$250 Towards A Spinning Combo

[WiregrassRiverRat]

I am partial to Lews and Duckett.... this will be a wish list item for june so ... maybe Ghost rod and a team lews gold spin speed spin reel? What do you guys recommend.. Should money go more towards the reel or the rod.. (on my baitcasters money is more towards the rod)..

 

This will be used for flukes, shakyhead and dropshot.. mostly shakyhead

[Mike2841]

Rod for sure. I've bought a couple high dollar spinning reels and they were my worst buys. I think the point of diminishing return for a spinning reel is around 80$.

For a rod in your range I would check out a st croix avid. I have the avid 6'8" mxf spinning that's great for flukes

[SirSnookalot]

If June was my target date I'd wait until then to make a decision, my feelings could totally change by then.

 

 

Rod for sure. I've bought a couple high dollar spinning reels and they were my worst buys. I think the point of diminishing return for a spinning reel is around 80$. 

I don't find an argument with this statement.  Maybe the most reliable and best performing reel I own cost $89, this reel is used in saltwater where not only the conditions can be harsh, the reel is only used for fish that run 15-40 #.  The drag is as refined as any other reel I own at more than twice the price.  A 5000 series reel at 12 oz on a mh rod is pretty sweet in my book.  You catch fish like this on reel that never has had the need for service except a drop of oil and IMO you got a winner, the reel is in the background.

http://s355.photobucket.com/user/stugoldstein/media/Saltwater/hu51e8_zps006ede24.jpg.html?sort=3&o=43

[thehooligan]

$250 would get you a Fenwick Elite tech rod, and Stradic 1000/2500 FJ. Would be a solid dropshot/shakeyhead setup for that money....

[kickerfish1]

$250 would get you a Fenwick Elite tech rod, and Stradic 1000/2500 FJ. Would be a solid dropshot/shakeyhead setup for that money....

X2. The stradics are $180 at full retail but can be found for around $130-$140 pretty regularly. The elite techs are great rods and are $130 at full retail but can be had for about $100. If you found both on sale you are at or just under your target price by $10-$20. For balance sake, if you get the 6'9 medium rod get the 2500 series reel. If you want something more on the finesse side of things get the 6'9 ML rod with a 1000 sized reel.

After re-reading your post the 2500 series reel and the medium xf elite tech rod would be the ticket. The ML is a good dropshot rod but I would not like it for flukes and it is a fair but not ideal shakeyhead rod IMO.

[Arv]

My money would definitely go into the rod. The combo that hooligan suggested would be a nice choice

[Teal]

Whatever you buy, try not to pay retail. Look for sales and check the online auction sites and our BR Flea market.

[WiregrassRiverRat]

Whatever you buy, try not to pay retail. Look for sales and check the online auction sites and our BR Flea market.

lol always.. I never buy anything full price... like really.. anything... I have not bought one piece of fishing gear at full price in a LOOOONG time!

 

and I like the stradic fj for sure my bud has one on a duckett spinning rod and it is killer for fresh water and for reds off the coast... .. but I kinda want to stick with LEWs.. I had a buddy tell me the G2 speed spin for 59.99 is an awesome reel.. I will have to try it before I buy it for sure

[Teal]

I am pretty stuck on the Lews baitcast reels, I absolutely was not impressed with their spinning reels. Your money is much better spent on a stradic or a saros.

[RandySBreth]

I think soft jerkbaits (Flukes) and Shakey Heads and Dropshot all are different enough set-ups that no one combo will be ideal for all - especially if you factor in what kind of line you'll use.

[rippin-lips]

This is true but you said ideal. Ideally you'd have technique specific rods for each but there's no reason why 1 rod can't be used for all 3. It's not going to be optimal but it'll work. Me personally I can't stand using a spinning rod so I own 1. 7' med/xf and I use it for all finesse stuff or weightless plastics. Catches fish just fine.

[MacP]

Stay away from Lew`s spinning gear. It's garbage. I only own Pflueger. There's a reason - they are awesome reels. 

 

You could get a pflueger purist or supreme and a Fenwick spinning rod and be set.  Under $100 bucks for spinning reels you can't beat pflueger. 

[Chris at Tech]

For a rod, I'd look into St Croix Avids or Kistler KLXs.

 

For the reel, Shimano has quite a few <$100 spinning reels, so choose based on your remaining funds.  If possible, I think the Symetre would be a great selection.

