Fishing Rods and Reels

[dun]

Since I was a kid I used Mitchell Garcias, I've now replaced them all with Shimano. I've got a8-10 of them and no complaints. The oldest ones are only 15 years old though so don;t know how they will hold up. For that matter the newest ones are around 10 years old.

Those old Mitchell Garcias were great. I can still hear that clicking and see my Dad catching trout at Montauk when I think about it. He's still got a couple somewhere. I might have one in my shop actually.

M5, he has several of those older Ambassadors too. I know I've "borrowed" a couple of those since he doesn't bass fish anymore.

The biggest problem and really about the only one is the dam bail spring. I'm sure I have a box of those things laying here some where. Never could tell when they would crap out on you. In later years they went to plastic internal gears, that's when I abandoned them and went to shimano. Believe it or not, their "no fail bail" really doesn;t fail

 

[KentuckySpud]

Thanks all for the recommendations!

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

So your wife is the man and your the housewife?

Was that a feeble attempt at humor or are you being an azz?

I thought it was funny...

"If your boyfriend cant skin a deer, you have a girlfriend".

Guess youve never heard those kind of lines.

See, that was your first mistake, you tried to think.

Ever heard that line before?

 

[True Grit Farms]

We use Penn reels and I'm surprised more folks don't. I built the majority of my saltwater fishing rods, and need to find the time to build some for freshwater. My cows and cattle business has cut into my hunting fishing big time.

 

[Atimm693]

I've always been a less is more kind of guy, and that holds true with my fishing gear.

I use a Shakespeare micro graphite ultra light rod from Walmart and a Shimano FX with bail trigger, and usually 4lb mono. It's more fun with the light gear if you ask me, I seldom cqtch anything bigger than 3lbs. I did land a 5.5lb bass with it once. That combo is less than 30 bucks. I've had that same rod for more than ten years.

Ugly Stiks are generally regarded as the best bang for your buck.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Shimano and Abu Garcia Loomis and All Star graphite rods

 

[TexasBred]

Since I was a kid I used Mitchell Garcias, I've now replaced them all with Shimano. I've got a8-10 of them and no complaints. The oldest ones are only 15 years old though so don;t know how they will hold up. For that matter the newest ones are around 10 years old.

dun I still do all my fishing with a Shimano 1000. Had it since the early 80's.

Guess I should have pointed out that mine is a casting reel, not the open faced spinning reel most of you folks use.

 

[greybeard]

I only have 1 spinning reel. A Shakespeare I bought just to fish at Bolivar. Nothing special about it.

All the rest of my reels are bait cast and I am solidly in the Shimano camp. They last forever with minimum maintenance. Tho not the latest, biggest or most expensive, my favorite is an old Bantam I've had since the late 90s or early 2000s.
I did have a Pinnacle that I liked but the cap for the level-wind pawl broke and I haven't been able to find another one.

 

[slick4591]

Then there's this.

[youtube]https://youtu.be/yp4d-KE3k-c[/youtube]

 

[greybeard]

I give 'em an hour before one of the kids gets an eye put out with that thing.......

 

[Caustic Burno]

I only have 1 spinning reel. A Shakespeare I bought just to fish at Bolivar. Nothing special about it.

All the rest of my reels are bait cast and I am solidly in the Shimano camp. They last forever with minimum maintenance. Tho not the latest, biggest or most expensive, my favorite is an old Bantam I've had since the late 90s or early 2000s.
I did have a Pinnacle that I liked but the cap for the level-wind pawl broke and I haven't been able to find another one.

I still have four Bantam Mag 10's from the 80's no telling how many Reds and Specks they have caught.

 

[dun]

Or this:

 

[callmefence]

Or this:

Bought something like that when I used to work outta town. Think it was called the fishin machine. Shoulda been called the frustration machine.

 

[reeler]

I'm on the hunt for a good spinning rod and reel and when I mean good I mean in the $100-150 range. I recently got turned onto a newer brand called "Favorite" but was trying to do some research before pulling the trigger on them.

Any recommendations are welcomed!

Thank you

What species are you wanting to catch? That would make a difference in answering your question

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

When they aren't biting, I'm a big fan of force feeding them a little fiberglass with the Oneida Osprey/Muzzy XD combo. Of course, catch and release isn't an option. Sorry, couldn't find a pic of just the reel.

 

[greybeard]

When they aren't biting, I'm a big fan of force feeding them a little fiberglass with the Oneida Osprey/Muzzy XD combo. Of course, catch and release isn't an option.

I don't know squat about bowfishing, but exactly how's that work..having the line wind up around the handle instead of on the spool of the reel?


:hide:

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

When they aren't biting, I'm a big fan of force feeding them a little fiberglass with the Oneida Osprey/Muzzy XD combo. Of course, catch and release isn't an option.

I don't know squat about bowfishing, but exactly how's that work..having the line wind up around the handle instead of on the spool of the reel?


:hide:

It worked pretty good that time. There is actually a third bow that is out of the picture. That gar was quite the fighter, and it turned into a mess before it was over. It was just my wife and I in the boat (Happy anniversary Sweetie) and lets just say that she was very supportive....from a distance.

 

[dun]

I used to bow fish for carp. It's a real trip and takes some skills. Just not in the same category as getting a brown trout to rise to a dry fly.

 

[reeler]

Since I was a kid I used Mitchell Garcias, I've now replaced them all with Shimano. I've got a8-10 of them and no complaints. The oldest ones are only 15 years old though so don;t know how they will hold up. For that matter the newest ones are around 10 years old.

To quote my husband" I also prefer Shimano reels, mine are also 15 plus years old.The Shimano Calais are the smoothest baitcasting reels I've ever owned. They cost me a lot of money, then they made me a lot of money".

 

[Craig Miller]

When I was bass fishing I used a Shimano citica along with a kistler medium rod. I gave the reel to a buddy last year though because I hadn't gone in so long. Kept the rod and put a 404 zebco I think on it for catfishing with the kids.