Is there such a thing?

[d_paluch]

Hello everyone!

 

Just wondering what your thoughts are on this topic. I m looking for a good all-round rod/reel combo that is suited well for all types of fishing. Crankbaits, jigging, plastics, topwater, you name it. The kicker is I am on a very tight budget, but will not be afraid to spend a decent amount of cash on a combo if it will fill my needs for years to come.

 

I will be fishing creeks/rivers on foot, and smaller lakes in my inflatable. I currently own a $9.99 special from CT that served me well last summer for fishing the creeks in my area, and will more than likely continue to use that in the creeks due to my clumsiness. Mainly bass fishing, but would love to get out pike and walleyes fishing.

 

So to reiterate the question, what is a good, affordable combo that would suit my fishing needs. I have a BPS catalog infront of me and it is overwhelming to say the least. I am willing to try a baitcaster (have never used anything but spinning to date).

 

What are all of your opinions?

 

**and to add to my question, what line should I use, Mono, fluro, braid?

Edited March 4, 2011 by d_paluch

[danbouck]

If you want one combo for years go with a spinning setup. Go to a store, try some out and go from there. You will quickly learn what you don't want

[Chance]

Try looking in the classified section.You can get a good combo that is less than retail.

[GBW]

here is my take on this.

you want a rod and reel to go after big fish then you need a 7' MH or Heavy rod with a bigger reel with a good drag.

you want a reel for finess set ups then a a smaller reel on a 6' or 6'6" Med to ML rod will do.

see where I'm going?

in golf you have 14 clubs in the bag for a reason. think of the golf ball's as your lures...

if that helps any.

start rolling your coins now if you get what I mean...

Geoff

[adempsey]

What's your budget? It's very important to know this since what is the best value varies a lot across price range.

 

If your budget is tight, definitely stick with spinning reels unless you can find a good deal used.

 

For ~$100-$125

 

I like the Shakespeare Ugly Stik as a good inexpensive rod that will last a long while. Probably 6'6" Medium action covers all bases.

 

For reels, take a look at Abu Garcia Cardinal series (100i or 300i), Pflueger President ($60 in BPS flyer), Shimano Sedona, Daiwa Regal XiA. I have all those reels (most are for ice fishing) and have no problems with them at all. The door crasher BPS spinning reel ($30 on March 27th) might be worth looking at, but I am always skeptical about BPS products. I recently bought one of their reels on sale though, but have only used it a few times ice fishing.

 

I also bought a Medallion GT combo from BPS a few years back. Great rod IMO. It came with a Shimano Sedona, but the current combo comes with a Medallion reel - not sure who makes those, probably Pflueger: http://www.basspro.com/Browning-Fishing-Medallion-GT-Rod-and-Reel-Spinning-Combos/product/10205104/-1665088

 

LeBaron sells Pflueger Trion, Daiwa Regal-5iA and an Abu Garcia 400i combos that might be worth looking at as well.

 

Good luck!

[Rizzo]

I still use 39.99 combos from walmart for pike/bass etc. Work fine for me, plus I want to save all my $$$for musky gear!

[cwpowell]

The 29.99 and 39.99 combos from your local bait and tackle are usually not too bad. Especially the Diawas.

[lookinforwalleye]

I would stay away from baitcasters for now!

 

If you want a decent combo that won`t break the bank try this, a 7'-0" medium action Shimano Convergence and attach a Shimano Sedona 2500 this combo will handle 90% of the fishing you might do including,crankbaits,spinner baits and jerkbaits.

On sale you should be able to get this combo for a 100 bucks or so,IMHO you can`t get a better value than a Sedona especially when they are on sale,at the recent Spring show the Sedona`s were going for 59 bucks a super deal.

And pay attention if a one piece rod will fit in your car if not make it a two piece!

[Garry2Rs]

The irony of cheap tackle is that you might very well be spending more on your fishing line, than on your rod and reel...

 

For stream and pond fishing any medium light or medium spinning outfit will get you started. Longer 7ft rods are stylish and might cast farther, but they can be a pain if you are working in tight quarters.

