ok my rod broke, and i'm not good at picking out rods soo what would be a good rod for a guy 5'11-200??? also need a new reel too

i had one of those cheap ones from walmart for $20-30.

i need a nice but cheap rod/reel to get my bait and plug far out... not 20 feet infront of me

when was that 1980 :bl:

The amount of money you spend on a rod and reel is really up to you. There are so many choices out there... generally though you get what you pay for. I am not a big fan of spending a ton of money on gear... but if the conditions call for a certain amount of $'s that is what I will spend. The best thing you could do is ask a lot of questions. Go into your local B&T and strike up a conversation. Ask the people you fish with what they are using... what they like & dislike. You will also get a lot of good feedback on this site. I have been using Tica rods for the past few years. I really like them. Not everyone does... but they work very well for what I do. They will not cost you as much as a Lami, St Croix etc... but they are solid dependable rods. A lot of rod for under $100. As far as reels go... it all depends on what size rod you pick out and the type of fishing you are doing. I have some older Penn's, Diawa B&G's, Mitchell's and I am now starting to use Quantum. I love the Quantum they are going cost you. Certainly not huge $.... but not Walmart price either. Ask question.... it doesn't cost you anything!
:buds:

How cheap is cheap?

under $100 for total rod and reel

I think for $100 , you would do better getting used good stuff than new cheap stuff. You need to decide spinner or conventional too.

You can get a decent 9' rod like a Tica or Tsunami for under $85 that will throw your weights and bait just fine. Rod will be tougher though. A decent used 704 or 6500SS Penn will probably run north of $50 and I cannot think of any reel in the chunking class - new - worth considering for anything less than $80...

i only realy need a rod i cans till use the reel i have now but that wiull be a later in life upgrade

i guess go with the ugly stick from shakespeare. i kno a few people that love them and swear by them (ive even landed a 48 pounder usin one before) but im not too suer on the lastibilty of them. its def a good rod if u dont wanna spend a lot of money but if ure willin to drop some bills, go with a lami or st. croix or g loomis or somethin. that will last a lifetime.

what size would i need8 footer?

what size would i need8 footer?

For surf fishing, I would go with 9 or 10' anyway. The Tica's and Tsunami's mentioned are really nice for the $. Ugly's are OK- I use one I got a deal on. It's nice for throwing chunks, but I wouldn't want to throw lures with it (kinda heavy). Go with the Tsunami or Tica if you can swing it. They are very light.

all i realy do is fish the canal, scusset pier and jettie , wereham bridge and of onset pier

i have a spare cheap-o and i'm going to go to the scusset jettie tomorro so i can walk out... i just descovered it yesterday when i have been going to the pier for the past 2 years:spin: :spin: :spin:

Like Saltheart said; Consider looking for a used set up. Depending on how you want to fish the Canal (bait,plug,jig) 100 for the rod and reel isn't going to last a super long time down there.

under $100 for total rod and reel

Nothing that my conscience would let me recommend to you.

For $200, a Tica Dolphin rod and a Shimano Spheros reel would be good.

Spend the extra $100 now and you won't have to spend it next season--or even worse, by August. ;)

Nothing that my conscience would let me recommend to you.

For $200, a Tica Dolphin rod and a Shimano Spheros reel would be good.

Spend the extra $100 now and you won't have to spend it next season--or even worse, by August. ;)

Agree with that 100%. That's exactly the rig I've been using until I figure out what I really want in a rod(s). I don't see the need to upgrade the Spheros anytime in the forseeable future. Been working fine for me. MikeCC set me up with it all, and he's right near where you fish. You should go see him.

A Tica and a 704 would be good but it ain't happenin' for 100.00. You might try a beefstick by Daiiwa they will get it done for like $30.00.

i am working on upping my gear too. trying to get rid of the walmart junk that worked like crap.

hmmm a nice but certainly not super amazing set up is, 11' ugly stick ($50-$85?) or tsunami rod ($100-$120). and an okuma baitrunner avenger. ($60-$70) with 20lb or higher power pro braid not sure on the price around $30.

it's a decent all around set up. i started this year with the walmart crap. and i have quickly learned it's not worth it. by watchign others with custom setups and talking around, and from using this set up. it's a great set up for the money. spending the extra $100 or so is well worth it. it makes a big difference in quality and usability. this get up can cast pretty damned far. on practice casts with the weight i would estimate i have seen around 75-90 yrds (under estimating) on the casts. it goes FAR. how ever far it goes. it can out cast a lot of set ups. and i've seen it land keepers. so it's strong enough to handle the big boys.

you can find used ugly sticks relatively easy. i love them. i no longer swear by them, but they are work horses. you can get better distances with the tsunami though. and they are lighter. some guys like bigger rods (15's and what not) highly unnecessary for most applications. i used to think (liek a month ago?) they were needed for fishing the beaches. now i am perfectly comfortable with a 9-11' on the beach. i like the 11's because they give a bit more of a fling when casting chunks. a 9' might be better if you plug more than chunk, but i wouldn't go any smaller than 9' if you plan on chunking more than a few times.

the reel is really up to you. but if you plan on chunking a decent amount i will say DEFINATELY get a bait runner. even if it means skipping out on a pricey rod. they make hook setting so much easier. i am working on getting my own now. but while using my friends i hooked 90% of the fish while chunkin.g as opposed to a non bait runner where i'm averaging below 50%. due to having to grab the spool and not being able to really get the slack out. then, even after setting the hook, you need to fumble with the drag for a bit. which has cost me a few fish. baitrunner all the way when chunking. don't need it for plugging but if ya have it it doesn't really effect that. i am not sure how well they take a dunking, but if you don't plan on dunking it any time soon get one.

that's my two cents. from what i have learned here and from the local guys. (not the weekend walmart warriors, but the guys who are out every night till dawn) i learned a lot so far this year about setups. i would like to even get better gear than that. but then you are talking $400+. and that could be for just the reel. :rollem:

oh yeah.. and when choosing a rod. make sure to pay attention to the lure weight rating. trying to throw out 6oz of chunk a rod rated for 1-3ozs wont go as well as if done on a properly rated rod. something i overlooked until this year.

not to sure how much line rating matters. with all the mega thin lines to choose from these days.

get an ugly stik rod.....90% of my fishing rods are ugly stiks, theyre extremly strong, sensitive, have great action, and are cheap

Take a look at Tica rods. Bump up your price range to $200 and spend your money now rather than later. If your fishing the ditch get a Lamiglas Surf King SK 10 MHS with a shimano spheros 8000. You can get the combo for around $200 and it will last you a long time and you can jig the ditch.