How many setups do I need?

[pondbassin101]

This might be kind of a wierd question, but how many combos does a fisherman really need? I'm 13 years old and as you would imagine on a tight budget. How many setups would I eventually have to get. Would a ML-M spinning combo, M-MH baitcaster, and a MH-H baitcaster for heavier fishing be enough of an arsenal for most fishing applications?

[riverbasser]

Need? 1 rod&reel will do it. 

 

Now want or to make yourself more efficient is a different story. I caught a lot of fish with 2 rods before I decided to add. If what you listed is what you have then they will work fine. If you have yet to get them I would get 2 MH and lose the H. Very few of my fishing requires a H rod, MH makes up the majority of my setups. As for the spinning I would go M

[bigfruits]

that should cover most techniques. a ML spinning will really only be good for very light baits IMO. DS, ned rig, light hardbaits.

 

id get a M spinning, MH BC and a H BC - all fast actions. getting two rods of the same power wouldnt make sense if you only have 3 rods IMO. 

 

i could get by with the med spinning and med heavy baitcaster for 80% of the baits i throw.

[GetBent]

Quality is more important than quantity. You're young so start off with setups that suit you're favorite fishing style. I mowed yards and did manual labor for family members to buy my gear when I was your age- 

[badgerboyng]

One solid rod and reel is really all you need at this point. As for how many combos you'll "need" to get eventually... well that depends on a few things: do you plan on fishing alone from a bank or a boat, fish intensely with a partner multiple times per week, compete in tournaments with a serious chance at winning one, or something else? 

 

This could end up being a very long post, but I'll keep it short. Here's my advice. I don't know how many combos you have right now, so I'll assume you are starting from scratch. First, decide whether you're more into finesse, light line, natural presentations (senkos, tubes, Ned rigs, flukes, etc) or heavier stuff (spinner baits, topwater, pitching, etc). Then either get a nice spinning rod and reel and spend a year focusing on mastering a few finesse presentations, or buy a nice baitcasting combo and focus on mastering a few heavier baits. You're young, and you have a lot of time to learn. Eventually you'll learn how to effectively fish tons of baits, but for now try to focus solely on mastering one combo and a few baits. Trust me on this - focusing on just a few baits will not make you a worse fisherman - do not fall into the bait monkey trap. Gain a ton of confidence in a few baits and master your feel/presentation, and you will be far more successful than your friends who go out and buy 3 combos and drop $200 on lures right away, because those people won't master the art. Don't jump the gun.

 

However... Once you master a handful of "confidence baits" and are extremely comfortable with either casting or spinning gear, it's time to branch out and buy one more combo. After you master that one, buy one more. Once you have 3 rods, I firmly believe you will be able to succeed in tournaments (that is IF you master your presentation and feel and confidence along the way).

 

For those 3 combos, here is what I would recomend:

One spinning rod for finesse presentations (medium power, fast or extra fast action), one casting rod for working heavy cover (heavy power, fast action, some flex to the tip) with frogs, swim jigs, pitching lures, etc, and one rod for general use... choose this last rod wisely. If you end up being more into treble hook baits (jerkbaits and crankbaits), then get a medium or medium heavy power rod with a moderate or moderate-fast action (this rod doesn't have to be quite as sensitive as the others). On the other hand, if you end up being more into jigs, worms, plastics, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, etc, then skip the moderate action rod and get a medium heavy power rod with a fast or extra-fast action (get the highest quality rod you can afford if you go this route, as sensitivity is key). 

 

I know that's a lot, but hopefully this advice will point you in the right direction for years to come. Just remember to take it slow, master a few baits/presentations at a time, and eventually you might want three combos: one spinning, one medium heavy casting (moderate for crankbaits, fast for jigs/worms), and one heavy rod for working heavy cover.

 

Hope this helps!

[JustJames]

Need? Just 1 rod 1 reel should be good enough to start your fishing journey. I would start with medium spinning combo.

WANT? That up to you or your parent finance situation. A lot of ppl here including myself buy many setup just because they can afford it and it satisfy their want not need.

[roadwarrior]

 

[NHBull]

My daughter ( a bit older) just went through the same situation.

this year

Med/ xf spinning set up

and

MH/ F jig rod

this will give her a summer to see what technique she really enjoy and also keeps the purchase of baits to a minimum.

