Super cheap gems

[padlin]

I always wanted an All Star, now that I can afford one, they’re Ugly Stix wannahe’s.

[Tatulatard]

1 hour ago, Catt said:

Allstar Classic $49.99

H2O Express Mettie $49.99

Field & Stream Tech Spec Black $55.99

Lew's Laser SG1$59.99

 

Lew's Speed Spool LFS $99.99

If you haven't fished the lews hank parker rods then try one out.  They are better blanks than the sg1 rods I think after owning both.

[Catt]

16 minutes ago, Tatulatard said:

If you haven't fished the lews hank parker rods then try one out.  They are better blanks than the sg1 rods I think after owning both.

 

If I truly wanted to find "gems" I would be looking in the $100-200 price range.

[Bluebasser86]

Daiwa Revros spinning and CC80 casting. I have a few of both and all of them have been more than worth what I paid for them. 

[scaleface]

Piscifun Phantoms . I have four . You dont need to pay hundreds of dollars for great performing reels, They out cast every reel I have used and are smooth .. 

[Eric 26]

14 hours ago, Catt said:

Allstar Classic $49.99

H2O Express Mettie $49.99

Field & Stream Tech Spec Black $55.99

Lew's Laser SG1$59.99

 

Lew's Speed Spool LFS $99.99

Although I’ve not personally purchased the F&S Tech Spec Black every time I go into DSG I can’t help but grab one and think today’s the day I’m buying this. Then I beat the Bait Monkey off my shoulder and come to my senses ? On one hand I’m glad I’m not close to any Academy Sporting Goods stores but I’m really intrigued by the H2O lineup at the same time. Really enjoying this thread.

[Catt]

1 hour ago, Eric 26 said:

I’m really intrigued by the H2O lineup

 

My grandson has a H2O XPRESS Ethos HD Micro 7' Medium Heavy Fast. It's a couple years old & he's logged hundreds of bass on.

[Kyle S]

@CattI just did a quick search on the Field & Stream Tech Spec Black, that looks like a really nice rod! I've never seen them in stores. I assume DSG or F&S would be the one who sells them? The DSG stores around me have all stopped selling fishing gear unfortunately. Sadly there aren't any F&S stores locally. I might have to pick on of those rods up. Winn Grips on a $56. I'm all for it

 

We did just gain our first Academy sports store locally. I went in there recently and spent almost an hour looking around the entire store.

The H20 Express lineup looked really nice!! I wonder what kind of warranty they have on their gear.

 

[Catt]

@Kyle S Our DSG vacillates between selling fishing tackle & hunting supplies to not having any.

 

Field & Stream is 1 1/2 hrs away, haven't been in there in 6 months.

 

Academy here is good about cross the counter exchanges with receipts. Problem with our Academy is you can check in, ya just can't check out!

[Tatulatard]

I've got some time on the water with all 3 combos and have some initial thoughts.  

 

Lews HP M/carbon XCS combo: 

 

Nice budget jerkbait rig. The rod is dead on for what I want out of a jerkbait rod.  It casts well and has the right tip for jerkbaits.  I have also been using it as a weightless 5" senko rod and it does well but that lighter and faster tip had me missing my target skipping until I adjusted.  I am more accustomed to a slower stiffer tip rods for skipping so this rod initially threw off my mechanics but I have since adjusted.  The reel casts great and skipping good but not forgiving like an SV reel.  If I make a bad skip i will have an over run to pick out but it is otherwise useable.  I run the reel with 2 centrifugal brakes on and 2 off with the mag dial in the middle range to keep flouro fluff tamed when casting in open water then set the mag dial to max when skipping.  Zero spool tension.  The reel is plastic or "carbon fiber" reinforced polymer. It feels solid in hand but when winding in a fish there is a loss of power that is noticeable compared to an aluminum frame or full aluminum reel.  I would not recommend the reel for winding applications.  The small size makes it easy to palm and I will often reach my thumb across the reel and grab the handle side plate with my thumb to rotate my hand into a more over hand palming position like a spinning reel for hops and snaps of the bait.  The heavily contoured handle side plate and small size makes this easy.  1st cheap reel I have seen offer this ergonomic.  This combo is a good jerkbait, popper, finesse jig, light Texas rigs and weightless plastics setup.  I missed a few fish with the streatchy basix line and soft tip.  I think this would be better suited with a braid to leader application and will try that next.

