Need A Couple Rods. Looking For Suggestions.

[RF813]

This'll be the last equipment question I have for a little bit.  Thank you to everyone who has answered all of my reel questions.

 

I'll be getting 2 new reels over this winter. One for me, and one for my Son. (who is 7).  Both with the same purpose of catching Bass at local Ponds / Lakes up here in CT.  There are 2 different reels, and I've chosen them based on affordability, and the fact they both came highly recommended.
 

 

For me, i've decided I'd pick up the Shimano Sahara 3000.

 

 

The other one, for my Son would be a Pflueger President. I saw a Combo directly through the  Pflueger website.  If there is a combo that fits this bill, I am open to suggestions.

 

Fishing from shore, what determines what a suitable Rod would be?  6.5 to 7' range, Medium Action is what I have read.  What makes one brand better than another if they have the same specs?  So basically I am looking for rods for both of these reels, combos are fine, I just want something we can both grow into and that will last a bit.

 

Thanks again for all the help.

 

Rich

 

 

 

[Virtuoso]

This'll be the last equipment question I have for a little bit.  Thank you to everyone who has answered all of my reel questions.

 

I'll be getting 2 new reels over this winter. One for me, and one for my Son. (who is 7).  Both with the same purpose of catching Bass at local Ponds / Lakes up here in CT.  There are 2 different reels, and I've chosen them based on affordability, and the fact they both came highly recommended.

 

 

For me, i've decided I'd pick up the Shimano Sahara 3000.

 

 

The other one, for my Son would be a Pflueger President. I saw a Combo directly through the  Pflueger website.  If there is a combo that fits this bill, I am open to suggestions.

 

Fishing from shore, what determines what a suitable Rod would be?  6.5 to 7' range, Medium Action is what I have read.  What makes one brand better than another if they have the same specs?  So basically I am looking for rods for both of these reels, combos are fine, I just want something we can both grow into and that will last a bit.

 

Thanks again for all the help.

 

Rich

 

 

Your 7 year old may have some serious problems with a 7 foot rod. From the shore it helps to be versatile. Sometimes its tough casting a 7 foot rod with limbs n stuff. THO if it is more open a longer rod is optimal. You can cast further, and reach more fish.

 

The president is a good reel for the price. I would probably get two of those unless you want to invest in a higher dollar shimano with line propulsion management or w.e. its called. Not a huge fan of the sahara.it feels too cheap. The president is the best low dollar spinning reel at B&M. You can stretch your money by taking care of these deals online.

 

Brand does not matter unless its a St. Croix. If it is a St. Croix you probably have the best rod ever.

 

On the cheap end I have bought youngsters vendetta's and lightning rods and they still use em, so I guess they are happy. Good choice going spinning for what you are doing!

 

On a better than cheap rod end get a Fenwick Elite Tech Small mouth M/XF. Buy it at a discount. What is ur price range?

 

Your kid should be good with a 6 foot Medium lightning rod.

[RF813]

Good point on the length, I should have specified, for HIM, i'd be looking at a 6' rod if possible.  That's what he's been using all year on an ugly stik, and it seems to be a good size for him.

[Virtuoso]

So how much are you looking to spend? I think you should go 7 feet. You can always cast sidearm, overhead, underhand, w.e. to get the job done if need be.

 

Your kid should be fine with the ugly stick. A step up would be just about anything though. A lightning rod is not a bad idea, I think 6' is just right. How tall is he?

[RF813]

He's very tall for his age, 4'6"......    Suppose $75 - $100 Each?  

 

I've seen the Presidents sold as Combos, so i might lean in that direction, but I really don't want to buy him something crappy either. That being said, I don't know what a good Rod consists of, so putting a pricerange on it, I may come off a bit silly.

[Virtuoso]

He's very tall for his age, 4'6"......    Suppose $75 - $100 Each?  

 

I've seen the Presidents sold as Combos, so i might lean in that direction, but I really don't want to buy him something crappy either. That being said, I don't know what a good Rod consists of, so putting a pricerange on it, I may come off a bit silly.

