is my fishing pole a joke??? 2024
crankbait2009 reply :
Hello everyone. i have posted a couple newbie topics the past day or so and never actually asked the question about the pole i am using at the moment.
Right now i have a Closed cast fishing pole that i have been using for a couple years now and never had any issues. it is one of those two piece poles that you can buy at Wally World for like $20. its a TIGER SPINCASTER, SHAKESPEARE model #TSC 66 2MH, 6'-6" in length, action: medium heavy and it says that it takes 8-15lb line. on the caster it shows the gear ratio as 3.2:1 (what the heck does that mean?) it also says 115yds/20lb. im guessing that means that the caster can take 115yards of line and up to 20lb test. is that right? i dont exactly know whats in the pole since it was pre-lined prior to buying it....................................
as i have been reading about crankbait casters i am noticing that a lot of people have special poles/fishing line/casters for this type of fishing.
is the pole i have crap or will it work for now till i can afford a better one? can i use a crankbait or spinner set up with this pole? what options do i have with what i have?
i hope i didnt confuse you but i kinda need to know if im wasting my time....................... 
FordNFishinLover reply :
Sorry bud, but thats the first setup i was using for, CATFISH. Its quite a bit stiff and not very sensetive for bass fishing. The rod is a decent catfishing rod, but for bass its a no-no really. As for the reel its not worth much.
The 3.2:1 means that every revolution of the reel/crank of the handle, you will retrieve 3.2 feet of line.
You would be better off saving just a little money for a decent little combo you can find. Id suggest getting a spinning setup. If you play on using crankbaits i would suggest finding a Medium power rod.
crankbait2009 reply :
i was afraid of that........................i will play till i can upgrade!!!! thanks for the info
:-[
can you give me some examples of a cheap medium power rod that will last me awhile without having to replace after a couple uses?
Gone_Phishin reply :
Quotei was afraid of that........................i will play till i can upgrade!!!! thanks for the info:-[
can you give me some examples of a cheap medium power rod that will last me awhile without having to replace after a couple uses?
What's your budget?
plastic ninja reply :
Keep your current pole as a live bait rig.If you want to get into bass fishing start with a spinning/open faced reel, try different baits like topwaters, spinner baits and shallow cranks.I still keep a few poles like your current set up on my boat for my kids and friends who dont fish very often,and they work great. If youre on a wally world budget they have a abu spinning combo for sixty bucks that is well worth the money. Good luck, I hope I helped, and I hope you get your line wet this weekend.
The Rooster reply :
QuoteThe 3.2:1 means that every revolution of the reel/crank of the handle, you will retrieve 3.2 feet of line.
Actually that number means that for every revolution of the reel crank the spool inside rotates 3.2 times. When you see numbers like that on baitcasters, like 6.1:1, it means for every revolution of the crank the spool on it rotates 6.1 times. Some reels will tell you how many inches of line this draws in each time as well. I have one that's 6.4:1 and it draws in 28 inches of line everytime I crank the handle once. Make sense now??
Low_Budget_Hooker reply :
QuoteQuoteThe 3.2:1 means that every revolution of the reel/crank of the handle, you will retrieve 3.2 feet of line.
Actually that number means that for every revolution of the reel crank the spool inside rotates 3.2 times. When you see numbers like that on baitcasters, like 6.1:1, it means for every revolution of the crank the spool on it rotates 6.1 times. Some reels will tell you how many inches of line this draws in each time as well. I have one that's 6.4:1 and it draws in 28 inches of line everytime I crank the handle once. Make sense now??
So, in laymans terms, a 7.1:1 will bring the bait in alot quicker than a 3.2:1
There are different ratios for different applications. Like, there is a technique called "Burning a spinnerbait", which means reeling it in as fast as you can, for this many will buy a fast retrieve set up (7.2:1)
It only applies when you have multiple rod/reel set ups, each dedicated to doing it's own thing.
For you, you sound like you would benefit from going to the next level with your gear. You can get in the game cheap, what you are looking for is a spinning combo.
6' or 6-6 Med or Medhvy The reel should have a ratio in the 5.0-6-5:1 range (ratio not a big deal) Look for something that handles line from 6-17 lbs or in that range
The Rooster reply :
I was thinking that same thing but I didn't say it, now I don't know why either.
I'd get a Pflueger Trion for a spinning reel, they're affordable too, $40 for the reel or $60 for the whole combo. Model 4730GX or 4735GX Both are the same except the 35 model is larger and holds more line. It's a good size for all around fishing with 8 or 10 pound line on it. I got one of each size but the larger one is an upgrade from the Trion, it's the President instead. Trion is more affordable and they're both awesome reels.
family guy reply :
if your happy with it, why care what anyone else thinks!i'm serious,you shouldnt care if someone else thinks your fishing pole is a "joke"why is it a joke? does it catch fish? does it make you smile when you do catch fish? if it does, then stick with it!and if someone does make fun of your equipment,well i cant express enough how that person is an A##hole! now, the only thing i would do is put differnt line on it,because the line that comes with premade combos usally is not that good.this way you know the line is new,new line could mean the differance between catching a fish and losing a fish!
