rod and reel under $100

[new_2fishing]

im new to fishing and i was wanting to start fishing so it could encourage me to be out more vs being at home all the time due to my disability(wheelchair). i am looking for a rod and reel for bass that aren't to expensive would like it to be under $100 and i would prefer the rod to be a multi piece and not a one piece under 7 ft, either bait or spin reel, and that i could also us it for smaller to medium striped bass if possible. any advice/suggestions would really be appreciated thanks

[Catt]

Just bought my son a combo from Acadmy, it's a Lew's American Hero combo for 79.95.

[Onvacation]

I know Bass Pro makes the Carbonlite in a two piece because I have one. Sometimes they will have smoking deals on combos that can get you close to your price mark.  There are less expensive rods and reels, but I find the Carbonlite rods to be pretty nice for the price. Also I think for what you want to do and the price range, a spinning reel would be the direction I would head.  Someone else, Posted in another thread about a special on St. Croix Triumph combos as well. I think it was paired with a Diawa reel for $100. Some of the triumph rods are two-piece.

[buzzed bait]

berkley lightning spinning rod and a pflueger president spinning reel, will be right at $100 and an excellent combo for your needs...

[Hurricane]

7 minutes ago, buzzed bait said:

berkley lightning spinning rod and a pflueger president spinning reel, will be right at $100 and an excellent combo for your needs...

Agree.. I own exactly what you described..

[buzzed bait]

34 minutes ago, LastCastChris said:

Agree.. I own exactly what you described..

i actually have 2 lightnings, but have pflueger trion reels on them both.  the trions are good reels too, but the presidents are a bit nicer!  the lightning rods are hard to beat and pretty easy to find.

[roadwarrior]

[new_2fishing]

On 5/7/2016 at 2:14 PM, Catt said:

Just bought my son a combo from Acadmy, it's a Lew's American Hero combo for 79.95.

thanks ill look into it

On 5/7/2016 at 2:17 PM, Onvacation said:

I know Bass Pro makes the Carbonlite in a two piece because I have one. Sometimes they will have smoking deals on combos that can get you close to your price mark.  There are less expensive rods and reels, but I find the Carbonlite rods to be pretty nice for the price. Also I think for what you want to do and the price range, a spinning reel would be the direction I would head.  Someone else, Posted in another thread about a special on St. Croix Triumph combos as well. I think it was paired with a Diawa reel for $100. Some of the triumph rods are two-piece.

thanks ill look into it. is spinning or baitcasting reel better for most types of bass fishing? 

On 5/8/2016 at 10:31 PM, buzzed bait said:

berkley lightning spinning rod and a pflueger president spinning reel, will be right at $100 and an excellent combo for your needs...

thanks ill check then out

On 5/8/2016 at 10:38 PM, LastCastChris said:

Agree.. I own exactly what you described..

thanks

23 hours ago, buzzed bait said:

i actually have 2 lightnings, but have pflueger trion reels on them both.  the trions are good reels too, but the presidents are a bit nicer!  the lightning rods are hard to beat and pretty easy to find.

thanks ill look into item

15 hours ago, roadwarrior said:

thanks for the info

[Outdoor Zack]

Shimano FX200 combo.  Not sure if they are still made, but I have two and they are awesome.  I believe they are in your price range.

[Onvacation]

To answer your question, in my opinion, in your price range, you will get a spinning setup that is much easier to deal and better quality then a baitcaster.  A lot of people mentioned the Pflueger President reel which is excellent $50 range reel. I can't think of many baitcasters that are $50 that I would use the word excellent to describe. As a matter of fact, I think that sub-$100 baitcasters are probably the number one reason people get turned off to baitcasters which is a shame.  

As to which is better, it really gets down to how technique specific you want to get.  For example, today I caught one fish on a weightless Texas rigged senko. It was on my spinning reel and he was barely moving the line. Would have been difficult with my MH BC at best.  The second fish was on a chatter bait I was fishing just on the edge of some lily pads.  The fish bit and ran for the cover. I pulled out about a two pound fish with about five pounds of vegetation.  Wouldn't have happened on my spinning set up.  

