Building Your Beginning Arsenal
By Guardian Angler
The debate on rod and reel combos for beginners or budget anglers is an intimidating topic that leads to a rabbit hole that makes anglers feel like they are about to throw their life savings at the sport…Seeing people buying $500+ combos to target just one species of fish, rod and reel arsenals so large people build entire rooms to keep them in and even anglers who have 10+ combos for every species they like to target. It's hard to decipher facts from marketing on where to begin building at, and knowing what the right decision is when sponsored anglers are swearing by products that are marketed as being specific to one purpose, and make you feel like you need eight or more combos to have a productive day on the water. The truth is, you can get away with three BUDGET FRIENDLY combos for almost every scenario you will encounter in your open water season, and today I would like to share with you what those combos are.
Ultralight
To me, this is the number one combo everyone needs to have. There is always a time when fishing for any species you have to downsize and throw small baits, and that's where this rod becomes a dual-rod. I use my ultralight when catfishing, bass fishing (wacky rigs, weightless stick baits, ned rigs, and small drop shot rigs), pan fishing, small trout fishing, creek fishing, and even perch fishing in 50ft+ of water. There is never a time I do not have aclan ultralight packed with me. Even when I'm chasing big flathead catfish, or pike and muskie with live bait I pack this combo because it's how I catch my live bait. I would suggest sticking with a fast action rod, because the faster the action the more sensitivity they will yield. As far as rods go, this is one where you can be extremely cheap on the rod, and get something comfortable in the hand, just be sure to check reviews and make sure they are not prone to breaking. When it comes to reels for this set-up, this is where you want more of your money placed at. For this setup, you really need to have a good drag system on the reel. When you are fighting a big fish on a light line and your drag hangs up on you, you are going to break off. Even if you decide to run braid on that setup, your drag will be the difference between a landed fish or a broken rod. Get a reel size that can handle a 6lb test, you can go up to an 8lb test, but it's not necessary. You can substitute 6lb mono for 20lb braid because they are the same diameter. Here are a few suggestions for rods, reels, and combos to use for this setup:
Reels:
Top Choice-
Pflueger Trion/ President Retails $40-$50
Runner Ups-
Abu Garcia Max Z Retails $25
Daiwa Crossfire LT Retails $30
Lews Mr. Trout Retails $25
Rods:
Top Choice-
Berkley Lightning Rod Retails $30-$50 (Size Depending)
Runner Ups-
Lews Laser HS Retails $32
Okuma Celilo Retails $33
Shakespeare Micro Retails $20
Combos:
Top Choice-
Flueger Trion/President Combo Retails $70
Runner Ups-
Shakespeare Retails $35-$40
Lews Laser Lite/Mr. Trout Combo Retails $45-$50
Daiwa Crossfire LT Combo Retails $50
Medium
Medium power rods are so universal, you can throw worms on them, fish medium-sized live bait on them, fish crankbaits and spinnerbaits on them, and even go with your bigger catfishing or carp gear with them. This rod will be able to tackle anything from big bass to big cats and carp. Whether you prefer a a true medium, medium heavy, or medium light (like myself), this is a must-have for any angler planning on chasing fish bigger than bluegill and crappie. Be sure the reel can handle at least 12lb mono, but whether you want casting or spinning is entirely up to you. Moderate-fast action rods pair best to keep this combo as multipurpose as possible. Instead of listing suggestions here for different rods and reels, I will do a compiled list of rods reels, and combos below the heavy section. For most of the spinning reels you can get a larger size in if you feel necessary, but the casting reels will stay the same. The same can be said for the rods, the only major difference will be changing from a medium power to a heavy power.
