Budget minded!

[Keystonekiller]

Never paid full price... heck most of my rods and reels are combos bought together to get a better deal!!!! Budget minded is the only route taken..

[jamie150]

My favorite is a 6'8" pfleuger president spinning rod. I paid $25.00 at Ganders. I do own some high end rods but....

[ncbass]

I have been doing a lot of studying and testing lately on budget reels and rods myself. Tried Piscifun, Kastking, Sixgill and already owned H20 Mettle reels hoping to find something that was pretty good for the money.
So far to me the Daiwa Fuego CT, as mentioned, is the best budget reel and worth the $20 extra over some of the others cheaper ones I tried. Plus you can get it in three different ratios. I am going to keep looking around and testing some more just to see if there is any that beats the Fuego CT.

I haven't researched rods quite as much, but I am liking the KastKing Perigree II (https://amzn.to/2RTXNJz) so far, I think I paid $52 for it, and paired up with the Fuego CT I only have $120 in a pretty good combo. I know that might not be considered the definition of budget, but still quite a bit less than I have been paying for just my reels.

What's your opinion of the Six Gill?

[basscat21]

There is a ton of pee pee measuring on BBC, from reels, rods and lures. Just go fishing. Time on the water means a hell of a lot more than anything.

[5 BASS ASSASIN]

Well I just wrote a whole damn book on the subject. Went to the” office” and lost it Chime in later

[KWH]

I think thats one of the great things about this sport. You can put what you want to into it and have a blast.

[cubswin]

My budge is always sub 200 rods, and reels in the 100 range. Pretty happy with daiwa reels, and have started buying alx rods. Not cheap junk, but not the super expensive items either.

[c rig]

True, but a newer, lighter, more sensitive rod can also help you put even more fish in the boat than old, outdated, inadequate sticks!

It’s not the arrow, it’s the Indian.

If enthusiasts want to spend big bucks on gear, it’s their prerogative.

But it is it necessary to have high priced gear? No.

99.999999% of the guys fishing the major trails fish with basic stuff, a lot of them using whatever their sponsor supplies them with.

Steve Kennedy fishes with a bunch of greenie Curados that looked like he hitched them to his bumper and dragged them down a gravel road. At least one of them he bought at a flea market for next to nothing. His rods are heavily stained and in many cases are older.... but he catches fish.

Look at the sale boards... there are people here who end each year by selling every newer rod they have, just so they can buy the newest releases...same with reels.

Just go fishing.

I have some newer rods, but most are older. Quite honestly, I can hold my own against most of the people on this forum using Shimano Speedmaster rods from the 80’s. Too many people use expensive gear as a crutch. Just go fishing.

[c rig]

Well I just wrote a whole damn book on the subject. Went to the” office” and lost it Chime in later

Hate it when that happens.

Ive lost a lot of posts in the past when I stopped to go to the “office”.

[11pounder]

The most expensive rod I have is a Falcon low rider my son bought me for Christmas nearly 15 years ago, my favorite rods are H2O ethos rods that run 79.99, I can't tell the difference sensitivity wise.

[Lil Mo]

I rarely pay full price for rods and reels. I grab sales or use gift cards when I have them. I like my lower-end Revo reels and the Abu Pro Max is a great reel for the money. For rods, I shop the same way. Most of mine are older Castaways, entry level All-Star’s, and Academy H2O’s or Ethos lines. When on a budget, you have to be smart and I still catch my fair share of fish.

[striper joe]

ITS ALL ABOUT B S & MONEY. JIGS,CRANKS,SPINNER BAITS, WORMS, 40 YEARS AGO SAME TODAY.

[Highcentered]

I normally wait for a sale these days. Now I have finally learned to not buy a rod or reel unless I know it's something that will fit my needs. Spinning reels it's $50-$75 tops. Pflueger is what is replacing those as they wear out. Baitcast reels it depends on what's on sale but $150 is usually my cap. Rods have the same $150 cap. To me beyond my "happy zones" the law of diminishing returns starts to kick in hard. You'll never see me with a $400 rod and/or $300 reel.

[bassfish 24-7]

Is it that fisherman who buy cheaper / on clearance rack gear have never experienced the sensitivity or smoothness of high end stuff or is it that we just can’t tell a difference?
I always wonder if I’m missing fish BC my gear is not on point / high end. I have never really caught a fish or even fished bottom rocks with a high end G. Loomis rod.

Fishing partner uses uses all high $ GL rods and high $ reels. But he doesn’t necessarily out fish me always but I never throw the exact same thing as him. i just refuse to do that as I normally fish from his boat / back of boat.

[wentbroketryingtogopro]

Most of all my combos are $125.00 or less.My spinning combos are even less than that.Not bashing anyone that spends more or less,this is just what works for me.Thanks good luck and good fishing.

[basscat21]

I remember an 80 boat open tourny, two guys that looked like they were straight out of tar paper shack in a jon boat. tiller TM. cooler with pump. they sat in the launch cove. and smoked all the fancy boys.

And yes, first thing you heard---> They had to cheating....

[Thermodude]

I remember an 80 boat open tourny, two guys that looked like they were straight out of tar paper shack in a jon boat. tiller TM. cooler with pump. they sat in the launch cove. and smoked all the fancy boys.

And yes, first thing you heard---> They had to cheating....

I fished a small tournament once that was open to any and all, couple guys show up with a flat bottom in the back of a pickup, slide it into the water along with a large cooler and 3-4 buggy whip rods, what happened next makes the story..... the engine was a Husqvarna leaf blower!! Fired this thing up, stuck the nozzle in the water and away they went.....true story!

[spinningreel]

Once you experience a nice high end Rod/Reel combo, its hard to go back to budget outfit. At least that was my experience.

I grew up on Berkley Lightning rods, etc. Bought my first St. Croix about 20 years ago, then gradually began to move to higher end St. Croix and Loomis rods, I always buy Daiwa & Shimano Reels, for one because I believe they are made the best and last the longest, but they also bring more $ on Resale when I want to upgrade to a newer model.

[Axkiker]

I build / fix rods so ive fooled with a bundle of mfgs over the years. For me personally I buy what blank I find from Mud Hole on sale or clearance unless there is something very specific I'm looking for. Even then in not going to anything more $$ than the MHX blanks. IMO the $$ is best put toward the components.

Reel wise I have a specific quantum that is no longer made I seek on Fleabay. I think it might be an energy model. Usually no more than 50 bucks used.

[LgMouthGambler]

Since Mr Rangerman isnt here anymore, Ill help so yall dont feel incomplete. "You cant use that kind of stuff, its all junk!"