14 replies to this topic

[JCBeck]

alright. I recently went out for a day of fishing with a national class guide on lake simcoe. it was my first "real" day of fishing ever. i really enjoyed it and i would like to invest in some equipment. So the fishing that id be doing. Id be fishing for small mouth bass, pike, trout, possibly some muskie. id be canoe or shore fishing in small ponds and lakes at maximum 10 times a year for now and maybe more in the future depending on my availability. so basically my budget is 150-200 bucks. i really want the best bang for my buck when it comes to rods and from what i hear its better to get a really good line reel the first time. also for lures. we mainly used tube jigs and rapalas that day. i have heard that it is also good to have some spinners in the arsenal.

So im basically looking for good well thought out advice on a rod, reel and tackle. Also links to any online or pro shops that carry your recommendations would be good too.

Please if it is needed ask me questions. I will do my best to answer them.

Thank you so much for all your replies.

J

[RedSkullz]

$150-200 wont get you much for what you want to fish.

Lets say $50 for a rod/reel combo spooled with 8 pound test line for bass and smaller/midsized trout. (and thats only mid/lower grade gear) Quantum combos have always treated me well, for a cheap price.

Then $50+ for a larger rod setup with 14 pound test line for northern pike, big trout and muskie.(again mid/lower end rod/reel) Shakespeare uglystick rods have always been great for me.($29.99 at bassproshops for the medium heavy action uglystick....the uglystick catfish combos make great rods for $50 at bass pro shops)

Line....personally i really like mono lines and dislike braids. Trilene Big game is a solid line as is trilene XT. I'd go with the 1/4 pound spools of big game for the pike rod.(on sale for $10.99 at canadian tire for the 1/4 pound spools right now) I'd also grab another 1/4 pound spool of big game 8lb for the bass rod.(another $10.99)

Okay so that leaves $30-80 for tackle...

Pike/muskie lures:
J-13 rapala in silver $9
3/4 oz white spinnerbait $5
cotton cordell ripplin redfin chartreuse $6
3 3/4" daredevil red/white (either len thompson or daredevil) $6
5" X-rap rapala white $8
6" Wire leaders $3

Trout:
Panther martin #3 spinner silver $4
Panther martin #3 spinner brown trout pattern $4
Mepps aglia #3 spinner silver or gold $4
assortment of smaller/medium hooks and split shot sinkers $7

Bass:
4" yum tubebaits in green colour $5
2/0 wide gap hooks $3
1/4 to 1/2 oz bullet sinkers $4
1/2 oz spinnerbait flour green $5


Now...if you get hooked up on ebay you should be able to get lures much cheaper if you are patient.(example-i picked up some J-13 rapalas for $4 not long ago with $1 shipping) Bassproshops is a good place to grab the rods. Shipping hurts on rods, so you are better off buying them in person if possible.
Hope that helps

[JCBeck]

$150-200 wont get you much for what you want to fish.

Lets say $50 for a rod/reel combo spooled with 8 pound test line for bass and smaller/midsized trout. (and thats only mid/lower grade gear) Quantum combos have always treated me well, for a cheap price.

Then $50+ for a larger rod setup with 14 pound test line for northern pike, big trout and muskie.(again mid/lower end rod/reel) Shakespeare uglystick rods have always been great for me.($29.99 at bassproshops for the medium heavy action uglystick....the uglystick catfish combos make great rods for $50 at bass pro shops)

Line....personally i really like mono lines and dislike braids. Trilene Big game is a solid line as is trilene XT. I'd go with the 1/4 pound spools of big game for the pike rod.(on sale for $10.99 at canadian tire for the 1/4 pound spools right now) I'd also grab another 1/4 pound spool of big game 8lb for the bass rod.(another $10.99)

Okay so that leaves $30-80 for tackle...

Pike/muskie lures:
J-13 rapala in silver $9
3/4 oz white spinnerbait $5
cotton cordell ripplin redfin chartreuse $6
3 3/4" daredevil red/white (either len thompson or daredevil) $6
5" X-rap rapala white $8
6" Wire leaders $3

Trout:
Panther martin #3 spinner silver $4
Panther martin #3 spinner brown trout pattern $4
Mepps aglia #3 spinner silver or gold $4
assortment of smaller/medium hooks and split shot sinkers $7

Bass:
4" yum tubebaits in green colour $5
2/0 wide gap hooks $3
1/4 to 1/2 oz bullet sinkers $4
1/2 oz spinnerbait flour green $5


Now...if you get hooked up on ebay you should be able to get lures much cheaper if you are patient.(example-i picked up some J-13 rapalas for $4 not long ago with $1 shipping) Bassproshops is a good place to grab the rods. Shipping hurts on rods, so you are better off buying them in person if possible.
Hope that helps

there really isnt an all around rod that i can get that could cover all those types fish? i really only want to get one rod and reel.

thanks so much for the recommendations for lures

[RedSkullz]

Well the thing is that one rod wont be able to throw the spread of lures you want very well. #3 panther martins are wayyy lighter than 3/4 oz spinnerbaits or j-13 rapalas so going with one heavier rod wont do well with the smaller lures. On the other end of the scale a lighter rod for pike or big trout/salmon will cast the lures very well, but lack the backbone for big strong fish.(not to mention if you tangle up while casting the heavy lures with lighter line will break and you'll likely lose that $9 rapala, and maybe break your new medium light action rod)
Now if you want to streamline your species and go mostly for smaller bass, pike and trout your could get away with a ML rod spooled with 8lb test.
Anyone else think i am wrong thinking this way?

