Reels and rods: Expensive vs cheap

[Slackdaddy]

I took 6 "kids" kayak fishing/camping this last weekend, Smoke hole Canyon, Small Mouth Bass. My buddy also brought his son, so 9 total.
We run top kayak and camping gear (had Jackson Big Rig, Coosa, Coosa HD, Cuda 12, 2 Tarpon 120, Redfish 10, Mad River Canoe,,, 9 Hennesy hammocks, etc).

But me and my buddy part ways on fishing gear. He and his 14 year old, only the best $200.00 rods, 2-300.00 reels.

Me, (I only run UL or Light spinning combo's for Smallie fishing) A cheap set up is a $29.00 4'-6" Bass Pro Tiny Light combo, and expensive is a $79.00 Pflugear Trion combo. Throw a handful of $49.00 Shakespeare GX2 Ugly stick combo's in there. Now remember I am outfitting me 3 kids (14-18) with 2-3 set ups.

these are class 1-3 rivers we run,, I keep all my rods In the Hull except the one I am using.
My buddies sun dumped, 2 complete set ups in a deep class 3 wave train.
My son dumped, 2 $49.00 combos that were on his lap,, gone.
By the end of the trip 2 more reels acting up, as they spend 50% of the time wet, torn them done, the main bearings grinding, not worth ordering bearings and rebuilding a $20.00 reel.

ordered a couple $11.00 UL reels from Aliexpress,, pure use and throw away reels. If they feel good enough and have true "instant anti reverse",, I may ordered 10 of them and 4-5 UL GX2 ugly sticks,,

What are others approach to reels/rods ??

Slack

[yakscientist]

I love ugly stik rods, though I haven't used the GX2s yet, I have the older style. For reels, 70-80$ is my max price, though I really like the newest addition, an Okuma avenger, with the baitrunner/live liner feature. It does the same things as my shimano baitrunner, for half the price. I think the most I spend on a rod is 60$, so most of my outfits are I guess "mid-range," about 100-120$ total price, and spooled only with powerpro. I was tired of the replacing the $20 reels every year or 2, so I found that a $50-60 reel will last much longer with only minor maintenance. I really am shocked that some people spend 2-300$ for a reel that does the same thing, though I honestly can't comment on baitcasters. But conventional reels, you could pick up used Penn GTIs, special senators, even level winds, for way less than $100 a piece, and they will outlast and perform just as well as anything really, they just won't be as shiny. I do hear the Penn Battle and Fierce reels are nice, but they were more expensive than my okuma, with the same features, and not as highly reviewed, so I went with the avenger abf (not the b series, the original, off amazon).

[sega]

In water like that go cheap. Saltwater gear I'll spend some money on, but in fast moving Rapids like that we use cheap gear for smallmouth. UL Shakespeare combos have done us well for years, and if you break one you're only out 20-40 bucks.

Three or four years ago I wanted something a little nicer so I bought a daiwa crossfire combo from dicks $60. I use that rod more than any other one I have and it's still going strong. Have used it in saltwater a bunch too.

Like yakscientist said if you want something a little nicer get the fierce reels. Everyone on here uses them.


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[Steveo1o9]

I probably fall in the middle of you and your buddy. Like most I got tired of replacing cheapo reels every year or so, and also fish baitcasters so I stepped up to about the $125 price point. As far as poles go I still stick to the cheaper $50 range (or cheaper preferably). I used a cheap pflueger pole that I bought for $15 for about 8 years until I finally broke the tip off, had that paired with my $125 baitcaster. My surf rods obviously cost quite a bit more between $200 to $300 range but that is different gear entirely. In the conditions you were in I bet your buddy will move into your camp regarding gear next trip. I could not sleep at night loosing $1k on the bottom of a river that's just silly...

[Mark]

I travel the middle of the road on this topic. I have good equipment which I keep in working order. But I am not overly brand conscious and I do not have top-of-the line tackle. But I am not deep sea fishing or catching extremely large fish either. I don't stress my tackle the way some do either in the conditions I use it or the fish I catch.

My main concern is that I don't want equipment failures on the water. That would frustrate anglers young and old. So I wouldn't go with a $500 outfit for a 14 year-old, who likely wouldn't appreciate the quality in his or her hands. Nor will it guarantee that they catch more fish. I think there are plenty of much cheaper rod and reel combos that would suffice for a smallmouth trip and most LTJ or kayak angling applications.

The quality of rods and reels in my opinion has increased greatly in the past 30 years without corresponding increases in price. That goes for conventional and fly tackle. The rods are lighter, the guides are harder, the reels are smoother. Fishing equipment is just better at all levels. That means if the absolute best tackle is important to you for performance reasons as well as for whatever psychic pleasure you derive from owning it, you will also will likely be paying less than you would have years ago. We all have benefitted from advances in the industry regardless of what we are willing to pay.

[ronaultmtd]

In water like that go cheap. Saltwater gear I'll spend some money on, but in fast moving Rapids like that we use cheap gear for smallmouth. UL Shakespeare combos have done us well for years, and if you break one you're only out 20-40 bucks.

Three or four years ago I wanted something a little nicer so I bought a daiwa crossfire combo from dicks $60. I use that rod more than any other one I have and it's still going strong. Have used it in saltwater a bunch too.

Like yakscientist said if you want something a little nicer get the fierce reels. Everyone on here uses them.


