Help! Newbie needs help building up rod/reel arsenal

[Funfishin]

Hey Y'all,

 

I am so glad I found this forum. I'm sure it's been covered but I am getting so much conflicting information about rod/reels and orders to start building my arsenal of rod/reels.

I currently have a low end spinning rod/reel combo. I literally went to BPS and had someone set me up with a cheap spinning set up to see if I would stick with fishing and let me tell you, I absolutely love it. It's all I pretty much spend free time doing or researching. I want to keep at it but worried that I am not going about building up my gear the right way. I see myself bank fishing this year and then with some confidence getting into kayak fishing next year.

 

I currently use a 7' daiwa Aird X MedLt Fast with a Daiwa Regal 5.2:1 reel. I am gaining confidence with soft plastics T rig, Ned rig, senko, wacky rig on it. I use braid/Fluoro leader. Feeling more and more comfortable with it day by day. I know it's not a great set up for sensitivity and feeling bites but I'm okay with it for now. I will eventually move on to a higher end spinning set up.

I'm ready to take on learning bait casting. I know about the dreaded backlashes with new users. Considering the Shimano Curado DC since I've researched starting on a "4" setting helps with the electronic brakes. My question is which action/power to pair with it to continue my soft plastics usage but adding spinner baits, shaky heads.

 

Is this a good order to grow my rod/reels:

1) 7' ML fast spinning rod set up (already own)

2)7'3 MH Fast 7:1  bait-casting for T rig, jigs, spinnerbait

3)7' MH  bait cast for  square-bill crankbait, deep divers

4) 7'3 HF frog rod

Any other set ups I need? I would like to purchase in an order that's logical, where I can practice with each set up, get comfortable and then purchase the next set up. I need a game plan and starting to get dizzy from my research. Thanks for your advice!

[roadwarrior]

 

[kdubracing]

In my opinion, you're on the right track. I think the MH Fast baitcaster is the best to start with. You can throw anything you want on that while you're learning. The steps after that may change depending on what you figure out you like using the best and what your cover is. But a crankbait rod and a heavy rod are pretty logical following the MH fast. 

[plawren53202]

I agree that in general you're on the right track. 7'-7'3" MH/F baitcaster is the jack of all trades for casting rods and definitely the first casting rod I would get.

 

I would add in there, sooner rather than later, a M spinning combo. I have both ML (one) and M (two) spinning combos. That ML is great for a few specific purposes like Ned rigs, or a lot of the fishing I do on a couple of dinkville small ponds, but when I get out on the bigger lakes nearly all of my spinning action takes place on the mediums. For instance I fish a lot of shaky heads on bigger lakes, and I really prefer the extra backbone that a M has over the ML for hooksetting. Plus a good M spinning rod doesn't give up much in sensitivity. The good thing about adding in another spinning combo is that they don't have to break the bank. Spend more $ on the rod, there are a lot of really serviceable spinning reels in the $50-$75 range. 

 

As far as baitcasting reels, I'd be curious to hear what others think, but I would tend to stay away from a DC reel as your first baitcaster. I understand the temptation to rely on the chip to help with backlashes, BUT, if you're going to be sticking with fishing, I would go ahead and make the plunge, and really learn to master casting without relying on a device. I look at it kind of like when I was messing around with photography for a while. On a good quality SLR camera, the temptation was to rely on Auto rather than manually set shutter speed and F stops. But doing that I wasn't fully learning the camera, and I would also miss out on some of the capability of the camera.

 

You can get some good baitcasters and not spend a fortune. I have a couple, a Lew's Tournament MP and a Daiwa Fuego CT, that didn't break the bank, especially on sale. And, relevant to your purposes, once I get the brakes set right (which is not difficult, especially on the Fuego), I nearly have to intentionally get them to backlash. They're not 100% foolproof, but they tolerate a whole lot of my casting mistakes. I guess if money isn't an issue for you, then go for it with the DC, but when I was in your position (trying to build up a lineup of combos), I had to make every penny go as far as I could, so DC would not have been a good choice for me. Now, maybe don't put expensive line on the baitcaster the first couple of spoolings LOL, I know I had some colossal bird nests my first couple of spoolings (on cheaper reels, not the MP/Fuego).

