take it to the register and have it scanned. Several members here have purchased them for less than $15. Match it up with one of your current reels till you can afford another President. Even if you go spend another $60 for a second President you would have a very inexpensive cranking combo.

J Francho reply :

I use the same rods I'd use on shore, or in the front of the boat, back of the boat, or in a kayak.

It would be ideal if you could find someone to show you how to set up and use a baitcaster in person. It takes some practice, but most get it pretty quickly.

Here's a good starting point:

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/cast-adjust-baitcast.html

A 7' medium heavy/fast rod will cover 75% of common baits and techniques.

BillNye reply :

Ok so I had some time to go out on my lunch break and check out some stuff at dicks. I really like the feel of the left hand retrieve lews Mach 1 combo they had there.

I think I'm going to end up buying either the lews mach 1 or Mach 2 left handed bait caster rod combos and maybe also buying a pflueger president spinning reel to put on one of my older rods.

The only caveat is my wife finding out!

I am very open to suggestions on a bait casting set up but it seems like the lews combos have very good reviews and are a decent price.

edit

found the the lews blue carbon speed stick on sale. Does this compare to the Mach series?

TX-Deluxe reply :

On 4/20/2017 at 12:35 AM, MassBassin508 said:

I'd drop 100 on a spinning reel like the Daiwa BG and put it on a Berkley lightning shock.150 for that deal at the most.

What size BG? Which do you have?

CTBassin860 reply :

The 2500.Its super smooth.I love it.

On 4/21/2017 at 7:01 AM, TX-Deluxe said:

What size BG? Which do you have?

TX-Deluxe reply :

On 4/21/2017 at 7:05 AM, MassBassin508 said:

The 2500.Its super smooth.I love it.

What type of line do you prefer on it? Specifically

CTBassin860 reply :

15-20# braid

On 4/21/2017 at 7:07 AM, TX-Deluxe said:

What type of line do you prefer on it?

fishnkamp reply :

To answer your question both of the Mach 1 and Mach 2 combos come with a higher quality rod and reels that have more bearings. So the simple answer is yes, they are both better than the Blue Carbon series.

Now the more important question is will you catch more fish because you chose one of the three over the other? Maybe.

Personally I have seen some posters happy with the Mach 1 combo. The Mach 2 combo is even nicer. I have never read anyone review the Blue Carbon combo. That does not mean you will not catch fish with one. The Carbon fire is an IM6 graphite rod, the Mach 1 is an IM8 rod thus it should be more sensitive and lighter weight. The Mach 2 also has a IM8 rod with some nice upgrades like the Winn Grips, means little to fishing. The big difference is the reels. The Blue Carbon has a 6 ball bearing reel, The Mach one has a dual braking system and 10 ball bearings. The Mach 2 comes with an even more upgraded reel. If I was trying to get the best bang for the buck I would go for the Mach 1 due to the higher quality reel. and a good IM8 rod. I have to stress in baitcasting braking systems and ball bearings are important to success.

The other question is what can you afford? If you can afford the Mach 1 then I would either go that way or go back to upgrading my spinning gear. I would add the baitcaster later.

Sorry you are on your own with the wife! LOL

BillNye reply :

Ok not to revive a long dead post but I've made one decision!

I decided since my old spinning gear was so crappy I'm going to upgrade that first before getting into the world of baitcasters. The 2 piece rod I typically use is slightly cracked on the female portion and its letting the top half spin due to poor fit.

I ended up getting a President 6730 reel and now I'm looking for a M/F rod to pair with it.

These are the ones I'm interested in:

Powell Diesel

Powell Inferno

Fenwick HMG

St. Croix Mojo Bass

Lews TP1 speed stick

Any suggestions on a rod would be greatly appreciated!

Fishin' Fool reply :

On 4/27/2017 at 1:41 AM, BillNye said:

Ok not to revive a long dead post but I've made one decision!

I decided since my old spinning gear was so crappy I'm going to upgrade that first before getting into the world of baitcasters. The 2 piece rod I typically use is slightly cracked on the female portion and its letting the top half spin due to poor fit.

I ended up getting a President 6730 reel and now I'm looking for a M/F rod to pair with it.

These are the ones I'm interested in:

Powell Diesel

Powell Inferno

Fenwick HMG

St. Croix Mojo Bass

Lews TP1 speed stick

Any suggestions on a rod would be greatly appreciated!

Boy you are in luck. If you order a Powell Inferno through American Legacy fishing they are giving you a FREE Powell Diesel rod. I'd go that route. Problem will be, you will need a new reel.....

BillNye reply :

Is this deal still running? I didn't see an end date and there is no info on the actual website. What is the power/action diesel rods are they offering or can you pick?

Fishin' Fool reply :

On 4/27/2017 at 2:36 AM, BillNye said:

Is this deal still running? I didn't see an end date and there is no info on the actual website. What is the power/action diesel rods are they offering or can you pick?

I'd just call American Legacy if I were you. Like I said you'll need another reel tho

fishnkamp reply :

The last I saw they were offering three rods, i spinning, one baitcaster for cranks and one more baitcaster. I would cal and check. There was another thread on here about this deal. Check it out.

Just for your info I like the Inferno rods a lot. In fact I am a fan of the Max's and Max3ds.

BillNye reply :

Thanks for the info. It looks like the spinning rod is medium light/extra fast. The other two rods are fiberglass. Not sure it's the deal for me.