[roadwarrior]

Avid AVS68MXF/ Symetre 2500 FJ 

 

MSRP $180/ $100

 

With all the sales going on it should be fairly easy to buy this combination at

or below your $250 threshold.

 

 

 

 

[MacP]

I'd rather have a Pflueger than anything else under $150 bucks, that's just preference though.  Above $100 dollars Shimano and Pflueger are more similar.  Below, it's no option.  You're paying more for the the name.  Get a Pflueger Supreme.  It's 1.5 ounces lighter and I'd argue it's made better.  (the huge bail, the smoothness of the reel and it's more consistent drag)

 

http://www.***.com/Pflueger_Supreme_MGX_Spinning_Reel/descpage-PSXS.html

 

http://www.***.com/Fenwick_Elite_Tech_Smallmouth_Spinning_Rods/descpage-FETSS.html

[basshole77]

I use the Fenwick Ellitetech 6'9 m xf and purchased the Lews Gold spin for this exact application and love it!! You can grab the Lews on eBay for $100 and its only .4 oz's heavier than the CI4+ which I also own. The Lews is not as smooth but not to far behind it seems very stout and I love the knob. Not sure if its just because the spool is longer but it does seem to cast farther than my other set ups. On the Fenwick I cant believe they are as cheap as they are. Very sensitive, load up great, light .... I just cant say enough about that rod its one of my favorites and I own a bunch.

[LivewellHero]

Get a Daiwa Aird 2000 spinning reel. Best $90 you can spend on spinning gear. Somebody has a 2500 Aird in the flea market for $65 new I think. GREAT deal! I'd get a Shimano Crucial to go with it. Right at your price point if you buy both retail (which I know, you don't).

[Darren.]

I'll just throw in another reel, the Daiwa Lexa 2000. Walmart has it for $93 and change (online + free shipping), retails for $120. I love mine, and I also own 2 Stradic 1000FI models, which I also love.

 

You could get a killer rod for what's left over. Just my .02.

[Tywithay]

The new Tatula rod is one of the best I've used, for the price. I wasn't at all impressed by the Fenwick Elite Tech. I ended up returning mine shortly after buying it. I would look for a used Stradic FJ in excellent condition, they go for $100-$110 all the time. I would not ever recommend the Lews spinning reels, they didn't feel good to me at all.

[basshole77]

I have the ellite tech small mouth rod 6-9 m xf paired with a Lews Gold spin that I use for drop shot and weightless senkos on my local river and I love it! I got the reel for $110 new on eBay and the rod new on Amazon for $90. The Lews Gold spin is fantastic I have no complaints other than I think its kinda ugly. I love the knob and the bail however and its only .4 ozs heavier than the Stradic ci4+! I have plenty off combos and this is in my top 3.

[AK-Jax86]

As far as a reel goes I'm in love with my Quantum Smoke SL25PTI, I exclusivly use this over my other 3 reels but as soon as frog season come back I will be back to my more beefy Pfleuger Patriarch

[livetofish28]

I have a revo sx that is down right amazing and can actually handle fluorocarbon I have shimano and Lew's before they're spinning reel overhaul and have been happy with them their drag is decent. In my situation it goes revo sx shimano then Lew's at a 100 dollars you really can't go wrong with any reel as for rod look at the avid that everyone is suggesting but look around and you might be able to find a LTB in that action for less than 200 then throw a shimano Sahara on it and have a rocking set up for 250 but like I said you really can't go wrong

Tight lines

Andrew

[WiregrassRiverRat]

Thanks everyone. I went with a dobyns rod. 703 spinning champ... and I am still not decided on the reel... thinking lews team gold speed spin... shimano symetre, saros, and pflueger MG and XT are still all on the table... 

[NorcalBassin]

Avid AVS68MXF/ Symetre 2500 FJ 

 

MSRP $180/ $100

 

With all the sales going on it should be fairly easy to buy this combination at

or below your $250 threshold

 

100% agreed. Tough to beat this combo in your budget. Lew's certainly makes quality reels, but I don't think their spinning line can touch the Symetre (may just be me, but I'd definitely take a Symetre over the Team Gold Carbon). Duckett v an Avid is not even a contest, no offense to Mr Duckett.

[NorcalBassin]

Sorry about that... dropped the reply from RW's recommendation on page one. Nice call on the Dobyns... I have three Champions and you'll be happy with your selection. I'd still recommend the Symetre for the reel... they packed some high qualiy components into that reel (I have 2).