Bass rod

[Username]

what's a decent bass rod?. i have no clue what to even look for.

 

[18406ej]

Username,

Welcome to OFF! I am sure that you will get a lot of good advice about your rod question. Keep in mind that if you are just starting out a good rod/reel is what you can comfortably afford. Check around for good used gear and borrow some gear from friends if you can to see what it is that you feel happy with. My two cents? You can ever go wrong with Shimano reels!

Good luck

EJ

 

[tomriker]

i like light/medium action 7' rods, but with the baitcasters you really get what you pay for, you may get frustrated very quickly with the birds nests and other problems that can come up with em! i am a sucker for daiwa, but this is a very nice entry level reel, and you can upgrade the bearings in it and do some other mods to make it into basically a much more expensive reel!

 

[bass]

Are you looking for an all round rod or something for a specific purpose? I would pick a medium action (8-17lb line) rod as an all round choice. Probably would cover most of your needs. I did not see any information on the rod in the ad you posted. As to reels. I own garcia, shimano, daiwa and quantum reels baitcasters. In the end, I think that there are really minor differences between them. I have some nice reels and some cheap reels and I do not think it makes too much difference in terms of catch rates. The better reels may cast a tiny bit further, but mostly you want to get to where you have all of your casting controls backed off or removed and you are using your thumb to prevent backlashes.

Thus, if the rod is not too stiff (listed as medium action) then I would guess that the combination would be a good value. I would not over spend to start with it it is your first bait caster.

 

[Combat Chuck]

I have a Black max reel, its ok. Everything works but it does feel like you went cheap. I got it as a secondary/trolling reel and it accomplishes that. I think a bump up from the bottom of the line is a big help. The Silver Max, Shimano Caius, Daiwa megaforce and the daiwa above would leave you happier.

 

[ryan808]

If you want an all around bass rod think about getting a Med-heavy fast action 7' rod. It'll cover the majority of lures used for bass fishing. When you start going into weight and technique specific lures, the power and action of the rods you use will make a difference.

 

[veilside180sx]

I have a Black max reel, its ok. Everything works but it does feel like you went cheap. I got it as a secondary/trolling reel and it accomplishes that. I think a bump up from the bottom of the line is a big help. The Silver Max, Shimano Caius, Daiwa megaforce and the daiwa above would leave you happier.

Black and Silver Max are darn near identical in performance. (owned both in the past)

The Silver's were my throw away reels. I'd blow through 4-6 a year and replace them every year.

Save up and buy a Shimano Citica, Curado, or Chronarch if you want a reel that's not going to be a throw away if you put a lot of hours on them. If you are an Abu man then buy a Orra, Revo SX, or Revo STX.

Anything below these is going to be graphite framed and live a rather finite lifespan.

 

[Finneus Polebender]

Agree with the curado up or stx depending on your poison Daiwa is the low cost next best , as far as store bought baitcasting rod I really like the berkley 7 ft med heavy lightning rod its very solid/ nice for a cheap rod! Although I am sure there are even much nicer , I have been runnin a st croix med heavy 7 ft custom w/a curado 201e7 lets just say i am spoiled and would say FP field tested and approved with no reservations. BTW field tested = " totally abused and still works perfect" thanks CP.

 

[colbypearson]

If you want an all around bass rod think about getting a Med-heavy fast action 7' rod. It'll cover the majority of lures used for bass fishing. When you start going into weight and technique specific lures, the power and action of the rods you use will make a difference.

O-P take deep note of this.

Thats what you want. I recommend a Curado 200 as well, if money is tight go the citica route

My .02 atleast

 

[jlayman0270]

Oh im far to common with bird nest's, that will be nothing new here. I think im going to invent some none tangle fishing line.

I bought an Andy Garcia Black Max combo from a sporting goods store in Salem. I like it. Spooled it up with 14 lb mono. I go out every coupla days and toss at a pond nearby. its a comfy little combo. Cheap as far as lasting for years and years? Yes. As far as a newbie goes...i like it.

AND...The only way I have found to reduce the backlashes is to set it and forget it. Dont fiddle with it all day. After a coupla weeks of fishing you can loosen the brake a little. Keep only edging it back a little at a time and practice. Distance is not always as important as accuracy. I think so anyway.

 

[tomriker]

i agree on the accuracy is more important, not like your trying to cast to the middle of the pond like when trout fishing with a bobber, finess it up under a tree or near cover