$150. How Would You Allocate Funds For A Rod And Reel?

[Fun4Me]

Hello all:

 

I'm really green here, so I hope I put this topic in the correct forum and didn't bring up a topic that has been discussed ad nauseam. My apologies if I did.

 

I'm interested in your opinion on how you would go about spending $150, if that's all you had to spend. I picked $150 because it seems to be a price that some feel like they can get a good setup, while others think not so much.

 

If you were buying the components separate, would you:

 

Spend about the same on the rod and reel?

Spend more on a rod ?

Spend more on a reel ?

 

Here are some examples:

 

$110 Tatula or equal and a $40 Lightning strike shock or equal

$100 rod and a $50 ProMax or equal

$75 rod and a $75 reel maybe something like a pflueger supreme ( I think they're going for $80 ish )

 

I don't know if this is coming across the way I want it to or not

 

I guess i'm interested in knowing how many of you would buy one good component at the expense of the other, knowing that if you decide to upgrade later on, you would only have to buy one component as opposed to two.

[Subaqua Adinterim]

I recently paired a Field & Stream Tech Spec Elite 7'' MF one piece which you can get from Dicks on sale now for $60 with a Pflueger Supreme that I got on clearance from Cabelas last month for 59.99. So it's possible to have a decent set up for the price range you are looking at.

[rippin-lips]

The rod is more important than the reel. You want as well built and sensitive of a rod as you can afford. There are a lot of great choices in the $100 rod category. As for a reel maybe try finding a used $100 reel for about $60. My very first combo was a bps pro qualifier on a lightning rod shock. It served me well, and is still in use years later by a friend. I spend more on reels myself, but I don't go super cheap on rods either.

[F14A-B]

Well it depends.. However, selecting a better reel to begin with would be my choice. A Tatula or a Shimano would be a great choice. You can do with a bit less expensive rod just fine.. ( at least for a while ) a well engineered reel will serve you well for years.( truthfully, a cheaper rod may too!)

Good luck.

[Jon G]

A rod is more important. Reels are more fun to buy and play with but the rods the most important part.

[gardnerjigman]

You can get a lot of use out of a $100 rod and abu pro-max. Nothing wrong with that combo at all. If you really want a cheap set up (but still works great) Go to Academy Sports and get a H20 Ethos rod (Can get them on sale for $40, and a H20 Mettle reel. Can get them on sale for $30-$40. Fantastic combo for spinner baits, bladed jigs, etc. 

[Senko lover]

Get a used reel off the Flea Bay and get an 60-80 dollar rod. 

[Choporoz]

Your intuition is correct....this has been discussed once or twice before.  I can summarize 90% of the likely replies into 3:

 

1.  Spend MORE on the reel

2.  Spend MORE on the rod

3.  You can't do it for $150

 

My suggestion is stick to your budget.  Read everything you can here.  If possible, handle the rod(s) and reel(s) that you're considering in your local store.  I personally think you can start with a rod at or about $75 and a reel at or about $75 and be perfectly happy for a couple weeks until the bait monkey comes knocking at your door.

[Fun4Me]

 and be perfectly happy for a couple weeks until the bait monkey comes knocking at your door.

 

THAT is what i'm afraid of

 

I have so much other stuff to buy LOL!!!

[bigbill]

The most important thing is your line. Excalibur Silver Thread will serve u well.

Reel? Your call

Rod? LEWS SPEED STICK. Sleezebay

[no39]

I'd say the reel.  Rods are generally flimsy and fragile things.  As far as I know there is no standardized unit of measurement for the "sensitivity" any given rod, so I take claims of increased sensitivity with a grain of salt.  I've used expensive rods and it seems like I'm constantly underwhelmed.  

[Jrob78]

If I were in your shoes right now and couldn't wait until I had saved a little more money, I would buy a $89 TYD St. Croix Rage rod and one of the cheap aluminum framed reels from Academy.  I hear a lot of people talk about the Mettle but I have no experience with them myself.

[DogBone_384]

When I first tried baitcast reels, for the second time (read: as an adult) I was in your shoes.  I read this forum to death and ended up buying a BPS Pro Qualifier and a 7' MF Ugly Stick.  Under $150, it worked out great.  The PQ was easy to learn on and the Ugly Stick was as good as anything I knew about at the time.  

 

I've since advanced by buying enough new 'upgraded' setups to pay for an additional wing on the Bait Monkey's summer house.  

 

Because of said 'advancement' I gave my first setup to my friend's 1st year electrical apprentice because he likes fishing at least as much as I do and is trying to save $$ for a house (a TALL order on 1st year apprentice pay!)

 

Like others said already, read this forum and go with your gut.  You'll be hard pressed NOT to get a good reel, used or new, around $100 and can bag a good rod if you look for sales/clearance.

 

ADD: As far as rods go, handle as many as you can before you buy.

 

Best of luck!

[robster80]

shop around for used deals no doubt. watched a citica 200e go for 50 or 60 bucks the other day. heck of a reel. plenty of good $100 rods out there also. ***,dobyns,etc.

[duckmaster1]

So looking at this rod, Lew's Team Lews HM85 Million Graphite Casting Rod, and if I go with it, what is a good baitcasting reel to put on it for maybe 50.00

[robster80]

So looking at this rod, Lew's Team Lews HM85 Million Graphite Casting Rod, and if I go with it, what is a good baitcasting reel to put on it for maybe 50.00

h20 mettle

[KP Duty]

I'd go with the abu black max; it will most likely have the best resale value when you are ready to upgrade in a few weeks.

[SMITTY0045]

I'd say rod over reel. A sensitive and strong rod will allow you to feel out more fish than a more expensive reel on a lower end rod.

[hatrix]

The rod is important but you don't want to buy a cheap reel that breaks or is a pita to fish with. Get something that you will continue to use down the road. Even a cheap rod can still be used for something but a cheap reel is different.

[MickD]

Baitcasting, more on the reel.

 

Spinning, more on the rod.

 

I have made some good purchases on Ebay.  Don't even consider someone with less than 98% favorable.  There are so many ways shysters can get good grades, stick with 98-100% favorable.  Look carefully at the photos and read the descriptions carefully.  Stay away from the "hottest" stuff like Shimano Stradics and whatever else is hot this week.  If you don't understand the product, don't buy.  Stick with what you know.

[blckshirt98]

Baitcasting, more on the reel.

 

Spinning, more on the rod.

 

I have made some good purchases on Ebay.  Don't even consider someone with less than 98% favorable.  There are so many ways shysters can get good grades, stick with 98-100% favorable.  Look carefully at the photos and read the descriptions carefully.  Stay away from the "hottest" stuff like Shimano Stradics and whatever else is hot this week.  If you don't understand the product, don't buy.  Stick with what you know.

 

I was going to say something similar to this.

 

With a spinning outfit you can get by just fine with a $30-40 spinning reel, you wouldn't notice a difference between that and a $100 spinning reel.  At this very moment if someone asked me for a spinning setup for $150 I'd say get a Shimano Solstace 2500 that Cabela's has on sale for $30, and a St. Croix Rage rod for $89.

 

With a baitcaster setup you should probably put more money on the reel, it seems like with baitcasting reels you really see a sweet spot in the $150-200 range, and you could get a reel in that range for $100 or less used if you look around and are patient with online sales or used gear posts on places like the forums here or ebay.  Something like a used Citica E series would be perfect.