[LCG]

A 7ft ish MH-F would probably be your best bet for the next rod. It would complement your spinning setup nicely. I am a big fan of Shimano reels, I have the Curado K and SLX MGL and they are both great. Daiwa has good reels too but not a big fan of their t wing system. 

 

You will soon learn that not all manufacturers rate rods the same ie MH in one brand may fish more like a heavy or a medium. Find something that has a lure rating that can handle what you plan on using it for and you should be good. The middle of the Lure rating is usually the sweet spot for most rods. 

 

[roadwarrior]

Give us a pricing point for the rod and the reel so we can give more

specific advice.

[kayaking_kev]

The biggest problem I see is that I don't see a squarebill/crankbait rod also being able to throw deep divers. I would consider a Medium Power rod for Squarebills and Crankbaits rather than a MH, depending on the manufacturer. Other than that, that's the 4 main combos I would start with Bottom, Finesse, Cranking, & Power. After those are taken care of then comes a Swimbait rod and maybe a shorter Jerkbait rod, but you can really go down the rabbit hole and get a dedicated rod for Chatterbaits and so on. I've went way down the rabbit hole and almost had a rod for every bait, but I came back up out of the hole and am now settling on about 5 main combos.

 

I also agree about not getting a DC reel. They are heavy and not necessary and if you use setting 4 you will lose out on a lot of casting distance. There are a lot of good reels out there that are lighter and even cheaper that as long as you have the brakes and spool setup properly, you won't need to thumb the spool except to stop it when the lure hits the water. I believe Fishing Online has 30% off on reels and have a Tatula SV that you can get for $140.

[Funfishin]

Thanks everyone for your advice! I see your point about not starting with the Curado DC. I think learning on a less expensive reel and learning the right way is good to not rely on the chip. I will look into some set ups mentioned in your reply posts. Daiwa and Shimano always seem be good reputation reels. What do you think of Rod/Reel combo options in the $300?

 

 Also, getting conflicted advice about the retrieval side, I am right handed and I see most people have learned to cast with their right hand and then switch hands and retrieve on the right. Since I have no bait casting experience should I learn on a left retrieve so I don't have to switch hands?

[kdubracing]

31 minutes ago, Funfishin said:

Also, getting conflicted advice about the retrieval side, I am right handed and I see most people have learned to cast with their right hand and then switch hands and retrieve on the right. Since I have no bait casting experience should I learn on a left retrieve so I don't have to switch hands?

This is going to be completely preference. I’m left handed, and use only right hand reels. I even move all my spinning reels to right hand. That’s because I like to have my dominant hand on the rod. That’s just what is natural to me. 

[OilfieldCowboy]

41 minutes ago, Funfishin said:

 Also, getting conflicted advice about the retrieval side, I am right handed and I see most people have learned to cast with their right hand and then switch hands and retrieve on the right. Since I have no bait casting experience should I learn on a left retrieve so I don't have to switch hands?

I tried to learn left handed since I had always ran spinning reels that way. It never felt correct, so I switched to right handed and everything made sense. I was unwilling to switch hands until after the first few casts, now it is just normal.

[Hewhospeaksmuchbull]

If I were to start someone off, I'd likely suggest a Dobyns SA 703C that is listed as Med/Heavy - Fast. Its listed intended baits are  Senkos, Jigs, Flukes, Texas Rigs, Spinnerbaits but I have found this rod to be a great for crankbaits and jerkbaits. It also throws weightless plastic very well for me although I have it paired with a Tatula SV.  $170.00. Others to consider would be 704c and 734c.

 

For your budget a Diawa Fuego CT in 7.3 Right hand,  Can get them for around $100.00 maybe 80.00 on sale. You could go to a brick and mortar and try both to see what fits best, but dont force a change when your starting off.

 

[new2BC4bass]

1 hour ago, Funfishin said:

 Also, getting conflicted advice about the retrieval side, I am right handed and I see most people have learned to cast with their right hand and then switch hands and retrieve on the right. Since I have no bait casting experience should I learn on a left retrieve so I don't have to switch hands?

 

I'd start with a left hand retrieve.  That is what I did after growing up using left hand for my spinning reels.  However, I would advise eventually learning to use right hand retrieve as well.  Has a couple benefits.  One being some reels only come in right hand retrieve.  A second reason being to give your rod arm (and wrist) a rest during a long day of fishing.  You don't have to learn to cast left handed, but it has advantages as well.

