your favorite rod/ reel

[beerman1981]

What is your favorite rod and reel setup that you have? I have a few setups, but the one I usually go for, for bass and trout is a Shakespeare 6.5 foot ugly stick, with a Shimano Sahara 5000 reel. I love the set up. The ugly stick is incredibly durable and sensitive, and the reel is as smooth as silk!

[The Quadfather]

Well Beerman, I must check that out. I just got in the door from some hiking on the Stillaguamish river (sp?) I made just one cast into this sweet pool....... bam, snag, bam broke my rod instantly. Of course I had my ultra light trout rod with me, big mistake
I will check out the Ugly stick.

[bigastrout]

My current favorite is a 5'6" ultra lite Lamiglas rod with an Abu Garcia Cardinal 3 with rear drag.

[MikeFishes]

I ony have 2 setups right now since I restarted last year from when I was a teenager. So I'll tell you about both of them (and since I don't really know yet which one is my favorite).

The first one is an Ugly stick combo. 6' medium rod with a no-frills reel. The reel has one of those quick cast thingies that let you open the bail and hold the line with one swipe of the index finger. Works fine, but the line will constantly get caught under the trigger instead of the line roller. Then it winds the line on to the spool extra low and loose so the next time you cast you get a nest. It's removable, and I just removed it so we'll see how it does. So far it's been fine, but I want to get a decent medium reel. I do like the rod though.

My second one is something that I pieced up from sales. Yeah, I'm cheap. The rod is a 6'6" Quantum Teton light. It's OK and I love how far I can cast with it and how sensitive the feel is. I have a Abu Garcia Cardinal 100U reel on it with 4# line. I'm still getting used to casting with it, but it's fun to use.

I think if I get a good reel to use with my Ugly then that probably will be my favorite setup. Looking for something that comes with an extra spool so I can switch out different size line easily. Any suggestions?

[A9]

5'6" Shimano Ultralight rod with a Abu Garcia Cardinal 3 series front drag....Been doing a lot of trolling for trout over the past 4 months and that's been my favorite setup to fish with...

[dbaker]

I have a 5'6" Rapala light action I use for trout. I love that rod. I just caught two seventeen inch Bows on Saturday with it. I have a Shimano Sidestab on it, but I'm not too happy with it. The bail doesn't stay open like it should. The best reel I have is a Pflueger President connected to a Bass Pro Bionic Blade. Now I just need to get more bass on that rod.

[dbaker]

Mikey try the Pflueger President series. All Pfluegers come with an extra spool, and its a great for for about 56 bucks. Quantum reels also come with as extra spool.

[Lotech Joe]

I guess I'll be the first to mention a fly rod. My favorite is the St. Croix 8 1/2 foot 5 weight Imperial, with an Orvis Battenkill Disc and a weight forward 5 weight floating peach line from Cortland. Wait a minute, maybe it's the TFO Professional 4 weight with the Fin-Nor fin-ite and a WF4F from RIO. Wait a minute, maybe it's the homemade 7' bamboo 6 weight with the Pflueger Supreme and a cheap Cortland 333 floater... Too many favorites and I like them all. All have caught fish, and all have made me smile.

[jmay]

Fenwick HMG 9 foot 3 weight with a Orvis Rocky Mnt II loaded with 4 weight double taper. Its absoulte bliss on cutthroat.

[Bodofish]

If I only got to choose one..... 9' lami medium light extra fast action and my ambassador 5000 that's ove 30 years old, with braided line. She's still got it. Sensitive enough to fish the smallest trout and enough beef to pull in a medium King. Never leave home with out it. Oh and my license. o:)

[Bigbass Dez]

My tool of choice and has been for over 9 years is , ALL STAR RODS / MATCHED WITH A PFLUEGER PRESIDENTIAL / .. POUND FOR POUND THIS ROD AND REEL HAVE WITHSTAINED THE TEST OF TIME . AND WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THOSE REELS IS THAT THEY SEEM TO GET SMOOTHER OVER TIME AND USE .. I CANT AFFORD THAT HIGHER END STUFF LIKE G-LOOMIS RODS AND STELLA REELS , BUT I DONT FEEL LIKE IM LACKING ANYTHING WITH MY COMBO CHOICE.. I PERSONALY HAVE 6 COMBOS ... HAPPY HOOKING ...BBD !!!!!

[Shane]

7 foot m ugly stike is the way to go with a Abu Garcia Cardinal 3 series real. Ilove the sensitivity and the action of it. I have landed a 31 pound king on it and use it for bass and trout.