Heavy
Heavy power rods are something most anglers feel is more situational, rather than a necessity. Personally, I beg to differ; because heavy rods have a huge variety of things they can do. They are perfect for topwater fishing, ripping baits through grass, helping horse fish through thick structures and cover, and punching thick mats as well as the only rod I even look at when throwing large live or cut bait. I believe any angler fishing for a predatory fish needs a heavy power rod. Use the same reel size as you did for the medium power, because you can still use up to 50lb braid as well as 15lb fluorocarbon on that bad boy. This will also help keep the reel cost down because the bigger the reel, the more expensive it gets. For the action I would suggest going moderate to keep things more universal, unless you know you'll mostly use it for jgs, Texas rigs, and Carolina rigs; in that case go fast action. Here are a few rods reels and combos I would suggest for medium and heavy power:
Rods:
Top Choice for Casting and Spinning-
Berkley Lightning Rod/ 76 Shock Retail $50
Casting and Spinning Very Close Runner Ups-
I felt it needed to isolate these because they are so versatile and strong…
ANY Ugly Sticks, prices will vary per model, but they are practically indestructible.
Spinning Rod Runner Ups-
BPS Graphite Series Retails $40
Lews Laser HS Series Retails $32
Ozark Trail OTX Series Retails $35
Spinning Reels:
Top Choice-
Pflueger Trion/President Retails $40-$50
Spinning Reel Runner Ups-
Abu Garcia Max X Retails $40
Shimano Sienna Retails $30
Piscifun Reels, they just have too many options to narrow it down from there. Many reels range from $25-$60, but all are quality reels for the price.
Spinning Combo:
Top Choice-
Pflueger Trion/President Combo Retails $70
Runner Ups-
Ugly Stik GX2 Spinning Combo Retails $60
Shimano Sienna Combo Retails $50
Abu Garcia Ike Dude Spinning Combo Retails $45
Casting Rod Runner Ups-
BPS Graphite Series Retails $40
Lews Hank Parker Series Retails $40 (The Lazer HS Series is available for casting at roughly $32 as well, but personally I suggest spending the extra $8 for the Hank Parker, its equivalent to the Mach 2 Series, but it’s $20 cheaper.)
13th Fishing Rely Black Series Retails $40
Casting Reel:
Top Choice-
Abu Garcia Black Max Retails $50
Runner Ups-
Okuma Stratus 7 Retails $50
Lews Classic Speed Spool Retails $55
Quantum Invade Retails $48
Casting Combo
Top Choice-
Lews Xfinity Casting Combo Retails $98
Runner Ups-
Lews Classic Speed Spool Combo Retails $68
Bass Pro Shops Megacast Combo Retails $60
Kastking Centron Combo Retails $70
Choosing Rod Length
I can drag this section on for pages, but to keep things simple there are two key factors to choosing a rod length. The first is comfortability. If you are fishing in situations where you are low to the water like out of a kayak, or under low-hanging trees a lot shorter rods are going to be better for you. If you are in a boat or have lots of open space I'd definitely say go longer. Longer can cast further and are more sensitive, but short rods are more accurate and help keep your baits low to the water’s surface. The other factor to look at is how the two feel In your hand. Is a 7-foot rod just a bit too much for you to be comfortable with? You want to feel in total control and comfortable with your gear if you are going to use it effectively. Personally I like super short ultra lights, 6’ 6” mediums, and 7’ 2” heavies.
In conclusion, you don't have to have tons of gear to enjoy what the waterways have to offer. Nor do you have to be as well Off as Jeff Bezos to build solid combos. I know my top picks were pricier than what you may see at local Walmarts, but they are pieces of equipment that will give you longevity and can put faith in while battling a 10lb+ fish. (Just did that very thing last week with a 15lb grass carp on a Pflueger Trion and Lightning Rod.) No matter if you go cheaper than some of the gear I provided or even more expensive, I hope that this helps you get a bit of a game plan of what direction to head in. If you ever have questions on the gear you should get for your set-up, feel free to drop me a line at Baitfish2bass@gmail.com or send me a DM on Facebook/Instagram on my Guardian Angler page.
Tight lines everyone.
