Do you have a "Beater Rod"?

[nameiztaken]

Do you guys use beater rods and reels for bank fishing? I used to use a shakespear outcast (like $11 new) and shakespear agility ($40 new) as a bank fishing/beater rod, that thing put up a good fight, lasted 2 seasons before I gave it to goodwill! 

I love having a rod I can just throw around. How about you guys? If you have a beater setup, what is it?

[RoLo]

 

My most frugal outfit was a cane pole without any reel 

 

 

[nameiztaken]

7 minutes ago, RoLo said:

 

My most frugal outfit was a cane pole without any reel 

 

 

 I started fishing with a stick from a redwood and some recycled line! Beat that! caught a lot of gills on that setup though, cant seem to catch them with an actual rod nowadays... :/

 

I've seen some people fishing for mackerel on the local pier with empty soda cans spooled with line, thats it. I guess you gotta make do with what you got!

[iabass8]

keep it PG.....keep it PG.....keep it PG.....I can't.....carry on. 

[nameiztaken]

2 minutes ago, iabass8 said:

keep it PG.....keep it PG.....keep it PG.....I can't.....carry on. 

pretends to have understood the joke.. wait, it was a joke, right?...

[RoLo]

With a cane pole, we used to cherry-pick panfish thru clearings in matted weedbeds.

We also used a cane pole to 'skitter' for chain pickerel, a word I haven't heard in 50 years.

A spoon or pork strip is sledded across the surface (it actually works).

 

Roger

[NYBasser]

I've got a South Bend rod that I use to mess around while bed fishing for bass. The rod is super whippy and has no backbone or sensitivity whatsoever, so it's more of a sight fishing rod.

[nameiztaken]

4 minutes ago, NYBasser said:

I've got a South Bend rod that I use to mess around while bed fishing for bass. The rod is super whippy and has no backbone or sensitivity whatsoever, so it's more of a sight fishing rod.

haha I have this shakespear rod that reminds me of a super long soft spring, the slightest twitch will throw the tip 2 feet... I have no idea what you could use this thing for...

[KDW96]

I use the same rods id use in my boat. Fishins fishin

 

[nameiztaken]

3 minutes ago, KDW96 said:

I use the same rods id use in my boat. Fishins fishin

 

Thats what I do nowadays, I dont mind a few scratches, but you know, hitting a rod on rocks on purpose is kindaaaa fun

 

That and when a random 10 year old walks up to you on the bank and asks like 400 questions about fishing (including if he can use your rod), letting em use a cheaper one is cool. I'd hate to be the guy who told the kid interested in fishing he cant use a rod of mine for a bit. (not like a random kid would know how to use a cheap baitcaster right off the bat)

[DINK WHISPERER]

Most definitely have beater/bank combos. I have 2 Lews speed sticks from Walmart and 2 Daiwa excelers .... on sale at TW for under $50 right now. Both 7ft, one MH/F and one M/F. One reel in 7 ratio and one in 6. Both with 30lb braid and use different leaders as needed. 

[NYBasser]

51 minutes ago, nameiztaken said:

haha I have this shakespear rod that reminds me of a super long soft spring, the slightest twitch will throw the tip 2 feet... I have no idea what you could use this thing for...

I find that the whippy rods work really well for topwater carp at the local pond 

[hunterPRO1]

i use the zebco rhino 6'6" mh as a beater rod, i will either have a 33 or a black max on it with 17lb stren mono.

 

i can take the two pieces apart and put it on the dash and if i have 10 or 20min at a local pond i can take advantage of that.

 

 

also have a daiwa laguna spin rod and a lews ah 300 with 10lb stren i use for senkos, another cheap combo that i wont go swimming for.... usually. 

 

niether rod has much sensetivity and the eye on the laguna is cracked so soon im going to change it out for a cherrywood

[CenCal fisher]

i keep a shakespeare agility in my truck at a beater rod

[Raul]

Hmmm, nope, no "beater" anything, I like to fish with my stuff, I do have "foot patrol" gear but that's because the rods are two piece but by no means they are "cheap" .

[Jeff H]

All mine are beaters, as are my reels,

[Bass fishing is best]

I have 2 ugly stick combos (6ft and 6 6) that I bought at Walmart for $20 that are always in the car, and the 6ft comes out on the Kayak sometimes.  I picked up a Shakespeare Reverb combo for $5 too that I used to trade in at BPS.  It actually felt decent but could tell it would last a season at best so I bought another one for next year.  I actually hope some kid asks me about it, I'll just give it to them.  More kids should be outside fishing.

[bigturtle]

I dont have any rod that I can just throw around, I cherish all my equipment and take care of them because they are all pricey.

[Gundog]

I used a ugly stick for years as my fun rod. It was a 6 ft. medium that could cast small lures a country mile. When I would go fishing after work I would throw that rod in my truck. It had almost no backbone but when you are catching dinks on almost every cast it was perfect for the situation. 

[dwh4784]

My frog rod is beater from head to toe. Shimano Callisto (at least 10 years old) mated to a $25 Shakespeare MH rod. Still yards them out of the thickest cover. The reel is sounding pretty awful though, I expect to have to replace it soon.

[ww2farmer]

I have a bunch of Berkley Lightning Rod Shocks that I use right along side rods that cost much more, and/or are custom built. 

 

But I don't consider them beaters. They are fantastic rods for the money,and I buy them when ever I see them on sale.

[Bluebasser86]

I've caught some monsters fishing from shore, I'm not risking losing them by fishing with gear I wouldn't use otherwise. 

[Raul]

5 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I've caught some monsters fishing from shore, I'm not risking losing them by fishing with gear I wouldn't use otherwise. 

 

My thoughts exactly.

[AC870]

11 hours ago, Jeff H said:

All mine are beaters, as are my reels,

This. 

[offsidewing]

I use same gear no matter where I'm fishing.  If I'm bank fishing I usually just take two set ups.  Caught my PB small mouth off a dock, so you never know.