[ruthven78]

For my fly rod I use an 8' fiberglass fennewick my dad gave me...been my first and only rod....I use a pfleuger medalist reel with it...not sure of the number off hand, maybe 1750?

[gpc]

My favorite set up is very simple. The real I have had for about 12 years in fact it was my very first open faced reel I was given and they are still for sale for $10, and they are unbreakable. The pole on the other hand is a little newer. Over the last 12 or so years Iv gone through around 15 poles but the reel is still alive and kickin

Reel:Shimano AX2000

Pole:Browning Platinum ballistic graphite

6'0" Med - Lt Line 8 - 12 Lure 3/16 - 3/8

It is a one piece pole and I spool it with 6lb trilene XT

[Rooscooter]

My dry fly rig is a 8.6 Powell TI Max 4wt with a Lamson Radius 1.5 reel. 4 wt WF Airflo line

The lake rig is a 9' Powell TiBoron with a Lamson Lightspeed 1.5 reel. 24' sink tip (type VI) on one spool and type IV full sink line on the second spool.

Back up rods include A TFO 5wt, a J Austin Forbes 7 piece travel rod (5 wt), a Boron rod that was built for me in 1985 from a Winston blank, and an old shakespeare fiberglass rod that I learned on in the mid seventies.

I have a couple of back up reels as well: both Vosseler DC2LA


Tight lines~

[MikeFishes]

Mikey try the Pflueger President series. All Pfluegers come with an extra spool, and its a great for for about 56 bucks. Quantum reels also come with as extra spool.

Actually, the guy at the reel counter at GIJoes recommended that reel. It was a pretty smooth reel, would be a good one I think.

[fish4brains]

For fly fishing, my favorite one in my arsenal is my 9' 4wt GLoomis StreamDance GLX High Line Speed with A Galvan OB3. It is pretty much a wet dream in reality. For spin fishing my Fenwick 6'6 HMX medium pwr fast taper loaded with a Shimano Stradic takes the cake. Since people are talking about the President by Pflueger, that is one sweet reel for only $60. I am buying a 7' Fenwick HMX Heavy pwr fast action and that reel is going on it. My Favorite Steelhead rod is a 9' Lamiglass Medium pwr medium action with a Pflueger President reel. My Favorite Salmon rod is a 8'6 Shimano Clarus Medium/Heavy pwr fast action with an Abu Garcia C6 reel. Fun Topic!!

[Roadkill]

What is your favorite rod and reel setup that you have?

I have several...depending on what I'm doing.

I bought almost every type of Fenwick Legacy pole....
that they made for trout, bass and steelhead back in the day.
I love the Legacy rods!~

I like using Shimano Stradic spinning reels...1000, 2000, 4000

and I have a Shimano Biomaster 2500 reel... I think they only sold these in Japan.


I use a Lamiglas 8' 6" Norwest Special with a Shimano Stradic 4000 or a Shimano Corvalus 400...
for steelhead fishing.


I have a few GLoomis rods, a couple St. Croix rods, a couple Ugly Sticks, and a few other Fenwick makes.


I have a Lamiglas boat rod for trolling for salmon, with a Penn Peer 309 reel.

I have several downrigger rods, with Penn Peer 209 reels.


I'm pretty well set...
only a few more items that I'd like to get.

: )

[Rfatt16]

My Favorite (cause it s the only one i have ;) ) Is Loomis CR722 GLX 6'0 With the Daiwa Team Daiwa Viento reel. I haven't had any problems yet with either.....except when my buddy stepped on the end of my rod right when we got on the lake. Broken top eyelets are fun :(

[Palmer]

If I only got to choose one..... 9' lami medium light extra fast action and my ambassador 5000 that's ove 30 years old, with braided line. She's still got it. Sensitive enough to fish the smallest trout and enough beef to pull in a medium King. Never leave home with out it. Oh and my license. o:)

I think the braided line is more important and the way to go for the light strike, any fish, jigging, or if you're trolling deep. My favorite is the Shimano reel with a real nice drag.

I use a shimano heavy action rod and shimano reel for big bows, chinook, and sockeye. For smaller lakes I use a penn reel with lead core line and a medium/light action eagle claw. For Macks I use an ugly stick, and braided line but I forgot the reel brand. The set ups for each fish are great and match up to the fish's strengths for the given species or whatever is in the lake I'm at.