Inexpensive Spinning Combo

[Blue Raider Bob]

7 minutes ago, fish_burrito said:

 

Not sure what your disposable income is like, but I'd try to avoid losing a couple $150 combos a year and stick with losing $10 walmart ozark combos like Fishing_rod mentioned.

Thanks for the advice and taking the time to respond. I think I'll go with the Revos and still debating the rods. There is no hurry as I've got more than a dozen combos already. It's more of an addiction than a need.

[MyKeyBe]

On 3/23/2023 at 9:31 AM, Blue Raider Bob said:

 

Just bought me a couple. Thanks for all the advice! Now just got to get some rods. 

Falcon hd 6'6 medium on Amazon for $46.00. Never held one but Falcon makes some pretty good rods. Nice combo for $90.00.

[MediumMouthBass]

The Daiwa Aird X rods and Revros reels are a great budget combo. I have a couple of the reels, and have several spinning and baitcasting rods, i have around 5 rods now, from Medium light to Heavy and inbetween. The rods are great, ive been using the Aird X MH mainly for prespawn, and have caught some really nice and big bass so far and the rods held up fantastic, ive also thrown lighter lures and some heavier lures and the rod holds up good for that as well. But 2 of the rods, 1 M spinning and 1 MH baitcasting rod that barely even had any fish on them started to make a bad grinding noise when reeling in line, then the rods started to cut and grind down the line, thought it might have been the reel but after using a few different reels the rods are causing the issue with the line. But the other rods have been great so i just bought another one and would like to buy more. They are great rods for the money, and if they break or have problems they can be replaced anywhere from $40-$55.

Any rod can become damaged or snap regardless or where its made or what its made of, But these rods are great and are budget friendly.

Also if you like Shimano reels but are on a budget the Shimano Sienna reels are $30 and are also fantastic for anyone on a budget.

[MN Fisher]

7 minutes ago, MediumMouthBass said:

The Daiwa Aird X rods and Revros reels are a great budget combo.

Matt and Tim at Tactical just put out a 'budget combo' vid this morning. They also recommend the Aird-X/Revros combo.

[MediumMouthBass]

If you like the gold and black combo that spinning setup is very nice, but for baitcasters the budget Lews Classic Pro Speed Spool matches with the rod very nicely.

[Darth-Baiter]

12 hours ago, Fishing_Rod said:

Greetings!

OK, since the thread topic is "inexpensive" spinning combos I'll share my recent experience, experiment. I was at Wal Mart and I happened across an interesting $10 Ozark Trail spinning combo. Initially I was only looking to use the split handled two piece 5.5 foot fishing rod. The reel is functional and is spooled with what I believe is six pound mono. The spool appears to be polymer and the drag is somewhat smooth. There are no clicks on the drag adjustment. Considering the availability and cost this is a good value as a functional low cost fishing rig.

 

Ok full disclosure, I really just wanted to try out this $10 rig just to see what it could do. I typically use ultra lite angling rigs. So this is a bit of a departure from my typical fishing gear. I did use it on some Phoenix canal fishing as an initial test of this rig. It worked well for me to catch several five and six pound tilapia along with some large mouth bass. The large tilapia put the drag to a good test with long protracted surging runs. The line peeled out in a consistent and predictable way. I do miss not having drag click adjustments. So no big deal, just different for me. Now that I have used it on some larger fish I can say it works as intended. I'm happy I bought it and I'll use it when I'm seeking larger fish. It ought to work well with crank baits too as the reel is fairly smooth. Yeah, not bad for $10.

 

Good luck in shopping. Looking forward to hear what you find. Be well, Cheers!

any pics of the 6lb Tilapia!??  that sounds like fun.  do they just hit the same bass offerings?

[Fishing_Rod]

Greetings All,

OK, life has been busy so I regret the delayed response. Here is one of the many that were caught in the Mesa area canals. It is amazing how heavy they are. I only grabbed a convenient photo that showed the $10 spinning rig next to the tilapia. 

The strike is similar to that of a bass taking the curly tailed grub on the jig head. No special technique other than to cast diagonally across the canal. Allow a couple of seconds for the bait to settle before beginning a casual drag or sort of slow retrieve. Just enough movement for some curly tail action. The struggle is more like that of catfish and carp, just kind of a protracted freight train moving out that you happened to snag along the way. Very determined and spirited.

 

Typically I refrain from laying fish down on any surface, these were a bit heavy and required extra effort to carefully manage them. Also since I did not bring a net, it was a straight line lift out of the canal so I could clear the hook. So glad the line and knot held throughout the day. This particular one flopped off the line as I was reaching for it to clear the hook. I took the opportunity for a quick photo before putting it back in.

 

I did not realize they would strike a soft plastic. So when I caught the first one I thought it was random chance. Then after a while I was catching them frequently. You do have to look carefully as there are bits of debris in the canal that are snag hazards. Also there are a few access points where you can better reach the fish with less risk of falling in. It is recommended to simply use a long handled net for this type of angling adventure just to keep everyone safe.

 

The Wally World OT brand provided a very good value with reasonable quality to properly handle the canal tilapia and bass. Happy to say I got my money's worth on this bit of kit.

I very much enjoyed the experience and opportunity when I'm up in the Valley of The Sun. If you do see this type of adventure realize the intense sun is a real concern so prepare appropriately. Let's be careful out there! Best fishes, and Cheers!