Recommendations for Fishing Rigs sought

guncollector

guncollector

Joined
Sep 6, 2001
Messages
657
I need some recommendations from some of you more experienced anglers & sportsmen out there for value-oriented Saltwater and Bass fishing gear (primarily rod & reel recommendations sought).

My Saltwater fishing is primarily for dorado in the Gulf of California. The dorado range from 10-55 lbs., and occasionally 100-150 ft. sailfish or marlin are hooked while trolling. Any/all recommendations welcome. I wish to keep my expenditure for the rod & reel under $300.00.

My Bass fishing to date has been non-existent--despite my in-laws having a home right on the water at Clear Lake, Calif. (Bass capital of the West). So, being a total newbie here, I'm looking for a good recommendation for a single flexible bass rig. I know the Pros have multiple rigs always at hand--I'm not a pro.

Thanks for any/all input and recommendations.
 
Checkout the Shimano reels @ http://fish.shimano.com/baitcasting/calcuttate/calcuttate.html

I like the Calcutta's myself but, the enclosed reels like the Chronarch(sp?) are favored by some. The Calcutta's have a little more line capacity then the enclosed reels but, I think you may cast a tad farther with something along the lines of a Chronarch. It's been a while since I went bass fishing so, there may be better reels on the market but, $200 for a reel and another $100 for a rod should put near the top in terms of quality (barring the strasopheric prices of some gear).

Anyone have experience with the Calais? http://fish.shimano.com/baitcasting/calais/calais.html
 
My dad owns a fishing shop, and I've worked with him for about 25 years, in my spare time.

The Calcuttas are probably one of the smoothest, nicest feeling reels on the market. Pricewise, they're a little higher than others, but they sure are nice. The Calais has similar internals, but no where near the "nice" factor IMHO.

If I can help with specifics, post away, I can provide some perspectives that you might not normally see...
 
kinzli-

Here are some Bass fishing questions:

1. For the angler with only one rig, what weight rod do you suggest, and what length?

2. What type of reel do you suggest--enclosed or open spool?

3. What weight of line do I use? (4-17#)?

TIA.
 
Hey Ron,

Your questions are a little hard to answer because it all depends on what type of fishing you're going to be doing, i.e. mostly lure fishing, mostly bait fishing, mostly out of a boat, mostly off the bank, big fish, smaller fish, deep water, shallow water, and the list goes on. You'll see a lot of bass fishermen with 4 or 6 rods in the boat, each setup for a different bait/lure, and instead of changing lures, they just pick up another rod/reel.

In general though, most guys use the revolving spool reels instead of closed-face reels or spinning reels because of the added control that you can have. You can also cast further and more accurately once you're practiced with them. The Shimano Calcutta is one example, although those are probably overkill for black bass, but any of the Shimano revolving spool reels are great, as are ABU Ambassadeurs, Diawa, etc. Go to a good shop and play with them and see which one feels best...

As for a rod, most bass fishermen like shorter rods, very stiff, so that they can muscle the fish in. In general, the longer the rod, the further you can cast. But then again, the longer the rod, the more of a lever it is for the fish to pull on, so if you want to muscle the fish in, then go for a shorter stick. Rods are very much a personal preference, some like stiff ones, some like softer ones (guys, no puns intended :eek: ), so again, go to a good shop and see which feels best to you.

For lines to use, it depends on the size of the fish, the color of the water, the amount of debris in the water, and other factors, but generally 8 pound test is probably enough unless the fish are really leader-shy, in which case you might want to drop to 6 pound test. Go with good quality line, it'll cast better, last longer, and have good knot strength. Good lines are Silver Thread, Maxima, Gamakatsu. Stay away from Stren or Trilene, I personally think those lines are junk. For example, 8 pound test Maxima probably breaks at about 12 pounds (Ultragreen, not the IGFA line).

If you're really into this sport, then you're probably going to have more than one rod/reel combo soon, just a matter of the right tool for the job.

Hope that helps, I'm no bass expert, we do mostly Trout and Steelhead out here (and saltwater), but I'll try to answer any other questions if there are any...
 
By the way Ron, I see you're in the Bay Area, my dad's shop is in Santa Cruz (Soquel) if you wanna come down some time...small world, huh? :cool:
 
kinzli-

Thanks, man for all the input. Why can't all the books & magazines just sum it up like that?

