Looking for a good rod and reel?
| 
Author:
I am looking at getting my dad a new rod and reel for his birthday. He has always used baitcast reels and I know nothing about them. I am looking to spend no more than $170 for a reel. I think that is a good mid range to entry high level reel. Does anybody have any suggestions?
Also I am looking at getting a rod for my dad. He likes Ugly Sticks because they have been around forever, but I think it is time for a change. We fish mostly for Bass and Catfish, so I need something that has some backbone, but will still allow you to play with them. Also he likes trigger rods the best.
One last thing, the closest stores to me is Bass Pro Shop and Academy, so any suggestions from those stores is great!
Tags: 7 Responses to “Looking for a good rod and reel?”
Leave a Reply
- Don Barone: A Field Of Tears
- KVD's World: Building positive attitudes
- Elites make first-ever stop at West Point Lake
- Practice and you can cast inaccuracies aside
- Brandon Palaniuk on small river fishing
- Charlie Hartley: Crawdad Eating Awards
- Elite anglers collect bonus awards
- Jones' West Point attack strategy
- Missouri floods dangerous to boaters
- Corkran returns as B.A.S.S. Federation director
I think Ugly Stik is still your best bet for a rod. Strong, durable, and has a great warranty. If you want more play in the rod, get a shorter, lighter rod.
I don’t do that much fresh water but you can probably get a good Penn baitcaster for your money. Penn has been the most reliable brand for me and is easy to get worked on if there is a problem.
You want a excellent rod i would recommend a Fenwick.
How about a 10 ft fly rod and reel or 10 ft fishing rod and reel for his birthday and good luck to you.
Look at Abu Garcia’s Revo reels and for a Rod look at Falcon’s.
Bass Pro Shop carries both of these brands.
I have Falcons that are over 8 yrs old and they have never failed or broke.
Also might to want to go here and look at what they carry.
http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/?from=tw
Just a side note, I no longer will order from BPS, their shipping has gotten real slow….also check out Cabela’s http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/content/home/firsthome_c2.html?cmCat=Home_C
Good Luck and you might want to take your dad with you and let him pick what he wants and then pay for it and just say Happy Birthday!
I have the Abu Garcia Rod and love it for heavy duty fishing. I call it the “Lumberjack.”
For Bass I use a Berkely Lightning Rod. It’s my favorite rod.
Maybe just get him a gift certificate and let him choose his own weapon! Call it a day, take him to the store and then out for a nice fish dinner.
Ugly Stick is the best. I’ve got a small collection of them.
http://www.shakespeare-fishing.com/products/rods/ugly.shtml
With $170, you can outfit your Dad with quite a nice rig. Go to Bass Pro. A very wide selection of rods, reels, lures etc. One option of course, is to get a rod/reel combo. You really can save money that way, but may limit yourself if you want to get specific on gear ratios and rod styles. For the meager price of $49.99, you can pick up a Bill Dance baitcasting rod and reel combo. They will put line on it for free. I have one and use it no less than once per week, and love it. Its pretty standard-6:3:1 reel with a 6’6″ rod, but it works.
For $70-$100, you can find a quality higher quality reel that is on sale, and have the option for more ball bearings and choice of gear ratios. Its hard to go wrong with 6:3:1 though. Daiwa, Pfleuger, and Citica are reels to look at.
As for rods, I reccomend the “Crankin’ Stick”. Its a Bass Pro rod, so will be a little cheaper, I own one and paid only $60 for it. Very light with great sensitivity and has a unique handle.
When you get your line spooled on your reel, I swear by Stren Original Monofilament Low-Vis Green. Spray with Reel Magic, and you have yourself a formidable fishing weapon. The Reel Magic, or any reel spray reduces line memory and seems to soften to line and cuts back on back lashes. Even when there is one, they are much easier to get out if you have your reel treated.
I fish for more than 5 hours day on one to two days per week-more if I can. Reel performance and rod sensitivity are vital to me. I hope this helps, and I hope your Dad will be catching fish soon!