I'm here today to ask some of you fine gentlemen, what is the best of the worst as far as fishing gear goes? I mean the best bang for your buck or the highest quality with the lowest price tag? I was thinking about this in regards to getting kids involved in the sport without a big investment. So i'm curious to hear your thoughts.
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The best of the worst: fishing gear?
- Thread starter Triq
- Start date
Michael Starr
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- Jul 17, 2003
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Zebco 33 Classic combo - rod/reel $25-30 @ Wal-Mart
Pushbutton casting reel w/ closed face - bulletproof design - simple to use
Better yet start w/ a cane pole w/ bobber and bread balls - about the easiest way to catch bream and sunfish
Make it FUN and let them catch fish - don't spend a bunch of time trying to TEACH them to fish
Pushbutton casting reel w/ closed face - bulletproof design - simple to use
Better yet start w/ a cane pole w/ bobber and bread balls - about the easiest way to catch bream and sunfish
Make it FUN and let them catch fish - don't spend a bunch of time trying to TEACH them to fish
I had thought about going the route of using a cane pole but in my neck of the woods its sorta tough finding a decent length piece of river cane. Not much over 5-6 ft. Ill take a look at the zebco's as a matter of fact i may have a few old ones in my parents basement.
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Rooster tails: I'll admit, of all the fish i've even caught, I'd say 65% have been on spinners. Then again... recently the price on them seems to have gone up..
Yo Zuri Hybrid line is pretty damn good imo for a pretty good price last time i checked
Don't buy the new Zebco 33s. I have 4 of the old USA made models and let me tell you - you old ones are far superior to the new ones. If you want a new spincast, get the omega.
Yo Zuri Hybrid line is pretty damn good imo for a pretty good price last time i checked
Don't buy the new Zebco 33s. I have 4 of the old USA made models and let me tell you - you old ones are far superior to the new ones. If you want a new spincast, get the omega.
i am a huge fan of yozuri hybrid as well. i use 4-10lbs line. very very strong stuff. the breaking point of 6lb line is around 14lbs. sick!
for you guys that complain about line twist, do this, put a swivel a foot up from the lure. line twist solved
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Garage sales are great, usually can get a basic spinning combo that has been used a few times for 30% of what they paid.
I would not buy new for a kid until they show some interest and proficiency.
If you were to run an ad in craigslist , or your local church stating you are looking for inexpensive fishing gear or DONATIONS of used gear trying to get a group of city kids into fishing and the outdoors. I will bet you will have good luck.
Have a friend who`s cousin farms near amish and he asks us for any extra gear......old beat up lures, rods, spools of ancient line. He gives them to the amish kids who light right up as they usually are fishing with next to nothing.
A few go to lures that are worth the money......
Luhr Jenson hotshot plugs(better than flatfish IMOP) in sizes from trout to salt water, best wiggling plug for trout I know of.
As mentioned roostertails, the pink and green has been deadly for me
Slip bobbers with bobber stops.....fished with bait or microjigs tipped with bait.....More shore fishermen should catch on to this method, I can fish a worm 20 feet deep and have only 18 inches of line from the bobber when reeling in, perfect for weedy and shallow shorelines with deep water. I use this method with single eggs etc for steelhead as well.
Good luck and tight lines
I would not buy new for a kid until they show some interest and proficiency.
If you were to run an ad in craigslist , or your local church stating you are looking for inexpensive fishing gear or DONATIONS of used gear trying to get a group of city kids into fishing and the outdoors. I will bet you will have good luck.
Have a friend who`s cousin farms near amish and he asks us for any extra gear......old beat up lures, rods, spools of ancient line. He gives them to the amish kids who light right up as they usually are fishing with next to nothing.
A few go to lures that are worth the money......
Luhr Jenson hotshot plugs(better than flatfish IMOP) in sizes from trout to salt water, best wiggling plug for trout I know of.
As mentioned roostertails, the pink and green has been deadly for me
Slip bobbers with bobber stops.....fished with bait or microjigs tipped with bait.....More shore fishermen should catch on to this method, I can fish a worm 20 feet deep and have only 18 inches of line from the bobber when reeling in, perfect for weedy and shallow shorelines with deep water. I use this method with single eggs etc for steelhead as well.
Good luck and tight lines
I have found that the YUM brand salted jigs are cheap at walmart and we hammer walleye on them all summer without fail. When paired with a 1/4 oz pink jig head its a killer combo. Other go to lures that are cheap are just basic spoons, I am never without some in red and white, blue and chrome, and red yellow five of diamonds. And for kids bobbers with baited jig heads are hard to beat.
