On impulse, I just bought a Shimano Curado 200B.

My budget is tapped for a while, so I'm looking for a cheap an inexpensive rod to go with it. Hopefully, I'll find another deal in the next month of two. Being a newbie to baitcasting, I'm also looking for suggestions on uses for the baitcasting setup.

This year, I expect my fishing will be leisurely, mostly from shore, and will include panfish. However, I just ordered a medium power spinning outfit for those needs.

Here is my current collection:

-      Ultralight - Shimano Stradic 1000 (quick fire) / Fenwick Eagle 5'0 (circa 1994) 1 pc

-      Light Shimano Symetre 1000 (quick fire) / Shimano Sensalite 5'6 (circa 1994) 1 pc

-      Medium Shimano Stradic 2500 / BPS Extreme 6'6 1/8-1/2 oz 4-12lb 1pc

My first impulse is to go with a Shimano Clarus CSC66M2 Medium Fast (1/4-5/8oz). I'm thinking that something in this range will work as an all around bass rod.

Since I have never really Baitcasting before, I must again defer to collective wisdom of BassResource.

Thanks!

Leon

Inexpensive my butt  >

What 's the rush ?

Better spend well once and for all than spending several times and ending up spending as much as you would have spent in the first place. If you are planning to use it as an all around set-up better have a quality rod.

GL2, Crucial, Avid, those are good rods adequate for a CU200B. You get quality at an affordable price.

Raul, you guys are killin' me ;D

My fishing "allowance" is only about $20 week :'( , and I still need to buy tackle (including line) This morning I literally took $2 from the family's state quarter jar to pay the tax on the Curado lol If I get more than 50 hours of fishing in this year, I'll be able to justify a bigger budget next year.

So, I'm not in that big of a rush, but if I find a bargain on a rod I'd like to make sure it is appropriate for my needs. Bargains do no good collecting dust in the basement

BTW, One of my reasons for thinking about an inexpensive rod is that I can take it camping with the family and not be as upset if something happens to it. Traveling with the kids is already stressful without worrying about a prized rod ;D Also, a two piece rod would be easier to pack in the car.

Back to bargains...

I'm not very familiar with Castaway, but all of the comments I've seen are positive. Should I keep watching their weekly specials? They are closer to what I'd like to spend.

http://www.castawayrods.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=SBML610-T3

Thanks!

20 dollars allowance makes 6 weeks for a GL2 and if one of your kids even dares to stare at your rod a good arse whupping will solve the problem in the future, gotta teach them kidz that those are your holy and sacred toyz.  

So let 's cut it, for every argument you present I have an argument to "teach" you wrong.  ;D

Now, kidding aside, I for a while thought like you are thinking now, as a student I didn 't have much to spend ( don 't have much either now but that 's another story  : ) so I purchased the cheap stuff until one day it hit me, what 's good about having several rigs and all of them are not very good eough ? well there 's nothing good about it, that day I decided that I wanted good stuff, that its was going to cost me time and effort but in the final run it was going to be worth it.

So no more inexpensive stuff for me, better do the sacrifice in order to get the goodies. You say you want to take the rods for camping and other family recreational activities, hell, that 's the best way but you fear that something wrong could happen to your gear, the rod is no problem, all you need is to purchase a PVC pipe and put in your rod when not in use, no more having to worry about the kids; yes, 1 piece rods can sometimes be somehow difficult to accomodate in the car, but I drove a VW Bettle ( not the new Bettle, the old one ) which is pretty small and had no problem carrying my 1 piece rods neatly packed inside their sock inside the tube.

Kids learn if you tell them not to put their stomach hands on your things, but just to be safe I don 't let my stuff where they can grab it, and my kids are worse than what Judas pawned and never returned for it.

Get a clarus LIFETIME warrenty and i own 4 of them  and all i can say its a uglystik only lighter they are durable  and there actions equal those of 200 dollar rods IMO.... i got all mine for 34 bucks at sports authority on clearance!!!

Raul, you always have great points

Forgetting Budget and Brand Specific issues, what type of casting rod might be appropriate, i.e. What power, action & length would balance with a Curado 200B?

For general purpose a 6-7 ft MH power fast action would be the most "general purpose ", even thouh a little bit stiff for crankbaits it has the right power and action for worming, pitching, flipping, jigs and spinnerbaiting, in rods with that characteristics you get an 8' rear handle good for resting comfortably the  handle on your fore arm for good hookset and lots of backbone for fighting the fish ( no strain on the wrist ) but short enough so it doesn 't interfere while working a bait.

Get a clarus LIFETIME warrenty and i own 4 of them and all i can say its a uglystik only lighter they are durable and there actions equal those of 200 dollar rods IMO.... i got all mine for 34 bucks at sports authority on clearance!!!

It's an ugly stick?  Equal those 200 dollar rods?   How many nice rods have you ever fished with?

Get a clarus LIFETIME warrenty and i own 4 of them and all i can say its a uglystik only lighter they are durable and there actions equal those of 200 dollar rods IMO.... i got all mine for 34 bucks at sports authority on clearance!!!

It's an ugly stick? Equal those 200 dollar rods? How many nice rods have you ever fished with?

I own Falcons and have fished Gloomis ill agree them Loomis rods are light.Im a ultilitarian guy when it comes to rods to me a 9 or 10 once rod dont hurt me  fishing all day.I have 5 arrius rods also great rods.Just IMO if u can get a utility rod with a lifetime warrenty go for it  even if it dont weigh 3 oz !!

when ugly stick and $200 are in the same sentence i get confused weight is not the only factor in a rod what about sensativity i look for that above all ive owned uglysticks for a long time and they have to be the least sensitive rods ive used. If u cant afford the rods raul speaks of id go with a BPS extreme ($69) if u arnt satified with the one u have then a gl2 or avid might not meet your excpectations either but be patient and take advice from people on this forum but for a budget i like the extreme. but i agree with raul dont spend money on cheap equipment a few times buy quality once.