 

Lews HP MH/alloy M combo

 

This one is fine but not to my tastes.  The reel can't skip because the magnets are very weak.  I have to crank down on the spool tension to get a slow drop and that chokes off skipping distance and makes the reel feel geary.  Its not pleasant having that much spool tension.  The reel does cast for distance well at higher magnetic settings.  With 15 lbs basix I was getting a lot of fluff on the spool casting a 3/8 oz jig going below 7 on the dial with zero spool tension.  Might be a decent reel if skipping and heavier flouro aren't priorities.  Rod is a broom handle of a MH like the old varitas rods. It's very stiff and does well with 3/8 or and even 1/2 oz jigs.  The 1/4 oz rating is bogus because it can't even cast a 5" senko on a side arm cast.  The rod tip just won't load.  Treat this one as a H.  It's going to get 50 lbs braid and then shelved until frogging season.  The reel was $66 and I don't recommend  the reel at that price l let alone at the Amazon $89.  Not a good buy at $70 let alone $90. Buy the Lews LFS or BPS Pro Q for the same money. 

 

Lews SG1/ares combo:

 

This is a good budget "big bait" or heavier than normally heavy bait combo.  The rod is a H+ with a normal bass rod in length.  This makes the rod more normal in length opposed to dedicated "swimbait" 8 foot rods we normally see as budget rods.  It is well suited in close quarters trebble hook bait mag heavy use such as ploppers in all sizes, mag drafts, shine glides, gantrels and mag deep cranks when casting from a small watercraft such as a kayak.  It's not a higher end blank like the IM8 Walmart rods and more of a low modulus graphite blank but this taper is a standout of the lineup.  It's a worse blank than the Walmart rods but that taper of the "H" SG1 rod is an excellent budget treble hook moving bait rod with a realistic upper limit of 3 oz. The reel is excellent.  It's an aluminum frame, hande side plate AND non handle side plate with a double supported pinion.  Absolute overkill.   At maximum mag brake the reel is strong but not overbraked.  I have nothing to say about the reel thus far other than it works as expected.  It's not exciting  but the more I have to say about a reel then that means that there is some issue that I have to address.  This reel is excellent.  It is vastly superior as a heavy bait reel than the Alloy M and Carbon XCS are "normal" reels.  It reminds me of a Tatula 200.  It is simple and strong with good breaking system with two spool options on purchase.  For $66 I am impressed.

 

[optimator]

I think my only sub $100 rod is my old Berkley Series 1 spinning rod. It was a great rod in its day. For reels, the Revros LT spinner and the Fuego CT. 

[FrnkNsteen]

On 1/1/2023 at 10:51 PM, jitterbug127 said:

Those hank Parker rods are great for the  $! The ark lancer pro rods can be had for like $55 bucks to your door. I can’t see a better deal than that 

Since this old thread is already revived, I'll bite....

 

My most recent pickup that fits this catagory is a Ark Catalyzer. I think regular price is around $59.99. I hear of a couple places doing 3 for $100. Nice light rod that feels pretty good to me.

 

Haven't had a chance to do anything but cast around the yard with it, but I like what I've seen so far!

[king fisher]

On 12/31/2022 at 9:51 PM, TnRiver46 said:

I never spend more than $25 on rods or $50 on reels anymore.  I’ve tried in the past and I’m guaranteed to break anything over those prices 

Do you buy spinnerbaits with the money you save?

[optimator]

A couple of years ago you could get the Daiwa Black Gold reels for $75-80. I love these things. 

