First time baitcast setup advice: Pfleuger Monarch combo?

[voxborealis]

I feel like I am always here asking advice on roods and reels! Here we go again. I am a longtime spinning reel guy, but I'd like to try to learn to use a baitcaster.  I'd like to get a combo so I don't have to worry about pairing the rod and reel (from what I can tell, combos are less prevalent with bait casters than with spinning). Naturally I would like something budget friendly since I am just starting out, but I don't want to buy something that is total junk. Ideally a two piece rod since I do a lot of biking/fishing (again, I know that two piece is less common with bait cast). Lastly, being Canada means that some items are less readily available at the same price point. Local tackle shop dude recommends one of the Uglistik combos (GX2 or Elite, 6'6" MH), but I have read that the reels are not very good. I am also looking at the Pfleuger Monarch combo 7' MH. Similar price point as UglyStik (similar price point or a bit higher). I have a bunch of Pflueger spinning reels have been impressed with them for the price. I have one Pflueger rod (part of a spinning combo) which is meh but gets the job done. Is the Pfleuger Monarch baitcast combo decent beginner quality/value?

 

Advice for this newbie always appreciated!

[MediumMouthBass]

I dont know a single thing about Phleuger other than their name, so i cant give any advice on that combo, but personally i would rather buy a rod and reel separately. Theres alot of good budget rods and reels out there (well in the US atleast). This way you will get the exact rod and reel you want, ive had a few off the shelf combos where i might have liked the rod but hated the reel, or the opposite.

But if you want a off the shelf ready to fish combo, not sure if they have Abu Black Max/Max X combos in Canada but here in the US they are one of the top (if not the top) budget combo. They have proven themselves time and time again for years.

 

Also a Daiwa Aird X rod is one of the best rods under $100 (my opinion) and goes for around $55 US dollars, pair that with a $30 Black Max reel from an auction site or old stock and that'll last a long time. They have a 2 piece rod as well.

 

Another piece of advice, if you plan on only using it for a little bit and then upgrading any budget combo would work, but if you plan on using it for awhile get something that will last, even if you have to wait awhile to save up some more money.

[dodgeguy]

If u buy a low cost bait caster u will pay in aggravation. I suggest a Lews LFS right now on sale at Bass pro for 79$. That can't be beat.For the rod forget the 2 piece. I suggest falcon  bucco at Bass pro 6-6 mh moderate for 99$. Anything cheaper will be harder to learn on. The reel has magnets with a dial to set them and they work well.i prefer centrifugal brakes but they cost more.I would suggest 50 lb vicious no fade braid for line.  Braid is easier to cast and easier to remove a backlash and doesn't get damaged by a backlash where mono and flouro do. I suggest you get someone who knows how to use one properly to teach you. 

[MN Fisher]

As a Pflueger fan-boy since the70s I'll say this - walk away from the Monarch.

[dodgeguy]

As far as I know Pflueger no longer sells bait casters. They used to be my brand and now u can't find them.

[voxborealis]

18 minutes ago, dodgeguy said:

For the rod forget the 2 piece. 

 

I have seen this advice on a bunch of forum threads talking bit about bait casters. But to be honest, I pretty much need a 2-piece. I live in Montreal, and basically 99% of my fishing is done from shore while biking. So I have to sacrifice a bit of performance for convenience/portability.

16 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

As a Pflueger fan-boy since the70s I'll say this - walk away from the Monarch.

Interesting. I do love their spinning gear but I have no way to assess the casting stuff. Advice noted!

40 minutes ago, MediumMouthBass said:

But if you want a off the shelf ready to fish combo, not sure if they have Abu Black Max/Max X combos in Canada but here in the US they are one of the top (if not the top) budget combo. They have proven themselves time and time again for years.

I have seen this name come up a lot, will look into it.

[MN Fisher]

11 minutes ago, voxborealis said:

Interesting. I do love their spinning gear but I have no way to assess the casting stuff.

