Trion Spinning Combo At Bps

[Missourifishin]

Has anyone seen these for $60 bucks? Is the Trion spinning reel anywhere near as good as the President? Is the rod on the combo decent, or junk? My brother is planning to get back into fishing this spring, and he wants to start with one good spinning setup. I told him he should get a president and find a pretty nice rod to pair it with. He's wanting to spend no more than $100 though, and "preferably no more than 60 or 80". That's total for rod and reel. So I was curious when I saw the Trion combo at Bass Pro today. I didn't think much about the rod it was on until after I got home though. Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks.

[The Rooster]

The previous models of both the President and the Trion that had the wooden handles, there was very little difference in them. Both reels are identical mechanically. Differences were, the President has two bearings inside the handle grip for extra smoothness, and also one under the spool to assist with turning when the drag is pulled. The Trion lacks all 3 of these (7 bearings vs. 10). Also the President had an aluminum side plate with a graphite frame while the Trion is all graphite. Otherwise no other differences. The added bearings in the President handle do make it feel smoother, but performance wise it doesn't improve anything. I've enjoyed both of the reels as I bought one of each at the same time.

The newer models of both reels look a little different in cosmetics but otherwise I think the specs are about the same, and the above named differences are the same also.

On a side note, the President I bought had a rough gear feeling so I returned it and bought another in a completely different place and it had the same problem too. The Trion, while identical internally, did not have this problem and has been as smooth as butter since day one. But these two reels were the older models also. I've handled several new model Presidents and none of those had any roughness like my first two did. Also a friend of mine has the current President reel and his is smooth as well. Between the President and Trion, both are good choices. Choose which one you like best based on cost, the extras offered on the President, or even just based on looks alone. This is one time that won't hurt.

[The Rooster]

Oh, I've also checked out the combos of both these reels. The rod has always felt soft to me which would make it a good choice for treble hook type baits, topwaters, crankbaits, small inline spinners, and any other lure with treble hooks or light wire single hooks. That's not to say a worm hook with a plastic wouldn't work also, but in my opinion the rod for that type lure would be stiffer, and I wouldn't use a rod like this for spinnerbaits or jigs either.

The guides on these combos are usually the stainless steel type, but I've also seen the Trion available with aluminum oxide (ceramic looking) guides too. Depends on where you buy it I guess. I didn't buy a combo but I didn't need it at the time, only the reels. If I needed a treble bait spinning rod, this would probably be my first choice for cost vs. quality.

[Missourifishin]

Thank you for the very informative reply

[Hyrule Bass]

i have a trion but i didnt buy it as a combo. i bought it separate and paired with an 5'6L ugly stik lite-pro rod. its been a great little combo for me, and it cost about 80 bucks altogether. i have it spooled with 6lb sufix siege. its great for throwing light weight baits too. i use it for small crankbaits and small weightless plastics like baby rage craws. i also use it for pan fishing a bunch, and trout on one occasion. biggest bass i caught on it was 4lbs or so. buying it separate it also came with a spare spool.

[The Rooster]

And that is the exact same combo I'm currently thinking of setting up for light fishing on creeks from a Jon boat. Same rod, reel, and all. I think the Trion in a 25 or 30 size is about right. I'll have to see which one balances best on the rod and also what size the stripper guide on the rod is. I always try to match a reel's spool size to the relative size of the first guide on spinning rods. Too wide a spool on a rod with a small guide cuts down on ease of cast and distance too.