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Best rod and reel?

Academy has some good prices on rod and reel pkgs,they have some good prices on individual stuff also,6 ft and up on rods.medium action.
 
I fish a good bit and I like the Plfueger President reel and Cabela's rod combo. They are usually $79, but they run specials a couple times a year for $59. I try to pick a couple up when they are on sale. I like a medium light set up.
 
If you want to try a baitcaster, try the Bass Pro Pro Qualifier. The combos are a little over $100. I have baitcast rod and reels that cost over $500, but I like the Pro Qualifier better.
 
best pole i ever got a deal on was a vintage south bend kast king made in usa at good will for $5. I put a reel on it and have caught 100's of fish with it.
 
Okay, I'm going to be that guy.

In a rod you typically get a lighter, stronger and more sensitive rod by spending a little more. You can get any one of those features in a cheap rod, but seldom two and never all three.

Light = less fatiguing to use and helps with sensitivity.
Strong = self explanatory, but often overlooked until it's too late.
Sensitive = more strikes detected (more fish caught). The biggest freshwater fish I have caught hit so lightly that it felt like a bumble bee landed on the rod tip. If I had been using a less sensitive rod I probably never would have known she was there.


In a reel the benefits are smooth, casting distance/control (accuracy) and fish fighting ability.

Smooth = just a pleasure to use when it has a smooth retrieve.
Casting = the further you can reach and still put it where you want it can make a lot of difference. The first part of a good presentation to the fish is landing that cast where you want it.
Fighting Ability = THE DRAG SYSTEM! There are probably more "Fish Of a Lifetime" lost due to a poor drag system than any other reason. Good drag systems are the primary difference in the cost of a good reel.

With all that said, you don't have to get crazy expensive to have a very nice set up. The super high cost stuff is just a prestige purchase. If you wisely spend about $150 on a reel and another $150 to $200 on a rod you'll have a hell of a nice set up. You'll also be able to do a lot with it. My favorite will handle bass fishing very well and be right at home, but I would not hesitate to take on a 40lb Bull Red with it. It's loaded with high quality 20lb braid and all I have to do is change the leader to fit the fish.
 
Got a couple of Abu Garcia's. Revo and 5000 or some # ?. I prefer the Lews I have. Cast better. Never caught anything big to test the drag.
The Abu Garcia bait casters are good reels. They don't look high tech like a lot of the newer designs, but they work! Strong drags and very reliable. I have a couple of the 5500 and 6500. I use them primarily for trolling now, but I used a 6500c as my primary casting reel for many years. It's a little big for that, but I have big hands and it fit well. It's the reel I was using when I caught that big fish I mentioned. A 43lb Striper on 14lb test mono. That drag got a serious workout and performed flawlessly. If it hadn't, I would have never even seen that fish.
 
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