When it comes to rods and reels like the other guys said, yardsales are hard to beat. But it you are looking into lower cost new gear that will hold up, perform, and not break the bank, I have a few suggestions. Quantum has always been great for me and I actually used a 30 dollar quantum spinning reel from walmart when I was younger, until it actually had a finger and thumb grove worn right into the handle grip. - own several high end quantum tours and have faith in the brand. My second suggestion is a bit more costly but worth it in my oppinion. Some may argue with me but I think Pflueger is one of the best dollar values out there. I have a five year old Pflueger president spinning, that has been through hell and still is so smooth the weight of the handle at top dead center will spin over on its own. This is about a 50 dollar reel, so cheap in my books but maybe not everyones. I also have two of their Patriarch baitcasters and they are IMO far ahead of anything else in that 200 dollar price range. Not suggesting anything that high end, just explaining how I feel about their value.
When it comes to rods and reels like the other guys said, yardsales are hard to beat. But it you are looking into lower cost new gear that will hold up, perform, and not break the bank, I have a few suggestions. Quantum has always been great for me and I actually used a 30 dollar quantum spinning reel from walmart when I was younger, until it actually had a finger and thumb grove worn right into the handle grip. - own several high end quantum tours and have faith in the brand. My second suggestion is a bit more costly but worth it in my oppinion. Some may argue with me but I think Pflueger is one of the best dollar values out there. I have a five year old Pflueger president spinning, that has been through hell and still is so smooth the weight of the handle at top dead center will spin over on its own. This is about a 50 dollar reel, so cheap in my books but maybe not everyones. I also have two of their Patriarch baitcasters and they are IMO far ahead of anything else in that 200 dollar price range. Not suggesting anything that high end, just explaining how I feel about their value.
Go to the discount department store and look at the rod and reel combos. Kids will have the easiest time with a spinning reel with a trigger release. Dads will love the open-face spinning design for untangling line.
Take the kids with you when shopping. The premise is for them to pick out their own, but really you need to make sure that their fingers are long enough and strong enough to pull the trigger.
My five-year-old has had a Quantum Snapshot 10 combo for two years now. It cost about $20 brand new, and there's nothing wrong with it; I've used it for hours at a time.
We looked at some inexpensive one-hand ultralight rod and reel combos. The smaller and lighter reel would have been great, but the triggers were too hard to pull.
Fact is, even the cheapest junk can catch fish:
[youtube]PJq3mMqtASE[/youtube]
Take the kids with you when shopping. The premise is for them to pick out their own, but really you need to make sure that their fingers are long enough and strong enough to pull the trigger.
My five-year-old has had a Quantum Snapshot 10 combo for two years now. It cost about $20 brand new, and there's nothing wrong with it; I've used it for hours at a time.
We looked at some inexpensive one-hand ultralight rod and reel combos. The smaller and lighter reel would have been great, but the triggers were too hard to pull.
Fact is, even the cheapest junk can catch fish:
[youtube]PJq3mMqtASE[/youtube]
Just one tip. I did it with my kids and with cub and boy scouts and not a problem with any of them.
If you are teaching kids to fish, mash down the barb on the hooks. You will not lose any fish and it is a lot easier to remove a hook that gets into clothes, hats, cushions...or flesh!
I mash down the barbs on hooks on my lures and the barbless hook has never been a problem to me.
If you are teaching kids to fish, mash down the barb on the hooks. You will not lose any fish and it is a lot easier to remove a hook that gets into clothes, hats, cushions...or flesh!
I mash down the barbs on hooks on my lures and the barbless hook has never been a problem to me.
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no doubt there! great for catfishing and surf fishing. you lose a little sensativity but its makes up for itself in stregth and longevity. :thumbup:
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QFT - Ugly Stiks are my my favorite flavor of rods, C'mon we're men! we don't need no dang sensitivity
Oh and P-Line is good and is at a reasonable price.
QFT - Ugly Stiks are my my favorite flavor of rods, C'mon we're men! we don't need no dang sensitivity
Oh and P-Line is good and is at a reasonable price.
ill try to dig up my picture of my cousin catching a 25-35lb carp on 12lb Pline. he wrestled that thing for 10 mins. that line should have broke but it didnt. i was very very impressed to say the least. since then i use Pline on a rod or two when i am not using flouro
edit: found the pics. this damn fish drug us around that cove like it was nothing. my cousin is 6ft or close to it
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