Don't know whether I should go with a Spinning Reel or a Closed Face Reel for my 7 yr. old. He shows a lot of Promise a far as wanting to go fishing, and I want to buy him a Rod/Reel Combo for his B-Day (April 7th) that he can grow with for a couple of seasons. Yes he has been fishing with me in the past, but I am thinking/hoping that this is the year that I can take him away from the worm and bobber fishing into some more focused Bass Fishing. Anywho, any insight as to which Reel you would recommend would be great. Thanks in advance!!!

I started my little ones off with a small pfluger president spinning reel on a 6' medium rod with 15 lb braid.  Small and easy for them to handle and can land just about anything they can hook.

I have a 6' med action BPS spinning my wife uses, works great on fish 2-4lbs. 8lb flouro yo-zuri ultrasoft.

I started my little ones off with a small pfluger president spinning reel on a 6' medium rod with 15 lb braid. Small and easy for them to handle and can land just about anything they can hook.

X2

Perfect setup for a young kid IMO. The pflueger president is an awesome reel and will hold up to several seasons, but on the other hand, if he decides fishing is not his thing, you didn't throw big bucks down the toilet and you're left with a outfit that's good enough for you to use yourself.

Quantum makes a kids combo spinning and baitcasting I think they are called the AVS take a look at them, my boy has the green system split grip rods small size baitcaster all around good combo.

The kid is 8.....

A zebco 33 will be perfect!!!!!!!!!!!

The kid is 8.....

A zebco 33 will be perfect!!!!!!!!!!!

That's spinning or casting time. ;D

RL,

There was a thread not too long ago about finding a combo for a child about the same age but for a girl. I can't recall the name of the thread, but there was a great deal of advice and recommendations in it.  Trying the search function ought to find it.

I really like the look of the AVS combos. There are stories of children as young as 6 who can handle a baitcaster.

A rod no longer than 6' (5.5' would be cool) and go either spinning or casting.

A spinning reel of about Size 20/2000 or one of your smaller casting reels. I think the cheapest option is to get the rod and let him use one of your reels. I got my daughter a Daiwa Strike force casting rod for $12.00 and that was the regular price at Sportmans Warehouse. She puts on either my Curado BSF or Curado 101D. She claims the latter as hers. What can I say? She's had me wrapped around her pinky since day one. ;D

For Spinning I got her a Daiwa 1500 (like $10) and an 6' spinning rod, less than $20.00

my 5 and 6 year old nephews use a berkley cherrywood, 5'6" light and a mitchell avocet UL.  i used 10lb power pro and it worked great, for them, not for me.  i was using it once and set the hook on about a 2lber, snapped the rod in two spots.  ;D  wlamart gladly replaced it and now i dont use it anymore.  of course i set the hook like i do when i am using my jig rod.   otherwise it is a great little set up.

My original thought was 33 because everyone needs to learn on a Zebco... but learning with a president wouldn't be bad...neither would the trion...as long as it doesn't frustrate them when something goes wrong.....you can't mess up a zebco

5'5" light spinning rod with matching spinning reel, 4# Trilene XL.

Zebco 33 and a 5 1/2' - 6' Medium Power/ Fast Action rod.

Now is the time to focus on catching fish and having fun,

not messing with equipment. If fishing turns out to be

his passion, the equipment will follow.

8-)

id get him a spinning reel. he'll learn in no time