I'm New To Bass Fishing This Year And I'm Wanting To Step Up My Game...

[JazzNBell]

I've been fishing with wallyworld gear so far and I find myself getting extremely frustrated with the gear I have purchased. I'm wanting to step it up a notch and spend a few hundred on some new gear... I usually fish small to medium size lakes in Eastern Iowa. I'm still learning on what baits to use and how to use them. I thought this forum would be perfect to ask what kind of gear would be appropriate for me to start using to try and make things easier and quicker to learn the art of bass fishing?

[buzzfrog]

got to bass pro, get a pro qualifer with a 7 MH baitcasting rod, get a pfluegur president and a vengence/vendetta or veratas rod in M 6'6.. both good starting out combos

[Jake P]

You can fish almost Avery lure with 3 setups. I would recommend a 7ft mh/f baitcasting combo for t rigs. Jigs and spinnerbaits.

A 7 ft m-mh/ moderate or moderate fast for all baits with a treble hook.

And finally a 7ft m/f spinning combo for all light weight to weightless lures.

those 3 will do you perfect.

[unionman]

You can fish almost Avery lure with 3 setups. I would recommend a 7ft mh/f baitcasting combo for t rigs. Jigs and spinnerbaits.

A 7 ft m-mh/ moderate or moderate fast for all baits with a treble hook.

And finally a 7ft m/f spinning combo for all light weight to weightless lures.

those 3 will do you perfect.

X2. But I would use a medium power/fast action rod for plastics. 7' long is nice for those long casts from shore too. If this is who I think it is then WELCOME TO THE SITE! You will become a better fisherman quick if you study every corner of this site. Use 'classic' view instead of 'mobile' for videos and articles and other homepage links. mobile view is best for forums...

[Marty]

I've been fishing with wallyworld gear so far and I find myself getting extremely frustrated with the gear I have purchased.

Frustration can occur with a large variety of retailers. To say you're frustrated with Wal-Mart is not very specific; some good equipment can be purchased there. What products are you frustrated with and what are those frustrations?

[bassh8er]

got to bass pro, get a pro qualifer with a 7 MH baitcasting rod, get a pfluegur president and a vengence/vendetta or veratas rod in M 6'6.. both good starting out combos

Good advice. This is a great beginner outfit, and works well for an experienced angler. I've got 4 pro qualifiers that I've used for the past 3 years. Excellent quality for the price.

[roadwarrior]

Hmm...

Depends on what you want to spend.

[Jake P]

X2. But I would use a medium power/fast action rod for plastics. 7' long is nice for those long casts from shore too. If this is who I think it is then WELCOME TO THE SITE! You will become a better fisherman quick if you study every corner of this site. Use 'classic' view instead of 'mobile' for videos and articles and other homepage links. mobile view is best for forums...

Would you throw a 1 oz Jig with a craw trailer on a M power rod? I doubt it. If he is wanting to spend alot of money im sure we could all break down a rod and reel for every single lure out there. I suggested a MH becuase he will be able to use it for more than just "plastics". Just my opinion.

[unionman]

Sure. why not?

[JazzNBell]

Hmm...

Depends on what you want to spend.

Couple hundred??

[JazzNBell]

Frustration can occur with a large variety of retailers. To say you're frustrated with Wal-Mart is not very specific; some good equipment can be purchased there. What products are you frustrated with and what are those frustrations?

I agree.. SOME good equipment is from wally world. But not fishing gear. I couldnt't even tell you what the brand is. I know its an open face reel and I paid like 30 bucs for it. It's frustating because it doesn't cast very well. The line is always getteing tangled. Just all around pain in the ass.

[unionman]

Go to Gander Mountain. The have the largest selection around here and usually cheaper than Dicks. I would reccomend a Mojo Bass rod from St. Croix. They are $99. High quality rod and very sensitive! If you spend the same amount on a reel you will have a nice setup.

You can always add an upgraded reel to your rod in the future or just get your original reel Super Tuned(go to delewarevalleytackle.com) Im getting all of my reels done this winter. You can find videos on youtube of before and after.

