Have you ever happily surprised by an inexpensive combo

[GRiver]

Back in January I pick up a Bass Pro combo for 79.00. The Prodigy…7ft, med/hvy with fast action. Had them spool it with their house line ….12 lb mono. It was $79.00…. Not the cheapest combo I’ve ever bought, but by far not the most expensive ether. It very smooth …. Quiet as a church mouse. It doesn’t cast as far as most of my other reels unless, I take off all the brakes. That being said, it’s a little touchy about over runs with no brakes. I just use 1 or 2 internals and about midway on the mags. It is very user friendly and a beginner would be happy with it. The rod is sensitive but I’m surprised on how strong it is, I usually get one or the other ok reel, or rod and can live with the other.
Has anybody else been just blown away by a cheap or inexpensive set up? 

[BrianMDTX]

I guess it depends on what one considers “inexpensive”. That’s relative to the individual. 
 

I bought an Abu Garcia Black Max and a Daiwa Aird-X for less than $100.00 (I think it was $90.00 total). I still use it. That reel casts a country mile. 

[Eric 26]

Although I don’t know if it counts most of my purchases are when I find a good sale. As far as combos I purchased a bps carbonlite 2.0 for $120.00 when they were first released, although I no longer own the combo I feel the rod was better than average for the price. My favorite combo was/is a favorite Soleus reel I purchased for $50.00 a few years ago on a Black Friday deal paired with what I feel is a steal of a rod being a Wright & McGill pro insight advantage for around $55.00 still available at Wal Mart by me. Another good bargain setup was/is a Lews speed stick Hank Parker signature series rod also around $55.00 at my local Wal Mart (recently swapped out for a different rod) that I paired with a Daiwa CA80 reel which I feel is a good deal at $99.00 for an aluminum framed reel and usually available on Amazon for a lower price which is where I bought mine and also available in the JDM market as pointed out by our very own @MN Fisheralbeit in a different color scheme.

Edited May 4, 2024 by Eric 26
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[Skunkmaster-k]

I have three of the Hank Parker rods. They were 29$ A couple of years ago, when the colors were silver and black. They’re my favorite cheap rod. One I don’t hear a lot about is the Daiwa Laguna . It’s not as pretty as the Airdx , but it’s light and comfortable with decent sensitivity. 

[OmegaDPW]

Everything I fish is cheap. My favorite combo- and the one I use 99% of the time- is a 6ft Medium Ugly Stik with a Bill Dance Zebco made reel. Bought the reel 20 years ago on Ebay for Crappie fishing and liked it so much I bought two more. I mainly just throw finesse grubs, Beetle Spins and small swimbaits so it works perfect for me. I've got other rods for worms and frogs. 

[msgf91]

My favorite inexpensive combo was an Ugly Stick Inshore Lite 7 ft Medium power with a Lews G2 Spinning reel. The rod was kind of expensive for an Ugly Stik at 69.99 at BPS but overall inexpensive compared to some of my rods.  Caught my PB with it a few years ago 

 

For a recent inexpensive combo I tried out the Magic L UL spinning rod from Amazon. It's really good. I picked mine up for 31. Really good for the price. I probably caught 10 dinks and 10 gills the first trip out. Then it handled this fish just fine 

[Eric 26]

@Skunkmaster-k That’s the one I was referencing also and man that was a great find on your part😉 I loved throwing the Strike King Finesse jigs available at Walmart also.

[Bigbox99]

28 minutes ago, Eric 26 said:

@Skunkmaster-k That’s the one I was referencing also and man that was a great find on your part😉 I loved throwing the Strike King Finesse jigs available at Walmart also.

That rod is a good ultra cheap jig and worm stick.  It has a super stiff and slow loading tip that gives it tremendous hook setting power.  I treat mine like its a H and pitch jigs and even punch with it.  It's like a short punching rod.  The low limit rating of 1/4 oz is bogus and that tip is so stiff even a 3/8 oz 5" senko is uncastable unless you cast straight ahead.  Any side casting motion and the bait swings left because the tip of the rod barely loaded.  

[gim]

Lew's Speed Stick combo which can be found on sale frequently for under $150 seems to exceed my expectations.

[Eric 26]

@Bigbox99 I’m assuming you’re talking about the 7’ rod 🤔 although I held and almost bought the 7’ version mine is the 6’-10 medium powered fast action rod and it has a soft tip with a decent amount of back bone. I’m pretty sure it’s the same blank as the first generation Lews Carbon Fire which I also have in the 6’-10” version. Either way it’s a heck of a bargain rod imho. Dang it now I’m thinking I may have to purchase the medium heavy version based on your review. Dang Tackle Monkey 😆

[A-Jay]

Nope.

A-Jay

[Bigbox99]

This is my pick for a surprisingly good cheap combo.  $48 aluminum frame and side plates 300 size Johncoo Ares and $48 Lews rod.  Its been a versatile combo that can do chatterbaits up to 3 oz swimbaits.  A real swimbait rod would have a slower loading tip but the mod fast rather than regular loading makes it versatile enough to fish 3/8 oz head chatterbaits and swim jigs at the cost of some casting distance with baits over 1.5 oz.  It will cast them but the softer faster tip doesn't launch them as well as a a slower loading tip found on a swimbait rod.  For $100 combo you can fish normal H power rod bass baits but also tie on a rof 12 Hudd 68 special or a Gantarel/Gantarel Jr. 

