Jevin VK Posted July 3, 2015 Posted July 3, 2015 I am just getting into baitcasting reels and need a good rod and reel for around $75. I fish largemouth and smallmouth bass in Michigan Quote
Super User HoosierHawgs Posted July 4, 2015 Super User Posted July 4, 2015 If this was me I'd probably go the used route. You will get higher quality equipment this way. You dint need a $400 Alberderan to start out, but its a good idea to get a quality reel to prevent frustration. Keep an eye on Craigslist, or a local shop that sells high quality used gear. 1 Quote
robster80 Posted July 4, 2015 Posted July 4, 2015 used route as well. or maybe one of the h20 xpress combos from academy. with the mettle reel Quote
Super User new2BC4bass Posted July 4, 2015 Super User Posted July 4, 2015 Tough price. From personal experience I can recommend a Berkley Lightning rod. The Shock color turns me off. I got my Lightning for $17 plus tax at Walmart. It was the only one of the 3 for sale that had no defects. I have a Daiwa Procaster on it that cost me $30 on closeout. It is my least expensive outfit, but both perform surprisingly well so $75 for a decent combo is doable, but going to take research and luck on your part to accomplish. There are house brand combos out there that would fit your budget, but I have zero experience with them. I don't have any experience with the Mettle, but it always seems to get good reviews. Get one during Academy Sports Reel Riot sale or look for a used one. I'd rather have a Mettle than a Black Max although my understanding is they aren't bad for the price. I wouldn't expect one to last as long as a Mettle, tho. 1 Quote
lecisnith Posted July 4, 2015 Posted July 4, 2015 What naysayers don't ever think about when they bash on inexpensive baitcasters is the fact that those combos are going to serve one of two purposes. The first is that it's an ENTRY LEVEL purchase, which means you buy it to use on a trial basis. The second is you buy it if you don't plan on using it a whole lot. True, while a $40 Black Max might not perform as well as a $200 Revo, its exactly what some people are looking for. I still have and get a lot of good use out of mine, even though I have four others. I highly recommend checking it out. 1 Quote
Super User ww2farmer Posted July 4, 2015 Super User Posted July 4, 2015 The Abu Garcia Black, Silver,and Pro Max 2 are dang good cheap reels. I have a couple that are several..... SEVERAL.....seasons old, with hundreds of days of use on them over their lives. I have yet to break one. One got a little "geary" feeling on me, but a simple clean, and relube fixed it. OP, look for the Black Max/Vengeance rod combo at Dicks for $80.....that's a good deal on decent stuff. Some people make a big deal about the graphite frame of casting reels not being able to hold up. That is NOT the case with these reels. I have purposely abused them doing things that I generally thought I should have used my aluminum frame reels for, like frogging, punching,etc...and they took it in stride. These Abu Max series reels are a great bang for the buck, and IMHO are approaching Pflueger President status in that category. BTW.... I have had Daiwas and Shimano graphite framed reels in the past, and was never this impressed. Quote
Super User Senko lover Posted July 4, 2015 Super User Posted July 4, 2015 I did a ton of hunting around last year looking for my first. I got an Abu Garcia Vengeance for $30.00 on sale from amazon, and I found a Lews Tournament MG for 50.00. If you know your reels, that's a 190 dollar combo that I got for 80. Black Friday is the way to go! 1 Quote
dlh2 Posted July 4, 2015 Posted July 4, 2015 The Lew's American Hero 6'10" MH Baitcast rod & reel combo is an excellent all-around combo. Lots of synergy! It won the 2014 ICAST best combo award. I bought one while visiting my son when we decided to go fishing. Wound up buying 2 more when I got home. http://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/lew-s-american-hero-6-10-mh-baitcast-rod-and-reel-combo/pid-1060474?color=Black%2fBlue&N=78002898 Quote
Super User new2BC4bass Posted July 4, 2015 Super User Posted July 4, 2015 The Lew's American Hero 6'10" MH Baitcast rod & reel combo is an excellent all-around combo. Lots of synergy! It won the 2014 ICAST best combo award. I bought one while visiting my son when we decided to go fishing. Wound up buying 2 more when I got home. http://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/lew-s-american-hero-6-10-mh-baitcast-rod-and-reel-combo/pid-1060474?color=Black%2fBlue&N=78002898 Nice! I came to prefer 7' or longer rods after using 6' or under most of my life. I have 4 6'10" rods ranging from ML to Heavy. I like this length. Quote