Since they're down to only the Monarch and President XT for casting reels now, I've had to move away from Pflueger for casting...I have 3 Patriarchs and 2 Supremes and they're great casting reels...too bad they decided to end those lines.

[dodgeguy]

1 hour ago, MN Fisher said:

Since they're down to only the Monarch and President XT for casting reels now, I've had to move away from Pflueger for casting...I have 3 Patriarchs and 2 Supremes and they're great casting reels...too bad they decided to end those lines.

Yeah pure fishing totally screwed that up.

[voxborealis]

OK then, for an entry-level, off-the-shelf combo what about the two Uglistik combos (GX2 and Elite)? The reels look like utter crap but again, I have no basis to evaluate casting reels. As for the rods, they're Uglistik. Usually too heavy and soft for my taste, but the elite didn't feel that bad to me.

2 hours ago, MediumMouthBass said:

Another piece of advice, if you plan on only using it for a little bit and then upgrading any budget combo would work, but if you plan on using it for awhile get something that will last, even if you have to wait awhile to save up some more money.

 

I don't know yet. I want to challenge myself to learn how to use them, and then go from there. I find that the fishing I have been doing the last few years really beats up spinning reels--throwing a lot of heavy pike lures and dragging it through weeds. At the same time, I want to become more proficient with soft plastics for bass and I can see that casting is just so much more accurate--if you know what you're doing! But mainly, it's for the challenge to learn.

[islandbass]

@voxborealis: go for the 2-piece rod if… it is modern. I primarily use 2-piece rods for convenience so the absolute need for a one piece is a non-issue, not even a concern. 
 

Are one piece rods better? Perhaps. I just have to be honest. If there is a difference between sensitivity between a single and two piece rod, it is negligible. And I stand by that.

Like you, single piece rod won’t work for my needs as they won’t fit in my trunk and therefore do not suit my needs. And only the most discriminating hands have a prayer in detecting the difference in sensitivity between the same model of a 2-piece and its single piece parallel counterpart. My two piece rods are old but (2004 up) they are excellent and may no longer be made but decent 2-piece rods can be found. Shimano compre and convergence series should have 2-piece casting rods. I know there are others.
 

 I also have 1-piece bass rods but they will only see action on the weekend since I will never ever leave my 1 piece rods exposed in my car for the world to see. It’s the practical equivalent of telling a thief to steal them.

 

I will also back up all the posts that are steering you to choose a decent reel. Do not skimp out or cheat yourself here. You learning time will be much less. Good hunting. Since you’re coming from a spinning background, I recommend learning with mono for its cheapness. The timing between a spinning reel cast and a bc reel release of the line is different. Much earlier with a bc reel and it might take time for someone with spinning timing ingrained to adjust. Let us know if you run into issues with timing of the cast. 

[voxborealis]

54 minutes ago, islandbass said:

@voxborealis: ... will also back up all the posts that are steering you to choose a decent reel. Do not skimp out or cheat yourself here. You learning time will be much less. Good hunting. Since you’re coming from a spinning background, I recommend learning with mono for its cheapness. The timing between a spinning reel cast and a bc reel release of the line is different. Much earlier with a bc reel and it might take time for someone with spinning timing ingrained to adjust. Let us know if you run into issues with timing of the cast. 

Thanks!  I have been using braid for a few years on spinning. It is great...but line management can be a real issue. Certain techniques simply lead to wind knots no matter what. So yeah, it will be mono for the foreseeable future on a bait cast set-up. I can only imagine the birds nests I'll encounter on that learning curve!

[islandbass]

1 hour ago, voxborealis said:

Thanks!  I have been using braid for a few years on spinning. It is great...but line management can be a real issue. Certain techniques simply lead to wind knots no matter what. So yeah, it will be mono for the foreseeable future on a bait cast set-up. I can only imagine the birds nests I'll encounter on that learning curve!

