jdr99a

I’ve got a 4000 sized spinning reel that I’d like to make a catfish and occasional saltwater setup. The catfish won’t be huge - I’d guess 10-15 pounds max. I just want something to throw way out in the pond while I’m bluegill fishing with my kids. I’d also like it to be useable for very occasional saltwater inshore fishing (once or twice a year) if possible. The reel is rated for saltwater use. What length/power rod would be the most versatile for this setup? Also what kind of line (Type and test) would you suggest?

Thanks folks. I’m a big fan of paddletail swimbaits and throw them quite a bit so I’ll probably dedicate this reel to that for the time being.

I was given a BPS pro qualifier 2 reel in a 5.6:1 ratio. What are the ideal uses for a reel in this speed? I’ve got several 7+:1 reels but nothing this slow. I am primarily a bank fisherman, so I don’t do any deep diving stuff.

Bingo. I haven’t had a problem finding what I want on eBay. I’m even finding some of the more obscure colors that the big box stores don’t usually carry.

Lews tournament mp 7.5:1, 7’ MH/F, power pro 30lb. The WP90 is my favorite size for the ponds I fish.

I fish a few ponds just like that. I’ve had a lot of luck with paddletail swimbaits on a keel weighted swimbait hook. I throw it in and next to the weeds and slow roll it. Dinks seem to love it.

I’m usually throwing the full size pad crasher and spro frogs.

I’ve been throwing the frog around my local ponds a bunch lately. I’ve been using a rod that is 6’10”. The weeds around some of the ponds I fish can get tall enough to make it nearly impossible to work the rod without the tip (and oftentimes line) getting tangled up. Any suggestions for a heavy or maybe medium-heavy rod in the 6’6” range that would work well for frogging from the bank?

I am primarily a bank fisherman in neighborhood retention ponds in SE Texas (Houston area). My ponds are relatively large (200-400 yards yards across). I typically carry 2-3 combos with me on any given trip. I’ve usually got a top water lure, a soft plastic (usually a wacky rig on a spinning reel), and an ‘other’ depending on what I want to try that day (lots of paddle tail swimbaits and weighted tx rigs, but could be anything). I want to maximize my options and have a versatile selection of stuff to choose from ( or just looking for an excuse to buy something new). What ‘holes’ do I have in my gear now and how would you suggest I fill them? My current combo lineup looks like this: Baitcasters 7.5:1 7’2” M/F 7.5:1 7’ MH/F 7.5:1 6’10” MH/F 7.5:1 6’6” MH/F (feels more like a M) Spinning 6.2:1 (30) 6’9” M/F 6.2:1 (30) 6’8” M/F 5.3:1 (25) 6’6” M/F 5.1:1 (20) 6’ L/F (usually this is my panfish/creek combo when I’m with the kids)

They have both the green (Mach 2) and the orange (crush). Price difference is only $20.

Looking at getting a new spinning reel and my local store Has the pfluger president xt, lews Mach 2, Mach crush, and Daiwa fuego in stock. Any one of these a standout over the others? Which would you suggest?

I have a need for an inexpensive 2 piece casting rod that can bounce around the trunk of an suv and still perform decently as a jack of all trades rod. I’ll be using anything from tx rig plastics, paddle tail swimbaits, squarebills, lipless crankbaits etc. This is going to be used in an after work quick stop at the lake/pond fashion. I saw an ugly stik that may fit the bill (6’6’’ MH). What are your opinions on that one? Any other suggestions?

I’m a bank angler that’s fishes my neighborhood ponds. I’ve been having a lot of success recently throwing soft plastic paddle tails parallel to the shoreline. I’ve been rigging it very simply - a 1/8 oz keel weighted 3/0 hook and a ~4 inch keitech/rage tail/etc. I’m wanting to get a rod/reel set up for this technique. Right now I’m using a 7 foot mh rod with a 7.5.1 reel and 50 pound braid. It seems overkill and that I might be leaving something on the table. If you were to set up a rod/reel for this purpose, how would you do it?

