Which reel/rig for Drop Shot and other lighter finesse baits?

[FishNTexan]

I only have one spinning rig at the moment , and I love the setup . Its an Abu Garcia Zata spinning combo I got on clearance a while back, basically the price of the combo for less than the reel only.

 

I find that there are times I wish I had another spin rig for light stuff and dont want to retie the Zata. So thinking about getting another .

 

I like to stay in the $200ish range for the combo/pair if possible.

 

If I find another Zata for the same price I would get it, but thought Id try out another brand as well.

 

So Ive been looking at the Daiwa BG 2000/2500 combo, A couple Pflueger combos like the regular President and the Supreme. I dont really see any Shimanos as most of those are more expensive for the middle range models.

 

What do you guys think or suggest for me to consider? I fish large mouth 95% of the time as my inlaws live on Lake Fork

[msgf91]

Legalis, Exceler, or Fuego. They'll be lighter than the BG. Legalis has a hex handle, Exceler and Fuego have screw in handles. The current Exceler and fuegosl models are discounted because they have newer models coming out in October. 

[WRB]

Reel Daiwa ExcelerLT EXLT2500D.  $79.97

Rod 13 Ownen Black 3, 7’1” Medium Fast, 3/16-5/8oz. 109.97

Tom

PS, clearance prices on Tackle Warehouse.

[FishNTexan]

OK, so I found a Fuego at BassPro for $80 , looks likes its just slightly better than the Exceler for the same price, and was considering the 7' St Croix Truimph MF spinning rod for $110.

 

I have 3 Fuego baitcasters and they are great reels , especially when you get them on sale for $80

[GetFishorDieTryin]

Fuego 2500 or 3k or Exceler-The Fuego has 2 advantages over Exceler.  1 is a bearing supported spool, which makes the drag payout slightly more consistent as it helps prevent the spool from leaning, but IMO its not a big advantage for smaller FW fish.  Fuego has Magseal at the AR clutch which is nice to have.  It doesn't last forever, is expensive to have replaced and doesn't keep out water and debris as well as a physical seal, if you dunk the reel Magseal isn't going to do anything.  What it does do, is it prevents small amounts of water and debris from getting deeper into the reel.  Think fishing in light rain, spray on the deck of the boat or rinsing the reel off after use.

TW has some 13 fishing rods on clearance.  

Fate Black 6'10 ML 60$

Omen Black (90-110$) is considerably upgrade from the Fate.  The ML will be a better choice for 1/8 DS and lighter baits and will handle JBs and small cranks to 1/2oz.  The M power Omens will fish an 1/8 if you need it to, but does better with slightly heavier baits.  The Ms are good senko and neko rods as well.  If youre fishing deep water or use mono then the M power might be the way to go.

 

Tatula XT 7' M F (100$)

[Eric 26]

I’m going to add as @WRB & @GetFishorDieTryin are pointing out to get the 13 fishing rod while they’re on clearance. Although I don’t own a St Croix Triumph I gifted my brother one in the past and used it quite frequently when fishing with him and it’s nowhere near as nice as my current 13 fishing fate black rod. 

[FishNTexan]

OK, I was pretty set on the reel, but the rod was still up in the air, I will take a look at the TW clearance rods. I have never used a 13 fishing before , but would be willing to give them a shot.

 

I just got a Tatula cranking rod a couple weeks ago and its a nice rod, so would check out the spinning rod as well possibly.

 

On the Fuego 2500, would you suggest the regular 5 ratio or the 6 speed? Both are the same price

[Big Hands]

2 hours ago, FishNTexan said:

On the Fuego 2500, would you suggest the regular 5 ratio or the 6 speed? Both are the same price

 

I prefer the XH for the higher speed retrieve, but like most things in life, there are tradeoffs. Power vs speed. I opted for speed, nut YMMV.

 

The Fuego has an extra ball bearing than the Exceler, and that's about it. They weigh the same. I have a couple of Fuego spinning reels, a 2000 and a 2500. I can literally swap spools between them if I chose to. The outer diameter of the 2000 spool is just a tick larger than the 2500 spool.

 

I chose to get a non-USDM version of the 2000 Fuego (LT2000S-XH) with the shallow spool. I paid a little more for it, but I don't have to mess with backing and only need to put a little more than I can cast with, so it does save money and hassle in the long run.

 

If you can get a USDM Fuego for $80, that's a great price. If you can stretch the budget to $149 for the rod, the 7'1" Tatula spinning rods are very good at that price. I'd go with a ML/F for finesse rather than a M/F. 

 

The big "A" has the 7'6" M-ML/F Tatula for $144.49

 

You don't have to thank me as I'm always happy to help others spend their money ?