[Maxximus Redneckus]

Gems I've found latley on marketplace and yardsales .. 4 curado 100ds  3 greenie 200 all under  50$ 1 calcutta 100 for 60....one reason I'm selling my abus ..rods I been grabbing up old fenwicks and berkleys for 5 to 20 bucks yardsaling 

[AmmoGuy]

Granted, the reel was on sale (still is), but as an experiment to see how a “cheap” rig will fish, I’ve got $114 total in this setup. 
 

The guides on the Lews HP are nothing to write home about, but the blank on that rod is super light and crisp (albeit stiff). I think it’s actually lighter and balances better than my similar spec Zillion/ Tat elite setup. I kind of like the reel seat too. 
 

The reel is the $150 (retail) Lews Hack Attack HD. I paid $67. I had to swap it once to get one that felt nice and smooth, but for a China reel, this one is not bad at all. 
 

No chance I’d guess this setup was less than $250 if you handed it to me blindfolded (or possibly even without the blindfold if I ignored the guides). 

 

[ironbjorn]

All of mine are super obvious.

 

Fenwick Eagle rods

Daiwa Aird-X rods

Berkley Lightning rods (not the Shock series)

Pflueger Trion reels

Black Max reels (now called the Max X)

Berkley Big Game line

Strike King Bitsy Bug jigs

[TnRiver46]

10 hours ago, king fisher said:

Do you buy spinnerbaits with the money you save?

Haven’t bought one of those in many years. My friends give them to me as minor torture 

[Tatulatard]

So far the stand outs are the lews HP walmart rods and that johncoo ares reel.  The M HP rod is a pretty good cheap jerkbait rod.  No need to spend a ton when a $49 rod is light, balanced and has the right action.  The MH is not an all arounder or even a real "MH" IMO.  It fishes like a H mod fast and is more of a ultra cheap jig stick.  I would prefer spending more for a bottom contact rod but of you want something cheap that you can destroy swinging in fish and is easy to find locally then it's the rod.  The ares reel has got to be the best value out there for a heavy bait reel.  I don't know about the longevity or serviceability of it yet but it is solid and well built.  

[jejenkyns]

On 1/5/2023 at 6:58 PM, scaleface said:

Piscifun Phantoms . I have four . You dont need to pay hundreds of dollars for great performing reels, They out cast every reel I have used and are smooth .. 

I have to second this, I have 2, bought both on sale for about $50 CAD. Personally I had pay $300 CAD to find a reel I liked better... note: "liked" better, not "casts" better.

 

Honestly, if they can do a version 2 with a smaller form factor they will break fishing.

[Tatulatard]

16 hours ago, jejenkyns said:

I have to second this, I have 2, bought both on sale for about $50 CAD. Personally I had pay $300 CAD to find a reel I liked better... note: "liked" better, not "casts" better.

 

Honestly, if they can do a version 2 with a smaller form factor they will break fishing.

That's the piscifun carbon xcs.  It offers the light weight and super compact form factor of the high end tiny reels but in a cheap piscifun reel form. With a 10 gram spool and dual brakes it casts quite well too including finesse baits. It doesn't leave me for wanting throwing baits for distance but does lack the skipping ease of an SV reel.  It will skip but poor form and bad skips are punished with overruns instead of outright ignored like the SV reels.

[Bigassbass]

Fenwick Eagle is a really nice inexpensive rod, it's not cheap because it's too nice to be called cheap.

 

[FishTax]

I have an h2o ethos hd on a airdx rod and it's much better than my black max combo. Lighter weight, casts further, smoother retrieve. Similar price from what I recall. All purchased on sale. 

[Maxximus Redneckus]

On 5/14/2023 at 10:37 PM, Tatulatard said:

I've got some time on the water with all 3 combos and have some initial thoughts.  