Get yourself a St. Croix Premier rod. I've seen them marked down at times, heck I've seen Avids in the $100 range. Don't ask me how, because I know St. Croix sets the price, but if you shop around....Check out e-bay.

Hey LAO162,

You are doing it backwords !!!

There is no "do-it-all" rod on the market at any price range. You should analize the conditions ( where will you be fishing, what kind of bait, how heavy the bait will be, what kind and size line will you be using, how far you have to cast, and so on) and then pick the right tool (rod length, power , action)

Even if you are willing to spend $350 on a 6 foot medium light w/ fast action Loomis it will be no good at flipping 3/4 oz baits in slop choked waters. It might be ideal for cranking small cranckbaits, thou.

You are saying you will be mostly fishing from the shore. Is it open or full of trees and brushes ??? if it's open, I'd go with a longer rod (7ft); gives you casting distance. If no, go with a shorter one(6ft), it's easier to handle in tight spaces.

Is the water mostly open , or is choked with vegetation ?In open waters you can go with lighter power rods.

Will you be casting light lures or heavier ones ??? for light stuff (soft plastics with wery little or no weight,small cranks or top water lures, 1/4 os spinnerbaits ,etc)go with a medium power rod. For heavier stuff go medium-heavy or even heavy power on the rod selection.

If the water receives heavy fishing presure, you better go on the lighter side.

You get my drift ???

I fished for a season my Clarus and I'm extremely happy with it. It's a 6'-6" medium -heavy and it's my spinnerbait rod.

Hey, RAUL ! My shallow and medium diver crankbait rod is a 6'-6" medium power, moderate action generic (Dick's Sporting Goods brand  ) built on a IM7 Pfluger blank; I bought it  during a sale and was in clearance. I payed $14 for it and it does the job just fine (catches fish). Can you believe it ??? ;D

Tight lines, folks!

If you want a cheap rod that will still last go to wal-mart and look at the Berkley Lightning Rods ($30) or look at the Abu Garcia Conolon ($35 - 40). Both are very respectable rods for the price. I would recommend a 6'6" M or MH rod for all purpose baitcasting.  

Basspro Extreme rod when it goes on sale.  $70.  I have 3.  They catch me fish and I'm on a budget.

If I were you, I would drive to Bass Pro tomorrow (Saturday 3/17) and buy a BPS Extreme rod.  They will be on sale tomorrow for $59 (cheapest I've seen 'em).  At that price you can't go wrong.  That is what I would do.

Also they have a lot of their lucky crafts on sale @ $9.99, and all their Rapla DT series for $4.99 ea.

Just my $.02  

Thanks for all the great suggestions.

I'd like to go higher end (I usually end up going with the higher quality option) but I'm trying to be fiscally responsible right now. It helps to know that folks can enjoy fishing without spending a fortune. I still want a G. Loomis though

In regards to extremely specific advice, please remember that newbies do not have the experience to pre-determine all their tackle needs, do not know all the techniques they will be using, and may not have scouted their fishing locations.

In my case, the only place that I know I will definitely be fishing is an overfished town pond that has no brush around it. I will occasionally be fishing in another lake that is 1.5 hours from home, but it may take me a couple seasons to learn the conditions of the areas where I am allowed to legally fish from shore. I will also be fishing with my 9yo daughter... We may buy a canoe, but we don't know for sure... And, I will consider myself lucky if I do 2 3 hours of fishing per week during the summer.

Thus, with all these uncertainties, I was looking for an all purpose rod that is adequate for most purposes and will allow me to learn and experiment this year. I could risk guessing at my needs and get a specific use rod, but might find that with experience it was not appropriate and not the best use of my funds. I'm still leaning towards an inexpensive, general purpose rod for this year. Next year, if I stay hooked on fishing I plan to upgrade substantially

Thanks to every for helping to answer the (very) many questions that I have.

After all this when I got my bargain Curado home I found some damage inside. So, I'll be talking to Shimano or maybe returning it and saving for the new version. ;D

Thanks again!!!

Leon

I've got to agree with Raul. Unless you're hot for a new stick now, I'd save & get an Avid or a GL2. Both excellent rods you'll use for many, many years. If you've got to get something now, shop 'em, falcon, fenwick, Bionic blades, etc. I saved up $1100 for my baitcaster gear I just bought & felt I got what I wanted just by doing that. Sorry to hear about the curado, I hope it can be repaired. Check with ReelMech, he's the man for the job.

Seriously, not trying to be wise here

Would you still recommend an Avid or Loomis for fishing at an averfished town pond if a lot of that time was done with a live worm and slip bobber?  

I was just hoping to putter around with a baitcasting setup this year to learn some new skills and maybe as a change of pace from my spinning rod.

While I really hope to get serious about bass fishing, the reality is that in the next couple years my time will be quite limited and I will have some other priorities

Of course, if you convince me that I need a "deluxe" baitcasting package, I can make my life easier by returning the reel, and then doing it right it a couple years .  Plus, I'll have a few bucks to spend on tackle.  Cheers!

Yes, I would still recomend a good rod for fishing at an overfished town pond if a lot of that time was done with a live worm and slip bobber.

As for your reel, you bought it on a cleareance at a store, that means that even tough at clearance the reels still has the guarantee, send it to Shimano and they will fix it for free, it 's still covered.