 

At the low end of the spinning reel price scale you are buying disposable produces...Think Bic pens and lighters. They are pretty good, but inside, they have plastic parts. They tend to be heavier than more expensive models of the same size. When they get sticky, break-down or wear-out, discard them and buy new. I think good reels are worth the money, however it is true that you can get 5 new cheapies for the price of one new Stradic!

I use 10 to 20 pound braid on my spinning reels and since the drag on cheap reels might be a little sticky, you might like to start there. Assuming you are expecting fish of 5 pounds or less, this will give you a wide safety margin. If line visibility bothers you, tie on a 2ft. floro leader of 4 to 15 pound test. The strength of the leader will depend on the size and species of fish, the water clarity and the cover etc.

 

In my opinion, Ugly Sticks are ugly, heavy and whippy. However many people think they are okay. The BPS rods, that I have used, were also on the heavy side, but the price is right. When comparing cheap rods look for cork handles, more guides and guides with ceramic inserts. This isn't 100%, but it's a good indicator of better components.

 

If you are going after bigger fish like 30+ inch pike and musky, you will need heavier tackle. You could add a heavier spinning outfit, but bait casting gear might make sense. Level wind reels handle heavier line and bigger baits better than most spinning reels.

 

There are some okay cheap baitcast reels out there, like the venerable Abu C3, that could get you started. My braided line weights run between 30 and 80 pound test depending on what I'm targeting. This has more to do with the weight of the bait than the weight of the fish. Baits of one ounce or more can break 50 or 60 pound braid in the air, if you throw a backlash. I also use 20 pound mono on topwater baits. The stiff mono floats and helps to keep the bait from running over the line, where the hooks can become fouled.

 

Baitcasting isn't hard, but it requires knowing how and why to make a few adjustments to the reel. Therefore it's easiest if you learn from someone who already knows how and can explain why.

Garry2R's

[Fang]

I bought a 7' Medium BPS Tourney Special years ago for walleye and still use it today. In the boat it sits right beside my St. Croix and Diawas and other BPS Extreme rods. Has caught loads of fish and for a first multi species all round rod you can't do much better for the price. I have the 4-10lb but it's more like a Med rod. The 6-17 model is quite stiff.

[Cookslav]

Never been a fan of the combos...but Shimano always has "decent" price sensitive combos at CT.

$50-$70 for a decent medium action rod and entry level reel.

Good for your average day to day stuff I'd say?

[Weeds]

I'll cast another vote for the Ugly Stik. It may not be the most sensitive rod around and it is kind of heavy and whippy. On the plus side it's basically indestructable (some would call that a curse rather than a blessing)so you'll always have it when you upgrade. And when your 3 year son reaches over and inexplicably breaks the tip off your beloved St. Croix upgrade while you are sitting in your mini-van, well, you'll still have the Ugly Stik. And you won't be bitter. Not in the slightest. Not....Bitter. . Another good thing about the Ugly Stik is it makes a great loaner; you can let even young kids use it without fear of breaking the tip. I think alot of the negative experiences people have with the Ugly Stik are due in part to the fact that if purchased as a combo the reel that they pair it with is really crappy. Putting a half decent reel on, 40 to 50 bucks, leaves you with a decent and very durable combo in my opinion.

[spinnerbaitking]

Over the years I bought quite a few Shimano FX combo's for as low as $25.00 Med Heavy & they were used for everything from Bass to Pike to Musky & Salmon, I had some buddies that hadn't fished much & they worked fine, if you go Medium I've found that they missed lots of Bass on the tubes because they couldn't get a good enough hook set, Shimano Sedona would make a good reel for you but if you really don't have enough cash, try a Fx combo with a Medium Heavy Rod, There will be some deals on with the Sportsmen Show & BPS Spring Classic right around the corner, your local dealers will likely have a combo on that will work also

SBK

[Cudz]

There are decent rods and reels to be had for sure. Here is what I would do. THere is a 6'6 spinning rod made by shakespeare for sale at Walmart. THis thing feels really good and it is $15.97. Do not buy an ugly stik.

