War Party

I'm easy to please. I have a Berkley 5'6" pistol grip that's possibly 15 years old with a plane-jane red Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 5500C that I spool every couple of months with fresh Trilene XL 14lb mono. This setup gets more fishing time than several other more expensive rod/reel combo's that I own.

For such a low price, the Vendetta is a really nice rod. IMO, a better rod than Mojo. For those of us with less disposable income or multiple outdoor hobbies to support, its nice to be able to afford such nice gear.

I can't endorse anything cheaper than the Abu Garcia Ambassador reels. The C3 is as low as I'll go. Someone already said the Shimano Citica and you shot that down. In my opinion, your only option is to buy a Bass Proshops combo and hope you get a good one. http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_104163_100003001_100000000_100003000_100-3-1

Beetle Spin

Dink whisperer, why do you get all bent outta shape when anyone uses the word mexican? You make it sound so dirty...like saying mexican is like usin' the N word. :

Abu Garcia Ambassadur reels are as low in quality that I'll stand behind. They are great reels for what they cost. Truly the Budweiser of fishing reels.

At that price, start lookin' at a GBlanks custom or a Kistler Magnesium too. http://www.imaginationbassin.com/gblanksproducts.htm

I love my Mojo Bass rod. I really would buy another....but my heart is for sure set on an Avid. If you can, get to a store that has both. You may find that the extra eighty bucks is worth it. But for 100 dollars, either the Premier or the Mojo, no doubt.

I wouldn't buy that combo. Keep fishing with what you have and save up your money. Save until you have enough to buy exactly what you want and need. Go buy some new line for your spinning setup and put the rest in the bank!

http://basszone.com/2009quickflips/duckett7.htm

Abu Garcia 6600C3 with that 7ft Heavy thats still on sale for 39.99! http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat20166-cat20372&id=0053033122637a&navCount=7&podId=0053033&parentId=cat20372&masterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=9IS&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat601233&hasJS=true

These little 5'6" rods are the ticket for shore fishing when you have to bust brush. I also love them in the kayak because they don't stick out further than the bow of the boat hitting the bank and limbs when I get in tight spots. They also cast a lure onto a dime...very accurate length.

A 120.00 dollar Citica on a 30 dollar 5'6" Cabelas Fish Eagle rod: http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?id=0053033122637a&navCount=0&podId=0053033&parentId=cat21428&masterpathid=&navAction=jump&cmCat=MainCatcat21404-cat21406-cat21428&catalogCode=9IS&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat21428&hasJS=true

Before my brother became familiar with baitcasters, he was a spincast junkie. He came to the conclusion that the Daiwa GoldcastIII was the best one out there.

A Shimano Curado 200E5. http://www.***.com/descpageRLCSHIMANO-SCER.html

I would opt for something faster than a 5:1. The Curado 2007E is almost too fast. They really need a Curado 6 or 6.3 to 1. That's a good enough reason to go with a 200B Calcutta. Its easy to palm this smallish round reel and its an all around speed...and its bomb proof!

You are using the word VINTAGE very loosely. ;D

A carrot stick feels great in your hand, but after reading several posts here, I am concerned about the quality of their components. I'd feel safer with a St Croix Premier. And for that price you could fish a St Croix Avid....or a custom rod from GBlanks: http://www.imaginationbassin.com/gblanksproducts.htm

A 6'6" med fast or MH fast. You can find rods that are labeled med or medheavy that in actuality fall more in one direction or another. The St Croix Avid medium power/fast action feels more powerful and fast that others that I have tried. The Team All Star rod with the same designation feels more light in power and less fast in speed. The Avid casting 6'6" MF with a Shimano Calcutta 100B or the Team Allstar 6'6" MH with a Citica 200E. One combo costs about 150 dollars less and will be (almost!) just as enjoyable to fish with. :-X

What do you consider inexpensive? I personally consider 200 dollars a good price for a decent setup. But inexpensive to me means under 100 dollars. If I only had 100 dollars........ I's buy an Abu Garcia 5500C3 and one of the 29.99 Cabelas rods one sale right now. That's about 120 dollars, but so what. Its for a good cause! http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat20166-cat20372&id=0053033122637a&navCount=7&podId=0053033&parentId=cat20372&masterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=9IS&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat601233&hasJS=true

Its rattle trap time!

Let's assume that you can spend 200 dollars total. For a reel, look at the Abu Garcia Revo S, the Abu Garcia Ambassador 5500C3 or 5600C4, the Shimano Citica 200E. These are all quality reels that can be had for under 100 dollars if you shop. For a rod, the St Croix Triumph or Mojo Bass will go for under 100 dollars. So will the Shimano Compre line, the Falcon Original, some of the All Star rods, and several more. Cabelas is having a sale on XML Casting rods. The best deal in the world right now. Shop around on here for a few minutes and see what's out there: http://www.***.com/descpageCASTFALCON-FOGC.html To have an idea of what rod to use, med, med-heavy, fast ect... read this: http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1141187546

Mojo Bass MBS68MXF w/ a 2500 Shimano Sedona.

St Croix Mojo Bass 6'8" Med Extra Fast: MBS68MXF

A Citica is only 119.