4 minutes ago, Eric 26 said:

@Bigbox99 I’m assuming you’re talking about the 7’ rod 🤔 although I held and almost bought the 7’ version mine is the 6’-10 medium powered fast action rod and it has a soft tip with a decent amount of back bone. I’m pretty sure it’s the same blank as the first generation Lews Carbon Fire which I also have in the 6’-10” version. Either way it’s a heck of a bargain rod imho. Dang it now I’m thinking I may have to purchase the medium heavy version based on your review. Dang Tackle Monkey 😆

Yep the 7' "MH" is the one I was talking about.  I have the M casting too.  I use that one as a budget jerkbait/popper and weightless plastics rod.  

[MediumMouthBass]

Abu Black Max casting combo (last gen before Max X) used to sell for around $50-60 at Walmart.

The rods are alright but the reels were great, very comfortable and easy to learn on.

Very versatile combo, for crankbaits, jerkbaits, soft plastics, topwater poppers....

I even did some punching and frogging in the weeds with braid on one of the reels and its still perfoming 100%. I bought 2 more of the reels for $30 each. If you dont need a frame made of aluminium these will exceed your expectations for how cheap they can be purchased.

 

Next step up weve got a more refined combo, the Daiwa Aird X rod $55 paired with the Lews Classic Pro Speed Spool (can be purchased on sale between $40-50).

The rod and reel are both black and gold and look great, i own 14 Aird X rods and prefer them to my $130 Dobyns or $275 St Croix among many $110 lews rods too. Ive thrown them in the back of the truck, thrown them on the ground, carried them together for miles with 3-5 rods hitting each other constantly, hit them into trees, ripped lures out of grass thousands of times, caught huge bass. All my PB bass from 4-10lbs were brought in by an Aird X rod and only 2 have been broken, only because the tail gate was shut on them but its only the top guides that need to be replaced.

Fantastic rods for the money, and when Tackle Warehouse had the promo going on last year where they gave a certain discount for how many Aird X rods you bought, i got most of mine for $33.

 

Now to the Lews Classic Pro Speed Spool SLP, for anyone that wants a budget reel this things amazing, it looks amazing. Compared to the LFS ($100 reel) this looks 10x better, Lews really shouldve made the LFS look like this reel instead. Casts great and far, braking is better than the Black Max and it just feels much more refined. If i had my LFS, SLX A, Fuego CT and this reel side by side and didnt know the costs, id think they were all in the same price range.

 

And for spinning reels the Shimano Sienna $30 is all i need, i have so many of these reels. From the 1000 size for panfish and trout, 2000-2500 for bass, and 4000 for catfish and salmon.

They arent the smoothest but they very durable and they work.

Nowadays i prefer the Revros but the Sienna still has a place in my spinning gear lineup, i actually bought the Sedona $60 (on sale for $40) and it feels like half the reel as the Sienna, odd huh?

 

And since i only buy my stuff on sale, i can also say my SLX i bought for $40 and LFS for $50 paired with a $33 Aird X rod have definitely made some great combos.

 

Ive also got a Lews Carbon Fire combo i got used for really cheap, and they are always selling at DSG for about $30-40 per rod/reel anymore but ive been disappointed by it alot, feels very cheap. Doesnt cast very far and theres a new review on them each day about the reel destroying its internals or the rod snapping on a 2lber.

[mrpao]

4 hours ago, msgf91 said:

My favorite inexpensive combo was an Ugly Stick Inshore Lite 7 ft Medium power with a Lews G2 Spinning reel. The rod was kind of expensive for an Ugly Stik at 69.99 at BPS but overall inexpensive compared to some of my rods.  Caught my PB with it a few years ago 

 

For a recent inexpensive combo I tried out the Magic L UL spinning rod from Amazon. It's really good. I picked mine up for 31. Really good for the price. I probably caught 10 dinks and 10 gills the first trip out. Then it handled this fish just fine 

I also purchase a Magic L ultralight. It's a decent little rod for $31.

I actually bought two since they performed well for the price.

I have both paired up with two Piscifun carbon x 1000 reels.

I used them mainly for trout this past winter.

I wish they would come out with longer lengths in this model.

[BrianMDTX]

@MediumMouthBass I have a Sienna and two Revros. I agree that I prefer the Revros a bit, but that Sienna has reeled in some nice bass and is still going strong. It’s on a Daiwa Procyon MXF rod and is great for weightless Senko TR’s. 

[MediumMouthBass]

@BrianMDTX they really are great reels, awhile ago lots of places had low or no stock of them so i thought they might have been discontinuing them. Im sure glad they didnt.

