Rod or Reel ??

[jipper]

Is it more important to have a better rod or a better reel... I know they are both important, But if you had to choose.. Which one ??? Thanks

[Deitz Dittrich]

Jipper- you were correct, its not a fair question... However, it really depends on what the rod is to do.. I would say on casting crankbaits.. you can get away with a less expensive rod and a better reel to get you longer casts. However when fishing jigs, or any application where feel is important, then the rod I think is more important. All that being said, they are equally important.

[gspman]

What and where do you fish and what is your primary techinique for catching fish? That info would help those trying to answer your question.

[upnorth]

To keep this simple if you want sensitivity, spend money on the rod, if sensitivity is not the issue and casting is, spend money on the rod. I don't care how good a reel you have if you have a crappy rod it won't cast correctly. You need the proper action and it needs to handle the weight you want to cast or you will hate that rod in short order. The only time I would say spend money on they reel is if you are going to exclusivley troll with spoons or crankbaits.

[Ice9]

Rod to hook the fish, reel to land it.

ice

[LocalGuide]

Kind of like saying you cant fish w/out a rod.

I think a rod would be more important for casting/sensitivity than a very nice reel with a smooth drag.

Most reels these days have a good drag on them and are fairly smooth to operate.

IMO I would spend more money on a rod if I had to choose.

[squeedunk]

For a spinning set-up I would spend more money on the rod. I always backreel when I hook a fish anyway so a good drag is not too important to me. On the other hand, backreeling with a baitcater is not an option and those #%$%^ backlashes drive me nuts! I would spend more money on the reel for a baitcaster. I had a crummy rod paired with an excellent baitcasting reel for the past few years and still caught fish. Last week I picked up a great rod to go with that reel and can't wait to try it out!

Most of my spinning combos have a $70-$100 rod paired with a $40-$70 reel. My baitcasters have $60-$80 rods with $80-$100 reels. Holy dump, that really adds up when I think about it now!

~Dan

[JJB]

You really dont have to spend much to get into a nice setup.

The gander series products are just as good IMO than most these 140-240$ combos. And they sell about anything you need for 60-70 bucks to get into a good spinning combo. Like you guys are saying a baitcasting combo the reel is much more important but you can still get into a good rod for 40-60 bucks that will do everything you need. I would say for the $$$ go with the reel. I just think its crazy to spend as much as some do on these rods and reels. For good quality you dont need top of the line!!!

[Bushwacker]

I am of the school of thought that a reel's job is to hold line and wear down a fish with drag. When I buy my combos the rod is much more important to me than the reel. I think most mid-range reels that are on the market now are better than the best reels of just 10 or 15 years ago, especially when it comes to baitcasting reels. Since getting my first high end rod, I am hooked on them. You obviously gain sensativity with higher quality rods, but you also gain casting distance and hooking power. The better the rod, the more it will "load" up on power. I definitely think a rod is more important in putting fish in the boat.

[Dennis Steele]

Since I fish for a lot of different species and use a variety of techniques for each fish, I had to thin about this for a minute.

I realized, I always think of the rod before the reel.

The rod is an extenstion of yourself. It is what you use to feel the environment bellow the water surface. You "sense' many thing through your rod such as bottom composition, changes in current at different water depths, debris hung on a hook, if your bait is being presented properly, and sublte bites. It is also what you use to control your baits, presentations and bring in a fish.

I am not saying that in all cases you have to spend the big bucks on high end rods. But thought about how you intend to use each rod must be given. So that to me, makes the rod more impoartant than the reel.

An example is when walleye fishing I use several techniques. Pitching jigs, verticle jigging, rigging, and bobber fishing. Each rod has to perform differently for each situation. For pitching jigs I need a rod that is very sesnitive to feel for the bottom and detecting light bites. It has to have some length to help control the jig by keeping the line off the water and guiding the jig around obsticles. It also has to have plenty of power to fight a possibly large fish and have a fast action to be able to set the hook when your rod tip is not always in a hook setting position. It also helps for it to be very light to aid in sensitivity as well as keep you from getting arm fatigue.

I'll choose high end rods for these kinds of techniques where sensitivity and performance is critical. This season I'll be upgrading my gear with rods from St Croix, Gander and am going to have a custom rod that has the exact actions and power from Midwest Rod and Reel.

On the other end, when I bobber fish for walleye on lakes I am selecting a rod on its action and power. For this I need a long rod to take up the slack in the line for a good hookset. It has to have some power, yet it also has to have a little flexibility to lob live baits a fair distance without flinging them off. You can find an inexpensive rod to do this for you, but you might want to go with a mid priced technique specific model so you get the best performance out of it without having to experiment with different inexpensive rods.

THe rod is what you fish with in my opinion. THe reel is your secondary concern. That being said, I also don't just go out and pick up any old reel. For me the reel must also perfom well. My biggest thing for spinning reels is that it has to have a quality drag and must be st properly. I used to buy chepo reels and thought I'll just fish with the drag loosened. Uh...big NO. Even in wide open water you need to be able to control the fish while fighting it. Keep it from going under the boat or into the motor,etc.

Another thing that reel has to have is a good bail spring. Nothing I hate more than the @#&^$ bail not closing when I turn the handle.

For spininig reels I have found a favorite that is inexpensive and lasts for a long time. Shimano Sedona is the reel I typically buy for my guide gear as well as for the rods I fish with myself. They run about $45 bucks.

I could go on and on but I think I amde my point so I'll shut up now.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Very good post Dennis!.. So good I read it twice!..

FYI.. that Shimano Sedona retails for $49.99 everywhere!

[CrappieJohn]

Gotta go with Dennis on this one, but the line is very close. But it is the rod that will wear a fish out. There are a many places to find quality rods, even custom-made. My advice? Know what the application is and then buy the very best that you can AFFORD, not necassrily the best of the line. I think the SCiii St.Croix Avid series rods absolutely do war dances around the St.Croix SCv which cost twice as much. The biggest dollar amount on the tag doesn't always equate to the best value.

There are a hundred varieties of reels out there and the advancements made over the last five years makes a reel decision a real personal preference issue. No one reel will satisfy every angler. Shop around, read up on current tackle reports, check out the bails and drags and smoothness and ratios. And if you can, take the rod you are putting the reel on with you, hang the reel and check for balance (same applies for when you are looking for a rod). Of note here....every reel I buy comes home and gets the side cover removed and all of the grease removed from inside the case and then gets a squirt of hot sauce! The drags are cleaned of grease and the hot sauce goes there as well. Like thinking hooks are sharp right out of the package, don't think that reels are always ready that way too.

I'd put my money into the best rod I could afford. And the money saved on a reel can go towards some premium line.

[Aquaman01]

Yup - I'm with Tom & Dennis on this one. Put the $$ in the rod. My favorites are Gander's house brand & Gapen - although the warranty on Gander's house brand is better.

I'm with Tom on putting extra $$ into line.

For spinning reels I like the Spider series and the Mitchells - both very dependable and less than $50, and for b-casters I LOVE Abu-G's.

I got my son a Mitchell Full Runner 4000 for his first cat-rod from FFO for less than $50 and MAN is it awesome!

[mechanictim]

MY system for this is simple lure>line>rod>reel. The lure deterimines what line to use, the lure and line then determine which rod, and then size the reel to the rod and line.

Pick a rod that suits the line and lure and then pick a reel to match the line and rod.