[saii]

Hi, all my life my dad always puts my gear together, and I want to start learning how to match a rod/reel/line according to your needs, and I'm not sure how to understand certain ratings of each category.

In other words, I just recently brought two penn 4200SS, and I haven't brought any decent rods/line for it.

I know the rating for the reel is 10lbs for 200 yards, but I plan on putting 15-17 lbs of ande line on it. I think even so, I should still have plenty of yards to cast off a pier or shore. What do you guys think?

I usually fish for sheep heads, redfish, drums, etc. Basically river fishes, with the occasional lucky game :fishing:

I'm just wondering how do you select a rod? And am i using the appropriate line?

For rod, I just want something strong enough for redfish and drums, but sensitive enough to catch little game too like whiting or croaker. I also would like the poles to be able to break up for convenience. I guess I want a rod that's sensitve and strong enough for bigger game. I dunno which brands to look for, or what is recommended! How are rods rated for sensitivity and strength? I remember using rhino back then, and some penn rods now..

I also plan on picking up a newer penn slammer. Probably the 760 live liner series, cause I'm worried 560 won't offer enough line. I occasionally go fishing on a boat, and sometimes I like to cast far as well so I figure I need something with lots of line. Opinions? Also what about the rod for that?


Sorry for a noobie questions

Thank you!!

And I love your forum

PS - I'm trying to prepare my fishing trip down to destin, so yah

 

[skunk king]

matching rods is all about the weight being thrown. You want something that can handle the weight of your bait, weights, etc. When you hear terms like 8-n-bair, 6-n-bait, etc, we're talking about 8 or 6 ounces of weight plus a bunker head or whatever else we're using for bait. After you find rods that match the weight rating, you look for the action of your application. You may want a softer action for rods to throw lures than to throw bait. Action refers to how much of the rod will flex when loaded. A fast action won't flex much at all where as a soft one may flex all the way into the butt section. When matching reels, the decision is mostly about finding a reel with enough line capacity for your application. So for yacking out bait, you'll want something that can hold 300 yards of what ever line class you'll use. For sea trout or throwing lures closer to shore, 100 yards may be more than enough capacity.

hope this helps.

 

[saii]

yeah, thanks!!

this was very helpful. i guess i gotta go in and try a feel poles. Do you recommend any brands? Or are all brands generally pretty good for the purpose. I mean in the end I'm sure most poles are pretty good, at least for our uses.

 

[ledweightII]

I bought a BPS inshore series they're normally 69.99 right now they're 49.99 the next up priced one is 79.99 normally 119.99. I like'm alright. I cannot afford a St Croix but I also like the shimano rods I saw. The BPS rods are pretty good for the price. I think. Good selection with different feels, action and weight capacity.

 

[skunk king]

yeah, thanks!!

this was very helpful. i guess i gotta go in and try a feel poles. Do you recommend any brands? Or are all brands generally pretty good for the purpose. I mean in the end I'm sure most poles are pretty good, at least for our uses.

Not all sticks are created equal! You've got to keep my comments in context of this forum. We build rods, so we for the most part hate, hate, hate factory rods. At least I do

That said, they're not all crap and the right stick depends on how good of a caster you are, how much you want to use it and thus pay, etc. For the most part, the <$80 factory rods are going to be fiberglass. They're heavy and feel like a wet noodle. But a newbie caster won't get much more distance out of a better rod than the cheaper rod. So the weight becomes the bigger issue. I would even argue a newbie will do better with a cheaper road than a more expensive one since they're so easy to load. They load in a stiff wind and so too fragile for someone really getting into them. I don't think the brand really matters in this class.

If you're a more experience caster, want to spend more time in the surf, or want something lighter, I would look at spending at least $100 on a rod. At that price point, you'll get into graphite which is lighter and will have a stiffer action. An experienced caster will get more distance out of a rod in this class than the cheapy models. I don't have a lot of knowledge of rods in this class, but the Penn, TICAs, and Saltist seem nice.

If money is no object and you want to go all the way out, get someone to build you a custom rod. Or learn how to do it yourself. That way you can get exactly what you want built on a blank suited to your specific needs. But that's when you're getting in to some serious cash. My and most everyone here spent $400-$500 on the parts for their 8-n-baits. Top of the line 8-n-bait blanks are around $300 and then another $100 plus in guides, reel seats, etc. 6-n- baits and smaller rods will be cheaper to make, but they're still at least $200 in parts. These rods cast the best in an experienced anglers hands and are built for the specific needs of the angler. So the reel seat is in the optimal place, guides are best for the particular situation, and they look however you want them to look. A whole other conversation is needed once you go this route

 

[saii]

ok i have a better understanding

i'm looking around at the shimano clarus right now

think i'll stick with medium/heavy. the only thing left is to think what to buy, the penn 560l or penn 760l live liner