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Same thought process here- fast water= lost gear- go cheap...however I personally aim at the middle- I like Shimano Stradix/Penn Clash spinning reels and Abu NaCl Winch 50 casting reels- middle of the road moderate priced Rods- St. Croix Avid X and Penn Regiment rods- about $300-400 invested in each outfit- no where near the price of Stella's and Van Stall's...but well above the entry level

[jsnyd86]

Reels and rods: Expensive vs cheap

I do like good gear. But if I was outfitting for my kids and knew we were most likely dropping some, I'd go dirt cheap. For myself the best setup I've bought is a chronarch 200e6 with an Abu Garcia Verdict. Only reason why I went so expensive was because I was about to give up on baitcasters but was told to give it another shot. So I went high end to guarantee a quality BC and give them a solid chance. Also to see for Myself if the price tag was worth the hype. After buying the 200e6 I wasn't very impressed, especially after hearing there was barely a difference between that and a Curado. So since then I've stuck around the $120 price point as, as high as I'll go. For a BC anyway. The cheap Okumas at Dicks or wherever have proven reliable for a couple years and only run around $40. As long as it's not too heavy and has a smooth drag I'm happy.

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[Slackdaddy]

Well, the $10.00 reel from china is crap,, advertised with "instant anti reverse" and it aint.
Quite stiff too.

I think I am going to settle on 1pc Ugly stick GX2 UL 5'-0" ($39.00) and Pflueger Trion ($29.00) for my "medium cheap" set up. And a Pflueger President (45.00) for my better set up.

Slack

[DonV]

I'm a cheap guy but do find replacing reels on a yearly basis to be irritating and found many low end reels to only last a season or two.

That being said every reel I have has run in between $20 and $40, caught on sale here and there over the years, and they are all holding up to the rigors of saltwater fishing, dunks, miscellaneous abuse and fairly big fish. The majority are cheap Okumas and I have many that are pushing ten years of use and still going strong.

I don't want a reel that cost more than my kayak that may end up over the side. I appreciate good gear but sometimes the added cost just doesn't add enough value when there are some low cost options that are way more than serviceable. Sure wouldn't add anything to my enjoyment level and would just bring a layer of worry that I don't need. I've lost to much gear and can shake off a thirty dollar reel. Make that a $300 one and I'd be a miserable SOB for half a year.

[Mark]

...And a Pflueger President (45.00) for my better set up.

Slack

I've been impressed with Pflueger President reels. Very smooth. I purchased three 6930 models last year and they have held up well. I like that particular size -- not too big to fit light spinning rods for perch and not too small to fit medium/light rods for lower end keeper sized stripers. Another thing I like about them is that their spools are braid ready. You don't have to tape them or add backing.

I had a good trip on a charter boat last week using a 6930 Pflueger reel and a $70 Bass Pro medium light rod. Although I own more expensive St. Croix rods and even a few custom rods my tackle last week was more than up to the task -- again emphasizing my point that moderately priced tackle today is pretty good. I had no failures during a lot of casts and catches on that trip, including stripers 20" and above. My combo remains ready for many more outings.

[hookmeup]

Inexpensive doesn't have to mean poor quality. Many used high quality rods and reels can be had for 50% or less of the MSRP. Similarly, reels to be outdated due to part nonavailability can be obtained quite cheaply. I'd rather use quality when I can. That said, I mostly kayak with fresh water equipment in a salty environment and maintain my gear. I have been outgunned by a ray that I never saw but get every bit of over fifty more likely 100 pounds. It's simply more enjoyable to fish light gear when possible.

Corrosion X to protect and vinegar to remove corrosion. And stay on top.

[bunnielab]

I have been slowly upgrading my gear as I get more experience and figure out what types and styles of fishing I enjoy the most. I splurged and bought a few nicer reels, but for spinning gear I honestly think my $50-60 Okumas are not half as good as the $100-120 Lew's I replaced them with, but the lure of a spare spool was what pushed me over the brink. I am still experimenting with different line weights and types and wanted the flexibility to try different stuff without wasting line. I will say that the bail arm action is far smoother on the Lew's however.

As for rods, I think there is a far greater difference and have always been pleased with the money I have spent on them. Now, I have yet to damage/loose a nicer one and am sure that it will be far more painful then. I have also dipped my toe into custom rods and was so overwhelmingly pleased with the first one that I got this spring that I think I will be returning to the builder for any future spinning rods. However, I have realized my taste/needs in rods runs very counter to the current treads in bass rods (I like them short, in the 6' range, with very short butt sections), so a custom rod was the best option for what I was looking for and still ended up being less then a mid-range St Croix.

[ronaultmtd]

Drew- I used to build all of my rods- popping rods, surf rods- everything- used to head to the 19th Street tackle shop in Virginia Beach, test blanks, pickup all the parts and accessories, reel seats, cork, etc. because nothing commercially available met my standards..."Beans" Henley, Anthony Whitehurst and Chief were all there to offer their sage advice...I took my Parks and Recreation rod building class from Chief (retired Navy Chief E9) and he demanded perfection before you passed...now-a-days not so much- my time is worth more than a custom rod ( although, every once in a while...) I find the new 30-36 ton graphite blanks, reel seat, guides, etc. far exceeded the cost of a decent Star, Castaway, Penn Regiment, or St. Croix Triumph rod..