Florida Outdoors Hunting & Fishing Forums - FOHAF.COM

I want to get into fishing with a lighter setup. Whats yalls reccomendations for a rod/reel setup for under $120. I can go a little higher if its a much nicer setup and really worth the money, but prefer to stay under the mentioned number. Here's some of what I'm looking at for rods:

Uglystick Light Pro
Shimano Voltaeous
Fenwick/Abu Garcia Conolon

I'm wanting a 1piece rod 5'+

For reel:

Shimano Sahara
Abu Garcia X0X (101 maybe?, not real sure on how they do their models/model numbers)
Pflueger President
Pflueger Micro
I looked at an Avet reel as well that I liked but don't recall the model.

I'm wanting to use atleast 4lb line, and I've head that 10lb Fireline is supposed to be a similiar size to standed 4lb line, so I'm thinking that might be a good option as well. Again I'm open to any and all suggestions, and be specific if possible. My target species will be crappie, and smaller largemouth bass.

I would recomend a slightly used but in excellent condition zebco fishing outfit with an attached slightly used zune. The zune is the ringer,it really helps with the zebco outfit and will make you the coolest guy on the lake.

I've already had someone give me 2 Zebco 33s and one 202. I guess I need to work on finding the rest of the stuff.

rad07h wrote:

Skunk Ape wrote:I would recomend a slightly used but in excellent condition zebco fishing outfit with an attached slightly used zune. The zune is the ringer,it really helps with the zebco outfit and will make you the coolest guy on the lake.

you can't go wrong with an ugly stick. I avoid abu Garcias but that's just personal preference. Shimano makes great light tackle reels check them out.

My last abu garcia just gave up the ghost last month. It has caught 10# grouper,snook,kingfish,lots of large bass and trout and everything else that swims around here. And it was older than you. Zebco use to make a fine ultra lite rig back in the day,now they're just imported Chinese trash. Wal-MArt and the bigger sporting good stores all have good ultra light rigs that are inexpensive but I don't think you can find any without the Chinese stamp on them.

Buy a Redbone rod it has a lifetime warranty. The are only about $60-$80 . Shimano makes the best light reels IMO, so the Sedona or Sahara are both worth your time.

rad07h wrote:Abu Garcias line of open faced bait casting reels suck I've owned probably 3 or 4 of them at some point and have only KIND OF liked one of them. Like strunes and I said you can't go wrong with a shimano.

Your full of shart, they are all I used when I was younger. I'd always get a few years out of them with hard snook fishing.I bought my last one in the early 90's,like I said it abused them with big fish. They're a great real.

Have to disagree as well. Personally I think Abu Garcia makes one of the best economically friendly reels out there. I actually do not like Shimano. Every one I've had has given me trouble

Well then explain why you don't like them. I explained why I love them. I mean,I've caught a 22lb snook on a garcia,they take a beating.Made in Finland I believe,where is shimano made?

What the heck is an "open face baitcast reel"?
There's baitcast


Open-face spinning (or just "spinning")



and Closed-face spincasting (or just spincasting) reels.



But "open face baitcast reel"?

And since this thread is asking about ultralight fishing, more than likely spinning gear is what he's asking about. At the price range he's talking ($120 or less), an Abu Garcia Cardinal combo, or maybe a Quantum or Shakespeare combo will all serve him well. Shoot, for that much he could buy 2 $60 combos that would hold up to years of crappie and small bass fishing, and keep one rigged for live bait, one for lures. In fact, there's some decent combos out there for around $40 that will catch a lot of fish, and you could take 3 of them with you!

What you have pictured is the original style round baitcasters (like the Ambassadeur 5500). I think they differentiate the newer styles as "low profile". The old ones you had to actually had to put your thumb on the spool of line to control it, now they have levers.

[quote="GoodOyster"]What you have pictured is the original style round baitcasters (like the Ambassadeur 5500). I think they differentiate the newer styles as "low profile". The old ones you had to actually had to put your thumb on the spool of line to control it, now they have levers.[/ I had one style that was a bass fishing type and all the others were the 55oo style. I never had problems casting them or with screws backing out. I only would wear them out from catching lots of big fish.

I watched a kingfish melt a Abu Garcia when some walleye fisherman brought it down from Minnesota. It smoked him and blew up the reel in about 30 seconds....pretty funny to watch, cause I had warned him to leave his bass tackle at the dock. I won't use an abu garcia, so I'd have to agree with Rad .

vonnick52 wrote:I watched a kingfish melt a Abu Garcia when some walleye fisherman brought it down from Minnesota. It smoked him and blew up the reel in about 30 seconds....pretty funny to watch, cause I had warned him to leave his bass tackle at the dock. I won't use an abu garcia, so I'd have to agree with Rad .

I don't care what brand you buy, if you don't match the equipment to the type of fishing you're doing, you're gonna be disappointed!