Northwest Fishing Reports

Alright, well I wouldn't say that I am new to fishing but I will say that I don't know a lot about it. I've been fishing for as long as I can remember with my dad but he was never very technical about it either. I want to upgrade my rod and reel from my Ugly Stick (not that there's anything wrong with an Ugly Stick, it's done me good) to something that is more specifically for bass fishing. I've seen other posts where guys are naming off different brands of rods but I don't really know where to begin to look, so I figured I'd start here.

What would be a good, bass specific rod and reel set up?

What are you willing to spend? That will make it easier for us to provide some ideas for you.

Check out Bass Pro Shops they have the rods for every kind of bass fishing you can do. I will say that my Ugly Stick have never let me down no matter if I'm useing a spinner or worms, and has put more fish in the boat than any other rods I use.

bait caster or spincast?

I prefer shimano all the way, both rods and reels. I use to only purchase st croix rods, but their warranties were going down the toilet, they do make nice rods.

2000subaru wrote:What are you willing to spend? That will make it easier for us to provide some ideas for you.

Well my price range for pretty much everything has recently gone up. :money: So I'd say that if I'm paying under $150 for a rod and reel set up I'm good.

kzoo wrote: bait caster or spincast?

What are the differences between bait cast and spin cast?

*edit* Ahh, okay, I know the difference now. All I have for now is spin casters. I think I might try out a bait caster. I found this set up on Bass Pro's site. I might have to clear the price with the wifey though lol.

Bass Pro Nitro rod/reel combo

Tell me what you think.

As far a the Nitro reel goes, it may be a little overkill for some of the fishing you may be doing. I have heard good things about the combo, but I have yet to see a need for that much of a rod/reel. Kzoo is correct in saying that Shimano is a great way to go. Quality reels, great value in their rod lineups.

Cabelas has a Sahara 2500/Fish Eagle II rod combo that is great for $89 dollars. I believe that this would give you the ability to fish most bodies of water around here with confidence. I realize that it is a Spinning combo, but seeing as I have just pieced one of these together myself, I felt the need to mention it. I'm not cheap, just value driven.

The Shimano Citicais a baitcaster that I would recommend. Although the rebates are gone, $99 is a good fair price for this reel. Pair that up with a Shimano Clarus rod for $59 and you have a killer setup!

Just my two cents and some value driven advice.

Trent Hale wrote:Check out Bass Pro Shops they have the rods for every kind of bass fishing you can do. I will say that my Ugly Stick have never let me down no matter if I'm useing a spinner or worms, and has put more fish in the boat than any other rods I use.

I absolutely love ugly sticks! They come in various actions that will fit just about any situation.

Right now I'm eyeballing the 7' ultralight ugly stick to add to my collection. I like the fact that the tip is VERY flexible but the rod still has enough backbone for firm hook sets. Most ultralight rods are like buggy whips (the entire rod has lots of flex), which is fine if you're fishing for crappie or stocker trout, but not so good if your bass fishing with relatively light lures (4" senkos, small crankbaits, etc). A big bass (4+ lbs) could easily break most standard ultralight rods, but ugly sticks have a reputation for not breaking, no matter what.

I plan to configure the new rod with a medium-sized spinning reel (for balance) + 20lb braid mainline + a 6 foot, 10lb yozuri fluorocarbon hybrid leader. The 20lb braid (same diameter as 4lb mono) will provide superb casting distance and excellent sensitivity. The leader will provide excellent abrasion resistance, adequate strength for most "non-hazardous" situations, and underwater invisibility.

This would also be a sweet configuration for drop-shotting.

You dont want that Nitro reel unless you're throwing braid, it holds WAY too much of any other kind of line unless you're using over 20 lb test, so i wouldn't recommend it at all for a first baitcaster. Plus the rod choices are designed for flipping or swimbaits, so you're going to get a very stiff rod that is probably longer than you're comfortable with too.

Take a look at the XPS Extreme rods and reels. A full combo is well within your price range, and they have a ton of options so you can do the research and get exactly what you need. i would recommend a 6.1:1 ratio reel with the 6'10" MH action rod, that's a great all prupose setup. AS far as the quality goes, the reels are solid but not spectacular, but the rods are very nice. i personally like them a lot better than the Fish Eagle IIs, but I've heard people go the other way too.

Once you get your feet wet with the baitcasters and decide you want a serious flipping/pitching setup though, those Nitros are sweet.