Shimano Baitrunners 3500B and 4500B were very good to me. Penn 704Z with bail-less kit. 706Z. I also like the Spheros. Mine are older. Have not used the new ones. I also have a Penn Battle that is good so far. Anyway... don't want to start a new topic.

stradic seams best for the money. have a fiend who beats on one and it keeps going, although not as smooth as it once was. probably the best bang for the buck out there, especially if you keep it dry.

Penn has taken care of the low budget surf fisherman for many decades.

take those 2 or 3 crappy reels over the years and one or two not so crappy reels that you keep spending money to fix, and vuala, theres your budget for 1 good reel :uhuh:

Hard part for some is that would mean not bein able to fish at all as the budget just isn't there for many right now.My ist outfit was a 9ft6in Berkley bucanneer rod with a revelation reel.Then came a Mitchell 302 and a Garcia Conolon 10 ftr.took 2 yrs to save for it.If i didn't have the cheap outfit no fishing.The reason i learned to build rods in the beginning was that I couldn't afford to buy a custom rod.So money for the beginner is important when gettin an outfit.

Most of the cheaper Penn products now are Chinese junk.

Most of the time its an XRA 1205 and a Spheros 8000 (great reel you can load with braid for <$200 all in). I know thats not the flashy combo but its done well for me. I might upgrade the reel this year. I have been known to jig with a Allstar 1209 and older Abu 7000 or a 7000HSN.

one of the best, proven "budget" reels for years is the old reliable 704/704z (705 for lefties). they are not the best for braid, but will work. you can find them used quite often on BSTs and ebay. i know i have a few used green 704s i'd flip. a 710 also works, but is starting to get too small. with the "Z-series" penns, you just needed to clean the drags often and the housing from time to time if you fished hard or dunked it. you will go thru dog and bail springs, but there are manual conversions around for the 704. other options are cabos, stardics, etc.

you will see used van staals around on BSTs too. they really are not too highly priced. i've seen 150s for $450 and once in a while a 200s for $500. if you dunk your reel and are sick of cleaning penns or other reels, van staals are hard to beat. they have manual maintenance options availble too. but, i don't mind spending $60/year to have mine serviced. i don't own a zee bass, but they are another alternative, but i don't see them used at a reasonable price too often. if you don't fish that often, i can see either of these as not a viable option. if you fish a lot, its something you really should consider.

LOL Well I just saved his budget. You guys sparked my memory so I dug through a tote of old stuff and gave him an older 704z with the good bail and an American made 7500. He's happy as no more fightin with the wife till he gets his income tax back an wants a custom rod since the reels were very cheap LOL

zebco 202

XS 101 MSAC 2-5 oz with custom work on it paired with a VS 200

Good one JD!

2nd that - Zebco 202Z customized by sealing and drilled out for drainage. Don't forget to remove the drag clicker. Send in for service once a week to maintain lifetime warranty.

All kidding aside who else grew up with a 202? I personally took a 7lb largemouth while using one casting a hulapopper into a local farm pond.

A 202 was my go to reel until I stepped up to a Mitchell 304, the bail spring broke on that. I cut the bail off and fished with it till the gears wore out.

202's,404's,an Mitchell 300 were the way to go. That and the Sears Ted Williams.

My kids each have one,my daughter can cast her's well she's 12yo.

SSU1201MH with Stella 8000, the most comfortable surf set up ever for non submergence operations (75%) First choice for all night time fishing.

SSU 132 1MH with Zbaas for more extreme operations. ( I swap reels sometime on this set up... sometimes I put a saltiga 4500 w/custom handle ) (25%)


For light tackle surf: I always go for a st.Croix premiere or legend surf (7') with a stella 5000. This is an awesome combo. I have had more fun fishing with this rod/reel than any other combo from the surf. The feeling is amazing and you can handle a surprisingly big fish with this. I have caught 50# tuna in my boat with them as well a albies/bones/blues/bass from the beach. My go to daytime rod for sure!


For ultra light surf I fish a 6' Gloomis greenwater with a stella 2500 with 10# braid. (like casting air) What a hoot!! I have been spooled on this a couple times but generally I get close to the arbor but land the fish. A big albie on this is scary.

A couple photos from the light and ultra light category:

last year i fished non-convential for the first time. used older abu's from sweeden. 6000 or 7000. usually on either one of two different 9' rods that wickford had made for me. arthritis has ruined my hands for them.
the rods i fished were two lami's from the late 60's. one was for plugs under 2 oz.s the other was slightly heavier for over 3oz's. both 9 ft+. these rods were before they started using # and letters to identify them
reels are the older penn 550's. take a beating but keep on ticking. i buy every one i can find for the parts. used with 20# ande back country, great combo's for the beach or the rocks.

I'm no pro but I'll weigh in.Loomis 1266S for spinning is my all around go to rod.I sold one and wasn't able to find a rod that I liked as much.I bought another.Reels on the other hand is another problem.I've tried this and that and those.Had a lefty VS250 on the 1266 and made the mistake of selling it.Good luck finding a silver VS250L anymore.Last year I ruined a new emblem pro in under 10 trips.I got a VM150 and it's nice but just a tad small for what I'm used to.

I almost always use a Daiwa 20H conventional reel on either an older Daiwa Sealine 11 foot 2 piecer, or my honey 121-3M. Depending on whether or not I feel comfortable with a one piece rod hanging out the back window of the truck.

