Hey fellas, I'm probably going to get a Citica tomorrow, and it will be my first bait caster, what size rod should I go with? and what brand? lb of line? Also if you have any tips about helping me learn how to use it, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks again.

just keep your thumb on the reel

Lol, I've read like a hundred things about that, keeping my thumb on it will be the first thing on my mind lol.

If you have a sports chalet near you they are selling the citica for 70 and it comes w/ a free shimano clarus rod.  

Depends on what you'll be using it for. I feel like the rod is more important than the reel. I have mine on a 6' MF and have heard of people putting them on 7's.

Also if you have any tips about helping me learn how to use it, I would greatly appreciate it.

Look Here...... Basic Baitcast Reel Setup 101

Good Luck & Tight Lines!!!!

i have a citica 200 D on a st. croix avid 7' MF, and a citica 100 DSV on a st croix avid 6'6" MM. absolutley love both combos.

i have a citica 200 D on a st. croix avid 7' MF, and a citica 100 DSV on a st croix avid 6'6" MM. absolutley love both combos.

That is probably what I'm leaning toward, if I go with the 100 I'll get the 6'6" MM and if I go with the 200 D I'll go ahead and get the 7' MF.

Thanks.

Also, is Ugly Stik a good brand?

i have a citica 200 D on a st. croix avid 7' MF, and a citica 100 DSV on a st croix avid 6'6" MM. absolutley love both combos.

That is probably what I'm leaning toward, if I go with the 100 I'll get the 6'6" MM and if I go with the 200 D I'll go ahead and get the 7' MF.

Thanks.

Also, is Ugly Stik a good brand?

yeah the 200 fits perfectly on a 7 footer, and the 100 fits perfectly on a 6 and a half footer.

but dont base your rod specifications on what i use.

for example, i got a 7' MF (medium power, fast action) because i wanted a rod that would excel in fishing weightless texas rigged plastics. i got a 6'6" MM (medium power, medium action) because i wanted a rod with a lot more flex so that i could fish crankbaits more efficiently.

choose your rod specs. based on the types of fishing YOU will be doing.

as for the ugly stik question...the short answer is no. they are not sensative, they are very heavy, and they are not very stiff (which is not always a bad thing) making hooksets difficult.

if you are looking for a rod in the price range of an ugly stik, i reccomend a berkley lightning rod or shimano clarus. these are the best rods in that price range IMO.

Any comparison between the citica and curado?  Am interested in both for 5:1?  Thanks-  Sorry to post here but seems logical. Good luck with your new baitcaster, I as well am getting a new one for Father's Day.

Some people swear by the Curado and some say the Citica can compete just as well. Either way you can't go wrong.

Thanks-

Jamie

If you have a sports chalet near you they are selling the citica for 70 and it comes w/ a free shimano clarus rod.  

just got back from sports chalet...you've actually got this wrong. the deal is: buy a citica for $120 and you get a shimano rod up to $70 for free. i can see how you thought that though because the ad only shows a big "$70" so it is confusing. still, a good deal.

Yeah didn't get a chance to head over to BPS today, so no new reel yet.

I would be using it for crank baits, as I have a spinning reel set up for worms and soft plastics n stuff.

But, yeah thanks for the help, I greatly appreciate it.

If you have a sports chalet near you they are selling the citica for 70 and it comes w/ a free shimano clarus rod.  

just got back from sports chalet...you've actually got this wrong. the deal is: buy a citica for $120 and you get a shimano rod up to $70 for free. i can see how you thought that though because the ad only shows a big "$70" so it is confusing. still, a good deal.

I believe the deal is correct. I've heard from friends that they walked out of SC with 2 citicas and 2 clarus rods for about $150. However, they had to have the ad in their hand because the sales reps told them there was "no deal" like that... basically, you have to have proof or they wont admit the deal.

Yeah didn't get a chance to head over to BPS today, so no new reel yet.

I would be using it for crank baits, as I have a spinning reel set up for worms and soft plastics n stuff.

But, yeah thanks for the help, I greatly appreciate it.

If your using as a crankbait rod you may choose a Med. Action Fast or Moderate. Unless you are throwing really large deep running cranks a Med is the way to go. Otherwise go with a Med Heavy Fast. I find that these work best for good hookup ratio. Also as you do not have a lot of experience go with a 6 1/2 footer. This will allow for a bit more accuracy.