Newb Needs Rod/reel/line Suggestions

[Deutch]

So im new to fishing, only been going for for 1.5 years now. I do 50/50 fresh water/salt water. I have caught stripers, blue fish, hound fish, bass, pickerel, puffers, catfish etc.. 

I currently own a garbage Dicks sporting goods Penn combo with 30# braided.. It has been working pretty well tbh, but 3 of the eyelit mounts are cracked, and one of the eyelit rings cracked, so now my line is cutting. So i was going to replace the eyes, but then i thought, why fix a piece of garbage when i can buy new?

I have used 8 or so other rods, and ide like to say i know what i like and dont like. However, i dont know any of the technical terms.

Im looking for a rod 7' or smaller. Im looking for a rod that i can use to saltwater fish and for fresh water fishing as well (which is what im currently doing with my Penn). for salt water, im using heavy lures, sometimes 2oz poppers or 1 1/4oz metals. ive been catching 2' stripers, 30" 10lb + blues etc... Then, when i go fresh water, i use much lighter, smaller .5oz lures. Ill be honest, the pole i have now does pretty well with both, although it doesnt cast the small lures very well bc the tip of the rod is pretty stiff whichdoesnt really allow me to whip the lure..

With all that said, im looking for a rod that can do it all (fresh and salt, small and big). I would prefer one that has a flexible tip opposed to a stiff tip to make it easy to cast light lures, while also making the popping action a lot easier. I also would like to avoid buying anything too beefy. Light weight is pretty important to me as i usually go out on the canoe for 4-8 hours at a clip, and these heavier rod/reel combos are too heavy to hold and cast 400x a day. ide like to keep the budget as low as possible, i mean who wouldnt? i dont want to suggest a budget bc i have no idea what is what in regards to equiptment. I just know i like to fish  but with that said, i have no issues spending 200$+

PS: there is a good chance i will hook up to a monster blue one of these days (20+lbs). with that said, ide rather max out my setup (or close to it) in the odd chance i do get a monster, opposed to over building a setup that will be big, heavy and bulky. being light and 7' or smaller is pretty important to me as 90% of my fishing is done from a conoe for long periods of time.

 

Thanks a bunch guys

Newb out!

[gulfcaptain]

You are honestly looking at 2 different rods.  You could always change out the reel depending on your outing.  But it's kind of hard to give you a good idea on a rod when you are looking for something from say 1/2oz all the way to 4oz's or more.  My advice, look into BPS Graphite Series rods, find a 7ft rod that fits your freshwater needs, then look at the Musky Series in the same line up in the 7ft range and get one of those.  The lighter should run you about $40 and the other $60 with tax on both of course.  But for about $110 you can cover both your needs and just swap the reel between the two rods.

 

 

BTW, Welcome to the forums.

[Deutch]

You are honestly looking at 2 different rods.  You could always change out the reel depending on your outing.  But it's kind of hard to give you a good idea on a rod when you are looking for something from say 1/2oz all the way to 4oz's or more.  My advice, look into BPS Graphite Series rods, find a 7ft rod that fits your freshwater needs, then look at the Musky Series in the same line up in the 7ft range and get one of those.  The lighter should run you about $40 and the other $60 with tax on both of course.  But for about $110 you can cover both your needs and just swap the reel between the two rods.

 

 

BTW, Welcome to the forums.

 

 

 

i'de love to get this done with 1 rod/reel/line setup. i have no issues spending 5x more than the 40-60 dollars you suggested.

Also, i have never used a lure hevier than 2oz, and dont plan to. I also dont want this build built just with large fish in mind. it would be NICE if it was able to reel in a 30lb monster, but i dont want to focus on that, as it will probably never happen. ide rather build it for 5lb-10lbs fish, that can be used in fresh water and salt, that wont snap if i do hook a monster. again, my 100$ Penn combo from dicks was doing just fine getting the 10lb blues AND getting the 1lb largemouths. I was just looking to upgrade instead of fixing what i have. Possible to get what i want??  or am i dreaming/misuing what i have?

