Newbie needs advise..Please

[wooduck26]

I am going to make the move from Channels to Flatheads this summer, and need some advise on gear.

1. Rods....Something under $100 if possible.

2. Reels......good reel, not the best.

I have a mud boat so that part is covered, any other advise on line, etc. is welcome,

Thanks Guys!

Dave

[DTro]

You're going to get a wide variety of opinions on this one. So I guess I'll start it off.

First of all you don't need to spend anywhere near $100 for a rod. Not sure if that's what you meant, or $100 for the combo.

You're first decision is to choose between a baitcaster, or spinning. If this is solely dedicated for flatties, then by all means go with the baitcaster. A spinning will work, in fact all my flats last year were on spinning, but a lot of times I'm fishing for either species and like the versatility of the spinning setup.

For a reel, you can't go wrong with an Abu Garcia 6500 or 7000. Either will work fine, with the 7000 getting the edge for the power handle and brute strength. Another one to look at is the Shimano Tekota. The Shimano will set you back a bit over $100 and you should be able to pick up a 7000 for under $100.

While the rod is important, focus your finances on the reel.

For a rod I would recommend anything over 7ft in a med/heavy to heavy action. While a stiff rod is good in some circumstances, I would get something with a slower action to be versatile in different situations.

Brands would be Jim Moyer "Boss", Shakespeare Tiger, Berkely Glowstick, Cabelas King Kat.

You can spend a lot on rod, but you can also get a quality one for approx $30-$60, which is where the ones above fall into.

Heck all I used last year was the KingKat combo at Cabelas. That setup can be had for about $60 total. It's a bit undersized, but it handled the 30-40lbs just fine

I'm thinking about beefing it up a bit this year as I would rather be a little overkill in the chance that a 60+ takes my bait

I'll let Hanson handle the line discussion

Good Luck!

[harvey lee]

I have a Cabela KIngKat for one of my rods. I caught a 50 inch sturgeon and a 39" flattie with no problem. For reels I use the Abu's in the 6500 , but a 7000 series wouldnt hurt.

I also have a Berkley glowstick with a spinning reel that also works well.

[Guest]

Go to Moores Bait in Minneapolis. Very good selection of catfishing rods and reels .. good prices too.

With the selection of rods and reels you can pick up a good rig that will perform great and last for years.. at an extremely reasonable cost. Terminal tackle is also covered no matter what you need.. bait too.

I know I sound like a commercial.. but its the *go to* place for catfishing and sturgeon equipment!

[Larry FlatCaster]

Quote:

---

I'm thinking about beefing it up a bit this year as I would rather be a little overkill in the chance that a 60+ takes my bait

---

Feeling lucky this year Dtro?

Since Hanson hasn't been able to repy to this thread as of yet.

I will recommend the super braids. Power Pro in particular worked great for me. I prefer the 50lb test my self used on 6500c3.

I know that some guys prefer to go with a little bigger 80lb to 100lb.

The main question you have to ask yourself is where you will be fishing. IF its really really snaggy and lots of rocks it would probably be in your interest to go with the heavier grade. It can be hard on your other gear. Rods, reeles tackle, but can be worth the extra insurance.

I will second the Moores tackle shop. They have a excellent selection in gear.

Dtro summed up the rod selections and reels very well.

Good luck in changing gears for Flats.

LFC

[DTro]

Quote:

---

Since Hanson hasn't been able to repy to this thread as of yet.

I will recommend the super braids. Power Pro in particular worked great for me. I prefer the 50lb test my self used on 6500c3.

---

That's funny, because you just mentioned the exact line that I think Hanson would like to give his opinion on

[Ralph Wiggum]

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

Since Hanson hasn't been able to repy to this thread as of yet.

I will recommend the super braids. Power Pro in particular worked great for me. I prefer the 50lb test my self used on 6500c3.

---

That's funny, because you just mentioned the exact line that I think Hanson would like to give his opinion on

---

LOL, I think Hanson would rather use braided horse hair than 50lb Power Pro

[Guest]

50 pound power pro is for bass fishing!

It was fun watching hanson getting broke off twice on big fish within minutes though!

The reason for the heaviest line is for abbrasion resistence under load. If your fishing a sandy area with no snags, and you want the possibilty of fighting a large fish half the night.. knock yourself out! More power to you. Your not going to horse a large flathead in with any line, and your line strength is reduced greatly when snags come into play, especially abbrasive snags. 80# pp probably has a break stength of 30# when its scraping against a rough surface under load. Most traditional flathead spots involve wood.. very close to it. Consider you need a rod heavy enough to toss out a 8"+ bullhead(1/2 pound), 4 oz of weight.. enough backbone to rip the hook out of tat bullhead setting the hook, and enough power to pull a potential 40# fish backwards strait out of the snag before it has your line wrapped up like christmas lights on a tree.

Snags were not an issue when hanson got broke off, but they would have been if they didnt snap him off immedately in dead runs. He had little to no chance with that 50# power pro where we were fishing... but he felt prettyinvincable considering it was the heaviet line he ever used for anything.

50# power pro is for bass fishing! Dont even bother with fire line. Heavy mono or very heavy braided is what your looking for.. and equipment to handle it. Rods rated from 30#-60# test are usually ideal. Reels with quality gears, drags, and line capacity are a must... bait clickers too.

[hanson]

You guys covered the equipment basics very well! I think we're all on the same page as far as gear is concerned, with a few differences here and there.

Like "That Guy" mentioned, if you are looking for a rod, go to Moore's Bait and Tackle in Minneapolis. He has all the popular cattin' rods in his store so you can compare them side by side. You'll have a hard time doing that at any other store in the cities. I was just in there the other day and I know he has Moyer "Boss", Ugly Stick Catfish, Ugly Stick Tiger, Quantum "Big Cat", along with others that are slipping my mind right now. Along with reels, weights, Sonny's Stink Bait, and anything else the cat guy might need.

The key when searching out rods is a sensitive tip that tapers to lots of backbone. You are looking for a big fish, live bait rod and there are other rods out there that fit the bill as well.

[mplspug]

Has anyone mentioned Moore's???

That is the place to go. You might as well get acquainted with it as it is not only a great source for cat gear, but anytime you go in there you're sure to bump into fellow catters. Don't listen to the one they call Pug, he's a good source of misinformation.