Most $$ you have in a bass fishing combo

[Highstrung]

Do you even want to KVD?

[JABIII]

I still have my old Ugly Stick from the early 80's. Have beat 3 generations of lab ass with it. Still like new. Couldn't feel Mary Lee with it at 40 feet though...

[Whackumstackum]

I still have my old Ugly Stick from the early 80's. Have beat 3 generations of lab ass with it. Still like new. Couldn't feel Mary Lee with it at 40 feet though...

This one isn't an antique and its damn sensitive.

[ManvsDuck]

A lot of good recommendations on here so far. You can’t go wrong with a St Croix. Last year, I bought a 13 Fishing Omen Green for all purpose inshore lure fishing and I love it. My buddy has several of their rods and loves them also. I think it was $100.

[NUTZ]

I still have my old Ugly Stick from the early 80's. Have beat 3 generations of lab ass with it. Still like new. Couldn't feel Mary Lee with it at 40 feet though...

Hahaha

[boondoggle]

St Croix BassX rods are what I'm using. $100 so I don't cry when I break one. I've improved my deep jigging with 10lb braid with 5 feet of fluorocarbon attached with uni to uni knot. I've been happy with spinning and baitcasting versions of BassX rods.


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[Moonlight Hunter]

Try $550 for the rod I was recommended. For five fiddy I will buy a gill net...

Someone either: a)thinks very highly of you b)thinks you're really dumb c)maybe both

[JABIII]

I would go with B.

Braid is just too exhausting, or at least it was back when it came out and i tried it. Very hard to ping a little jighead out of the rocks, hard to work with. I am sure it is much improved these days. Probably need to youtube it or get 2th to instruct me on proper technique...

[2thDoc]

You only snap the tips of so many rods or have so many expensive rod/reel combos stolen before you realize a $25-50 combo works just fine and is much easier to replace.

my man!
i have lots of rods and i dont know the name of any of them. Hope this helps, JAB!

[2thDoc]

but i fish a lot with braid....

[2thDoc]

oh...and fark a baitcaster

[JABIII]

St Croix BassX rods are what I'm using. $100 so I don't cry when I break one. I've improved my deep jigging with 10lb braid with 5 feet of fluorocarbon attached with uni to uni knot. I've been happy with spinning and baitcasting versions of BassX rods.

Will have to check them out upon your recommendation and about 5 others...

[Gut_Pile]

Braid today is nothing like the braid of 10-15 years ago. If you aren't fishing braid on your spinning reals, you're simply doing it wrong.

Shimano, St Croix, Castaway, Dobyns, G Loomis are good ones. Any rod in the $100-$150 range and any shimano reel in the $74-$150 range will definitely do the trick. Just depends on what feels best.

[JABIII]

Agreed on the reel. I will stick as much Shimano as I feel like spending and be done there. Been using them for 30 years now exclusively. Started out with the 3 plastic ball bearing models and have been moving up ever since...

[Palmetto Bug]

I have some quite expensive rods and reels and when I was on the hunt for the best spinning rig for bream and small bass in my pond, I decided to spare no expense. I tried about every rod I could put my hands on and tested the drag on every reel I could find. I ended up with a Shimano Sojourn 2 pc ultra light rod that ran around $35 with a Penn Fierce II reel, which ran around $30. I have since bought four more just for guests to use.

Braid makes mono practically obsolete, except for leaders. It does take some getting used to but I could never go back.

[TheVisorGuy]

Anything lews or shimano are great. Fenwicks are great sticks for the money

[Will1982]

For a finesse jig I use shimano rods. I pick a reel that is the right size to balance it. I mostly use pflueger reels because they are cheap and smooth enough. I would use fluorocarbon instead of mono. Less stretch, smaller diameter, and less visible. I have more expensive baitcasters but don’t spend as much on a spinning rod.

[Spur hunter]

I switched back to mono leaders late last summer. Was breaking fish off on hook sets using 10lb floro at hook using all sorts of knots including palomar. Didn't experiment past two brands of floro but changing to a mono leader ended that problem immediately and didn't seem to hinder bites. Maybe I was doing something else wrong but it seems I needed that little bit of stretch.

[dox08]

Probably $200-$250.

[carolinadrifter]

St. Croix premier medium light 7’ rod with a Shimano Stradic 3000. I would spool it with 10 pound braid. You can add a top shot of mono if you’d like. All together it will run you about $300. 5 year warranty on the rod and the Stradic will handle any inshore fish if you ever plan to fish the marsh.