Rod or reel what is more important?

[JustJames]

Actually I said they both equally important and even more important is the both balance each other well and comfortable in each techniques you plan to fish with. The sensitivity is very subjective more expensive rod might have a better blanks, components and transfer vibration better but in a hand of inexperienced it might not feel any different than cheap Walmart rod. I’m not there to just feel the bite anyway, when I fish I would look for “the change” not just the tab. 
With that said I admitted, it is harder to find favorite rods than reels.

[soflabasser]

A reel is more important especially when targeting large fish.

[bagofdonuts]

I always use both.

[NYWayfarer]

For me it’s the reel. I want a good drag and a solid frame. 
 

I am a line watcher and I usually have a finger in contact with the line after casting. I feel those traits are important and can let someone get away with not having the most sensitive rod. 

[soflabasser]

4 hours ago, king fisher said:

The fishermen is the biggest factor.  I know a local kid that can out fish anyone on his home water.  All he has for equipment is an old soda bottle with mono wrapped around it.  Every time I see him I give him one of my lures.  Doesn't matter what lure I give him, he always catches fish with it.

I have known fishermen that fish with Cuban Yo-Yo reels and they catch better fish than most people. A skilled fisherman tends to do well with almost any gear they use while unskilled fisherman tend to struggle even with expensive gear.

[Columbia Craw]

I'll always invest more in a rod than the reel.

[Kdizzle]

Rods for me, just for the sensitivity factor.  I really don't like gut hooking a bass that can take a decade to get to the  3 pound mark. 

 

A 50 dollar reel can do just fine, but I'll pay for the better carbon in a nice rod.

[FishTank]

Without question the rod.  As long as the reel can cast and bring fish in, what else is there?  

 

As far as the rod goes.... it communicates what is going on under the water and somewhat on top, it sets the hook, and handles the fish.   

[Boomstick]

My personal thoughts on the matter is if going with a cheap casting setup, the reel is going to be more important. If you are fishing with something that doesn't have a working brake system and having trouble casting far or not getting birds nests or both, then your chance of putting that lure in front of a fish to even get a shot at trying to see if you can detect the bite diminishes a ton.

 

Now once you get into decent reels, I think it starts to run to favor the rod more.

[Mobasser]

I say the rod

[redmeansdistortion]

1 hour ago, Boomstick said:

Now once you get into decent reels, I think it starts to run to favor the rod more.

Exactly, and a decent reel doesn't need to cost too terribly much.  Take the Fuego CT and Fuego LT, they are both excellent workhorse reels.  Nothing flashy, but they work day in and day out and will last many years and be reasonably smooth.  The SLX reels are also very similar in that regard.  You get a lot of reel for the money in those models.  They cut out the bling and retain many features of their higher end cousins.  Most of my reels fall in that category and none have ever given me issues.  Every one of them has its own small quirk, but that's to be expected.  It wasn't until I fell down the black hole of BFS that I really started spending money on reels.  For everything but BFS fishing I use more middle of the road reels.

[Manly Studson]

When I replaced a Daiwa LT reel with an aluminum Stradic FL on the same rod, the sensitivity of the rod was improved. A good reel can bring out the best side of a rod.

[BrianMDTX]

2 hours ago, Manly Studson said:

When I replaced a Daiwa LT reel with an aluminum Stradic FL on the same rod, the sensitivity of the rod was improved. A good reel can bring out the best side of a rod.

In your opinion, how does a reel improve sensitivity? I realize the line runs through the guides to the spool (and the bail on a spinning reel), but I would think the line contact to the guides which transmits vibrations to the rod is what impacts sensitivity and not the reel. 

[GReb]

Depends.

 

Worm/jig? Rod wins.

 

Spinnerbait/swim jig/chatterbait/etc? Reel barely edges out the rod 

 

Crankbait? Tie
 

Also you have to consider the conditions. When you find yourself in 20 mph head winds you will quickly appreciate a nice reel. 
 

