New bass fishing setups

[KBACPA]

This is my first post here, but I've read a good bit from this site.

 

I'm pretty new to bass fishing (did a lot of crappie/sacalait fishing when i was young). I'd like to get into bass fishing in south Louisiana, but after doing a lot of research on rod/reel combos, baits, weights, etc. I feel like I ran down the rabbit hole and now I'm more confused than when I started. Not sure if it matters, but I'm 5'4 also.

 

To start, I'd like just in general 2 all purpose rods, one baitcaster and one spinning. I'd like to stay around the $200 per combo, but I have some wiggle room if its not much more for a dramatic increase. A couple of combos that I have researched on have been the Shimano SLX 7' Medium rod with the Shimano Nasci, then the Shimano SLX 7' Med/Hev. rod with the SLX XT. I have no idea what string to use with these either. Also, for the spinning, is a 2500 or 3000 size recommended? Remember, I'm a small person :)

To further complex things, I'd like to also use these rods for the occasional speckled trout fishing if possible. I did see American Legacy fishing having a promo currently on the Shimano Curado K for $150. 

 

Appreciate any tips and advice!

[you]

Relatively new here, too. Welcome!

 

I also fish bass and inshore gulf waters. Don't have much of an opinion on baitcasting rigs, but your plan for a spinning setup (7' medium rod) sounds good to me. I have a couple Nascis, and they perform very well. For that rod length and action, I'd recommend a larger reel (maybe 4000), but 3000 would be adequate, too.

 

My favorite spinning rod for mixed salt-/freshwater use is an ugly stik elite (7' medium, 1pc). It's cheap, nearly indestructible, has a good combination of soft tip action and a strong backbone, and can cast anything from weightless trick worms to popping corks effectively. The downsides are weight and quality control; you may have to look at a few in store before you find one with a straight blank and guide alignment.

[Fishlegs]

I think those are solid choices that would do what you want, and you could be happy with for a very long time.

 

I've never used an SLX, but I have a Curado. $150 is a good price for that reel. I think a 2500 or 3000 size spinning reel would be about perfect for bass.

[Darth-Baiter]

i fished a lot of topwater this past week and that setup is my CuradoK.  i forget how well that thing casts.  it is wild.  just brrrrzzzzkk..the lure flies!!!  mine is underspooled as well, so i know it can do better.  for $150, i think that is a good jumping off point.  it feels burly sizewise compared to some of my later purchases. 

 

nothing else to add, expect all my spinning revolve around 2500 reels  physically, a 3000 doesnt seem that much bigger these days (to me).  i feel the 3000 just buys you more spool capacity which may be something you need.  or not.  your call.  

[WRB]

I would also consider SLX MGL series casting reel and American LF offers 10% discount to new buyers.

Line: stay under .010 diameter for spinning and somewhere between .012 to .015 diameter mono or copoly line on the bait casting.

Tom

[MediumMouthBass]

I dont know much about saltwater fishing, but ive gathered an extreme amount of knowledge and information on bait/tackle/rods/reels/etc.... along with extensive research on videos and reviews of different rods and reels.

Like i said above im not sure what you need for salt, but for bass heres my suggestions,

1. Medium Fast spinning rod between 6'6" and 7'2", 2500 reel with either 8lb mono/fluoro or 10lb braid to the leader of the above mono/fluoro lines. (now for using in salt may want to upgrade to a 3000 but after that the combo will become extremely unbalanced. I have a rod with a 4000 size reel on it for salmon and catfish and its not my preferred combo since the reel is so heavy it severely overpowers the rod.

2. Medium Heavy Fast casting rod between 7' and 7'3, there are plently of good reels on the market right now but those Curados have some lets just say interesting reviews on TW so i didnt pick one up when they went on sale. For the same price the SLX MGL 70 is a far superior reel with much better reviews, the SLX XT is also a great option if you want to save $20.

I have dozens and dozens of baitcasting reels from Lews, Daiwa, Abu, and Shimano and very few reels made me think wow this is great. The ones that did were the Daiwa Zillion, Lews BB1 Pro and the Shimano SLX MGL 70. The MGL is the most budget friendly option and will out perform most of the reels i bought before it.

For line depending on what baits you are throwing and where you are throwing them, 10-17lb mono or fluoro or 30-50lb braid.

 

Above i talked about how much i really like my SLX reels (i have every SLX reel in the series but the BFS one) but those SLX rods dont have the best reviews. For the money at the low end the Daiwa Aird X $55 is one of my favorites and ill usually bring several on the boat or kayak (and i have St Croix rods worth almost $300 but the cheap Daiwa rod is one of my favorites), after that the Lews TP1 rod $110, but i buy them when they are half off. (Lews rods can be hit or miss with quality, but this ones been holding up very good and has became a rod i almost always bring with me. The TP1X Black has been talked on here a bit as well, a better upgrade from the regular TP1.

Next the Dobyns Fury for $130, very good rod. Sensitivity is good and so is the quality, and if it breaks they have an excellent warranty program (costs around $80 to get a new one though).

This is one i dont own but many on here have and have also been talking about it recently, the Daiwa Tatula rods (they are on sale now for around $90).

[KBACPA]

That was some amazing information. Can you point me in the direction for the sale on the Tatula rods? I read to stay clear on the XT models. I'll look into pairing the tatula/aird rod with the MGL, seems like a very good combo.

For the spinning, I may also look at a different rod other than the SLX and I also read that the Diawa BG2500 is amazing.

[MediumMouthBass]

@KBACPA Midway USA, the rod is under open box category. Several of us on this forum have bought their open box stuff recently including myself, the items are practically brand new maybe just with a small dent in the cardboard box. All items come with manufactures warranty as well.

[NavyToad]

@KBACPA https://www.midwayusa.com/product/102211501?pid=146978

Great deal on a Tatula. Just hit the dropdown menu on length.

 

[GetFishorDieTryin]

SLXs are good reels, not too crazy about the rods.  

Casting 

Ark Brandon Cobb 100$

Ark  Tharp Honey Badger 130$ The new models are coming out soon.  Ark lightened the rod and improved the guides, reel seat and thinned the grips.  I would wait to get the new model if the Tharp interest you. 

Daiwa Tatula XT 100$

Daiwa Tatula 6'10 MH 100$ at Midway blemish (open box)

Casting Reel

SLX XT

SLX MGL

Daiwa Tatula CT

 

Spinning rods:

The power on the spinning rod depends on what you want to throw.  Since you want it to double as in shore rod, M power is the way to go for sure.  For lighter baits a lighter M power, like a Daiwa 1/8-3/4 would work better then something a little heavier like a 3/16-5/8.  

13 Omen Black 7'1 M 3/16-5/8 on sale 110$- Overall these are really good rods.  Light sensitive blank, with good action and power.  The only drawback to this rod is that its not great for baits under 1/8.  If you have other rods that can handle lighter baits then this a great option.

Tatula XT 7' M F 1/8-3/4 100$-If you plan on using a lot of lighter jig heads or light wire hooks this is probably the rod to go with.  Although its rated to 3/4, ideally the range is 1/8 to about 1/2 for practical uses.  You could get away with throwing 5/8 or 3/4 kastmasters or deadly dicks, because they dont have much water resistance, but 3/4 plugs might be too much.  This rod has plenty of power to deal with specs and smaller reds in open water.

Spinning Reel

2500 and 3000s are practically the same size.  The biggest difference IMO is that a 3000 has a longer handle then a 2500.  The longer handle is nice to have for long retrieves or bringing a fish in from the end of a long cast.  

Nasci is a nice reel, but like most of Shimanos budget spinners its on the heavier side when compared to Daiwas budget reels.  Shimano did come out Miravel (130$) recently, which is a much lighter budget reel, 7oz compared to 8.5.   I have a couple Fuegos (110$) that have seen some hard use in SW and they still run really well.  An Exceler (on sale 80$) is essentially the same reel as Fuego, minus a spool bearing and Magseal.  The Magseal is a nice feature to have if you plan on fishing in SW.  It helps keep small amounts of water and debris out of the AR clutch.  

 

 

 

 

 

[KBACPA]

I saw the Fuegos spinning reels were on sale as a BOGO at American fishing legacy. 
I saw a St. Croix Bass X on my local marketplace for $75, used twice, 7' Med/fast

[PhishLI]

9 hours ago, KBACPA said:

To further complex things, I'd like to also use these rods for the occasional speckled trout fishing if possible.

If you're going to fish the salt, then get something built for the salt. The other bait casters suggested so far are rated as freshwater reels by their manufactures. The Quantum Accurist Inshore is a mainstay in my area of Long Island due to John Skinner. Search "John Skinner Accurist" if you'd like further info. The biggest salt retailer here gets them in by the pallet load and they go out just as fast. Very few problems reported. They're tough reels, easy to adjust, and are good casters. I have the freshwater version and it has held up well in very tough waters. Throw it on a Daiwa Aird-X and you're in business just under your budget.

Quantum Accurist Inshore Casting Reels - Tackle Warehouse

[king fisher]

4 hours ago, KBACPA said:

Diawa BG2500 is amazing.

Best saltwater reel for the price.  A little heavy for freshwater only, but you can't find a better reel if you will be fishing for both fresh and salt, for twice the price.

[Woody B]

Unlike many here I don't use many rod/reel combos.  My most used/favorite combo is a Shimano SLX XT paired with a Lews Mach MAPC. (7 foot, Medium/moderate action)  I use 12 to 14 pound Trilene XL and XT.  I change line often and get whichever one my local tackle shop has.  

[WRB]

Where is salt water coming into play? Brackish delta fresh water isn’t the same as bass fishing. Yes, if you are targeting Redfish then that a different issue.

Tom

[KBACPA]

5 hours ago, NavyToad said:

@KBACPA https://www.midwayusa.com/product/102211501?pid=146978

Great deal on a Tatula. Just hit the dropdown menu on length.

 

I ended up buying the 6'10 rod over the 7'3 one. Hope that its okay in doing so. 

[KBACPA]

37 minutes ago, WRB said:

Where is salt water coming into play? Brackish delta fresh water isn’t the same as bass fishing. Yes, if you are targeting Redfish then that a different issue.

Tom

Saltwater is the very occasional trip to in some brackish water near Cypremort Point in LA. It might be a 2-3 times a year trip.

[GetFishorDieTryin]

Youll be fine with a M power spinning rod and MH casting rod for light inshore.  The only difference between inshore rods and FW rods are corrosion resistant guides.  As long as you rinse youre gear after use you shouldnt have any issues. 

Just by the nature of the design low profile casting reels can be vulnerable to SW.  Really the only difference youre going to see in a SW low pro are corrosion resistance bearings or even better bushings where possible and possibly a sealed drag.  In reality the level wind is still exposed in any model and any sand intrusion will cause problems fast.  Lots of guy wade fish with SLXs and they hold up pretty well.  If you have sand on youre hands make after handling a fish or w/e make sure you rinse them off before touching the reel. Just make sure to GENTLY rinse youre gear with COOL water after use and leave in open air, never leave a wet reel in a hot a car or anywhere that can encourage condensation.