jkoz88 Posted July 7, 2015 Posted July 7, 2015 At around $80-85 I purchased the UglyStick elite combo 6'6 MH F about 6 months ago just to give the baitcaster world a try. It has worked very well and picked up a few good ones while learning. It was very easy to use, along with the help of this forum and youtube. Now it may have just been me, but you got to practice and practice often. Now that I THINK ive got it down a bit I'm going to purchase a Shimano Curado to go on my new St. Croix Mojo 7' M F. But this is all just IMO. Hope it helps. Quote
WPCfishing Posted July 7, 2015 Posted July 7, 2015 I have no idea, Check with a Bass Pro or Cabela's sales guy. I'd look for used gear of better quality for the same money. Quote
WPCfishing Posted July 7, 2015 Posted July 7, 2015 What naysayers don't ever think about when they bash on inexpensive baitcasters is the fact that those combos are going to serve one of two purposes. The first is that it's an ENTRY LEVEL purchase, which means you buy it to use on a trial basis. The second is you buy it if you don't plan on using it a whole lot. True, while a $40 Black Max might not perform as well as a $200 Revo, its exactly what some people are looking for. I still have and get a lot of good use out of mine, even though I have four others. I highly recommend checking it out. I suppose us old guys are brand and model loyal. Don't take it personally. My nephew has the max reel and has had great success. Quote
S. Sass Posted July 8, 2015 Posted July 8, 2015 A few weeks ago i was like the OP just looking to get back into a bait caster. I read and read and watched countless YouTube reviews and in the end picked up a $55.00 Lews at my local Walmart and a $40 cheap MH 7' Jimmy Houston (made in China) rod. I just wanted to see if I could still cast one and not be out a ton of money in case I broke it over my knee. I have since been practicing almost every day in the yard and like the reel a lot it seems smooth and looked pretty decent. My original intent was if I liked the bait casting deal I would add a BPQ combo to my collection. But after reading numerous times that the rod was more critical last Sunday I ordered a St Croix Mojo Bass MBC70MHF Spinnerbait rod to move this reel to. According to St Croix technical help we decided on this as the rod that fit me best as a all around setup based on what I fish. I am on a budget as well and don't see any reason for a starter this shouldn't work for a season of casual fishing. Of course I am a rookie with this bait casting so what do I know. Quote
Super User the reel ess Posted July 8, 2015 Super User Posted July 8, 2015 Man, it's hard to get a decent BC reel alone for less than $80. I'd save a bit more. IMO what you need to look for in a BC reel first is the frame. It needs to be made of aluminum. There are more options in metals but they're more expensive. If you get a graphite or composite frame BC reel you'll eventually wear it out. Some on here will tell me I'm wrong about that and they may have had better experiences. But I only have experience with 2 of them and they're both turds. And these reels were in the $70 range new. I think about $129 is a starting point for a BC combo that will last a decade, not a season. Well, right after I say that, I see this: http://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/h2o-xpress-mettle-6-6-mh-baitcast-rod-and-reel-combo/pid-1595203?N=78002898 Holy Mackerel! I'm gonna get one of those. The reel alone is $60. For that kind of $$$ I could replace it every couple years. Quote
*Hank Posted July 9, 2015 Posted July 9, 2015 The Lew's American Hero 6'10" MH Baitcast rod & reel combo is an excellent all-around combo. Lots of synergy! It won the 2014 ICAST best combo award. I bought one while visiting my son when we decided to go fishing. Wound up buying 2 more when I got home. http://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/lew-s-american-hero-6-10-mh-baitcast-rod-and-reel-combo/pid-1060474?color=Black%2fBlue&N=78002898 My little brother has that combo and it`s a great combo for the $$$. Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.