A good bluegill/crappie, rod & reel combo

[mr_jman]

I've been wanting to buy a nice rod and reel combo for both sunnies, and crappies.

Anyone have a few good brands or combos that will work well for both species. I also prefer a shorter rod since my portable isn't very wide and longer rods are much harder to work with in the house.

Also any specs on rod strengths (Ultra-Light, Light, Medium, etc.) or other important things would be helpful as well!

Thanks

[Craigums]

THIS WAS POSTED ON A DIFFERANT FORUM BY CRAPPIEKEITH BUT I THINK IT BRINGS UP MANY GOOD POINTS, ENJOY!

"We all have different opinions on what makes a good ice rod and reel.

Let's talk about what we like and dislike.

Of coarse there are different styles of fishing that will

dictate what gear we use on the ice.

For me....since I like to work the water column with light /small baits a good light action rod with a fast tip works well.

I'll also mount a spring bobber on the end to read the hit.

The reason for a stiff blank is so that the rod does not shake so much and that I can get a quick hookset.

Having a fast tip also helps in that endeaver,yet giving me a nice bend in my rod to enjoy the ensueing battle with the fish(pannies).

I do have a few medium action rods for heavier fish like walleyes and pike less a spring.When they bang my bait you most definitly feel and see the hit.

I'm not a big fan of the noddle rods which shake too much and when setting the hook I'll have to reach way up high to load up the rod blank.

As to reels I've found once you get over a 40$ price level you'll most likely be getting a product that has

several ball bearings ....8 or more giving you a smooth reel and a positive back stop.Second ...I find the bail springs are way more stiffer which helps in that flip flip flip of the line peeling off due to the spring lifting.

Yes you should make sure the line is in the roller guide ,but I've had reels that lost me fish due to a poor hook setting ability due to the spring opening.

Lastly the drag....it should break loose smoothly and as it rotates it still should be a constant smooth release.

You'll notice that in most cheaper reels that the drag is all or nothing .There's no in between setting and they bind up.Smooth then stiff as it plays out.

A general indicator is when you go to buy a reel in the store,turn the spool backwards. If you hear a click-click-click-click it most likely is a good drag set up.

Having 1 click adjustments also is a good sign of a better drag.

The only real way to know it to have one spooled up with line and pull the line to see if the drag release smoothly at all times instead of undulating tensions as you pull the line.

I see in the stores 20-30 dolloar combo rigs.

My advice is to stay away from these "deals"

The rods may be adequate ,but the reels are most likely very low quality.

Go to the store now and those rack of combos are almost all sold.

Ergo this post.My son just bought a combo and withing 2 hours he was having issues.

What do you guys think?"

[fisherdog19]

A Tica Cetus with 4 ball bearings or more would be the reel I'd get. The rod is a different story, there are many to choose from so it would be best to try them out to find what you like. You'll most definately want one with a soft tip but with backbone, basically a fast or xfast tip. A ML will be a great all around power for you. Just try some out and see what you like. I was impressed with the new Thorne Bros. power noodle rod I had the chance to try a couple days ago.

[CALVINIST]

Fisherdog,

You're right about the Noodle Rod from Thorne. Sure was fun bringing up the slabbies on that with the Tica reel. Great combo. And BTW, thanks for being so accomodating to me and Jack on Lida ; you put us onto some quality fish and we both had a good time.

[tengauge]

i would also agree, the power noodle is tough to beat. woudn't fish pannies without one.

[mr_jman]

Sounds good, I might have to look for it! Unfortunately I just spent about $35 on panfish and crappie jigs today! LOL! Maybe I'll scrounge up some money from somewhere!

[Borch]

The Thorne Bros rods are my favorites. I haven't tried the power noodle yet but I love my Sweet Thing and Panfish Sweetheart. The Tica 500 SB($36) are a good value. Also check out the Mitchell AvocetII Gold 500UL($28).

The Mitchell panfish rods are pretty good as well and I've done well with mine thus far. It's a slower action than the Thorne rods though.

The addition of a spring bobber is helpful especially with a light bite. But if your hole hopping in cold weather they quickly become inoperable.

Good Luck!

[TNFL]

I personally think ice rods are over-rated. You can find decent combos on clearence for under 15 bucks in the next week or two. How much power and speed do you need to set the hook when the line is staight underneath you and you have a 2 ft rod, just lift your arm.

I personally enjoy about the lightest action rod I can find, so those 1/4 pound metro crappies feel like whales!

[harvey lee]

I would totally agree with Borch on the Thorne rods and also Jason Mitchels rods. Scotty's Custom rods also has a fine line up that would work.

I use to use other rods and when I switched to a custom made rod, I could really tell the difference. They will all work just like the reels do, but you do get what you pay for and these customs rods are very nice.

[NWBuck]

The frabill panfish popper is an excellent choice for panfish. Very inexpensive and they come equipped with an ultrasensitive spring bobber. I have 2, and when used with 2 or 4 lb. line they're very reliable for gills and perch.

NWBuck

[slipperybob]

One of my buddies has the Genz 17" panfish combo and it works very well for tight spaces. The only thing I didn't like about it was it has no backbone and your bigger fishes are more in control so you have to get the transducer out of the hole.

I can land bigger fish better with my ugly stik lite pro 25".

But since I got some T.B. rods, my benefits are smooth jig fall and line release, smooth line retrieve with fish, reduced freeze up on line guides. Those Fuji line guides sure makes a lot of difference.

[slab master]

I've been using the genz/naturevision gold series for all my panfishing this winter.so sensitive you can feel the lightest biters

[Coach1310]

St. Croix Legend

Pflueger Trion

2lb Cajun Red

My favorite so far until I start investing in the Thorne Bros. toy box!

[Powerstroke]

First I will say that there are things in a panfish combo I will no longer do without. I consider a spring bobber a deal breaker and I insist on having one. Whether I'm fishing metro pannies or Mille Lacs perch, you will catch more fish if you can detect the light bites. There are so many different Spring bobber styles now so get one that suits you. Some of them freeze up easily and are worthless outside. I like a nice smooth reel with no "roll-back". The old ones used to only stop at 2 or 4 points on the rotation. Now they stop instantly. This is great for precision placement and solid hooksets.

When I first started out I really like the Panfish poppers from Frabill. They are a nice combo and they offer 4 different length and actions. The spring bobber is very narrow and freezes up easily. Its not great for hole hopping, but the price is right and its a full combo.

Now I've also got a Scotty's perch rod, Jason Mitchell Spring bobber panny rod and a Thorne Rod. All of them are great in their own way. Despite all of them being "panfish rods" they each have a little different action so now I equip them as such for targeting sunnies, crappies or maybe perch. I really love my Jason Mitchell SB panny rod.

I have 2 Tica Cetus reels and a Shimano 1000. They are both nice and do what I want.

Yes you can land sunnies on a stick with two nails and some line wrapped around it, but you will catch many more with a sensitive tip, light action and a quality reel.