[pondbassin101]

In my eyes a M spinning combo and a MH F baitcaster would all what I need, the thing is i invested $100 into a M baitcster, wasn't thinking right there

[ww2farmer]

IMHO any bass fisherman regardless if you walk the bank, or fish from the front deck of an $80K boat only "needs" two combos to do most anything. Will these combos be perfect for everything? No, but they will do most stuff excellent, and the rest "good enough" until you can afford more.

 

The two "must haves" for me are:

 

7' Medium power fast, or moderate fast spinning rod with an appropriate sized spinning reel, spooled with 8 or 10lb line of your choosing. I prefer braid w/fluoro leader, some guys like straight braid, some guy like straight fluoro, and some guys like straight mono/co-poly. It's all good.

 

The other is a 7' MH power, fast or moderate fast baitcasting combo with a 6.something:1 ratio reel. Again spooled up with the line of your choice. 15lb fluoro or mono, or 30-50lb braid is a good starting point.

 

FWIW, I tend to lean towards moderate fast rods as I use braid as main line on everything, some one who uses fluoro, or mono as their main line may want to go with a fast. Berkely Lightning Rod Shocks are excellent budget freindly "all purpose rods" , and for a around the same price and a few bucks more, the Abu Garcia Vengeance, and Vendetta line of rods are pretty good rods to get into on a tight budget when you want to start branching out to more technique specific sticks.....HTH

[NathanDLTH]

Honestly you could get away with one or two nice combos, just make sure they are not the same rods. I've settled on 4-5 combos and I'm a bank fishing guy who gets on a boat four-six times a year. The more I fish bass my understanding is never spend less than a 100 on a rod or reel. You're younger and I'd tell you look for quality used gear or save your pennies and dimes for new gear. I started off with one combo last summer, bought cheaper gear and sure it worked, but by the end of the season I had determined more set-ups were wanted. Best of luck. 

[J Francho]

I'd go to a medium power spinning setup, but I think you have the bases covered there.

 

[WIGuide]

There is a big difference with need and want, but we have a tendency to blur those lines. Growing up I only had one, and it suited me fine. As I grew in the sport I've added to my collection, and I'm sure I'll keep adding. Being that you're just starting out, I'd shoot for 2. The two rods I'd pick would be a Medium/Fast and a Medium Heavy/Fast. Those two rods won't be perfect for everything, but will allow you to try the greatest variety of techniques and allow you to branch out from there.  

[Team9nine]

Wise wisdom above - start with one, eventually go to two. Beyond that, the definition of "necessity/need" starts becoming a little more vague 

[Fishes in trees]

You are a 13 year old living in Orlando, Florida.  There are LOTS of geezers who live in Orlando who fish.  If you can't talk your way into fishing with them AND occasionally borrowing their gear, you have limited language skills.

 

On a side note, statistically speaking, If you live in an area where there are a bunch of old guys, who fish, some of them might be perverts.   Don't fish with those guys.

[Scrapiron]

Lots of solid advice in this thread.

 

A couple of weekends ago I did a few days of inshore fishing- I brought 4 setups (ML 6'9" spinning, MH 7' baitcaster, M 6'10" baitcaster, lightMH moderate fast 6'8" baitcaster). 

 

I found I used the 6'8" baitcaster 85% of the time. I switched setups just cause I had them but had to pack them, carry them on/off the boat, etc. Next trip I'll take just two- one spinning and one baitcaster.

 

In fact, I'm seriously considering downsizing to just a couple setups. Oh the horror!

[pondbassin101]

Well I guess I'll invest into a M fast spinning combo and buy a seperate MH casting rod, switching my baitcasting reel to another rod should take like 2 mins. I'm pretty sure that would be "sufficent" enough.

 

While on this topic do you have any recommendations for a spinning combo under $75. I don't need anything crazy just your normal M fast action setup

[mllrtm79]

as previously mentioned, the Abu's have some decent rods for their prices. I have two casting Vendettas myself, M-F, and they are pretty good for a wide range of tactics.

Check your local Bass Pro shop (or Dick's Sporting Goods, Cabella's, Gandar Mountain, Acadamy, etc) they usually have ok combos for that price point. 

http://www.basspro.com/Abu-Garcia-Pro-Max-Rod-and-Reel-Spinning-Combo/product/2336035/#desc-tab

I don't have any experience with the pro max series itself, it's just an example. 