[Joel52]

Naw, I think you're right on in what you're thinking and you've broken things down nicely to fit the budget... add HST - good job. Also add $20 for a decent box to put all your stuff in too.
If the OP wants to trim down to a single rod, reel and line, you'll have to up the ante a bit. Bass Pro sells a nice rod (Bionic Blade $100+), Shimano Spirex Reel is a good match for that rod ($50-70) and then spool some Fireline (Composite - 12lb -$20). It's smaller diameter would be equivalent to about 4lb test, so would have better feel and cast for the smaller stuff.
If you wait for end of season sales you may do better... or yard sales can have good deals too.

[JCBeck]

yeah narrowing down my fish selection is definitely the way to go it sounds like. So the bionic blade/ spirex reel combo would definitely be the way to go if i wanted just one setup? if i knock muskie off the list will that kit be sufficient?

[openfire]

yeah narrowing down my fish selection is definitely the way to go it sounds like. So the bionic blade/ spirex reel combo would definitely be the way to go if i wanted just one setup? if i knock muskie off the list will that kit be sufficient?

As was pointed out, you wouldn't use the same set-up to throw panther-martins that you would to troll for muskie!

You mentioned "small mouth bass, pike, trout, possibly some muskie" Assuming you've knocked muskie off your list, you also mentioned trout... What kind of trout?

[JCBeck]

yeah narrowing down my fish selection is definitely the way to go it sounds like. So the bionic blade/ spirex reel combo would definitely be the way to go if i wanted just one setup? if i knock muskie off the list will that kit be sufficient?

As was pointed out, you wouldn't use the same set-up to throw panther-martins that you would to troll for muskie!

You mentioned "small mouth bass, pike, trout, possibly some muskie" Assuming you've knocked muskie off your list, you also mentioned trout... What kind of trout?

It would be rainbow trout.

[Joel52]

You could cast lighter tackle with the setup I suggested, but the Fireline is key there. It's a small diameter line - I suggest 12lb test. I have used that to cast small spinners (#2), and it works fine to about 25-35' if you have a decent rod. But you need to spend more money than you originally considered. I've been fishing for years, and have narrowed my interests down to 4 species. I fish for pike, bass, pickerel and fly rod for trout. I have 2 spincast rods and 3 fly rods, all for different opportunities. My suggestion to you is to figure out what you're most interested in and focus on that to start. For example, I don't bring my fly rods north with me and I don't (usually) use my spincast rods down here. So buy a decent quality rod, reel and line and start there. Then you'll be building on something.
LeBaron's and Bass Pro offer rod and reel combos often enough. That might save you a few bucks, but remember, don't skimp out on line and tackle.

[PainInTheBass]

I believe a good medium power, fast action rod would be the best all around rod to go with. Before I started expanding my rod and reel collection, my only combo was a medium power fast action spinning reel combo. It is very versatile and can handle smaller pike and bass for sure.

I concur with the rest.

If you could identify your primary target species and then the others, that would be helpful.

[JCBeck]

Alright, yeah lets narrow it down to small mouth bass since they seem to be pretty abundant in the places i will fish and i still have to learn.

[PainInTheBass]

In that case, if you plan on primarily using contact baits such as soft plastics and jigs and whatnot, make sure you get a good sensitive rod with a soft tip. Again, a 6'6" medium power, fast action rod would be a good place to start. Get a graphite rod for the weight savings and added sensitivity. For contact baits (and most fishing in general), the rod is the most important part of the equation. It telegraphs bites. It leverages the fish. The reel is a glorified winch. Find a nice, balanced, lightweight rod. Find a reel that does not overpower the rod or throw it off balance. And, see the list of lures above.

Good luck

[nocatchyname]

...Find a nice, balanced, lightweight rod. Find a reel that does not overpower the rod or throw it off balance...

Good advice, only thing I would add is even if the reel is only a "glorified winch", it is also the most mechanical piece of equipment you really need, which means it's the most likely to break/wear out. I'm biased, but I'd suggest a Shimano reel.

I bought an inexpensive R2000 over 12 years ago. It was used for a couple years, then life got in the way of my hobbies, until about 3 years ago. When I picked it up again after sitting for ~7 years, with no maintenence ever done to it (which means any sand/grit/water that it's ever been exposed to has never been cleaned out), it still worked great, and still works like new 3 years later. This alone would be good enough for me to recommend it to anyone. But to add on to this...

I bought a cheap rod and reel spinning combo (Shakespeare) to take my daughters fishing. I figured it should be good enough to go catch some little smallies and rock bass but by the end of the 2nd outing it was already starting to make grinding noises. Now given, the Shakespeare was probably half the price (I think the combo was about the same price as the Shimano reel alone), and the cheaper reel does still work, it never worked as nice, even when brand new, as the Shimano does now after 12+ years.

So I went out and picked up a new Shimano reel for ~$25 and will never look at buying any other brand of reel.

[RedSkullz]

I agree with the glorified winch to a degree. Sometimes...i once had a half decent front drag reel that when drag was pulling out fairly quick the drag would tighten on its own resulting in a snapped line after a few runs.

[Joel52]

I also agree with the above. If you are going the combo route, make sure you know what you're buying - having a few options is a good thing. Bass Pro and LeBaron will clear out items at the end of the season, especially if there's a new model coming out next year. They will match up rods and reels, often excellent quality. These specials are not usually advertised, so you may need to go in to get them. Sometimes works out pretty good for me. Another good place to find deals is at the Toronto Sportsman's Show. There is usually manufacturer's "show dollars" available to offer discounts. We've bought at least 2 Fenwick fly rod combos at the Spring Fishing Show for very good discount prices, and nice extras thrown in to sweeten the deal.
Nothing but Shimano and Fenwick in my garage.