Bottom line is get out there with whatever you can afford and go have a good time.  The fish don't care what you are holding and neither will you once you land them.  

[new2BC4bass]

As Onvacation said, a good spinning outfit is going to be less expensive than a good baitcasting outfit.  Also the spinning reel is going to be much easier for you to cast with.  Sorry about your disability.  Glad to hear you want to get into the sport of fishing.  Even on days the fish don't cooperate, it makes for a relaxing and enjoyable day.

I'm a fan of Fenwick rods.  Feel you get good value for your money.  They offer many of their rods in 2-piece models.  An Eagle or HMG (on sale) should do the trick.  Here is a possible combo from Cabela's both in 7' and 6'6" 2-piece models.  http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=1325659&type=product&MDK=dynbanP_SLb&MDC=cat105740280

Also it wouldn't hurt to post a Want To Buy ad (WTB) in the Flea Market.  Might be surprised at the number of people willing to help you out with a nice deal.

[Crestliner2008]

Stick to spinning and take a hard look at the Lightning Shock series of rods, matched up with either a Pfueger Trion or better yet the President reel. This combo will serve you very well. In your price range I wouldn't consider a baitcaster. And you will not be any less off with a spinning rig. JMO.

[new_2fishing]

On 5/8/2016 at 9:14 PM, Outdoor Zack said:

Shimano FX200 combo.  Not sure if they are still made, but I have two and they are awesome.  I believe they are in your price range.

thanks that is one of the rods i was looking at

On 5/8/2016 at 9:23 PM, Onvacation said:

To answer your question, in my opinion, in your price range, you will get a spinning setup that is much easier to deal and better quality then a baitcaster.  A lot of people mentioned the Pflueger President reel which is excellent $50 range reel. I can't think of many baitcasters that are $50 that I would use the word excellent to describe. As a matter of fact, I think that sub-$100 baitcasters are probably the number one reason people get turned off to baitcasters which is a shame.  

As to which is better, it really gets down to how technique specific you want to get.  For example, today I caught one fish on a weightless Texas rigged senko. It was on my spinning reel and he was barely moving the line. Would have been difficult with my MH BC at best.  The second fish was on a chatter bait I was fishing just on the edge of some lily pads.  The fish bit and ran for the cover. I pulled out about a two pound fish with about five pounds of vegetation.  Wouldn't have happened on my spinning set up.  

Bottom line is get out there with whatever you can afford and go have a good time.  The fish don't care what you are holding and neither will you once you land them.  

thanks i did notice that all the baitcaster reels were more expensive so im going to go with a spinning and save for some months and maybe  look into a baitcaster setup. the pflueger reel is a reel that i was considering is it a good reel for smaller saltwater use? 

On 5/9/2016 at 8:44 AM, new2BC4bass said:

As Onvacation said, a good spinning outfit is going to be less expensive than a good baitcasting outfit.  Also the spinning reel is going to be much easier for you to cast with.  Sorry about your disability.  Glad to hear you want to get into the sport of fishing.  Even on days the fish don't cooperate, it makes for a relaxing and enjoyable day.

I'm a fan of Fenwick rods.  Feel you get good value for your money.  They offer many of their rods in 2-piece models.  An Eagle or HMG (on sale) should do the trick.  Here is a possible combo from Cabela's both in 7' and 6'6" 2-piece models.  http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=1325659&type=product&MDK=dynbanP_SLb&MDC=cat105740280

Also it wouldn't hurt to post a Want To Buy ad (WTB) in the Flea Market.  Might be surprised at the number of people willing to help you out with a nice deal.

thanks im going to go with the spinning reel for now and later when i can afford baitcasting outfit i might give it a try. as to fishing with my disability thanks those are the kind of days im looking for(relaxing and enjoyable) and i figured that fishing would be a perfect way to enjoy the day and just get my mind away from everyday life. i was looking at the HMX-S662MH-F or the EA66MH-FS-2 and you get a rebate i think if you buy the Pflueger President at gandermountain so that might be what i get dont know if its that good of a setup but thats around my budget with the promo codes. does that look like an ok startup? if not i might try the other posts you suggested. 