[fishnkamp]

If you have a Dicks Sporting Goods nearby, or you could order one of these combos online, take a look at a Pflueger Trion combo. They offer a 6'6" medium action rod with a 35 series reel for $60.  It can be ordered as a one piece or two piece rod.  Above that I would recommend the Pflueger President combo. I really like the President rod and reel better.  It will cost $80 and is available in a 6 foot medium 1 piece and a 6'6" medium 2 piece rod.  I fished with 2 piece rods all through my elementary school and high school times because I could handle it better while bicycling to my favorite fishing holes.

 

If you ever read any of my other posts I have said I do not like to suggest buying "beginner gear".  I understand cost is a major factor, but I will tell you this.  My wife and I have fished for almost 40 years. To this day she fishes Pflueger President reels.  We both do.  Three of her 5 rods have President 30 or 35  sized reels. One other is a Pflueger Supreme 35 and she has one Shimano.  So if you go for one of the President combos you will only spend $20 dollars more.  Two of her Presidents are more than 10 years old. The other is less than 2 years old and the Supreme I just purchased for her this month. It is going on her new frog rod.  She has landed bass up to 6 pounds, stripers up to 30 inches and catfish up to 8 pounds on these reels.

 

Let's talk tackle, since you will want some to fish on your new combo

Keep it simple and basic.  I am going to share with you just a couple of lures that catch fish for us all over the country. I live in MD and fish in MD, VA, PA,DE, TN, and KY. So here are some of my best secrets.  Tell mom and dad I said to get just one or two packs of any bait I am suggesting.  Then get a couple of packs of each type of hooks. I am not saying you need thousands of dollars worth of gear, in fact the opposite. Most of these baits are available from Bass Pro Shops and Dicks.

 

Look for Kalin 5 inch Lunker grubs.  I like bluegill and watermelon/red flake. A pack or two of each to start maybe.

Rig these on a special hook called a Bass Pro Shops Perfect Finesse worm jighead.  In fact lots of worms can easily be fished on these.  It is a hook with the weight attached.  Rig any grub or worm texas rigged and texposed meaning the hook is buried a little in the top of the bait.

 

Next this is a "big secret" do not tell anyone!  Lots of fish fall prey to Senco worms. Gary Yamamoto makes very good ones but so do others and some of the others are less expensive. These can be fished weightless on a simple hook, stuck in the middle with a "wacky style jig head" and even on my Perfect finesse worm hooks texas style.  Start with a pack or two of 4 or 5 inchers. The colors I would start with would be like a green with red flake, and perhaps peanut butter and jelly. Maybe something like a green pumpkin/ chartreuse tail even. The colors on these baits have a lotto do with the clarity and color of the water you fish.

 

Lastly, look at a bait like a Reaction Innovations Skinny dipper.  Dicks Sporting goods caries these.  They are a minnow imitation. they can be rigged up differently, but I like to use a belly weighted swimbait hook.  Throw these baits out, swim it back a bit then stop reeling letting the bait flutter a bit then twitch it and begin reeling again.  I usually fish a houdini,sungill, blue pearl, white trash and even a money shot green sometimes.  I would pick up one pack of white trash and one pack of sungil or blue pearl first.  

 

I also still enjoy a live minnow, a hook and a bobber sometimes.  Nightcrawlers still catch fish well too.  One nice thing about this first rod you are looking at is it will be fine for catching decent sized catfish from time to time. They too are fun to catch, along with some panfish.

[Further North]

20 hours ago, pondbassin101 said:

How many setups do I need?

Short answer: All of them.

 

Last time I checked (about a month ago) I had 24 fly rods.  Don't ask how many "regular gear" rods I have.

 

I felt bad...maybe a little embarrassed...about that for a bit...until I realized that just about every one of thise rigs will get used this season...and the ones that probably will not get used are already for sale.

 

To get started...you need one rig.  To improve in areas that interest you, you'll need more...when all is said and done it'll depend on how far down this hole you want to (and can afford to) dive.

 

Enjoy the ride, and enjoy learning at every step...it's a lot of fun.