 

Lews HP M/carbon XCS combo: 

 

Nice budget jerkbait rig. The rod is dead on for what I want out of a jerkbait rod.  It casts well and has the right tip for jerkbaits.  I have also been using it as a weightless 5" senko rod and it does well but that lighter and faster tip had me missing my target skipping until I adjusted.  I am more accustomed to a slower stiffer tip rods for skipping so this rod initially threw off my mechanics but I have since adjusted.  The reel casts great and skipping good but not forgiving like an SV reel.  If I make a bad skip i will have an over run to pick out but it is otherwise useable.  I run the reel with 2 centrifugal brakes on and 2 off with the mag dial in the middle range to keep flouro fluff tamed when casting in open water then set the mag dial to max when skipping.  Zero spool tension.  The reel is plastic or "carbon fiber" reinforced polymer. It feels solid in hand but when winding in a fish there is a loss of power that is noticeable compared to an aluminum frame or full aluminum reel.  I would not recommend the reel for winding applications.  The small size makes it easy to palm and I will often reach my thumb across the reel and grab the handle side plate with my thumb to rotate my hand into a more over hand palming position like a spinning reel for hops and snaps of the bait.  The heavily contoured handle side plate and small size makes this easy.  1st cheap reel I have seen offer this ergonomic.  This combo is a good jerkbait, popper, finesse jig, light Texas rigs and weightless plastics setup.  I missed a few fish with the streatchy basix line and soft tip.  I think this would be better suited with a braid to leader application and will try that next.

 

Lews HP MH/alloy M combo

 

This one is fine but not to my tastes.  The reel can't skip because the magnets are very weak.  I have to crank down on the spool tension to get a slow drop and that chokes off skipping distance and makes the reel feel geary.  Its not pleasant having that much spool tension.  The reel does cast for distance well at higher magnetic settings.  With 15 lbs basix I was getting a lot of fluff on the spool casting a 3/8 oz jig going below 7 on the dial with zero spool tension.  Might be a decent reel if skipping and heavier flouro aren't priorities.  Rod is a broom handle of a MH like the old varitas rods. It's very stiff and does well with 3/8 or and even 1/2 oz jigs.  The 1/4 oz rating is bogus because it can't even cast a 5" senko on a side arm cast.  The rod tip just won't load.  Treat this one as a H.  It's going to get 50 lbs braid and then shelved until frogging season.  The reel was $66 and I don't recommend  the reel at that price l let alone at the Amazon $89.  Not a good buy at $70 let alone $90. Buy the Lews LFS or BPS Pro Q for the same money. 

 

Lews SG1/ares combo:

 

This is a good budget "big bait" or heavier than normally heavy bait combo.  The rod is a H+ with a normal bass rod in length.  This makes the rod more normal in length opposed to dedicated "swimbait" 8 foot rods we normally see as budget rods.  It is well suited in close quarters trebble hook bait mag heavy use such as ploppers in all sizes, mag drafts, shine glides, gantrels and mag deep cranks when casting from a small watercraft such as a kayak.  It's not a higher end blank like the IM8 Walmart rods and more of a low modulus graphite blank but this taper is a standout of the lineup.  It's a worse blank than the Walmart rods but that taper of the "H" SG1 rod is an excellent budget treble hook moving bait rod with a realistic upper limit of 3 oz. The reel is excellent.  It's an aluminum frame, hande side plate AND non handle side plate with a double supported pinion.  Absolute overkill.   At maximum mag brake the reel is strong but not overbraked.  I have nothing to say about the reel thus far other than it works as expected.  It's not exciting  but the more I have to say about a reel then that means that there is some issue that I have to address.  This reel is excellent.  It is vastly superior as a heavy bait reel than the Alloy M and Carbon XCS are "normal" reels.  It reminds me of a Tatula 200.  It is simple and strong with good breaking system with two spool options on purchase.  For $66 I am impressed.

 

How do u do the right side reeling then the left side . ...2 wrongs make it right i suppoose LOL

[optimator]

I’ve only had it out a couple of times but my 49.99 TFO 733 MBR is a winner so far.