[Funfishin]

 

20 minutes ago, Hewhospeaksmuchbull said:

If I were to start someone off, I'd likely suggest a Dobyns SA 703C that is listed as Med/Heavy - Fast. Its listed intended baits are  Senkos, Jigs, Flukes, Texas Rigs, Spinnerbaits but I have found this rod to be a great for crankbaits and jerkbaits. It also throws weightless plastic very well for me although I have it paired with a Tatula SV.  $170.00. Others to consider would be 704c and 734c.

 

For your budget a Diawa Fuego CT in 7.3 Right hand,  Can get them for around $100.00 maybe 80.00 on sale. You could go to a brick and mor]tar and try both to see what fits best, but dont force a change when your starting 

I spoke with someone at Dobyns yesterday, good folks there by the way. They suggested the 733 or 734, so I'm glad you mentioned those rods. I think I will go to a store and see how they feel in my hand. I think the main difference in the 703,704 vs. 733,734 is length. 

 

[kayaking_kev]

Champion XP 734c or Kaden 744c for Jigs, T-Rigs, & Spinnerbaits.

Fury 705CB or Fury 703c for Squarebills and Crankbaits

Sierra 735c for Frogs

 

I've owned all those rods.

 

If you're just starting out, I would begin with left handed retrieve.

[GrumpyOlPhartte]

While I don’t think I’m qualified to make specific rod recommendations, I do believe @kayaking_kev is making a good point about left-hand retrieve reels.  I am right-handed and fish from a kayak. I had a couple of unpleasant experiences with switching hands after casting.  Seems that long-handled rods, PFDs, and the tight space in a kayak can create some excitement when a good fish hits your lure as soon as the lure hits the water. I would suggest that you confirm you can get the desired reel size and retrieval speed in a left-handed model for whatever brand reel you are considering.

[new2BC4bass]

3 minutes ago, GrumpyOlPhartte said:

While I don’t think I’m qualified to make specific rod recommendations, I do believe @kayaking_kev is making a good point about left-hand retrieve reels.  I am right-handed and fish from a kayak. I had a couple of unpleasant experiences with switching hands after casting.  Seems that long-handled rods, PFDs, and the tight space in a kayak can create some excitement when a good fish hits your lure as soon as the lure hits the water. I would suggest that you confirm you can get the desired reel size and retrieval speed in a left-handed model for whatever brand reel you are considering.

A blow-up as soon as the lure hits the water can be rather exciting.  And your mind isn't always in the right place when it happens since it isn't something you normally would expect.  I'd probably flip over one of the less stable kayaks.  Which would create even more excitement since I can't swim. 

[jimanchower]

I had to double check that the OP's post wasn't actually me from a couple of months ago, because I feel like he's following the exact same path I started with a cheap spinning reel and a week later got a cheap kayak. A few weeks later I had three mid-level baitcasters (MH-F, M-F, and MH-MF, with Shimano SLX DC reels). Then picked up a second spinning reel with a M-F rod. Learning a lot.

 

I started with the MH-F and then picked up the M-F. In hindsight I wish I had gone with a Heavy Fast as my second rod. The Dobyns Fury 705CB was a nice pick-up; I think that's also a good second or third rod. Definitely don't neglect your spinning rod - it'll be your best friend some days.

 

I still don't know if going with the DC reels right off the bat is good or bad. I will say that yesterday when I was fishing a jig right up on the bank/cover (from the kayak) it was nice to be able to put the brake on 4 and slam that thing up against the bank time and time again with no backlash. In open water I'll put it on 2 or 1 and thumb the spool. I will say that the setup instructions I read here seem to be better than Shimano's. That is, use the tension knob to tune the reel for your lure weight so that it falls ever so slowly. 

[roadwarrior]

Switching hands is a non-issue.

I fish spinning tackle with a left hand retrieve, baitcasting right hand.

 

 

[Funfishin]

So I just came back from a local Fishing store that had a bunch of shimano and daiwa models I was considering in R and L retrieve. I felt that R and L both felt fine in my hands so I think I'm going to go left retrieve on spinning and bait casting to keep it the same. Do some brands have limited quantity of Left retrieve since not as popular? Do any of y'all know? In that case I'll have to go back to the drawing board.

