What's a good price point for a decent spinning rod/reel?

[DaisyCutter]

I'm looking to get a couple new rods & spinning reels for myself, and would appreciate some advice from the collective.

My background is mostly trout fishing, from shore or in a canoe with light $30 spin casters. Historically I went cheap because I never had a lot of money to invest, and teenage thriftiness became habit for fishing. Plus, my gear always ended up laying in the dirt on the bank of the lake, and the closed spool seemed to deal with contamination better, and not get snagged hiking through brush.

Well, I just sold the canoe, and have a real boat coming. So my gear won't be getting contaminated in the dirt. Plus, I'm older and have more disposable income. And finally, it just seems silly to only ride with high end Shimano kit on my mountain bike in the morning, and hen fish with cheapo $29 rod/reel combos in the evening. So I want something nice to use for fishing.

I live in AZ, and my intended use is for top water bass fishing, crappie fishing and striper fishing with bait, etc. A do-all kinda spinning setup with 8-10 lb test. Nothing too *Gucci*, but still highly functional and durable. I'll be fishing from a 16' v-hull aluminum utility boat.

I also need a second setup that's nice and light for trout fishing, same boat.

I'd like a couple rod/reel combos configured for each, bass & trout. Or maybe a changeable spool? Perhaps a half pound trout and 3 lb bass require totally different tackle (I presume).


What is a good price point? There is always a point where you get a diminishing return for your money. I've never had any *nice* fishing gear, so I'll be easy to impress. I also want to get something good I won't feel a need to upgrade a season later.

Will a $70-80 combo get me what I want, or do I need to spend $150? Will a $150 rod/reel greatly outperform a $70 rod/reel? Will my hands feel a difference? I'm no pro.

Online reviews don't seem to help. I read one where the author sang the praises of a $60 Pfleuger combo, and another where a different author trashed a $70 Pflueger combo.

I'm looking for some direction towards some good brands, models and price points.


Below is a picture of a bass I caught a couple months ago (on a buddy's boat). That represented the turning point for me from Walmart sourced tackle & a Coleman canoe to a tin boat & big boy tackle. I got hooked, so to speak...

Thanks for bearing with me. I'm dying to post a pic of my boat when it arrives.

 

[LarryMc]

I'm a big fan of Pflueger spinning reels, I have used their reels from the President up to the Supreme XT and have been happy with all of them. Never used their rods so can't recommend them one way of the other. However, I did take a look at the combos on their web site and if you want to buy a combo, the President with the 7' Medium power looks like it would fit the bill for the warm water species that you mentioned.

Never targeted trout, so I can't give you any advice for fishing for them other than a President reel in a smaller size would be a good place to start for a trout outfit.

 

[BigTerp]

I'm also a fan of the Pflueger spinning reels. Great value priced reel. I'm sure a $100 reel would be nicer, but I'm very happy with the ones I have. I use 2 Pflueger President 6930's paired with 6' Berkeley Lighting rods in ML for my river smallmouth fishing and occassional largemouth fishing. No complaints on that setup from me.

 

[Jim]

As someone who does not take care of their fishing stuff at all, I can say the President reel is a great reel for the money.

Great combo for $80: https://www.cabelas.com/product/Pflueger-reg-President-reg-Spinning-Combo/1308567.uts?searchPath=%2Fbrowse.cmd%3FcategoryId%3D734095080%26CQ_search%3Dpresident%26CQ_st%3Db

 

[Catch Release Repeat]

I own 4 presidents. On various brand rods. Mostly ugly sticks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DaisyCutter]

The Pflueger President combo was where I landed when looking at price point alone, without first hand knowledge. It's good to hear some of you like them.

I'm just looking for competent gear, not to win money. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Wyatt]

I use all Pflueger Presidents on all my spinning tackle from UL to H. Their rods that come with the combos are junk in my opinion. I love my Berkeley Lightning Shock in 7ft H and MH. I use TeamDiawa V rods in 6'6" M and MH. I also have one paired up on my BP micro lite in 6'.

 

[DaisyCutter]

I came home with a his/hers Pflueger Trion combo tonight. This will satisfy the girlfriend when she comes along. Now I just need a heavier action baitcaster, and, and...

 

[PsychoXP18CC]

Presidents are great reels for the money. I own two of them. For a step up on both price and quality, look at the Mitchell Pro series reels. I bought a 308 Pro last year and was wildly impressed with the build quality. Also, anything Shimano builds at or above the Sedona price point should serve you well. Okuma shouldn't be overlooked either, their Helios spinning reels are good too. One spinning reel line to stay away from is Diawa. I bought one a few years back and it didn't last one good trip before it had so much slop in it that the rotor would literally hit the handle when fighting a fish. Junk.

I fish braid on my spinning gear, which will add wear and tear on a reel at a much faster rate than using mono because braid doesn't stretch. So if your desire is to use braid, spend a few more dollars for a quality reel, you'll find cheaper reels will not hold up to the shocks that braid imparts on a reel.

For store bought rods, I always liked the value of Berkley Lightning rods. I fished them for many years on all kinds of species and they always performed above their price point. They are IM6 graphite, so they are fairly light and sensitive while maintaining decent durability. IM8 rods will be better in weight and sensitivity, but will be considerably more fragile. Ugly stick rods are another line to look at, but IMO mostly for bait type fishing, as they aren't as sensitive as all-out graphite rods are but are virtually indestructible. The GX2 line of ugly sticks is a compromise, and they have several other lines of rods fairly priced with which I have no experience.

I build my own rods now, which ends up costing me more money than I used to spend, but I get the satisfaction of catching fish on stuff I build and can tailor a build to specific need. But that's another can of worms.