The first time I ever used braid I put it on my first bc bass reel. I didn’t know jack. I made a cast overhand. My thumb let go too late and my practice weight slammed into the ground in front of me. I spooled was spinning so fast for an instantaneous birds nest. I found out while I set the cast control knob right, I had zero brakes on. Idiot move. So there went my first spool of braid on my first cast. Lol. 12# minimum for practice. 

[dodgeguy]

2 hours ago, voxborealis said:

Thanks!  I have been using braid for a few years on spinning. It is great...but line management can be a real issue. Certain techniques simply lead to wind knots no matter what. So yeah, it will be mono for the foreseeable future on a bait cast set-up. I can only imagine the birds nests I'll encounter on that learning curve!

 Not if u buy an LFS and set it right. Like I said get someone who knows how to help u.

[LionHeart]

There is something magical about the $100-$120 dollar price range.  Companies know that most rods and reels people buy are in that range, so they make that their most competitive model.  Plan to pay that for a rod, and pay that for a reel.  That is how you get the best for your money, period.

 

You may say, but that means I have to pay roughly $250 for a decent setup?  Yep, that's correct.

 

Also, most combos are either a crap rod, or crap reel.  Don't waste your time.  Cheers 

[bulldog1935]

On 5/18/2024 at 4:02 PM, voxborealis said:

... I live in Montreal, and basically 99% of my fishing is done from shore while biking. So I have to sacrifice a bit of performance for convenience/portability.

 

Here's my post this morning on bike-fish

Multi-piece and telescoping rods are Major in Japan, because most everyone travels by train to fish.  Carrying a long rod in a crowd would be losing face.  I would, and do, look into JDM for quality travel rods (Mobile rods in JDM).  Daiwa, Alpha Tackle (Tailwalk), Major Craft, all offer decent entry-level rods.  (Shimano, Daiwa, Megabass offer high-$ versions).  

You've also described the need for baitcast reel with a centrifugal brake (or Daiwa MagForce non-linear mag brake).  

I vote with the look separately for a rod and reel that meet you specs and budget.  

[MN Fisher]

7 minutes ago, bulldog1935 said:

I would, and do, look into JDM for quality travel rods (Mobile rods in JDM).  Daiwa, Alpha Tackle (Tailwalk), Major Craft, all offer decent entry-level rods. 

Also check out the sale at American Legacy - St Croix has 2 piece 6'6" Premier rods in medium and medium-heavy at 40% off normal retail...regular price is $185, now just $111 - excellent rod.

https://www.americanlegacyfishing.com/st-croix-premier-2-piece-casting-rods.html

[voxborealis]

An update FWIW:

So I decided to ignore the advice of seasoned veterans (@MN Fisher) and got the Pflueger Monarch combo (7" MH two piece). I got it on sale and the price was just too good, especially given how expensive things are in Canada. So far it's...not bad, as far as I can tell anyway as I am no expert.

 

The reel components do feel somewhat cheap. That is just my impression. We'll see how long before it wears out. The spool tension is not very sensitive. The magnetic brakes seem ok and work as advertised. The rod is not super sensitive and "feels" a little more M than MH to me. The reel is slow (6.1:1). I tend to use a lot of moving lures like inline spinners and choppo/ploppers for pike. So that means really having to crank to get the right action, but I have caught a few fish on it.

 

The learning curve has been steep: really humbling to a longtime angler. I spooled it with 15# Trilene Big Game that I had laying around, probably a bit heavy but I am still in the learning phase. I am getting better at casting but still get a fair number of overruns, though only rarely catastrophic birds nests. I still am not getting much distance or accuracy, but I have been able to dial in specific lures in the 1/2 to 3/4 oz range. My goal is to largely eliminate overruns by the end of the summer.

 

So overall, seems like a decent combo for a newbie to learn on. We'll see how long it lasts before breaking or wearing out. In a couple of years, I'll upgrade.