Fish Ad #4
27
Jan
I’m new to the sport of fishing and want to know a good rod/reel combo to buy?
Author: admin
I also want to know what line weight to go with. I live in Michigan and for now will most likely fish from shore for bass, walleye, etc. I want to learn now so I can teach my kids as they get older.
I bass fish and i am a fan of baitcast reels and some of my favorite brands are quantum and daiwa. For line i always go with 12 lb.
abu garcia combo cant go wrong
Well, I’ll start off by saying don’t get a baitcast combo when first starting out. They will frustrate you to the point where you will dread using it. Start off with a decent spinning setup from Wal Mart or Bass Pro. There’s literally loads and loads of good quality spinning reels for anywhere from 40 to 60 bucks. Abu Garcia was mentioned and that is a very good brand. They’re fairly cheap but they are quality reels, Wal Mart carries these. For your line I would go with 10 lb monofilament on a mid sized spinning setup although you could also get away with 12 lb.
Im not sure if you plan on using live bait or lures but I’ll try to help you out a bit with the artificial stuff. Having plenty of things like rooster tails, plastic worms, small spinnerbaits, jig heads, and hooks. These are all easy baits to use and generally productive. Then again throwing out a worm with a hook and floater will do great as well, but not so much for your bass.
How much are you willing to spend? A good rod & reel combo for the beginner would be the Zebco 33/Rhino Indestructible combo – http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_10104_9990000080356111P?vName=Fitness+%26+Sports&cName=Fishing&keyword=zebco+33 Rhino rods (especially the “Indestructible” model) are tough as nails and relatively cheap. The Zebco 33 reel is a proven reel that is absolutely one of the best, especially for the beginner. I have the same reel with a different rod (mine has a crappy rod, better off getting the Rhino rod with it) and have caught some carp up to 22″ without missing a beat.
If it handled a 22″ carp it will easily bring in a big walleye or bass. Carp are very hard fighters that are tough on gear but it handled it fine. Spool it up with a good 10lb stren or trilene xl for best performance. I have mine spooled with 12lb only because of the size of fish that I may run into (15lb carp) but 10lb would be best suited for bass & walleye.
With your rod and reel, buy some assorted little containers of split shots, a few weighted bobbers, aberdeen & baitholder style hooks, some pliers, and maybe a measuring tape.
Its terrific to see you want to get into fishing. Once you know how to do the basic stuff and get to land a few nice fish, I’m sure you’ll be hooked…no pun intended.
Its really a matter of brand preference and style of fishing, but generally I’d get a combo thats around 100 bucks. Ask the retail owner which is right for the type of fishing you’ll be doing.
From my experience with buying rod/reel combos you’ll get what you pay for. Get something cheap and you’ll be lucky if it lasts one fishing season, regardless of brand name. I bought a Diawa shock combo for 20 bucks (orig 30-35.00) for my girlfriend and the reel didn’t last 15 outtings.
Tackle shop owner warned me before I bought it too. ><
I prefer Shimano for my fishing needs, their equipment can get expensive however but I still advise you to check them out.
If you’re looking to go a bit cheaper I would recommend Shakespeare Ugly Stik. They have combos for around $20-40. Ugly Stik rods do live up to their name they may be ugly but they last. A medium action rod with 10 pound test should do the trick.
Shimano QuickFire II 6.5′. It sounds weird, but 30# test braid and 20# fluorocarbon leader — because bank fishing leads to a LOT of hang-ups.
My full list (link below) could be done in 10-20 minutes shopping @ Walmart.