On 5/9/2016 at 10:00 AM, Crestliner2008 said:

Stick to spinning and take a hard look at the Lightning Shock series of rods, matched up with either a Pfueger Trion or better yet the President reel. This combo will serve you very well. In your price range I wouldn't consider a baitcaster. And you will not be any less off with a spinning rig. JMO.

thanks i was looking a that rod or a Fenwick HMX or Eagle along with that reel the only thing i seen is that the Fenwick seems a bit stronger and has more options in a 2 piece, is the Lightning Shock 2 piece durable? 

[Onvacation]

I think a President and an HMX would be a nice combo. My daughter fishes saltwater with her President. Just rinse when finished.  

[blckshirt98]

St. Croix has their prior generation Triumph X rods paired up with a free reel for $90-100 with free shipping.  The spinning rods are getting a cheap $40 Daiwa Laguna reel, but the casting rods are getting a $100 Daiwa Exceler which is a freaking steal!

[BassB8Caster]

im in the market for a second baitcaster with around the same budget. Im looking at Abu Garcia Pro Max 3 combo, and Lews American Hero Tournament combo. These can be had for under $100. A few sites i saw with good sales were Overtons (10% off with free shipping), manventureoutpost.com that has good pricing, and cheaper than dirt.  I just came across Lews Laser Pro Combo on Cabelas.com. Was $199 on sale for $99. These are with 6'10" or 7' rods and 7.1:1 reels. 

Im tempted to try the Lews laser pro from cabelas. I also have a $20 off 100. so i can get that combo for $80. Seems like a great deal. Pro max has good reviews as well. I can get that down to $85 with a 15% off code for signing up emails with overton. Not trying to hack the thread, feed back would be greatly appreciated. 

[new_2fishing]

On 5/17/2016 at 1:30 PM, BassB8Caster said:

im in the market for a second baitcaster with around the same budget. Im looking at Abu Garcia Pro Max 3 combo, and Lews American Hero Tournament combo. These can be had for under $100. A few sites i saw with good sales were Overtons (10% off with free shipping), manventureoutpost.com that has good pricing, and cheaper than dirt.  I just came across Lews Laser Pro Combo on Cabelas.com. Was $199 on sale for $99. These are with 6'10" or 7' rods and 7.1:1 reels. 

Im tempted to try the Lews laser pro from cabelas. I also have a $20 off 100. so i can get that combo for $80. Seems like a great deal. Pro max has good reviews as well. I can get that down to $85 with a 15% off code for signing up emails with overton. Not trying to hack the thread, feed back would be greatly appreciated. 

thanks im going to wait and see what deals there is for Memorial Day

On 5/17/2016 at 0:54 PM, blckshirt98 said:

St. Croix has their prior generation Triumph X rods paired up with a free reel for $90-100 with free shipping.  The spinning rods are getting a cheap $40 Daiwa Laguna reel, but the casting rods are getting a $100 Daiwa Exceler which is a freaking steal!

thanks looks like a good deal its just not a 2 piece rod

On 5/16/2016 at 5:42 PM, Onvacation said:

I think a President and an HMX would be a nice combo. My daughter fishes saltwater with her President. Just rinse when finished.  

thats what i was hoping to get but it looks like they are sold out from where i was planing to get it on Memorial Day so might have to settle for something else 

[BassB8Caster]

i picked up the lews $99 combo at cabelas. i think i got the last one. they are now out of stock. I was able to use it last night. I also am using 30lb braid on it. This is my first experience with braid. I practiced quite a bit at home before going fishing with it. It took me a bit to get the brakes adjusted correctly. But it is a very smooth reel. It casts a mile. No complaints so far (besides not catching anything on it yet). For $80 i spent for it it is a great buy. Only baitcaster i have to compare is the abu garcia black max. I have been happy with that as well. I was between the lews and the abu pro max. almost went pro max but decided to try another brand for comparison sake. Cant go wrong with the pro max for $100. 

[Jaderose]

I have A President on a 2 Pc. Shimano Sellus.  Whole rig was right around $100 and is the only spinning rig I have.  It works great!