When my skills are to the point that I can tell the difference between the two maybe I’ll get another one. I’m used to buying $500+ golf clubs and 1911 pistols so a couple hundred bucks on a new reel every once in awhile isn’t too big of a deal.

I went to academy and handled the lew’s tournament mp (no tatulas in stock). It came home with me. Now to find a rod for it. thanks for all your help!

I’ve got $150ish in Academy gift cards burning a hole in my pocket. I’m in the market for a new baitcaster. It will be used as a general purpose reel. I’m still new to the whole fishing game and I’m eager to learn more...and I like new toys. What baitcaster would you recommend in the $150ish price range?

My kids got one of the little $10 2’ spinner combos from academy and have been having a blast catching little bluegills. One of them got tangled pretty good and we lost a bunch of the line on the reel. I’ve got 40 or 50 yards of 15 pound braid sitting on a spool in the garage. Any issues using the braid on one of these little reels? See below for a picture of the combo.

It’s basically a bowl. No water in or out that I’m aware of. I’ve been grabbing my 6’9” spinning rod with 15lb braid as it’s what I’ve got. But I’m ALWAYS looking for an excuse to buy something new if there are suggestions...

I live in a suburban neighborhood that is still being built. We’ve got 7 or 8 decent sized ponds throughout the community. The newest section has a nice sized pond that is relatively new. It has been stocked (With bass for sure) and I’ve seen a few signs of fish feeding in the evenings. The pond has almost zero cover. I tend to go to the pond right around sunset as my kids love riding their bikes around it in the evenings. This give me the perfect opportunity to snag a half an hour or so of time on the water. The problem is I’m a new fisherman and have no idea how to fish the area as there is zero cover. I assume the fish are all relatively small. I tried throwing worms deep and along some banks tonight with no luck. Do I keep doing that, switch to a top water bait and just fan cast my way around the place, or do something else? Any tips as to strategy and/or lure recommendations (types/sizes/colors) would be appreciated.

I was looking for the lew’s Mach 2 or crush, or one of the Pfluegers but no dice. Since I’m pretty impatient when it comes to shopping I bought the Mach 1. It is the MH300a reel on a 6’9” medium power fast action rod. I put the academy brand 20lb braid on it to deal with the weeds (and maybe a tree or two since I’m still learning how to cast).

I ended up with a lew’s mach 1 combo. They were pretty picked over - lots of folks looking for something to do in the nice weather now that covid19 has everything closed. None of the other combos mentioned were in stock. Plus I got it for $65ish, so it seemed like a decent deal. I got it out on the water yesterday afternoon and again this morning. 9 LMs later I’m pretty happy.

I don’t want to cheap out and get the bottom of the barrel gear, but since I’m new to the hobby I’d like to keep the gear middle of the road. Browsing my local academy I saw a few lew’s spinning combos for around the 80-120 range that seemed nice enough, but I know nothing other than the lew’s name. As far as line goes - I’ll buy whatever I need to if there is a consensus as to type/test/color. In regards to lures - Anything is game as long as it’s ready to go out of the box. I’ll probably grab a cross section of what is suggested and then get more as I learn (or just need an excuse to get out of the house for a bit).

I’m a new bass fisherman with very little experience aside from some cat fishing as a kid. I exclusively fish the ponds in my neighborhood now. There are a half dozen or so and are relatively large for a suburban neighborhood. The ponds are relatively shallow and most have areas of thick underwater vegetation around the shoreline. I've got a bait caster and I’m learning the ropes on that but I want a versatile and easy to use spinning combo to use when I get a birds nest I can’t easily fix. The bass I’ve caught are all smaller - maybe up to a pound and a half or so, but some folks have told me there are some 5-6 pounders lurking around. Can you folks point me in the direction of a versatile spinning setup to continue my learning journey? Line type and size, rod length and action type, etc. I’ve got academy’s and Walmart near me that are relatively decently stocked. Also, my only experience with artificial lures have been the tiny ratl traps and spinnerbaits. I caught my first bass on a spinnerbait yesterday and was excited. I’ve caught several on the tiny traps, but they get caught up in the weeds quite a bit. Any tips for beginner friendly lures in weedy conditions would be great.