Good Baitcasters with Good Price

[ShoreGuy1984]

I want to buy a new bait casting reel/rod in the next month. I am having troubles finding one with good quality and good price. It would only be my second reel/rod (yes I know, I need more lol), so it has to be good for topwater, texas rig, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, crankin, etc, etc.

What is a good all around bait casting reel/rod ? my price range is $100.00 to $280.00.

I was also looking at Shimano's, Curado 7.0:1

E Low-Profile reel.

[ShoreGuy1984]

Btw, I am looking for something 7.0:1

[tlures]

Good choice Shoreguy. Stick it on a 6-3 or 6-6 med hvy w/ fast tip Crucial or Compre rod. Compre are great rods, excellent value. Have been Shimano guy for 30+ yrs, have always thought that their equipment is very very good and usually middle of the road price wise. You could do better, you could do way worse.

[ShoreGuy1984]

Thanks for the info ! I am also a big Shimano guy. The only reason way I dont want this reel is because I have a $60.00 gift card for Gander Mtn and Gander only has this reel with line capacity of 8/180. Bass Pro Shops has it with 10/155 and gander does not. So I have to get a reel at Gander, and they dont have the Curado that I want, so i have to go with something else.

[TonkaBass]

I agree, the curado is a very good reel for the $. The St. Croix Mojo Bass rods are a pretty good value if you ask me. I would lean towards a 7 MH for a good all around rod.

[aanderud]

It would only be my second reel/rod (yes I know, I need more lol), so it has to be good for topwater, texas rig, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, crankin, etc, etc.

What is a good all around bait casting reel/rod ? my price range is $100.00 to $280.00.

I'm not a bass fishin guy, so I don't know if this is possible...but look at all of the things you want to do. I'd rather have a few GOOD rigs, each tailored to do their task, instead of trying to get by with a single rig that can supposedly do everything. By virtue of being a jack of all trades, that 'all in one' rod may end up being worse at each of the individual tasks than cheaper models tailored specifically to the task. If your limit is $280, why not buy TWO rod/reel combos. Maybe you get two in the $140 range, or maybe one $180 and one $100.

If your limit was $100, I would not be saying the same thing, because it would be tough to get two decent combos for $100. Maybe the same argument holds here -- but it seems like $280 could possibly buy a couple rods. Maybe not. Again, I'm not a bass guy, so I don't know what the gear costs.

[ShoreGuy1984]

Thanks TonkaBass ! Ill Keep that rod in mind !

And aanderud, that is a really good idea lol. I never thought of that... I Just might do that too.

[gunning]

I'm sure people will have some good suggestions. My two best baitcasters are a Revo SX and the new Curado they are very nice reels but cost a lot if your on a budget. I also have 2 Daiwa Procasters 100h (black)and they hold up pretty darn well with my two other reels. They are a good reel for the money. If you search around for the procaster 100h you should be able to find some at a very good price. You could get two good rods in the 70-80$ range and 2 100h's if you can find them and still be under your budget.

[goblueM]

If you wanna go with budget I have a Cabelas Tournament ZX in a 7:1 ratio. Used it a lot last year for presentations like you describe and liked it, particularly for the price

[threerivers]

ShoreGuy1984, I use 7 foot rods only on my baitcasters. I started with smaller 6 and 6.6 rods.I moved up to 7 footers and I find I don't have to cast them as hard. Which means more casting and fishing throughout the day. I use GLomis and Fenwick rods and Daiwa reels. My most used rod and reel baitcaster combo is a TeamDaiwa100HSD baitcaster and a Fenwick HMG/AV 7'MH

10-20lbs line weight rod.I think I payed 130.00 for the reel and 150.00 for the rod. A good place to shop all of the sporting goods stores is this weeks Northwest Sportshow. Sometimes they bring in last years stuff at discount prices.

[Craigums]

If your a shimano guy you may want to check out the citica, still a heck of a reel and a little less than the curado. You can find lots of good rods for about $100, All-Star and St. Croix come to mind

[Bigguyone]

One comment I may be off on as I did not do my research but from first look I would think the 8/180 is same as 10/155 reel - check model numbers instead of line capacity.

280.00 - you can do a lot with that.

One comment I will make is the post that mentioned he is not a bass guy - I am wondering if he is a baitcaster guy...as a good reel is a major factor with baitcasters and they do not come as cheap as spinning reels.

For 280.00 I think the comment on the sports show is a great place to start.

I personally like to buy barely used when I can or outta the bargain cave (Cabelas or Cabelas.com) when I can to save a few bucks but this is not always the case.

For 280.00 I would definitely go with the Crucial or Carrot stix and the Curado (the Curado is running 145.00 online) and those two rods are 100-125.00 online. so you will be into it less than the 280.00

If you really wanna conserve money look at the new BPS qualifier reel or citica and a mojo or BPS rod...if you shop right now BPS is having a sale and you may be able to get the qualifier reel and a good BPS rod for under 175.00 - that is a reel some guys like as well as the Citica and a 70M rod...as long as you can buy at BPS.

If you are stuck to Gander look at their Elite reel for 99.99 and the Gander Titanium for 99.99 or the mojo - either way total is under 200.00 and it is a good setup. Go Med or Med Heavy depending how heavy of baits you throw, cover you fish and how big if fish you usually catch.