Good to hear from you, Stewie.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Jigging the ditch XRA 1261MH with Saltiga 6500DF
Plugging Anywhere GSB1201 M with Saltiga TG5000H
Eels and light stuff SSU 1201 M with VS250

Love them all

SW1208 w/ Progear 501CS/Avet SX
SS 10' 1-4 w/ VS 200

this year I'll have a Century 1327 and Stealth 11' as well as the AFAW Uptide...that rod will be in the truck 24/7 with an EmPro 5000

bumping this up, 4 years later. lots of new rods on the market, curious what everyone is using now.

For me the last few yrs have been a CTS Vapor Trail 3-6 with a VS250. Having a 120 1M Lami being built now to use with a VS200 for when i don't feel like throwing an 11fter.

A GSB 1321M/ZB25 and a GSB1201L/VS150 (or StellaSW5000).......both built as light as practical with rapid reduction layouts using titanium guides.....covers my needs very well.

I have added a FSC 1266/ZB22 which I built as a niche rod for throwing lighter stuff where I needed more stopping power than the 1201L provided. Turns out it can do much of what the 1321m does as well and if you are looking for a single "do it all" blank that one is worth considering.

I do believe that no matter what blank you choose it can be improved by building it with lighter and smaller guides.
It sounds extreme, and the jury is still out, but a decent argument can be made that if your second guide (from the butt) is larger than a 16 you are burdening the blank more than necessary. People considering a new build (and willing to pay for performance) should check out the new ST Croix Legend to see what is possible with the newer guide choices. I am not advocating buying that rod, I know nothing about it, only commenting that the guide layout (and even it is a compromise) is where things are probably heading.

Still a gsb series fan. 1081m, 1201L, 1201M. VS 200 and 250 most of the time. Mix in Santiago 4500 occasionally.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Good Bump - will be interesting to see where the new kit is in comparison to the old stuff....

I debated upgrading my 10' stick so would like to see what people are doing today

If I had to pick one single "do absolutely everything I need it to do" combo, the choice is easy as it's what I have been using 90% of the time for the last several years: Lami 1321m with VS250. I can throw anything from an unloaded Redfin on up to a whole live bunker with it and have never once felt under gunned. I have the rod wrapped with a combo of K frames and BMNAG runners and it casts/fights a fish like a dream.

Still the same 1205 and saltiga from 2012. Where lighter gear is ok, my favorite combo ever is an all star 1085 w/ stella sw5000.

One change is the quality of the current generation of budget reels, I can't see ever again paying the price for even a used stella or saltiga for fishing for striped bass.

Good post. Mine is currently a 1201M w/ ZB25, but definitely interested in 1321M down the road to fill out the arsenal.

My go to set up 85% of the time was 1201M with VS200. Dont surf fish as much as I did. Miss it though.

My go to rod is a once piece 11' CTS Vapor Trail rated 4-8 ounces and I fish it with a VS 250. I performs well for me plugging, eeling, throwing riggies and chunking and it has plenty of backbone to turn larger fish.

For the last 2+ years it has been the 11' Century Noreaster (standard)
rated 2-5 oz. throws plugs , eels, chunks... my all around, one and done
rod.

paired with a VS 200 or 250 ...

Bounce back and fourth between a 1321m and 1201m so much that I made a 1321m with 6" cut from the butt hoping to find a happy medium (I prefer to fish a 200 sized reel) but I didn't like it as much as I thought.

Might try it again with one of the newer old school GSBs but I have some other stuff to build first.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Century stealth 10' for 90% of local surf stuff. I have felt undergunned with it on a few occasions. Doesn't like big eels or 3 oz pugs too much. Use it usually with a vs200. Also use the Stealth 11' when i need a bigger stick with a zb27. Chunking i use old Tica 10' that is a beast matched with an abu 7k. Last year i picked up a Shimano baitrunner that i occasionally put on a Lami Super surf 10' two piece broom stick. Good rod for chunking but its too stiff for most surf applications, good for breachways that's about it. Schoolies/albies i have a 8'6" steelhead rod matched with a penn ssv 4500. Fun combo but the reel isn't too durable.

I did the same with a 1201m as a go between for 1201m and 1081m. I like it but use the others more also.

Awesome. Almost a secret that few know.

1201m with a vs250 is my go to. 1213 with a Newell for chunking
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

I might've built it wrong but I'm not sure the GSB does well cut. Everyone loves 1201m with a foot removed though.

+1 with ZX25 though
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

That's common with the 1201L, today popular because John Skinner uses one. Steve McKenna also uses variants of that rod and is a proponent.

But, the 1201L is already pretty slow, and taking a foot off the bottom really cuts off the power and it will bend even deeper on you past the handle. I went with a a 9'6" version, with 3" off the tip to bring the tip into the same as the 1201M and 3" off the butt, slowing it back down. Works really well for an all around versatile rod. Excellent rod for CT waters.

I am looking myself, for something that will cut it for open ocean and nasty weather, but still be useable otherwise, in case it isn't quite as tough as you thought when you grabbed the rod from the truck and hiked it out. I'm torn between the Lami GSB 1321 and the FSC 1327. I do really like the FSC, but, I also like proven technology, i.e. the Lami 1321.