cheap baitcast combo with clicker?

[bgreen82]

we brought out a friend of mine for the first time, and now he wants to pick up a cheaper baitcast cat combo for between $50-75. what do you guys think. i already told him he wasnt gonna get top of the line. he really liked my 8 ft. glowstick/6500c3 combo.

[MinnesnowtaWild]

No need to get a glowstick...that will take up twice his budget. There are lots of cheap, but great rods that are in the $10-15 range.

He could get the Abu Garcia 6600BCX model that has a decent gear ratio and three ball bearings and the same line capacity as other more expensive Abu Garcia's. It's going for $45 on Catfish Connection. You could have him team that to a good $15 fiberglass Catfish series rod (Wild Cat, Big Game, Creekside, Alpha, etc) and he would have a great rig for $60. Then just needs some braided line and he is set.

[hanson]

Used Garcia 6500C3 off of popular auction site???

I have (3) 6500C3s and I'm not sure I paid more than $100 for all 3. Got 2 from Reed's on a 1/2 price deal at the Ice Fishing Show and picked up one used from a buddy for cash.

Might have to look around a bit, there are deals out there from time to time if you keep your eye open.

[MinnesnowtaWild]

^ Assuming you only have one eye...I kid I kid.

Is your friend stuck on a baitcaster for Cattin'? There are some great and affordable spinning reels out there with clicker features as well. I like my Okuma ABF-50 just as much as my 6600C4...I just wish the clicker was louder.

[bgreen82]

im guessing he really wanted it for the clicker option, but he might like a spinning with that feature better.

[bgreen82]

if he would have caught something on the king kat spinning rod i let him use, maybe it would be different

[MinnesnowtaWild]

Okuma makes great reels with clicker features. The Okuma spinning reel I have with the "bait feeder" option (clicker) makes me feel more confident with a big fish than my Abu Garcia.

[pureinsanity]

I just picked up a cheap ulgy stick for a back up rod. I do not like how sensitive and flexible the rod is though. but it was cheap and its covered for 7 years if a fish breaks it. Any cheap real will work. Since I do a lot of shore fishing I just get cheap reels. That sand gets everywhere no matter how hard you try to keep things sand free!

[MinnesnowtaWild]

I used to have that problem but am much more careful now with my stuff. I bought a rod holder that keeps my rod and reel plenty high off the sand and I NEVER set me reel down on the ground. I have not had any problems with sand this year and I make sure to rinse my chair bottoms off and my rod holder in the river.

What kind of Ugly Stick? My Ugly Stick Catfish series is a great rod and I feel plenty comfortable with it and feel it is plenty sturdy.

[rbs]

to keep sand out of your reels carry a carpet sample with. It does help especially if you get a rain shower come threw. I have used this for a long time when I fish from shore.

[Dutch55406]

I had a 6600BCX, used it 3 times and the thumb bar started sticking and then the level wind started sticking on the left side. I did a little searching around and found out others had the same problem. I took it back and got a 6500c3 and am very happy with it. (pays not to be cheap)

[Lowblazah]

(pays not to be cheap)

I wish I would have listened to my friends when I was getting into this. Been down that road with cheap walmart baitcaster reels and had the same issues.

I will second Hanson's comment on the auction HSOforum...I did that to aquire a used 6500c3 and its the best performing reel out of all of my arsonel.

I think it even works better than my brand new 6500.

On a side note...I did buy a King Kat II spinning reel from the bargain cave for $8 to burn up the remainder of a gift card. I use it for tightlining cats and also have no complains with that either. So maybe it pays to be cheap only with your spinning reel

[RK]

Hiya -

For you Abu Garcia guys - do a search on Fisherman's Factory Outlet. It's Pure Fishing's overstock e-commerce site. You can sometimes find reconditions reels there for 50% off the retail price. What they have changes all the time so it's something you just have to check out every now and then.

[DTro]

I was just going to mention that. There always seems to be a few available there at a good price.

[Here-Kitty-Kitty]

tested and true ugly stick works for me. I use a M/H Bait casting ugly stick and have never had a single problem. The Cat in my avatar went about 47 pounds by Darrens Cat chart and was caught on my ugly stick. Never once heard a noise to make me worry of cracking. Side note that cat was stuck in the wood and took a bit of convincing by the pole.

[hanson]

Ugly Stick Catfish is going to be nowhere near my first choice for a flathead cat rod. Too soft. Not enough backbone. I've lost a couple big fish in my earlier days on an Ugly Cat and have since retired it to channel cat duty only now. Ugly Stick Tiger rods are a much better choice.

My Berkley Reflexes are better rods but I'm getting to the point now where they are staying at home. Not "heavy" enough either.

I'm serious when I say I've seen what a big fish will do to my equipment over and over, and when I think I'm using stout enough gear, I learn I'm not.

[MinnesnowtaWild]

Didn't know people used those rods for Walleyes...

[pureinsanity]

What kind of Ugly Stick? My Ugly Stick Catfish series is a great rod and I feel plenty comfortable with it and feel it is plenty sturdy.

Same rod as you have. I normally use my muskie rod that is good, hardy, and stiff. The ugly stick is to soft. Pretty much I prefer not having my rod move unless I have a fish biting it. With the ugly stick I can feel way to much and my bait will actually move the tip constantly. That can be a down fault at night.

As for rod holders I made a couple out of some PVC pipe and they slide right into shore really easy! It just seems not matter what i get sand someplace. Pockets. Backpack, no matter how hard you try you are still getting sand somewhere

[pureinsanity]

Ugly Stick Catfish is going to be nowhere near my first choice for a flathead cat rod. Too soft. Not enough backbone. I've lost a couple big fish in my earlier days on an Ugly Cat and have since retired it to channel cat duty only now. Ugly Stick Tiger rods are a much better choice.

My Berkley Reflexes are better rods but I'm getting to the point now where they are staying at home. Not "heavy" enough either.

I'm serious when I say I've seen what a big fish will do to my equipment over and over, and when I think I'm using stout enough gear, I learn I'm not.

I agree with you on the ugly stick. My muskie set up which gets converted to a river rod 98% of the time is a Berkley rod and I really like it. Not as stiff as I want it, but way better than the ugly stick.

[MinnesnowtaWild]

I prefer a softer tip. The Ugly Stik is a lot stiffer than my other fiberglass rods but I guess I just prefer a rod that's no really stiff.

[Here-Kitty-Kitty]

I prefer a softer tip. I guess I just prefer a rod that's no really stiff.

Anyways lol wow

I can't set the hook properly on a strong back boned rod.

[MinnesnowtaWild]

I had a feeling you would pop in here with some remark...lol.

We gotta get out sometime before the river dries up ha. I will be busy this weekend but next week and next weekend I would be down for some Kitty chasing. I have a couple ideas as far as where to find the bigguns and when.

[Here-Kitty-Kitty]

Ya I couldn't resist myself. I'm down for whenever just hit me up.

[hanson]

I prefer a softer tip. The Ugly Stik is a lot stiffer than my other fiberglass rods but I guess I just prefer a rod that's no really stiff.

I prefer a softer rod tip as well but it is very hard to find a rod with a decent tip AND backbone. When a fish can bend the rod blank over into the handle section, you've got a problem. The rod is no longer doing work for you.