[gulfcaptain]

Sorry may have misread the page.  So if 2oz is your top, if you don't mind going over the 7ft mark, the 13 Green ***'s are nice.  They make a 7'2" MH that will cover most and it will hold a 2oz bait.  I have a 7'7"MH  that I fish umbrella rigs and 6" swimbaits on without any issues.  Or you can jump to a iROD Genesis II Series and get the 7'5" "Fred's Magic Stick".  But both are over the 7ft mark.  Don't fish many heavy rods under 7ft but also look into some of the inshore series rods and should be able to find something there.

[Deutch]

y

Sorry may have misread the page.  So if 2oz is your top, if you don't mind going over the 7ft mark, the 13 Green ***'s are nice.  They make a 7'2" MH that will cover most and it will hold a 2oz bait.  I have a 7'7"MH  that I fish umbrella rigs and 6" swimbaits on without any issues.  Or you can jump to a iROD Genesis II Series and get the 7'5" "Fred's Magic Stick".  But both are over the 7ft mark.  Don't fish many heavy rods under 7ft but also look into some of the inshore series rods and should be able to find something there.

 

i dont mind going over 7' if it isnt much. I have limited space when it comes to transport, so i cant fit huge rods. With that said, 7.5 is fine.

 

Also, im looking for combo recomendations. What reel and line would u suggest also?

 

i plan to go to my local fishing store and tell them exactly what i said here, to see what they recommend. I just hate having to take someones opinion at a store bc i never know if its a legit opinion, or one based off of thier inventory..

 

rod/reel/line combo for 200-300$? 6.5-7.5'. light weight. can handle up to 20lb fish (rare) while still able to use for fresh water smaller fish.. can cast .5oz-2oz lures. flexible tip (not stiff)

[gulfcaptain]

The iROD I mentioned I would get online from TW(acctually everything I recommended I would get there). I know you're new so unfortunately the TW stands for tackle and warehouse.  They run about $150. The reel, maybe look into a Shimano Cardiff 300 and spool it with 30 or 40lb braid.  That would give you plenty of line to fish coastal as well. Those are right about $110. Okuma also makes a 300 size reel in the $169 price range (Citrix 364) and then you have the Quantum Iron 300 Inshore that runs $200 as well as the Diawa Lexa 300.  All of them I would fish 30-40 or even 50lb braid (preferred by most) and you're set.  You can change up leaders depending on what size mono you FC you choose to use for the day.  Hope this helps. 

[SirSnookalot]

I may have missed this, is it spinning or casting?  I'm no expert on casting gear, but I am on spinning gear.  I fish both saltwater and freshwater and I agree 2 rods is a better option, in fact 2 separate combos.  To answer the question, it's doable to use 1 rod in both venues at or near the lure weights mentioned.

I'm not in the habit of recommendations, only familiar with what I use, I can't know everything in the marketplace.  You may want to check out a Star stellar lite, both casting and spinning are available.  I would be more concerned using a lighter lure than a heavier one, overloading won't be an issue.  

[Deutch]

i have only used spinners. So i think ide rather stick with that.

i did notice all the reels suggested by Gulf were casters. and that totally threw me off. lol

if i had to pick where ide rather have issues, Ide rather get a pole that will have slight issues with light lures bc i have a micro i can use for the very small lures when i go to ponds.

 

i must admit its totally overwhelming with the amount of brands and options.

 

i guess my revised requirements pretty much stay the same,

rod/reel/line combo.200-300$. spinning reel. rod with fast action. lightweight. can use .5-2oz lures. has ability to potentially not break should i ever hook onto something big (rare 20lb)

[smalljaw67]

Your biggest problem is you are using large saltwater baits and you want 1 rod to cover those big baits and then still have a tip with flex for 1/2oz baits as well, to be honest you're going to either have to go on the smaller size for the salt water or deal with a rod that is going to be stiff with a pretty much any bait under 3/4oz. Most manufacturers now are making rods that are very technique specific and even the in-shore rods are being made in typical medium, medium heavy, and heavy so you get a medium heavy in-shore rod which handles your saltwater fine but it will be a little overpowering for the freshwater stuff. The closes thing is the *** *** Green Spinning rod, it is rated for 1/2oz to 1.5oz lures and if you want to go heavier you'll overpower the lighter end, so you either go light on salt, or heavy on fresh or buy 2 outfits, I see no other real alternative for what you want. If the tip section is going to flex without being in danger of breaking with 2oz baits on it, it is going to flex very little on a 1/2oz bait, it can't be any other way so to get it done with 1 set up you pretty much have to go with something similar to what you have. BTW, the eyelits are called guides and the guide insert is what cracked causing your line to get frayed.