 

Yeah that's tall for his age. I would get something nice he could grow into. That price range you open the doors to a veritas, mojo, vendetta, diesel, ethos, Fenwick ET Smallmouth, and so many others. A rod that seems to be a staple in most people's arsenals are those 6'8'' M/XF spinning rods. Very useful, very versatile. if he grows up and wants a bunch of rods, he will sure hang on to that one.

 

Most what people say comes down to preference. Someone can like rod A over rod B for many different reasons. I am biased towards the Fenwick ET Smallmouth. I've seen them go for $70 at some local places. Its that time of the year stuff goes cheap. If you could grab a M/XF spinning version you or your kid would have a keeper for sure. I use them along side of my megabass rods, when the situation calls.

 

What to look for? A rod made with graphite. A rod that feels balanced and light. The guides are straight. The blank is straight. It comes with a warranty. Make sure you take your reel, mount it to the rod and see how it feels. It should feel good in YOUR HANDS. That usually is what wins people over and gives confidence.

What to NOT look for? Graphite ratings, any rod made of glass, any rod that is a graphite composite i.e. an ugly stick. A rod that is all Yellow! Check out the cork too, does it have pitting? how bad is the pitting? What is the reel seat made out of?

 

If you buy used. Check to see if you can sneak a Gen 1 Cumara for $100 bucks. You'll be spoiled. I've seen Avids go for $100 bucks. You can really stretch your money buying used.

 

You are going to want sensitivity. The lighter the rod, the better balanced the rod, the better experience you will have with the rod in my experience.

 

PLEASE DO NOT BUY A ROD/REEL COMBO. Just don't do it, its not worth it, buying separate will get you a much nicer rod. Some may say there are some exceptions at bass pro shops. They do make a good carbonlite rod. But 99% of the time the combo is going to not work out as well.

[skeletor6]

He's very tall for his age, 4'6"......    Suppose $75 - $100 Each?  

 

I've seen the Presidents sold as Combos, so i might lean in that direction, but I really don't want to buy him something crappy either. That being said, I don't know what a good Rod consists of, so putting a pricerange on it, I may come off a bit silly.

 

A short rod now, could always end up being a topwater or jerkbait rod in the future. The shortest rod I've considered actually getting is a 6'3'' cumara for some jerkbait purposes. I would go 2 directions

 

1.) Something a little too big for him right now, but he can grow into

2.) Something suitable to his size right now, but if he gets really into bass fishing will want to upgrade later.

 

I haven't fished a sahara or pfleuger president. Have held them in hand, the pfleuger seemed nicer to me, but that is pure speculation and is not advice I would take. I would wait for someone who knows about the reels to chime in.

 

I will say I know of a couple guys who owned spinning rods in the Smallmouth series. They use them along-side high dollar rods. A friend is looking to get rid of a ML/F smallmouth rod. He might be able to give you a good deal. PM Me if interested.

[RF813]

The padlock is off! 

 

Normally, i'd look used, but Santa doesn't bring used items, does he?  Heheh. 

 

After doing a bit of research, i'm leaning towards the  *** *** Black Spinning Rod 7'1" Medium (fast) and the St. Croix Premier® Spinning Rods (mainly because I've read good things, and they have a 6' option which would fit my boy.)

 

I also have the castaway discount. But I haven't read too much about them. What are people's thoughts on those rods? 

 

Man, there are SO many options out there...my head is spinning. (no pun intended)  I'd love a bit more insight as i've narrowed it down a bit.

 

Again, thank you to all who have chimed in, I have learned a great deal.

 

 

Rich

[new2BC4bass]

Another excellent option is the Fenwick Elite Tech Smallmouth series.  I have 2 of the casting models, and actually prefer them to my ***.  YMMV. 

 

They have a 6'3" MF 1/8-3/4 6-12 and a 6'9" MLF 1/16-5/8 4-10 or the same length with an X-Fast tip rated 1/8-3/4 oz.  Personally I like longer rods.  If shore cover isn't a problem, then the 7'4" MF would cast further.

 

fishusa has the best everyday prices that I know of.  Yup.  Narrowing choice to just one is pretty tough given all of the options we now have.