S. Sass reply :

I just ordered a Inferno from them and before I ordered I called to verify it was still a deal. The man that answered said yes they would contact me after they received the order to see what Diesel rod I want. I didn't think to ask what choices were still available.

BillNye reply :

Ok so I poked around and found the 3 diesel rods you can pick from:

6104 CB GLASS - Medium/mod fast casting rod

702 MLEF - Medium light/extra fast spinning rod

755 CB GLASS = medium heavy/Mod. Fast casting

I was kind of thinking of buying inferno medium heavy casting rod and putting a black max on it to learn and then getting a diesel spinning rod free but Medium light seems too niche.

Fishin' Fool reply :

ML spinning rods can be used for drop shot, neko rigs, mojo rigs, finesse worms. I'm sure other uses too.

BillNye reply :

Ok so some thoughts...

I have been reading about learning to use a baitcaster and people are saying after 2 years of fishing they still get birdsnests constantly. This has pushed me away from getting a baitcaster as my main rod.

I was thinking of 2 different options:

-6'10" Medium / extra fast Inferno Spinning rod

6104 CB GLASS - Medium/mod fast casting rod for traps and squarebill cranks

-7'0 medium/fast St Croix Mojo spinning rod. I checked one out today at Dicks and it was pretty awesome.

The main lures I use are spinner baits 1/2 or smaller, 5' senkos, swim jigs under 3/8 and a 1/2 ounce carolina rig. I think the M/F could handle those lures fine.

fishnkamp reply :

First I have been fishing with baitcasters for over 30 years. If I buy one of the bottom priced lower quality reels on the market I can still get backlashes. Many times those reports of anglers always having casting issues begins with quality of the equipment and the caster trying to throw too light a bait for the rod.

If you go pick up a Daiwa reel like a Tatula CT, or Fuego, or perhaps any Lews reel costing in the same range, around $100 to $150. This would also include a reel like a Shimano Curado or Casitas. Any of these will make it easy to learn and will give you years of service. I would expect anyone with any casting ability to learn with just a few practice sessions. Read and follow the directions on how to properly adjust the reel first.

Good Luck today's quality equipment should not hinder your enjoyment at all

BillNye reply :

Ok so heres what I did:

Inferno 7'0 MH/XF casting rod

Diesel 7'0 ML/XF spinning rod (American Legacy Fishing still hasnt called me...)

Pflueger President 30 Spinning reel

Abu Garcia Revo STX Casting reel

I just picked up a revo stx since it was so cheap on sale. Got it for 80 dollars.

S. Sass reply :

On 5/1/2017 at 11:55 PM, BillNye said:

Ok so heres what I did:

Inferno 7'0 MH/XF casting rod

Diesel 7'0 ML/XF spinning rod (American Legacy Fishing still hasnt called me...)

Pflueger President 30 Spinning reel

Abu Garcia Revo STX Casting reel

I just picked up a revo stx since it was so cheap on sale. Got it for 80 dollars.

As far as American Legacy Fishing not calling. I had some confusion on my part as I got a email saying my order shipped etc. Well they hadn't contacted me either so I emailed them and apparently the Diesel rods don't necessarily ship from the same place. Or at least that was what I understood. But that was when they started asking me about what rod I wanted. I would just email them or call the employees I have dealt with have been extremely nice. My rods are in the mail to me.

BillNye reply :

Thanks for the tip.

I just emailed them about the situation and they quickly responded. The customer service at American Legacy Fishing has been very good I would definitely purchase there again.

22hertz reply :

On 4/28/2017 at 7:04 AM, BillNye said:

Ok so some thoughts...

I have been reading about learning to use a baitcaster and people are saying after 2 years of fishing they still get birdsnests constantly. This has pushed me away from getting a baitcaster as my main rod.

I was thinking of 2 different options:

-6'10" Medium / extra fast Inferno Spinning rod

6104 CB GLASS - Medium/mod fast casting rod for traps and squarebill cranks

-7'0 medium/fast St Croix Mojo spinning rod. I checked one out today at Dicks and it was pretty awesome.

The main lures I use are spinner baits 1/2 or smaller, 5' senkos, swim jigs under 3/8 and a 1/2 ounce carolina rig. I think the M/F could handle those lures fine.

No one with any experience with a baitcaster is getting constant birdsnests. That simply isn't true.

I was put off reading about all the adjustments and backlashes with a baitcaster before I bought my first, but it was no big deal and turned out I liked the baitcaster much more than I thought I would.

When I go miles out in my kayak I usually only bring one baitcaster. If I was having any problems I wouldn't bring that one baitcaster because if something happened so bad that I couldn't use it my entire fishing trip would be ruined that day.

Personally I think you should have spent the extra $20 and bought the Tatula CT. Its a fantastic reel and probably the best value in a baitcaster on the market.

If your'e looking for a spinning reel Cabelas is having a sale on the Diawa Revros combo. I don't have much experience with spinning reels but was looking them over the other day, not looking at price or brand and the Revros easily felt like a $200+ reel. It felt way better than a President and felt as good as some of the high priced reels. Diawa seems to be knocking it out of the park lately with their quality for the price. The sale basically gets you the rod for free.

BillNye reply :

I was looking at the tatula ct but the revo stx normally retails for 160 so I'm hoping it will have a pretty good braking system and will be easy to learn on. The reviews I found were pretty good.

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What rod/reel combo should I buy?? 2024

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