[Deutch]

what do you guys think about this one. the 7' MH one?  i dont see any ratings about the action on the rod though, so i dont know if its super stiff or not. but its rated for 3/8-2oz lures. and basically everythign im asking for.

 

http://www.basspro.com/Quantum-Smoke-PTs-Inshore-Reel/Offshore-Angler-Inshore-Extreme-Rod-Spinning-Combos/product/1209240927592/?cmCat=CROSSSELL_PRODUCT

 

good? garbage?

[Chris at Tech]

Can I ask why not two $150 combos instead of one $300 combo? I just don't see one combo effectively meeting the two needs you've defined. One rod could pull double duty for bass and redfish/sea trout, but I think the parameter about being prepared for a 20lb+ blue is a game changer.

Either the rod will be comfortable for bass fishing and under-gunned for the monster blues, or will be great on the blues but uncomfortable to cast bass lures with for extended periods of time.

[Deutch]

or what about the quantum smoke reel- the PT40

http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=19027296&clickid=body_rv_img&bc=RecentView_2

 

with the st.croix mojo inshore - MHF 7'

http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=17828826

 

seems to be a popular combo. feedback?

[Deutch]

Can I ask why not two $150 combos instead of one $300 combo? I just don't see one combo effectively meeting the two needs you've defined. One rod could pull double duty for bass and redfish/sea trout, but I think the parameter about being prepared for a 20lb+ blue is a game changer.

Either the rod will be comfortable for bass fishing and under-gunned for the monster blues, or will be great on the blues but uncomfortable to cast bass lures with for extended periods of time.

 

ide rather have one nice setup than 2 okay setups bc of the quality of parts and ease of use, lighter weight, better casting, better control etc that is gained from using better gear. why spend 300$ on 2 setups when only 1 will be used 85% of the time. in fact, i really cant think of any instance where i go out expecting to catch a monster blue fish. When i go out fishing in the bay/inlet, i expect to get stripers, blues, hound fish etc... I have never caught anything above 10lbs but i know they're out there. With that said, ide rather build for 5-10lbs fish - and risk losing the 20lbs monster should that ever occur. Im not gonna build some massive setup purely for 20lb fish when ill be using it for smaller fish 98% of the time.

again, ide like to get something that can handle what i catch all the time in saltwater (the 5-10lbs fish) with 1.5-2oz lures. while at the same time be able to use .5oz lures in fresh water for the smaller largemouth's, pickerel etc... Ideally, if it could do both of those things and have a chance of not breaking should i hook up to a monster blue, thats perfect.

 

There seems to be an endless amount of rods that will do 3/8-2oz lures in a 7' with fast action. So i dont understand why everyone keeps saying it cant happen. i need help bc im overwhelmed with the amount of applicable options, not bc there is slim pickings..

[gulfcaptain]

Glad to see you are now getting the advice you were looking for.  Snookalot's the man when it comes to spinning set ups on here IMO.  

[SirSnookalot]

Glad to see you are now getting the advice you were looking for.  Snookalot's the man when it comes to spinning set ups on here IMO.  

Appreciate the confidence.   This is what I do if I didn't want 2 outfits, which is really the better way to go.  The issue isn't the reel but the rod lure parameters, you have to give up something, I would give up the heavier lures.  I like a 7' and 7'6 even better med spinning rated 3/8-3/4, and my mh of the same brand are 3/8-1oz, these are only a guidelines.  I can throw lighter on both use 1oz on the med and 1.5 on the mh, I don't often use anything much heavier 1oz. anyway.  

A 20 lb fish should not break these rods.  Would I fish for big blues on party with these rods, not a chance in the world, they aren't designed for that.  For bank fishing and small boat fishing in open water, definitely. 

There is no shortage of inshore rods that fit this bill.