Low_Budget_Hooker reply :
Whoa, whoa, noone is attacking him here and noone has called his rod a joke,...other than himself in the title of HIS thread.
He is looking for an honest education here and he's getting some thoughtful replies.
Give us a budget and we can guide you better bud
grimlin reply :
Berkley lighting and cherrywood rods can be found at local walmarts for around $20-$30.If you are on a tight budget these are the rods that will do the job. Get a medium action rod in the 6'6"-7' range.
If you find an abu garcia rods which i have one and it's a decent cheap rod i picked up from walmart as well.I think i picked that one up at 1/2 off so i got it for around $15.
As for reels pick up any spinning reels and kinda play with them....I don't have the best luck with cheaper spinning reels as most of them didn't last more than a year for me.
crankbait2009 reply :
hey guys, no worries here. i am not taking any offense to what anyone is saying about my equipment. I realize i am most likely using a cheaper end of a pole/equipment.
like i said earlier, i have just now thought about getting into the fishing world a little bit more serious thaan i have before. as for my budget im nto too sure. obviously like everyone else, id rather spend as little as possible and get awesome results. like i mentioned before, whether its the bait i use or the places im fishing, i have not caught a thing. i have been using night crawlers, power bait, catfish bait and fake maggots. i have not caught ANYTHING. so i have been reading about crank baits and spinners which is what has prompted this thread. i wasnt aware that it took a whole different set up. (unless i am misunderstanding).
the odd thing is that i just went to a local sporting goods store here by home and i was looking at all the crank baits and spinners and i saw a sales person that i asked about a crank bait pole that would be great to use. he said there is not "specific" setup for crankbait fishing. either i asked the wrong question or the dude was on crack and had no idea or he was partially right.
so i bought a few crank baits and will begin to mess with them until i can afford a better pole for cranks.
if i could start catching "SOMETHING" with my pole that i have now maybe id think differently about my pole but for now, something isn't working 
thanks for your input, i am soaking all the info in and in time i will be set up with a great rod/reel
thanks guys!!!
The Rooster reply :
Well, I'm not sure what that guy was talking about but there most certainly is a crankbait specific rod out there. They have a slower action tip than just a regular graphite rod does and I believe that's supposed to help with not pulling the lure out of the fish's mouth when it strikes and you set the hook. I'm not an expert on crankbaits though, just getting into them this year actually and did somewhat decent with them too, but I have a lot to learn yet.
You can fish them on any rod though. Some are just a little, or even a lot, better than others. I don't have a special rod for them, I just use a regular 6' long medium power (a lot of rods call this the "action" but that's not correct) graphite rod. I like it because it's sensitive and I can feel the bait bumping into things underwater that I can't see and that lets me know what the bait is doing, how close to cover or structure it is where a fish may be lurking, and also with crankbaits they can get snagged up with those treble hooks they have so feeling the bait hit an object is a big deal for me cause I can stop the retrieve long enough to give the bait time to float up a bit and maybe clear the object it hit so it doesn't get snagged. I can probably do that with a crankbait rod but I do OK with mine so I just use it.
Incidentally, what kind of crankbaits did you get??
I like several but one of my favorites is the Bandit brand, 100 series for shallow depths, 200 and 300 for deeper depths. The longer the bill on them, the deeper they dive. Also when the bill on bait sticks more downward below the bait it dives shallower but when the bill is sticking out in front of the bait almost horizontally with it, it will dive deeper that way. To start out with the Bandit crankbaits are good ones to use. The 100, 200, and 300, and even the one they call "Footloose" which is a really shallow diver, those 4 series of Bandits will cover a LOT of water for you and get you in the game. They're also cheap too at under $5 per lure most times and come in tons of colors and patterns. They have a nice wide wobble to them also that you can really feel and that attracts fish sometimes, depending on their moods though. Sometimes a crankbait with a tight wobble is better.
=Matt 5.0= reply :
Gear is in the eye of the beholder I guess. Last weekend I took my cousin out for some time away from the house. He proceeded to outfish me by putting 6 fish in the boat with a 15 year old ugly stick and a $10 Shimano reel. Then again, somedays it's all about getting the guy in the front on some fish.
You gotta do what you can afford, and still have fun. 8-)
ddigit reply :
Not until you called it a pole.....Quoteis my fishing pole a joke???
None of those baits are bass baits, I don't think it is so much were your fishing or what system (rod/reel) you are using, but the baits sure don't fit the bass picture....