Anyway, for my purposes, I'll be doing most of my bass fishing as an adjunct to drinking beer--off my buddy's houseboat in Lake Shasta and/or off docks/boats at my in-laws home on the shores of Clear Lake.

I think I'm going to go for a 2 pc., Medium weight 8-17#, 6'6" rod. I'm going to stick with Shimano, because if the quality of their reels is anything like their bike parts, I'm happy. I'll go with a quality 8# test line as you suggest--and avoid the inferior brands as you suggest.

Cheers,
 
Originally posted by guncollector
kinzli-

I think I'm going to go for a 2 pc., Medium weight 8-17#, 6'6" rod. I'm going to stick with Shimano, because if the quality of their reels is anything like their bike parts, I'm happy. I'll go with a quality 8# test line as you suggest--and avoid the inferior brands as you suggest.
Click to expand...

Ron, good call. Sorry, I was more or less describing the "geek" factor of fishing, but as you said you're looking for a all-around outfit. In that case I think you're making a good choice, but I might recommend dropping the line rating down a little, maybe 6-15# or a little lighter, it will make the fishing a little more enjoyable. Shimano spinning reels are probably the way to go in the general setup too, they're super smooth and work well, and are moderately priced. Check out the Spirex, it's one of my favorites.

Here's my dad's shop - http://www.ernies.com

Have fun!
 
Well, here's my free advice. I just checked the tournament results from the last W.O.N. bass tournament at Clear Lake(May 4-5). What did I find? 35 bass OVER six pounds.A spinning rod and reel will have a tough time with bass in this size range if there is any cover at all.I would have to say for a versatile rod and reel combo go with the baitcasting gear. If you are going to be fishing with jigs,spinnerbaits,large topwater plugs, or large plastic worms, (and who wouldn't with the large numbers of BIG bass like Clear Lake has) the baitcasting rod and reel is much better.If your rod isn't too stiff you can simply change line size from 8lb. to 20lb. depending on which lake you are fishing more, or which type of lures you favor. So here's my recommendation, buy the best shimano baitcasting reel you can afford and get a 6'to 61/2' medium, medium-heavy rod that has enough line guides so when the rod bends the line doesn't rub on the rod(7 to 10 depending on length). Then buy two different sizes of line, one light and one heavy (8lb. and 15lb. for example)and you will be set for almost all types of bassin' :) . Whatever you decide have fun and catch some biggun's :D . Patrick
 
Man, I had my work cut out for me on the saltwater reccomendation! $300 does not go very far in that dept, but I have found a solution for $299.95 on the nose (+ S&H)! I ran a charter boat out of Cape May, N.J. for about 8 years before I "retired", so I'm a big Penn International fan. No can do that for you on a $300 budget (at least not new!). I called my brother who is a manager for Boater's World and still actively runs a few boats. He "highly reccomends" the Okuma stand-up rig for $299.95. It is a lever drag, ball bearing reel with a a roller stripper 30-50# class rod, it might have a roller tip too. Machined reel seat, etc. Provided you're not fishing every other day or tournaments, this should work out well for you. You can order online @ www.boatersworld.com :)
 
My most general purpose rod for baitcasting:

7 ft. Medium action rated 1/4 - 1/2 ounce 8-17lb test Falcon Lowrider paired up with a 201 Shimano Curado loaded with 15lb Berkley Big Game.

Spinning:

7 ft St. Croix Tidemaster 1/4 - 5/8 ounce 8-17lb test Medium action Fast taper combined with a 4000 Shimano Stradic loaded with 12 lb Berkely INSHORE Big Game.

For bass around my area I throw plastics with either 1/16 or 1/32 ounce weights b/c of the shallow water. The line of choice is 15lb test minimum to muscle them out of the brush. Any lighter would be asking for break offs when they start tearing up the debris around them. The falcon lowrider is really my saltwater rod for specks and redfish but i love that rod b/c it has 10 eyes! If you buy one look for the newer xg lowriders. They have the exposed blank handle for supposed greater sensitivity. The Tidemaster is another favorite i always keep around.

Sid: yes got a chance to cast one a few times. A lot smoother than the regular Curado, a bit better than the Curado SF. It casts amazingly far with a gentle lob. IMHO for the price i'd rather have a few curado SF instead.
 
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