whats your favorite rod and reel?

[Tyler23]

im in the market for a new (quality) rod and reel.. was looking towards a st.croix or jason mitchel but i dont know what reel to get...let me know whats your favorite thanks!

[Bigslugger]

Jason Mitchel by far. Way better quality and balance + the guides are straight on the rods.

On my 28" walleye, I have a Pflueger Trion and love it!

[herefish101]

check into thorne brothers, there the best most sensitive rods out there i have the perch sweetheart and the walleye sweetheart, there amazing, as for a reel, i'd go with a high end shimano.

["Just Add Ice"]

Second for Thorne Bros rods. I have the 32" Perch sweetheart(wish I would have got the 28") , Power Noodle and the 28" Deadstick. Hands down the best rods I have ever used. I use the Deadstick the most. Crappies are so fun to reel in on the power noodle. You can feel the smallest bite on the power noodle.

[jigemupjohn]

i would miss match i have alway had good luck with my ugle stick strong durable but also light enough for a crapie with then like st croix reel or the northland rods running from i think ultra light up

[jakemcarroll]

As far as reels go I have had real good luck withe guide series that gander mountain carries, and you can get them for $20 or less, I would mix and match with a rod of your choice, I have been making my own, so I can't comment on that.

[Tyler23]

has anyone tried jason mitchels reel on his combos? it looks like a shimano

[Sam Sterner]

Thorne definetly. 32 inch perch outside rod is a great all around rod

[Eric_Kruger]

my favorite is my thorne 19 inch finesse with okuma magnitude fly reel

[no bait nate]

I'm using all St. Croix rods and love them. Shimano Sahara 750 or 1000 are great reels for the price.

[Fred_Bear]

Thorne Bros rods are in a league of their own and are definitely the best quality, but you do pay for it.

St. Croix, Jason Mitchell, and Frabill all make pretty good rods for a cheaper price. My favorite to use is the St. Croix Premier line, but I've broken the tip off on two 28" UL rods this year (first problem in 3 years). I also broke a Jason Mitchell 30" Walleye in the first week of having it, but it was replaced for free and I use it for lake trout. My advice is go to a store that carries all 3 and pick out the rod that you like the feel and action of the best, all 3 are quality brands.

For reels, I've had experience with Pfleuger, tica, abu garcia, gander, and frabill. My favorite is definitely Pfleuger. The Tica Cetus was nice but not as smooth. The Abu Cardinals didn't have a real smooth drag. The tica and abu reels were ok and I will still use them, but the Gander Mountain and Frabill reels were terrible. I tried 3 different Gander reels; 2 of the 3 froze up solid in cold conditions and none of them had a reliable or smooth drag. I think the Frabill may have actually been meant to be a toy.

[dan z]

favorite rod I have is a JM with a small president reel on it. its the 24" panfish love it. actually have two of these but the other rod has a scheels guide reel on it. also have his spring bobber pole which I use every once in a while.

[OnAFly]

I love my TB Power Noodle with a president reel on it. I also like my JM Sight rod with my old fly reel on it.

[markkstanley]

I have several St Croix Legends - the spring bobber. Never had a an issue with them. I opened the tube and checked them out before buying. Excellent rods and on sale at Cabelas for ~$38 right now. The ML and M cover the ground - just buy some extra spring weights and you are good to go.

I also really like the Thorne Bros 28" perch sweetheart. Probably the best all rod ice rod made. Jason Mitchell is a step down from either of the two but better than Frabill etal.

As for reels Shimano or Pflueger for spinning. Just switch them from my open water light tackle rods for ice season. Double duty. I really do prefer flyfishing reels though. Far less line twist and the large arbors prevent the coiling issue too. Another plus is you can stuff a lot more rods in a bag with fly reels. I just switch over my fly reels for the winter. Tie about 60ft of mono to the backing and I am good to go. You can buy the Pfluger medalist series for about $25. They will do the job.

[wbliceman]

thorne brothers. hands down

[crappieking54]

I run with the St. Croix Legend and Premier rods with the Pflueger president and a tica cetus... also have a rapala combo that is near and dear to my heart but love those spring bobbers for those finicky bites...

[&JAG]

im in the market for a new (quality) rod and reel.. was looking towards a st.croix or jason mitchel but i dont know what reel to get...let me know whats your favorite thanks!

If your between the Croix or JM, I like the Croix premiere and legends. The JM's are ok but, seem to break tips very easy.

My personal favorite combos: Thorne Bros. 36" Perch Sweetheart (outdoor guides) and TB 32" Walleye Sweetheart (outdoor guides). The reels are Tica SS 500 and Pflueger Supreme.

[fishinaddict]

Just got the JM Meatstick and love it. Have the reel off a genz stick combo on it right now but plan on getting something new. Can't get a better panfish rod for $30 imo.

[Tyler23]

it sounds like TB are making some pretty nice rods?..but man are they spendy compared to a jason mitchel rod

[wbliceman]

yes they are but they are made by hand and the guys at thorne take their time on every rod. its worth the money!! your getting the best for your money

[slurpie]

What application are you looking for? I have both brands but just started using the JM this year but impressed. Have meatsick and the perch both have caught some fishies. The perch is good for jigging outside big eyelets. The meatsick for inside guides freeze quick and you have a broken rod outside. But my favorite walleye jigging rod is a broken only one tip missing meatstick, really sensitive for those light bites. The St Croix spring bobber is nice for pannies and can handle eyes but more of a finnesse approach all around. But for a reel hats off to the Mitchell Avocett ll There is 2 diffrent ones and they are bothe good for under 30 bucks.

[Quetico]

Hands down my favorite set-up is my St. Croix Premier UL with a Tica SB 500. Awesome rig. Taken tiny perch to respectable walleye.

Tica Tica Tica that's all anyone needs to know for reels.

Fred Bear did you call St.Croix customer service about the tip breaking? I called them to buy a tip kit for an open water Premier. They looked up my registration on it and sent it out. No questions, no charge not even for shipping. I've always had amazing customer service from St. Croix.

[mojogunter]

I have a Thorne Brothers 28" perch sweetheart, and a Walleye sweetheart both with shimano Sahara reels. They are the best rod for ice fishing you can buy IMO

[Tyler23]

What application are you looking for? I have both brands but just started using the JM this year but impressed. Have meatsick and the perch both have caught some fishies. The perch is good for jigging outside big eyelets. The meatsick for inside guides freeze quick and you have a broken rod outside. But my favorite walleye jigging rod is a broken only one tip missing meatstick, really sensitive for those light bites. The St Croix spring bobber is nice for pannies and can handle eyes but more of a finnesse approach all around. But for a reel hats off to the Mitchell Avocett ll There is 2 diffrent ones and they are bothe good for under 30 bucks.

well i would really like a rod that i could use on walleyes, pearch and crappies but im thinking i might need 2 different ones.. thats what i usually fish for and i already got a UL

[&JAG]

well i would really like a rod that i could use on walleyes, pearch and crappies but im thinking i might need 2 different ones.. thats what i usually fish for and i already got a UL