There are tons of well written articles in the front of this site (I know I spent a week reading them) on techniques, baits, systems, etc. that you (if your serious) need to be reading, look at the top of the forums for Fishing Articles.
Oh btw for god sakes they are fishing rods NOT POLES!
Good Luck....
crankbait2009 reply :
"Incidentally, what kind of crankbaits did you get?? "
i actually picked up a total of 5 crankbaits.
one was a pack of 4, rebel reds. (F49 MINNOW, BIG ANT, TEENY-WEE-R AND THE TEENY-WEE FROG.) they all have the red hooks on them.
the 5th crankbait i bought was a Bandit 200 series 238 (red crawfish). i have not used that as of yet. its kinda hard to believe that fish ould seriously bite these. these baits are HUGE. but i will save that for tomorrows fishing trip to the lake, and ill wait to see what happens.
are these crankbaits ok to use for shore fishing?
i decided to use the minnow first. i just got back back from the lake, i was shore fishing. i threw out the minnow a few times but realized that it didn't have enough weight to be casted out a ways. are the mini crankbaits better for boat fishing or do i need to modify them with some type of weight? when i casted it out, it seriously only went like 5 feet.
till tomorrows trip, i will continue to read!!
thanks
=Matt 5.0= reply :
Quotethe 5th crankbait i bought was a Bandit 200 series 238 (red crawfish). i have not used that as of yet. its kinda hard to believe that fish ould seriously bite these. these baits are HUGE.
A Bandit 200 is not huge.
Check this out to see what a Largemouth will try to eat. 8-)
http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1221127130
The Rooster reply :
I'd say part of your trouble with the cast distance is that the rod you have is pretty heavy for those smaller baits. That and the line. The rod isn't loading well enough when you rare back to cast. That's where the lure weight printed on the side of a rod comes into play. A lot of them will have a range of say 1/4 to 3/4 oz. If you go below that then the rod doesn't load up well to "sling shot" the lure as you cast it. The lure wasn't heavy enough. Then if you have heavy stiff line (factory line especially) it's gonna hamper the cast that much more. That Bandit lure you bought is probably the heaviest one of the ones you got, and it's 1/4 oz. in weight incase you're curious.
By the way, see that bass in my picture to the left?? It's not huge but it is a keeper bass, it measured 15 inches long. I didn't weigh it but I'm "guessing" a pound and a half maybe?? I know it's not big but it is decent and it fell prey to a Bandit 100 series shallow diver, same size and weight as the 200 of which I've caught numerous bass on, but just has a shorter lip to dive with. It was the taco salad color which is a chartreuse back with chartreuse scale pattern and has orange/yellow sides. These things just WORK!! I caught quite a few fish on them this year. Even bluegills hit these things and their mouths aren't nearly large enough to eat them. Sometimes they just want to fight them and they get hooked. Which brings me to another point. I ALWAYS sharpen my hooks on all my baits right out of the package (a very few exceptions to this but usually not with crankbaits). I do this incase I get a strike that fails to hit the bait with the fish's mouth. Sometimes it will snag the fish anyway. To me a fish in the boat is a fish caught no matter how it happened. Having extra sharp hooks also helps to set the hook on impact as well incase you can't get a good hookset for some reason. You can just use a small whet stone like you'd sharpen a knife with and drag each hook tip backwards on the stone along the outside of the hook and on both sides (probably can't hit the inside J part of it but that's OK, 3 sides are enough). A few strokes for each hook are all that's needed most times and it makes a difference enough I feel it helps. I know it brings the blood on my fingers when I test them sometimes and that's sharp enough for me!! 
joeyd50 reply :
Read all you can, fish with what you have, and most of all have FUN, you'll be picking up stuff here and there and before you know it you'll have a arsenal of fishing equipment. Take your time and understand what you are buying and what application you plan on using it.
Good Luck
Joe
bigfruits reply :
yes. your rod is a joke
you will enjoy the sport alot more with a better set up.
i suggest a spinning rod with the following specs
6'6"
Med Fast
1/8-1/2 oz lure weight
fish-fighting-illini reply :
Hey Reds,
You are smart to start out with something relatively inexpensive. Why spend a ton if you aren't going to stick with it?
As far as line ratings on reels. Usualy they have 2 or 3 ratings but only one rating maybe on inexpensive ones. It is a kind of a guide for what is the maximum size line that the reel can handle. 115yds - 20lb means that a maximum of 115yds of 20lb line will fit on the spool.
You've got what is called a spincaster for a reel. The problem you are going to have is when you do catch a fish. The very low end reels are going to be tough to handle a fish of much size. They often don't last long and have fairly bad line on them. Fish what you enjoy and can afford though. Their is no wrong answer by the way people often refer to the rod as a pole. It probably comes from the days of cane poles. Don't worry about the semantics call it whatever you want and forget about what others think.
