What a great catfish rod combo under $50?

What size fish and type of fishing?

Small to large. At least oe pound to like 5-20 pound if I get lucky. I want it to catch all size catch fish. Carolina rig or catfish rig.

Are you wanting spinning or baitcasting?

Both. I want to get one round bait caster and two spinning.

For smaller catfish like you're targeting, I use a 7' M Ugly Stick Lite/Okuma Avenger 30 baitfeeder. It would be a little over your budget unless you found them used, but it'll handle anything in the size range you're looking for. Less than $50 for an entire combo is going to be extremely difficult to do though unless you buy a Zebco combo. 

 

For the casting rod, this would be my suggestion. I have the rod, and I've had good luck with their reels, so I'm assuming this one would be good as well.

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/pro-cat-solid-tipped-fiberglass-freshwater-casting-rod?sku=7-6-black-medium-heavy-medium-fast

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/h2o-xpress-premier-round-baitcast-reel?sku=right-5-2-1-650

Inexpensive flipping sticks made for bass are great catfish/carp rods . I use one from Bass Pro . I dont know if they still make it or not because the web site is not functioning . As far as a reel I  use old Quantum 1310 MG. Most any used working bait caster will suffice .

At Academy.com they sell H20 live bait rods for 15.99. The 7'6" model comes in both spinning and casting. They're decent rods, I got a couple I use for fishing cut bait in culverts and sloughs and can't complain how they've performed. 

 

Truth be told most combos would do fine targeting cats in that size range. Don't go with too heavy action rod or you'll miss fish...cats don't always hit like a truck. A soft tip and able toss a 1oz sinker should be about all you need in Southern Cal.

 

 

So is 8 feet better than 7 feet for catfish?

Longer rods tend to cast farther but as far as better overall...that'd come down to the build quality or how a rod fits your particular needs. I got about a dozen catfish rods varying between 7 and 12ft. That's mainly because the places I fish cats can be a small ponds with eater sized channels to the Mississippi River where I need 8oz or more to hold bottom and everything in between. I got too many different bass setups...and trout setups too...just so I can fish how I want when I want  ?

 

 

any more?

Ugly Stik Catfish Special Casting Rod

Those are great rods

Which action is better for me? MH or Heavy?

20 hours ago, shimano said:

What a great catfish rod combo under $50?

Okay, so depending on the size of catfish, you will choose your combo, 1-30 pound catfish can be caught on normal bass low profile casting setups, you don't really need a new setup, or an expensive setup for catfish. However If you don't want to get your bass setups slimey, I understand. You also don't need super heavy Gear unless your going after bigger fish. 12-20 pound mono works fine or any braid, catfish could care less about line. For the rod, you can get a Medium heavy shakesphere ugly stick, it will last forever and you don't need sensitivity for catfish. When using mono you can opt for the colored lines, like yellow or gold, just so you have something to watch in the water, you can also get bite alarms OR a bait clicker. For reels any low profile reel will work fine, tons solid reels, you can choose your likings. If you prefer spinning a medium heavy OR medium ugly stick will work fine for spinning, with spinning equipment you can throw Weightless chunk bait which can sit above summertime grass. Also most spinning reels have a audible clicker you you can set it loose and you will hear a fish on the line.

I landed this fish on the 7' Ugly Stick Lite/Okuma Avenger 30 combo I mentioned with 20lb braid. It's suited best for 1-10lb fish but it'll handle bigger fish provided you're not in heavy cover or current.

19 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I landed this fish on the 7' Ugly Stick Lite/Okuma Avenger 30 combo I mentioned with 20lb braid. It's suited best for 1-10lb fish but it'll handle bigger fish provided you're not in heavy cover or current.

Chunker man! Thanks for everyone’s help I’ll get the Ugly stik catfish combo series or whatever it’s called!!