With that being said the amount of reel you can get for $100 today is incredible. There’s a lot more value in reels than rods today

[Marc Hufnagel]

I know I don't have the experience of some of you but I have a st croix premier 6'6" M/F with vanford 2500, and a pflueger president xt/ lews carbon fire speed stick 7' - can't tell much difference...       I like my zebco bullet on a ugly stik gx2 too.        Maybe if I had more experience...

[Manly Studson]

5 hours ago, BrianMDTX said:

I would think the line contact to the guides which transmits vibrations to the rod is what impacts sensitivity and not the reel. 

All of it affects sensitivity—guides, reel seat, and reel. Once a reel is attached to a rod, it becomes a part of the rod just like the guides.

[Catt]

Rod or reel what is more important?

 

Neither!

 

It's the whole setup!

 

Some of y'all can "get by with", I can not ?

[lynxcat]

One nuance is spinning vs casting. Quality reel matters more on spinning than casting if you are going to use light line and drag needs to be smooth. 

[Mobasser]

2 hours ago, Catt said:

Rod or reel what is more important?

 

Neither!

 

It's the whole setup!

 

Some of y'all can "get by with", I can not ?

Agree Catt. Both go hand in hand. If you get a really nice rod, it only stands to reason you'll want a nice reel on it too. I have used some older reels on newer rods, and they've worked well, just a little heavy compared to newer reels.

[jimmyjoe]

9 hours ago, Marc Hufnagel said:

  Maybe if I had more experience...

 

   Let me tell you something, as a senile old man is sometimes wont to do; "Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."

   So don't worry. You'll get experience. We all did.

 

   Good luck!   ???    jj

[The Maestro]

Your post doesn't really make sense and contradicts itself. On the one hand you say rod technology changes faster but on the other hand you say your 25 year old rods perform as good as today's rods according to the guy you sold them to.

 

Personally I think the rod is more important but to say reel tech hasn't improved as much as rods, I don't think is accurate. There isn't an old school reel that can even come close to the current high-end reels from Shimano and Daiwa. And I'm not talking about DC or SV. I'm talking about the overall precision and refinement. As for rods I don't think there have been anywhere near as dramatic improvements over the last 10 years or so.

[NOC 1]

I see them as a system where each is potentially as important as the other depending on exactly what you are doing on THAT particular day.

 

For example the best rod in the world isn't going to help much if you are trying to use a $50 reel to cast 1/4 oz crank baits on a windy day. By the same token, The best reel you can buy isn't going to help you any when you are using a big hybrid glass crank-bait rod to fish a 1/4 NED rig.

 

Along with the line, hook, and bait, each rig is a system where the relative importance of each component will change with each different scenario.

[Teal]

23 minutes ago, The Maestro said:

Your post doesn't really make sense and contradicts itself. On the one hand you say rod technology changes faster but on the other hand you say your 25 year old rods perform as good as today's rods according to the guy you sold them to.

 

Personally I think the rod is more important but to say reel tech hasn't improved as much as rods, I don't think is accurate. There isn't an old school reel that can even come close to the current high-end reels from Shimano and Daiwa. And I'm not talking about DC or SV. I'm talking about the overall precision and refinement. As for rods I don't think there have been anywhere near as dramatic improvements over the last 10 years or so.

I dont think it was intended to make total sense, I dont think it was blanket statement.   I think Tom just posted a very debatable topic up for discussion.  

 

I beg to differ on rod tech. Rods have improved enormously. there is just lower return on them.  Also yes, reels have improved, but the reels daiwa shimano, and Abu out 20 years ago are still relative in the terms of performance.  

 

 

[Armtx77]

Good rod and line.

 

Of course, what constitutes "good" is subjective to a certain extent and is usually broken down by price for most people.

 

The rod and line are the interface between the water and the dummy on the other end. 

[NOC 1]

On 10/15/2020 at 10:19 PM, BrianMDTX said:

In your opinion, how does a reel improve sensitivity? I realize the line runs through the guides to the spool (and the bail on a spinning reel), but I would think the line contact to the guides which transmits vibrations to the rod is what impacts sensitivity and not the reel. 

The reel is where the line is attached and is the largest and tightest connection between the rod and the line and is where the line is pulling the most. Seems to me that the reel would be the place where most of the vibrations would be transmitted based on mechanics.