New Rod And Reel

[Maknora]

Hi guys, 

 

I have a question that you guys can help me with. I have stumbled on a fortunate event that allows me to spend about 370 on a reel and rod. I am looking for new generation stuff MH and 7 feet but as far as the reels, I am not sure. I am looking for the lightest baitcasting combination by the way.

 

So what do you think I should get?

 

*** *** Black 2 (The new one and maybe a 2 piece) and a real high end reel the Team Lews Pro Magnesium Speed (I like the lightness of this reel)

 

or 

 

E6X G Loomis and a Lews Tournament LITE Speed Series (Also light)

 

I know these are very new rods and reels, so maybe some won't have experiences with it but I thought i'd still ask. 

 

Another option is to find the best combo at about 350, anything you guys suggest, I will look into. Thanks!

[FinCulture]

Maybe look into a St. Croix LTB (Legend Tournament Bass) rod and then a Revo series Abu Garcia or a nice Lew's speed spool. No matter what you choose, I would recommend you go to your local fishing gear supplier and actually play around with the rods and reels and get a feel for the quality of them to see how much they suit YOU, no matter what other people have said.

[Jaw1]

I checked out the Loomis 6x rods this weekend and was tempted to buy one but after placing the *** reel I am going to use on it I changed my mind. The combo felt really tip heavy and didn't balance out. I went with a phenix m1 rod that felt very balanced and light with that reel, so I second the advice above. You'll get a better feel for what will work together if your able to go to a shop and try different rod and reels paired together. This seems like common sense but until recently I never practiced this. I would pick up a rod here and a reel there then end up switching everything out multiple times or with another rod hung on the wall that I never could get comfortable with.

[FinCulture]

making sure a rod feels lightweight and well-balanced is extremely important. I learned this when I upgraded from an Ugly Stik to a St. Croix.

[Montanaro]

High end reels are more important than high end rods.

If you don't share my view then maybe you should look to strike a balance between rod and reel quality.

[zeth]

At that price a Quantum Smoke rod and Smoke reel will do the trick for lightest you can possibly get in that price range.

[kschultz76]

Personally I'd spend a bit more of your budget on the rod rather then the reel...

A few rod options I'd consider

St Croix LTB

St Croix Avid X

Kistler Helium (probably the lightest and can be gotten at least 12% off when they run sales)

Shimano Zodias

*** *** Black

Fenwick Aetos

Megabass Levante

Jackson wretched

Lighter weight reels I'd consider

Shimano Scorpion 1000XT

Daiwa Alphas SV

Shimano Curado I

Shimano Chronarch 150 CI4+

For your budget I don't think you'll get the absolute lightest combo but you can get a heck of a nice combo that will be fairly lightweight. Lots of good options out there and I'm sure others will offer even more.

[RB 77]

If you are going to use the combo primarily for reaction strike presentations I would lean a little more towards focusing my budget on the reel, if you are focusing more on bottom contact presentations I would be focusing more of my budget on the rod.

[microotter]

If I had that amount for a new setup I would probably get the Fenwick Aetos and pair it with a lews team lews lite. You can find the reel for ~$185 online and the rod for ~$150. Then spend the rest on a rod sleeve and line.