Need suggestions for Budget Rod (kids)

Started by rman, July 08, 2017, 09:34:56 PM

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rman

My twins turn 8 next Friday and we're looking for some rods. One twin found a cool (looking) Shakespeare casting rod, split grip and kinda neon blue, $12

Thing is, his baitcasting setup is a Berkley Cherrywood (6'6" M) and Abu ProMax. The Cherrywood isn't the world's greatest rod, but it is a great rod for the $$ and would rather not downgrade.

Apparently the blue color and look are very important.... Unfortunately his twin loves red.

I am also trying to seed the idea of UL spinning  rods since we fish our panfish pond quite regularly, keep it exciting. They aren't grasping (yet). Maybe I need to setup my ML with 4lb and 1lb drag and let them wrestle lol.


Anyhow, looking for suggestions.
Ideally a 1pc 7' MH/F

Any feedback on the Shakespeare Excursion? ($19)
I actually have a 6'6" MH and haven't reeled anything in on it yet.
Also looked at the BPS Graphite Series ($40)


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rman

hmmm.... leaning towards UL lol

should be way more fun with some pflueger 20s and maybe 10lb braid... I'm hooked on braid. Lost a brand new frog yesterday, 1st cast on 12lb mono.

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fishandkamp

Give a thought to a Berkley Lightning Shock rod. DO this alone without the kids. Go to your local Wal Mart. Go find a 6'6 Medium moderate spinning rod.  This rod should cost $49. They have been found to be an a sleeper clearance price around $15.  Add a Pflueger president reel. Dicks has some on sale, and remember to always shop twice at Dicks. You go in and purchase anything cheap, a Jawbone jig, a pack of gum a bottle of water. Go home and go online and fill out their customer servey ( follow the instructions on the back of your receipt).  Now print you $10 off coupon. