jig fishing rod and reel

[crank it]

I would like to start jig fishiing next year but need a new setup what is the best rod and reel to get for under 200.00 also what action rod should I get and whats the best line test and is mono or braid the best to use. thanks

[basspro48]

My favorite jig setup is my 7' MH Kistler Graphite Plus paired with a Shimano Curado. If you plan on fishing jigs from 1/4oz. to 1/2oz. I would suggest a Medium Heavy action rod, but if you plan on fishing anything over 1/2oz. I suggest a Heavy action rod. For line I mainly use 17 or 20lb. fluorocarbon, but if I'm faced with heavy cover then I switch to 50lb. P-Line Braid.

[Catt]

Daiwa TD-V701MHRB Team Daiwa-V

Length: 7' 0 Line Class: 10-20 lb Lure Weight: ¼-1 oz

Shimano Cardiff CDF100A Gear Ratio: 5.8:1 Weight: 8.1 oz Bearings: 4+1  

Should be able to purchase for around $200

[tipptruck1]

My jig set up is as follows.

A St. croix avid 6'6" mh rod.

A Quantum accurist 6.2 gear ratio.

I use 65 pound power pro. The only reason I use 65 pound briad is becaue it doubles as my frog rod.  

[mike bat]

another croix man here ... i really like my st croix med hev 7ft fast avid ... for a reel i use a chronarch 101 i really like the reel also ... i mainly use p-line cxx moss green 15lb ....  i havent had any trouble with the p-line ,,, also i should say i havent had a break off yet eigther ... so this is the set-up i use and really prefer to use when fishing jigs ....

so for you id suggest a med-hev 6ft6 0r 7ft fast premiere and a cardiff 200 you could get this set up for darn close to 200.00 bucks maybee under ... this set up would suit ya fine for jigs .... just my opinion .... ;D

[castaway]

Well as you can see, everyone put you out of your price range.Stay the hell away from Shimano if your looking to stay within your budget set. I can recommend a nice flipping outfit and stay well within your budget. First the flipping stick. I recommend a Castaway Bud Pruitt flipping stick, they are very light, very sensitive, and durable as hell.They also come with a 5 year warranty, which I never had to use, but its there if you need it. Here is a link. http://www.nbswebstore.com/cgi-bin/web_store/web_store.cgi?view=products&cart_id=9912414_1292&product=BaitcastRods&manufact=CASTAWAY%20STANDARD%20GRAPHITE%20RODS

For the reel since the flipping stick eats up better than half of your set price, I recommend this reel as long as you are pitching and flipping jigs. http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=74636&hvarTarget=search

I would have recommended an Extreme flipping stick as well, I have one I bought for froggin , but I pitched jigs with it and it wasn't that bad. IMO, for the money the Castaway is a best rod in its price range and I have bought and tried alot of different brands before settling on the Bud Pruitt series flipping sticks.

I like the Heavy action rod and I would recommend 30-50lb braid for jig fishing heavy weeds, or 15-20 lb test mono, or florocarbon line if your not a braid person. I hope this helps , Ivan

[Catt]

Excuse me

Stay the hell away from Shimano if your looking to stay within your budget set

Bass Pro Shops list the Shimano Cardiff models CDF100A through CDF300A both right and left handed at $99.99

These reels are the same as thier Calcutta except the Cardiff has 1 more roller bearing and cost $90 less.

I'll give you the CastAway they are an outstanding rod, I own 2 of them  8-)

[roadwarrior]

Your "best value" (new) is probably a combo from one of the major retailers. They are always on sale. For somewhere around $150 you can buy $225-$250 worth of "retail" if purchased seperately. However, we have guys selling "gently used" equipment in the Flea Market section all of the time. I suggest being patient and buying some better equipment from one of our members. I suspect you can pick up a Shimano Curado reel and a G.Loomis or St. Croix rod here for around $200 or less. There are some great deals posted occasionally.

[KU_Bassmaster.]

Reel:

http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=74127&hvarDept=100&hvarEvent=&hvarClassCode=1&hvarSubCode=1&hvarTarget=browse

Rod:

http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=74388&hvarDept=100&hvarEvent=&hvarClassCode=2&hvarSubCode=6&hvarTarget=browse

I'm only going to put you $20-$30 over budget. ;D ;D

This is my set-up except I have the older Curado.  I have used a bunch of different rods in the $100 range and IMO the Premier is by far the best.  The Shimano Compre ain't bad either plus the warranty is unbeatable.

Also, if you don't mind buying stuff off Ebay you can usually knock off AT LEAST 10% what you would pay retail ..... often times MUCH more.

[foul hooked]

Here is what I use -

Shimano Citica 200D - $120(msrp)

Shimano Compre 6' 10" MH XF - $80(msrp), I got mine at Gander Mountain for $49

Works great for me.

[crank it]

Thanks guys for the recommendations I was going to stick with a shimano reel the best made. Thanks rw for your input Im not in a big hurry to purchase this setup I live in southern wisconsin the weather is getting almost to cold to fish for this year so I have plenty of time till spring to get the setup I want. HEY cast away do you own a shimano? if not maybe you should not say stay away from them I own two shimano curado baitcasters and you can't beat them for casting or reliablity.

[shimanogloomis man]

i know its your money but i would recommend any shimano reel u could afford as for rod g loomis would be my pic imx or glx but check out e bay u should find them from 50 to 100 bucks cheaper ;D

[castaway]

Thanks guys for the recommendations I was going to stick with a shimano reel the best made. Thanks rw for your input Im not in a big hurry to purchase this setup I live in southern wisconsin the weather is getting almost to cold to fish for this year so I have plenty of time till spring to get the setup I want. HEY cast away do you own a shimano? if not maybe you should not say stay away from them I own two shimano curado baitcasters and you can't beat them for casting or reliablity.

Yes I have owned several Curado reels, 2 Castaics, 3 Chronarchs, and real recently a Citica .The Citica was short & sweet, bought it one day, spooled it up & casted it in the yard , took it back & traded it in for a Abu Garcia RevoS the next day.I have owned Curados as far back as when they were red in color, so I can say yes I owned a few Shimanos in my time.Am I looking to buy another soon ? Not really, but I will never rule it out . IMO, they are over priced, you can get another brand of reel that will perform just as well,maybe better for less money.You people were forgetting to put shipping charges on the items. That my friend would put you out of your budget you set for your Cardiff reel, or any other decent Shimano reel. Ivan

[Guest DavidGreen]

tony,

As a rod builder here are a couple of questions that I would ask just to help with advice. Are you going to be learning jigs from the bank or a boat. What kind of cover are you going to be getting into, or, are you going to be fishing vertical presentations in clear water etc.

As for the reels, as castaway said there are a lot of good reels being manufactured, and at good prices. The only thing I would say, is make sure the reel is serviceable in the US, and by the manufacturer or a qualified service center for them. In other words, I would say stay away from house brands, re-branded, or signature brand reels.

On your budget, I might also suggest that you save as much as possible, over the cold months, and then go for the gear. But realize that 200.00 isn't a lot of money in today's retail fishing gear market..

Tight Lines!!!

[crank it]

Reel mechanic to respond to your questions mostly from the bank as far as cover mostly open water and some heavy cover thanks I think I can save up more than 200.00 for a good setup. ops and the lake I fish is clear.

[Catt]

Academy stores sale Shimano Cardiff reels, CastAway, Falcon, and All Star rods any of which would be an outstanding a combo that would be well under a budget of $200.

[justtrying]

the Lord has blessed me & i have been able to buy quite a few "high end" shimano reels, so, naturally, that's what i use for my jig reel.

before i got the shimanos, however, i used ambassaduer reels.  they were Great reels. and the one i used for jigging was the XLT.   it was MADE for jigs.   ...AND, they're still available on ebay at great prices.  buy you one of those, then take the extra & get you a high end rod.

[Alpster]

I am wondering how you plan to fish your jigs. If you are casting long for swimming and bouncing them on the bottom I would go with 6"6" MH Med action St. Croix Premier, they can be had for under $100 with an old style Curado (green reel) for another $100 you can catch a lot of fish and stay in your budget. If you are flipping/pitching short range jigs, get yourself an ABU 5000 series reel for about $60 and the best 7' heavy rod you can afford. There are a lot better rigs out there (I have a small fortune in jig rigs) my suggestions are meant to stay within your budget. JMHO

Ronnie

[heathen]

My current favorite jig setups are:

Baitcasting - Falcon Low Rider LFC-5-1610 6'10" MH Fast tip with a Quantum Accurist PT

Spinning - Custom built All-Star BAT815 Finesse Blank with a Daiwa Capricorn 2500