Cheap drop shot rig

[BirdWTeeth]

I love drop shoting but I don't really have the rod for it, im using my 50 dollar Abu Garcia combo for everything. I'm looking for a cheap reel to match the rod I'm gonna go with, I'm planning on getting a shimano cellus but not to sure on what specs or reel I should get, I'd like to keep it cheap as I'm a teenager trying to buy a car. All your help would be much appreciated. 

[Gundog]

Shimano Symetre or Sedona are good reels. Both are about 70 bucks but you could probably find them cheaper. The Symetre is on sale at Cabela's website.

[Longo]

If you are trying to keep the price low, take a look at the Pflueger Trion's.  They retail for around $30. I have a couple of them and for the price they are nice little reels.  Then there are always the Pflueger presidents which are highly regarded.  Those retail in the $50 range.  Hope this helps.

[BirdWTeeth]

And what specs should I be looking for, both reel and rod. 

[Longo]

Most will use a medium or medium light in the 6'6" - 7' range paired with a lighter reel in the 1500-2500 range.  There really are lots of options.  I'd suggest a google search and start experimenting with a few of them.  You have to find what your preference is.  Most times that will depend on the budget and body of water fished.  Just keep in mind it's called finesse fishing which means light.  You don't want a MH rod with 60lb braid for drop shotting..

[OddChase]

I was given a fairly inexpensive set up not too long ago. 7' Med Fast Fenwick Eagle with a Pflueger President. Very light weight, very sensitive, very nice for drop shotting, senkos, and ned rigs. I often use it for panfishing. 

[everythingthatswims]

Shimano Sienna 2500 is an incredibly good reel for $30

[Molay1292]

I may be biased because I use a lot of their spinning reels, but in my mind you won't find a better deal for the money than Pflueger.

 

[Bluebasser86]

I'm using an Okuma RTX 25 that I got online for $75. It's very lightweight and solid feeling, and had the high speed retrieve I was looking for. I love my Presidents, but they're painfully slow if you're fishing in very deep water. 

[Crestliner2008]

Too bad all rod manufacturers don't standardize their ratings. That being said, I like to keep it down to a medium light rating on the drop shot rod. You just need a sensitive/flexible tip to impart action (when needed - a whole 'nuther discussion!) and a decent backbone. A 6 1/2' to 7' rod should do it. But like I said, it's challenging to find ratings to reflect what is truly needed. A rod specified as a "drop shot" rod may not be what you really expect/need, depending upon the manufacturer.

As far as reels go, you'd be hard pressed to find anything better than a Pflueger President, clocking in around the $50.00 range. Fill it with 6# test braid and 6# test quality fluorocarbon leader and you're good to go!

[fishnkamp]

I like the Sellus rods.  I would get the 6'8 M extra fast rod. That rod should work well for drop shots, but also for throwing weightless worms, light texas rigs, and Sencos.  Also it would work well for throwing Ned rigs. If you have not fished a Ned Rig you need to. Look at Z Man TRD (The Real Deal) mushroom head jigs and Ned Rig worm bodies. It resembles a 3 inch senco.  Their bodies use elastec plastic and last forever. I caught 15 bass over 5 pounds using one body. They were all caught during a week of vacation on Dale Hollow Lake this past April.

My wife and I fish 7 Pflueger Presidents and love those reels. Right now they have a mail in rebate at Dicks Sporting Goods. A model 6930 will work great, if you want to go lighter than a 6925 will be your your choice.  We own 25s,30s a 35 and a 40 so I have them all. I prefer the 30 and 35 sizes for all around use.  My line choice for almost everything is Berkley fire line in 14 pound test with a 10 pound leader made of P Line CXX  moss green. I first fill the reels spool half way with inexpensive mono for backing.

The other spinning reel she fishes is a Shimano Symetre 3000. What a great lightweight powerhouse of a reel.  We paid $100 for that reel because no one had it on sale. Cabelas has the SY 2500 on sale for $69.00 right now

Looking at the specs on both the Pflueger 6930  and a 2500 Shimano I would pick the President, more bearings and less weight by almost an ounce. That reel cost $59.00 and Dicks is offering a $10 mail in rebate. That makes it a 10 bearing reel for $50.00. The Trion as mentioned above sells for $39.00 and has 5 ball bearings. Your budget will have to make your decision, but I have gone with the Presidents and never been sorry. My  reels are from 1 to 10 years old and we use them for bass, stripers, and big cats. To date her biggest cat came on a 3500 President on a 6 foot M rod in 30 feet of water. It weighed just over 6 pounds.  My biggest was a 18 pound blue cat, but it hit a lure on a baitcasting outfit.

Good Luck and let us know what you get and how you like it.

 

[dsqui]

for a reel im going to suggest a brand.. i prefer lews reels.  but honestly all the top brands make decent gear.  go to dicks or BP or cabelas and check them out in your hand and find the one you think fits best.  gear ratios i prefer a slower reel for my drop shotting rod cause i also use it for tubes and sencos so the slower reel helps me keep in contact with bottom i have a hard time doing this with the faster reels