For inexspensive I'd go with spinning rod and spinning reel. Wallyworld sells a Shakespere Excursion rod ( make sure you get spinning) for $15 and you won't have to pay shipping. It won't win any awards but it will be a start. Or by an inexpensive Gander mountain rod. Gander makes a very inexpensive spinning reel that imitates a much more expensive reel. It is the GST series. When you save a little money you can pick up a reel or a rod /reel combo. I'm not sure what the combo or the reel price is at the store. You can pick up the reel ( get the GST30 or 35 or 40 size ) on Ebay often for $20 or less in great shape. I will be selling a GST40 for $20 plus shipping. Let me know if you want it. The reel is like new and I will put some decent line on it for you. This is a slightly larger reel but would make for a good all around bass and catfish reel. I can give you some names of guys on this site as a reference.
I'm not sure why someone said that worms were not a bass bait. The same people probably fish plastic worms a bunch. What do you think the plastic is imitating? Real worms of course!
If you have a Gander Mountain store by you they seem to do pretty well at taking time with ustomers. Chat with them and they can guide you a little. They are salespeople though so be careful.
Some rods have 2 ratings on them one is power ( medium for instance ) the other is action ( fast is an example). The lower priced rods often won't have both ratings probably just M ( for mediium ), ML for medium light, Just start with a medium 6'6" or a 7'
Try to find an uncle or a buddy or a buddies dad that can give you some pointers.
Feel free to pm me if I can offer any more advice.
FFI - AKA Matt Crum
crankbait2009 reply :
well, after doing a bunch of reading i still have one question that does not seem to be directly answered. maybe it has been but im getting confused.......................
ok, if i start using crankbaits i have learned that monofilament line would be best. i am still confused how to figure out color, thickness and lbs that should be used.
i was thinking that youd want the clear line so it cant be seen by fish. ive seen green, red, blue and clear color line. am i safe going with clear or ultra clear?
as for the thckness and lbs i am at a loss there. not sure how to determine what i should use.
last but not least, i am seeing a lot of recommendations for triline big game fishing line........................i was looking on the bass pro shop and dicks sporting goods website and there are SO MANY manufacturer's. is it nothing more than whatever someone wants? is it all the same, just a different manufacturer? does it really matter who makes it?
i will be looking for line for crankbaits (for now)
Grey Wolf reply :
Have you read the section for beginners on the home page yet ?
crankbait2009 reply :
going now.................. :-[
Muddy reply :
Hey REDS, no nothing is a joke about you, your 'pole' or anyother begginer, we all started some where. Go to the begginers section like you are doing then go to top left of the Home Page and click on articles and go to EQUIPMENT. Then you will have a basis to ask questions and understand we all have brands we love, and that is where the reccomended stuff will come from. Provided they come from people who actually use the equipment all will be good suggestions
Then go to a store close to you that has some of the suggested products and SEE HOW THEY FEEL TO YOU.
When asking for suggestions always add what price range you are shopping in, people will even go to the trouble of giving you on line links to thier suggestions. YOU DO NOT NEED TO SPEND A TON OF MONEY 8-)
crankbait2009 reply :
WOW, i could not figure out where this beginners page was at. i kept going back to the forum front page and never saw anything. so i decided to click "home" to the actual bass fishing website and if you can believe it, there was a whole bunch of reading material behind the tabs.
thanks, i am reading now!!!!!!!!
Redlinerobert reply :
Welcome to the wonderful world of bass fishing. Whether you spend a little or spend alot, you'll find one thing that is the great equalizer.
Fish don't care what you spend on your tackle.
If you go to any of the larger fishing tackle stores, ask their opinion as well. I am sure that if you tell them what you are fishing for that they will point you in the right direction of what you can buy within your means.
platinumjason reply :
If you can afford about $65 I picked up a nice Abu Garcia Cardinal spinning reel with Fenwick rod at Wal-Mart. Rod is a MH which is what I like the best and reel had 7 bearings. Very nice for the money.
MSPbass reply :
Fishing can be so frustrating when you're not catching anything. We've all been there dude. But you seem to be keeping at it. Right on man! All this stuff will make more sense the more you learn and, more importantly, once you actually start to catch fish. For the fish part, I suggest you also pick up a package or 2 of plastic worms. They are bass catchers, pure and simple. Cranks can be hard to use from shore, but worms are hard to fish wrong. Now, worming can get complicated, don't get me wrong. Its my confidence bait but I learn new worm techniques every year. But I also think it's a great way to learn bass fishing. I suggest you pick up a bag of Senko worms to fish weightless and a bag of hooks that says Off Set Worm Hook or Wide Gap Worm and you're good to go, even with your current set up. Once you get a new rod/reel, you'll ghave a sturdier tool, plus the ability to cast further and more accurately.
http://www.bassresource.com/fish/plasticworms.html
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