Still very ignorant about lots of this but I got to play with the Dobyns rods and they felt really good so I'm settled on that. Black Friday, Here I come!!!

[kayaking_kev]

9 hours ago, new2BC4bass said:

A blow-up as soon as the lure hits the water can be rather exciting.  And your mind isn't always in the right place when it happens since it isn't something you normally would expect.  I'd probably flip over one of the less stable kayaks.  Which would create even more excitement since I can't swim. 

It happens a lot with me with a Whopper Plopper and Smallmouth, so I will keep my thumb tight on the spool and sweep back to move the lure towards me as soon as it hits the water while I'm grabbing for the rod with my left hand and continue to sweep until I can switch my right hand to the handle and start reeling. That way I always have my lure moving in case it gets attacked as soon as it hits the water. But, if I was able to start all over I would try to start out with a left hand retrieve. The only bad thing I can see about is I have a paddle kayak for shallow rivers and I like to paddle one handed to position myself and have to be able to paddle with my right hand and hold the rod with my left hand.

 

So if you're like me and use a paddle and paddle one handed while fighting a fish to position yourself out of danger sometimes, you might want to consider if you can paddle one handed with your left hand, I'm not able to myself due to a right side brain surgery.

[TNBankFishing]

My only advice is pace yourself and only buy gear you will want to use a year or two from now. I started buying more affordable combos and ended up selling everything.
 

What I wanted was 4 curado Ks and a stradic. I bought an SLX and a cheap spinning reel. I ended up selling and replacing every single rod and reel I had and lost money in the process. 
 

If you’re sure this hobby will be with you a long time, save the cash and buy the gear you want. While the $70 bucks difference in an SLX to Curado seems a lot at first when you need 4 of them, it’s not much in the grand scheme of things.  And the quality difference is there. 
 

Just remember there is a diminishing return on that cash spent. While I firmly believe a 200 dollar rod is significantly better than a 75 dollar rod. I don’t know if I see a huge jump from 200 to 400. I’m terrible at taking my own advice though, as I pretty much only use Megabass rods. 

[ShawnCorreia]

On 11/14/2020 at 9:46 PM, kdubracing said:

This is going to be completely preference. I’m left handed, and use only right hand reels. I even move all my spinning reels to right hand. That’s because I like to have my dominant hand on the rod. That’s just what is natural to me. 

So as an example speaking to this I am right handed and insist on my dominant hand cranking so I always have a smooth retrieve. Lol at this point I can't imagine walking the dog with my right hand controlling. And after about the third time you go fishing you won't even realize how smoothly your right hand transfers to the left after the cast. 

[ShawnCorreia]

On 11/15/2020 at 8:59 AM, roadwarrior said:

Switching hands is a non-issue.

I fish spinning tackle with a left hand retrieve, baitcasting right hand.

 

 

I agree, I dont understand anyone's issue with blowups. You have plenty of time to hooksett after a blowup. And as anyone that casts right handed and reels right-handed can tell you putting it in your left hand during the cast is part of the process and second nature.

[NOC 1]

On 11/14/2020 at 8:14 PM, Funfishin said:

Thanks everyone for your advice! I see your point about not starting with the Curado DC. I think learning on a less expensive reel and learning the right way is good to not rely on the chip. I will look into some set ups mentioned in your reply posts. Daiwa and Shimano always seem be good reputation reels. What do you think of Rod/Reel combo options in the $300?

 

 Also, getting conflicted advice about the retrieval side, I am right handed and I see most people have learned to cast with their right hand and then switch hands and retrieve on the right. Since I have no bait casting experience should I learn on a left retrieve so I don't have to switch hands?

In the $300 range I would suggest a few different Combos.

 

1....Falcon Lowrider  with a Diawa SV TW

2...Shimano Scorpion on the same rod

or...if you want to a bit higher on the rod but keep it around $300..

3...Falcon Expert with a Daiwa Fuego reel

4....Kistler Magnesium with a Fuego (or the better Kistler KLX on sale right now for $231, normally $300)

 

There are about 100 more excellent options beyond these, that I'm sure someone will recommend, but these are mine and I can assure you that these options will get you top notch gear. The Falcon rods all fish like they cost double what they charge.