[kschultz76]

Rich, awesome to hear you're trying to get your son interested in fishing and spending quality learning/experiencing it with him. Most of my best childhood memories are sharing bass fishing with my father, and that continues today at the age of 34.

Knowing how a 7 year old is going to learn, and fish, and make mistakes I'd really recommend you stick to a cheaper option for him that can be easily replaced. It is likely to suffer damage and may be something be will grow out of. Cabelas has their Fish Eagle 50 rods on sale for 44.99 starting on 11/28. I haven't used on recently but in the past they've been a decent value.

For you there are a lot of great options in the 100 dollar range. Only rod I've had personal experience with in that range recently is the St Croix Triumph and Premier lines. They'd likely be a bit tip heavy but have nice sensitivity and handling for their price. With Black Friday sales coming you can probably swing something more in the 150 range normally and get it for your budget.

Whatever you choose I know you'll make great me prices for you and your son. Best of luck to you!

[A-Jay]

Hi RF,

 

You've received quite a bit of input, options and opinions about your upcoming rod & reel purchase.

 

I believe that your previous thoughts regarding the Pflueger President Spinning Combos are very good.

 

I purchased this a couple of these combos for my wife 6 years ago when she started fishing with me.  She was just learning (everything) and these outfits were perfect.  Reasonably priced, good quality and durable. There are a few different model / actions to chose from making picking the right one for you and you son possible.  Both of my wife's combo's are still performing like the day we got them. 

 

You can certainly spend more if you chose to however I believe this is a very good product and one that you'll have for a long time to come.

Good Luck

 

A-Jay

 

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Fishing/Rod-Reel-Combos/Spinning-Combos%7C/pc/104793480/c/104762880/sc/105791580/Pfluegerreg-Presidentreg-Spinning-Combo/1308567.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fspinning-combos%2F_%2FN-1102843%2FNe-738%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_105791580%3FWTz_l%3DSBC%253BMMcat104793480%253Bcat104762880%26WTz_srn%3DBy%2BBrand%26WTz_st%3DGuidedNav%26WTz_stype%3DGNU&WTz_l=SBC%3BMMcat104793480%3Bcat104762880%3Bcat105791580

[new2BC4bass]

Only you know how well your son would treat his rod/reel.  My father got me a Mitchell 300 when I was six.  I fished it for a good many years.  I have let my...now 10-1/2 year old grandson...fish with one of my outfits for the past 2 years that would have cost $400 if I had bought new and paid MSRP.  However, he only uses it when I take him fishing.  I would never let him take it to his house...not that his father would ever take him fishing anyway.  I know I couldn't trust him to take good care of it if I wasn't there to make sure he did.  He can't even throw away his empty soda can on my computer desk. 

 

Accidents happen, but I never broke a rod until in my 60's when my balance and agility deteriorated allowing me to fall face first into a rock pile.

[RF813]

All very good points.  He's 7, and I want it to last, that being said, he's very responsible, and treats his stuff as well as I would want him to. 

[rippin-lips]

For a 7yr old the president combo will be just fine. I used a $50 combo when I first got back into fishing because I wasn't sure if I'd still enjoy it as much as when I was a kid. Caught plenty of fish on it. I still keep it hanging in the back window of my truck on the rack in case I discover a new body of water.

[RF813]

For a 7yr old the president combo will be just fine. I used a $50 combo when I first got back into fishing because I wasn't sure if I'd still enjoy it as much as when I was a kid. Caught plenty of fish on it. I still keep it hanging in the back window of my truck on the rack in case I discover a new body of water.

Yup, I agree with this outlook wholeheartedly.  We did great this year on original Ugly Stiks, but one of the reels isn't holding up too well. That why I'm looking for slight upgrades.  Thanks everyone!!

[SirSnookalot]

I agree with A-jay, not a thing wrong with a President combination.  I especially like the foregrip on the rod, that extra leverage IMO for a younger fisherman that hasn't developed adult strength.

[SirSnookalot]

My hand somehow migrated to the foregrip maybe 50 years a go and hasn't moved.  Especially with spinning gear my rod balances better, easier to work a bait, and my hand is in perfect strike position either to set the hook bass fishing or getting a big strike from something like a cuda or tarpon.  I would never own a rod without a foregrip.