[BrianSnat]

Frustration can occur with a large variety of retailers. To say you're frustrated with Wal-Mart is not very specific; some good equipment can be purchased there. What products are you frustrated with and what are those frustrations?

True. One can buy a Shimano Sahara w/ a Berkley Lightning Rod at Wal-mart and that would be a darn nice outifit. If we know where his frustration lies, we'd be better able to help. Maybe it's the type of equipment rather than the quality. Maybe it's user error. A little of both, or something else.

[BrianSnat]

I agree.. SOME good equipment is from wally world. But not fishing gear. I couldnt't even tell you what the brand is. I know its an open face reel and I paid like 30 bucs for it. It's frustating because it doesn't cast very well. The line is always getteing tangled. Just all around pain in the ass.

Oops, didn't see this before my post above. I assume you mean spinning when you say open face. I use mostly Shimano reels that were in the $25 to $40 range and they are fine reels. In fact I only own one freshwater reel that cost me over $40. You can get yourself a $300 reel and still encounter tangles. They happen for a number of reasons.

#1 is line twist. If you are using spinners (or any rotating lure) it will twist your line and make tangles a near certainty.For lures that rotate get some good quality, ball bearing swivels. That will cut down on line twist.

Also if when you first loaded the line on your spinning reel, if you did it wrong you had line twist before you even made your first cast. Make sure you spool your line properly (see Youtube for videos).

Even with these precautions you are still going to get line twist. It's one of the negatives of spinning reels. At the end of a day of fishing, cut off any terminal tackle and let the line out behind your boat as if you are trolling. This will help get out the twist. If you don't have a boat, let it out in to the current of the stream.

#2 major reason for tangles is slack line. This is a technique issue. Do everything you can to avoid extra slack in your line.

A third reason for tangles is that you are using the wrong line for your reel. If your reel says it is for 4-12 test line don't spool it with 15 lb test line as it will want to jump off the spool.

Another is too much line on your spool. This will cause tangles. But don't use too little line either or it will cut down you your casting distance (see below)

When you say it "doesn't cast very well" it isn't necessarily the equipment. My $25 Berkley Lightning Rod, purchased at WalMart, casts every bit as well as my $150 Shimano rods. I can cast quite well with the $15 Wally world rod I bought for my wife.

When you say it doesn't cast well, I assume you mean distance. This could happen for a number of reasons.

1. Unbalanced tackle. Line, rod or reel are not compatible. if you are casting 20 lb test line with a rod that is rated for 12 lb test it will effect your distance. If your reel is too large for the rod it will also impact your distance.

2. Rod/reel/line not appropriate for the bait you are using. Don't try to toss 3/8 oz baits using a rod that is rated for 1/2 oz. plus. Similarly, don't use a 1 oz jig on a rod that is meant for lures up to 1/2 oz. Nor are you going to get much distance using a balsa Rapala with a MH rod and 15 lb test line.

3. Not enough line on your spool. If your spool is not full, there will be friction from get go that will cut down on your casting distance. Be sure your spool is full (but not too full, see above).

4. Unmatched rod and reel. I wish I had a buck for every person I saw fishing with a spinning reel on a bait casting rod. The guides on a spinning rod are wider toward the bottom than they are on a casting rod. They act to funnel the line as it comes off the spool in a wide arc. If you use a bait casting rod with its more narrow lower guides it's just going to create friction and cut down on your casting distance.

Note: if you have a bait caster rather than a spinning reel, some, but not all of the above applies.

Don't think better equpment will be a panacea for your issues. Unless you address the root causes you can shell out $200 or $300 for a high end outfit and still wind up with the same problems.

[Dr. Watson]

In the couple of hundred class, I'd pick up either a Dobyns Savvy or Falcon Bucoo in Med for general purpose and medium heavy for plastics and light jigs and pair them with an E series Curado, Citica, or a Lew's Tournament Pro in at least a 6.4:1 or 7.0:1.

[JazzNBell]

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who posted there opinions, all were greatly appreciated and very helpful. I ended going with a 7ft m mojo bass rod by St. Croix and a Shimano Citca reel. Within the first hour in the water I had my first catch on a lipless rattle crankbait..