Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Recommendations for Ultra light Spinning combo?

Looking for an affordable spinning rod and reel combo to go after the crappie and bream with. Have about $70 to spend but would like to buy some lures and not spend it all on a rod and reel.

THANKS GUYTH!

Ugly stick rod with a shimano reel!

I agree with n8ly you can buy it as a combo at bass pro.

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores...artNumber=90838

that looks to be a decent light action combo. I'd prefer at least a 5 foot rod, this one is 5'6..i dislike the rods under 5 ft long.

Guess you wouldn't care for this one then

http://www.emmrod.com/

I figured you would be chiming in before too long about that little fishin stick! I still havent bought one yet, but just might have to out of sheer curiosity!

Very impressed with the 6# test combo Omega 2
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templa...0024&hasJS=true
This is smooth also, but I prefer the double handle Zebco
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templa...0024&id=0053613

If you want a different style try this rod, it is 9' rod and coupled with an ultra lite reel is a whole lot of fun. The rod has a slow soft action and is best when bait fishing.

http://www.cabelas.com/prod-1/0006763110036a.shtml

I am not much of a fisherman nor do I have much experience. I have had fun with two Shakespeare combos. I found both at Wally World. The Crappie Hunter for about $32.00, a 9' rod & the little Ugly Stick Panfish combo for $28.00, about 4.5'. I put 6lb power pro on both. Both have made fishing for 9" bream exciting. I have yet to decide which is my favorite.

Now when a 6lb LMB comes & tries to take my 5" BG off the hook, it becomes VERY exciting.

IMHO for crappie and bream I like a 5 1/2' - 6' rod with lite action tip and medium action rod blank. Shakespeare makes several spinning rod combo's in the $30 range that are good.
Personally I think the reel is the most important consideration. If you can afford an Abu Garcia spinning reel, they make several in the $70 range that are 10 ball bearing, smooth action reels, and are top rated. They come with extra reel that can be spooled with 4# and 8# test line. The reels can be switched very quickly and give more versatility. If you are new to fishing, the spin cast reels are great to learn on, but you will soon outgrow it. Spend the money on the reel, add just about any lite action rod, and you will have something you can fish with for many years.
Grubs and small spinner baits like a beetle spin are cheap lures and won't take much of the fishing budget.

When that LMB comes along, you better have a bait caster along with some heavy line.

Good luck.

I am a good caster with baitcasters, spinners, etc. just haven't ever messed with the light or ultralight stuff.

Believe me � I DO understand budgets, but some times it�s better to cry once that cry twice.
Buying cheap is not always the best way to go � costs more in the long run.

I built my own rods for years until high quality/affordable products came on the market due to market demand.

If your close to a Bass Pro Shops, they should be having their "fishing classic" sale sometime in the next month or so. They have some really good deals on rod & reel combos. You might want to check into that.

I just ordered a 9ft crappie rod off of Bass Pro for $40 including shipping. They have a few to choose from in their clearance section.

I got a 10' crappie rod and I'm loving it. With a long rod you can really work the shoreline around brush and logs.

I described it a while back in THIS thread.

I bought a spinning combo last night at Bass Pro in Bossier City. The Bass Pro stuff comes with a 1 year in store warranty. The guy said if something breaks or if you just don't like it you can bring it back. The combo cost $30. I put some 6 lb Cajun Red line on it today and casted a 1/8 oz beetle spin in hopes of some bluegill or crappie action but they just aren't biting like the bass are. They won't even hit live bait right now. Pond is muddier than normal due to a lot of rain recently. The Combo casted pretty well for my first time using a 5'6 light action rod with light line like that. I'll get better with it in time I'm sure.

What is the benefit of Cajun Red line over a clear line or a green line? I would think it would be more visible.

this is a high quality reel imho bang for buck

http://www.tackledirect.com/shimanosymetre.html

the next is my current favorite but more like a lite

http://www.tackledirect.com/st1000fh.html?productid=st1000fh&channelid=PGRAB

I want one of these

http://www.tackledirect.com/shimano-sustain-fe-spinning-reels.html

ezylman,

I use cajun red line for just about everything, cause it is very visible to humans, but not very visible to the fish. I also exclusively use it for icefishing because it stays straight! Other lines have more memory and it is hard to fish a small teeny jig when your lines is curled.

I have tried pretty much every major brand of fishing line, and take alot of people fishing with no fishing experience, and have great success with the Cajun Lightning! Less tangles, casts smooth, visible to humans, invisible to fish!

I know what some of you are thinking----you must work for Cajun or have vested interest, blah, blah, blah....I dont. I just pretty much take people fishing about 3 times per week, year round, and try just about every fishing product imaginable ---except rockytoppers midget fishing pole--- I havent tried that one yet!