You work at ctc so there is a reel there called the Abu Garcia 501 or the 502. Very good reel and every year they go on sale for 50% off. They are a legit $70 reel and ctc sells them for $80 but on half price week they are $40. I have both sizes and they are solid. For under $60 you have a good combo and although the reel is better than the rod, you have only spent 16 bucks on the rod so you can upgrade it in a year and you will have a reel that matches.

[d_paluch]

thanks to everyone who has put in their insight. I guess it does come down to holding the rod/reels in my hand. And to Cudz, thanks man! Most DEFINITELY will be checking out that reel, and I saw that rod 2 weeks ago and it did feel good, it comes in red or blue I believe.

[Cudz]

Buy 2 spinning rods and reels before you buy 1 baitcaster. When you buy the baitcaster make it a good one. Don't cheap out.

 

Line- Almost all my rods have the same setup. 15 pound braid mainline and a 20' 8 pound fluoro leader. If you are fishing stained water just remover the leader. IF you are fishing simcoe leave fluoro leader on

[SlowPoke]

Shimano Sedona 2500 or Shimano Sahara 2500

Shimano Convergence 7' Med-Fast

20lb Suffix or Power Pro braid + Fluoro leader (15lb for pike, 8lb for bass, walleye, panfish)

 

A combo like this will be ultra versatile and last a decade of abuse. Two decades if you take care of it.

[sauce]

If you want to add more versatility to your combo, make sure that the reel you buy comes with a spare spool. Most reels come with one but some don't. Spool one up with 6 or 8 pound mono. Spool the other with 10 - 20 pound braid. If you can find a good deal on a rod that you like, buy 2 of them. One medium, the other medium light or medium heavy. A 2500 series shimano sedona or sahara, pfleuger president are good reel choices under $100. As for rods... start searching. Make sure to check out several stores as selection will vary greatly as will prices.

[misfish]

Line- Almost all my rods have the same setup. 15 pound braid mainline and a 20' 8 pound fluoro leader. If you are fishing stained water just remover the leader. IF you are fishing simcoe leave fluoro leader on

 

 

If your throwing reaction baits,floro is not needed.

[Cudz]

If your throwing reaction baits,floro is not needed.

maybe. Depends what we are talking about. Frogs on pads no fluoro leader obviously.

Night fishing for smallies, no leader needed. Guess it depends how fast you might be fishing them as well. I probably don't need a fluoro leader on wakebaits because generally speaking the line isn't even in the water.

[d_paluch]

So I am still up in the air. A cheap (~$40-80) spinning or baitcast. After some research, the Daiwa Strikeforce reel seems like a good reel for the price, and the BPS Graphite series rod combo looks greatl;

 

DAIWA STRIKEFORCE COMBO

 

 

I know you all said stay away from baitcasters until I have some real $$ to throw into it, but this reel doesn't have 1 bad review. Anyone on ever have any experience with this reel/rod/combo?

[GBW]

you will get more use out of a spinning rod/reel then a $70 baitcast combo.

I'm spending $200 on a baitcast combo just to have as a backup because the low $ stuff isn't good. and no, I don't wipe my with $ and I'm not a rich person in the monetary department.

[Banger68]

I would agree with others and stick with the spinning gear for now.

 

I will add a third thumbs up for an Ugly Stik. Can't beat it for the money and it will survive getting beat around in the trunk (I have one rod for 20yrs and would still be usable). I still use Ugly Stik lite for a few things and have no complaints.

[dhickey]

i was in that same boat afew years ago.. save your loonies and 2neys (it adds up fast) ask your famly members for gift certificates. get yourself a good spining reel and rodd . not a combo on sale .take your time save the money. be prepared to spend 250-350 you wont regret it .my first good sett was 350. it might take some getting used to and a few lost fish .but man it was worth it . i now have 3 combos to choose from (they all can interchange easly with good results. ps (keep them away from the kids)

[BillM]

A Sahara 1500 or 2500 and a decent rod is all that's needed. $350 on a spinning combo? For what the OP wants, that's a complete waste.