[NCLaker]

Sounds like your new to BC's. When I learned how to use them, I found one with the centrifugal break system (instead of magnetic) easier to manage casting with out backlashes. Recommend staring with 4 of 6 breaks on.

Not sure why you want 7:1 ratio, the 6.x:1 ratio would provide more flexibility IMO. Couple reels in the $100-$120 range I would recommend is the Abu Garcia Revo S, or the Shimano Citica. Pair it with a M/MH Shimano Compre or Fenwick HMG, 6'6"-7'. And you'll have a very nice setup.

Word of warning, learning can be a painful experience. But once you get the hang of it you'll love'em. Recommend using Gamma Copoly 12# to start out with - very limp and easy to cast. Start with a lure ~3/8-1/2oz, like a chatterbait, heavy jig, or big lipless crank. Adjust your spool tention so lure drops slowly and you'll be good to go.

[zepman]

Go with the two lesser $$$ combos. More versatility and less tying/re-tying out on the water.

[gunning]

If you have a gander gift card I would look at their house rods I'm sure you can find some good rods in the 65-80$ range and they are made with the same quality components found on other big name rods. Actually they are made for gander by the big name rod/reel companies. The nice thing about buying their rods is if they break you just bring it into the store and can walk out with a new rod that day. With other rods you might have to send them in and wait a few weeks to get it back. I would go the 2 rod and reel route or just get one and use the extra money on tackle. If you are just getting into fishing with baitcasters you really are not going to see the performance difference between a 150$ reel and a 70$ reel IMO. Buying the right 70$ reel today is like buying a 150$ reel 2-4 years ago.

[Juan Grande]

They had Shimano Citicas on sale at Sportsman's Warehouse (Coon Rapids) for $89.

[aanderud]

280.00 - you can do a lot with that.

One comment I will make is the post that mentioned he is not a bass guy - I am wondering if he is a baitcaster guy...as a good reel is a major factor with baitcasters and they do not come as cheap as spinning reels.

I'm not a bass baitcaster guy, but I have several abu garcia 6500 and 7000 series reels attached to catfish rods of various quality and price, and I just thought I'd mention that the $280 price limit was getting into the area where a couple combos might be a possibility. If you get much less than that you don't have that possibility, but at this price point it's an option.

It's up to everyone's own preference and situation on whether that's a smart play or not. In the case of the guy who has 15+ rod/reel combos already, who might be looking to splurge a little more on a nicer setup, well that guy might not want two more run of the mill combos. In the case of a guy who is still building up an arsenal, maybe it makes sense.

For example, take the bargain cave a the big C's online store. Go there and check out rod and reel combos, and you can find a Quantum "Code" reel with 7:1 gear ratio coupled with a cabelas rod for $75. Now, I would assume this is a fishable combo, though of course not the highest end gear a guy can buy. I'd have to do a little research on it before I'd commit, but if it turns out it's a decent setup, that still leaves $205 for the second setup, so one could spend a bit more there.

Point I'm trying to make is that I know there are fishable combos for under the $140 price range, so a guy COULD get a couple combos. Be sure to check out clearance and end of year sales of last year's models on rods and reels both. I've seen $100 rods sell for under $30 in the bargain cave online or on various clearance sales. Reels I've seen similar discounts on (Got a 6500C3 and a 7000C3 for $45 each last year at the end of the year inventory clearance).

The shimano citaca just mentioned for $89 plus a clearance price on a rod at $50 or so is a great option for that $140 combo. Heck, get a couple and you're set!

There's obviously a wide range of equipment pricing and quality. If one really wants to spend money there's rigs that the $280 won't even touch. Just look at all the options, that's all.

Good luck, I always love shopping for stuff, it's a great way to build the anticipation for the season to start!

[Esox_Magnum]

Check out FFO, I got my bass combo there a Revo S on a 7' Techna AV under $60. Not sure if their online deals are as good as in the store but saves a guy a few bucks.

[ikeslayer]

speaking of FFo (fisherman's factory outlet) i was there about a month ago and they had spools of vanish transition for 1 dollar. wow. Maybe i came home with a few.

sorry about taking the tangent.

[NCLaker]

Check out FFO, I got my bass combo there a Revo S on a 7' Techna AV under $60. Not sure if their online deals are as good as in the store but saves a guy a few bucks.

That is a rediculously great deal ... very jealous

[zepman]

Friday I picked up a 6'6" All-Star M and a MH (2 rods total with new plastic still on them) and a Pflueger Trion baitcaster for $45.00 total. I figured I saved well over $225.00. Almost all my bass rigs are purchased at FFO...as well as my Berkley Powerbait/GULP! at 1/2 price. It's like Christmas 24/7/365.

[CrappiesNeyes]

Did you go to the store or get them off the HSOforum?

[zepman]

I always go to the store. Never know what you're going to find when you show up. Excellent values on some pretty decent gear.

[crothmeier]

I have 2 Pflueger baitcasting reels, both with gander rods, and although im not a pro or semi pro or nothing close to it i am impressed with them. Easy casting and priced good. I cant beleve they werent mentioned before zepman.

[RiverBassGuy]

Rods to consider include the Daiwa Light and Toughs, Daiwa Iaconelli rods, shimano crucials, St. croix Mojo bass, etc. All are in the 90-140 price range.

Baitcasting Reels to consider would be Cabelas prodigy, Shimano citica E, Abu garcia Revo line, etc.

I personally will be adding a few light and toughs with some citicas on them! Those retail at about $250 for the combo