[pondbassin101]

I'm not a straight newbie, I've been fishing for around a year and I have reels in my wardrobe, soft plastics all over my room, and tackle in the garage. I'm always seeing people with like 30 rods in the corner of the garage and 20 more in the boat. The main point was to figure out how much gear I would "need" to fish more or less comfortably.

 

 

 

5 hours ago, fishnkamp said:

Above that I would recommend the Pflueger President combo. I really like the President rod and reel better.  It will cost $80 and is available in a 6 foot medium 1 piece and a 6'6" medium 2 piece rod.

So a Pfleuger President combo or Pfleuger Trion combo would be a good buy for the price and what Id use it for? would a 7' rod be better than a 6'6" or is it all personal preference?

 

 

 

[fishnkamp]

It is preference on the length of rod.  Be careful because Pflueger matches the 40 series reel with their 7 foot medium rods in their combos. I have owned 30, 35 and 40 series reels. I fished my 40 reel for years, but I have come to realize i like the 30 on medium light rods and the 35 on mediums. The amount of line that fits on either a 30 or 35 is plenty, and the weight balances better with the 2 smaller reels.  I like the 40 if I were setting up a heavier action rod for say stripers, big catfish, or some inshore saltwater fishing.

 

If I were putting my own combo together here is what I would do.   I would match the Pflueger 6935 reel with either the 6'6" or a 7 foot rod of my choosing.  That would require spending more money as that reel alone sells for $60.

I am certain that either 6'6" combo will work out well for you.  

My wife and I own a pair of very expensive 6 foot G Loomis 6 foot light action rods and a pair of 6 foot G Loomis medium action rods that see a ton of use each year.  Those rods were originally purchased starting back in 1980 to 1983, some have been broken and replaced over the years, but we keep getting the latest model of the exact same rod.  Each one of her' two have a 6930 and a 6935 reel on them.  One of mine does as well. We fish all of our smaller baits on those rods and their smaller length has had no impact on what we catch with them.  Both of our largest smallies and several big Kentucky spots have come on them. Those fish range from 5 to 7 pounds. Heck, last April she landed an 8 pound catfish using her 6 foot medium light rod and a 6930 reel.  Of course she looked like Mike Iaconelli running from the front to the back of our bass boat multiple times!  Me, I sat in the driver's seat and laughed the entire time!

Do not get hung up over what others say you must have.  If you peek into my rod locker you will find 12 baitcasters and 3 spinning rods for me. You will find 6 rods for her and all of hers are spinning, she will not touch a baitcaster.  We fished for 10 years together before she owned more than 2 rods.  I can afford more equipment ( actually I am just old) and I fish all different types of water. I live near the tidal Chesapeake Bay so I fish the Susquehanna Flats and mostly shallow tidal rivers like the Potomac, which have lots of grass and lily pads, and deep water like around bridges and most of it is off color. Then I go out to BIG lakes that are very deep and very clear so I am fishing very different conditions.  Last April when we arrived at Dale Hollow Lake (one off those big clear lakes) we fished our first day with a friend and professional bass guide Bobby Gentry.  My wife said I looked like I was a drug addict having withdrawal pains as I was trying to pick just 3 rods to take with us on our trip that day!  I knew if we had to, it was only minutes back to where my boat was docked, but I chose 2 spinning rods and only 1 baitcaster. I never needed to go back.

[pondbassin101]

What if I were to find a size 35 President or Trion on the flea market and were to pair that with a 6'6" medium power fast action Lightning shock rod? Would I end up with a better combo or is the rod that comes with the reel better?

[lonnie g]

one will work ,you just have to tie more. the three setups you mentioned would be a great setup. not to much to carry around small ponds, or put in small boat. good luck, for 13 looks like you are getting off to a good start.  

[fishnkamp]

Ask dad to take you to Walmart and see if they have a medium action 6'6" Berkley Lightning Shock on their shelves.  If they do it will be marked $32 or $49.  Have it scanned at the register. A few members have found them on clearance for around $15.  That is one of my wife's rods in fact. She enjoys crankbaits, rattle traps and other baits on ot.  I know it would be fine to use for other baits.  If you found one of those on clearance then you could afford the reel brand new.

I use two of the same  rods but the 6'6" medium baitcaster.  I throw mostly the same baits on them.