For how much i paid for them i have never cleaned or oiled 1 of them, after years and years of use not 1 has failed. Only 1 doesnt work properly anymore because of how badly damaged it became after being dropped in rocks. The handle still turns but it feels like sandpaper and looks like it survived a shark attack.

[msgf91]

27 minutes ago, mrpao said:

I also purchase a Magic L ultralight. It's a decent little rod for $31.

I actually bought two since they performed well for the price.

I have both paired up with two Piscifun carbon x 1000 reels.

I used them mainly for trout this past winter.

I wish they would come out with longer lengths in this model.

I just ordered a Magic Soul casting rod because I liked the spinning rod. Base price was 59 and the 6'7 L casting I ordered was $31. I have a Lews Laser Lite 75 on the way for the Magic L and I have a Hicc 50 for the casting rod 

 

@MediumMouthBass I picked up 2 of the revros reels from American Legacy when they had them BOGO free. They're great reels at that price. It's the one in the pic I posted before 

[bp_fowler]

I just purchased a Shimano Sellus 6’8” M/F with a Shimano Nexave Fl 2500.  Both rod and reel were about $50 a piece.  
 

 

I’ve owned multiple other rods in the same price range but this one is my favorite.  It’s light, sensitive and casts very well.  Also it feels great in my hand and looks great.

 

if I have any complaints it’s that the Nexave doesn’t have a reverse switch but that’s just a nitpick I can get along fine without having it.

[r83srock]

Definitely! I had an old Curado 100b (not cheap in its day) on a 7’m lightning rod slinging traps today. Light rod and great for crankbaits! Also was using my 7’ mh Lews Hank Parker rod with an Abu Garcia Max STX (matchy matchy) and 15lb big game mono casting chatterbaits, works great! I had no problems fishing the combos and picking up my legend tournament/SLX mgl on the next cast, then switching back to the cheaper combos. Sure the more expensive stuff is nicer, but not by a huge margin. I also really like the Aird X rods, black max/max x/max stx/max pro reels. The Daiwa regal might be the nicest spinning reel ever at $60. You do not need expensive gear to catch bass. 

[new2BC4bass]

15 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Nope.

A-Jay

Same here.  It is very rare for me to buy something without researching first.

[bulldog1935]

I posted on TackleTour that my BFS-mod Daiwas aren't allergic to fishing with low-grade JDM Abu Baitfinesse rods.  I liked all the Abu rods I've tried so much I went back for seconds of two models.  

Xrossfield is closing out all over Japan.  Snagged this 4-pc for $45, decided to put this in my kayak back-up dry bag, and add the 2-pc for full-time kayak niche.  

Make sure you don't rule out this rod for bass finesse and bottom contact.  

In reels, it was Tica, little Cetus micron that fished 7 hard years in salt finesse (still going, and retired from that niche).  BTW, if you have a Daiwa with optional A/R switch, it was built by Tica.  

[LCG]

Last year, I picked up a Daiwa Arid X 7' MH-F, in a two piece and paired it with a Lew's LFS Speed Spool in 6 speed. Love this combo for spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, swim jigs, etc.

 

I liked both the rod and reel so much, that I bought another rod as a backup and another speed spool in 8 speed spooled with braid. 

 

Fantastic value.

[throttleplate]

When wife and i first moved back to the usa from the philippines in 2019 i had no fishing gear stored at dads house as i gave it all away when i retired 10 years prior.

I wanted to get back into fishing again so i bought 2 shakesphere spinning combos with line on them at wallmart for $12.00 each. We caught fish with them, lots of bass and pike and she also caught her personal best with it.

The only change i made after the first outing was i took off the cheap mono line and put on spiderwire braid. I soon upgraded my rods and reels but she stuck with that wallmart special all summer into september untill the reel wouldnt reel in anymore.

I took it apart at home and she simply wore all the teeth off on the gears as they were made of some type of composite plastic material.

She liked the cheapie rod so we put a pleuger reel on it and it finally snapped in half in november that same year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Eric 26]

7 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

In reels, it was Tica, little Cetus micron that fished 7 hard years in salt finesse (still going, and retired from that niche).  BTW, if you have a Daiwa with optional A/R switch, it was built by

As some on here may recall as I posted before I’m the happy recipient of @bulldog1935’s retired Tica Cetus. He and I have swapped many pm’s and although I’ve never pulled the trigger on a Tica I can understand why he speaks so highly of them. It’s no secret I can’t service my reels opposite of bulldog and many others on here who frequently tear down and add upgraded bearings etc but as far as I recall the Cetus is stock with the exception of a set of aftermarket handles bulldog so generously supplied as well when he gifted me the reel. I had the reel paired to a bargain priced St Croix Premier light powered rod I bought on clearance too many years ago to remember when DSG moved into what was once Galyans sporting goods. 

[Skunkmaster-k]

On 5/4/2024 at 11:24 AM, Eric 26 said:

@Skunkmaster-k That’s the one I was referencing also and man that was a great find on your part😉 I loved throwing the Strike King Finesse jigs available at Walmart also.

Yep that’s the one. I’ve got a few of the black and gold HPs  but they feel different somehow. Not bad , just different.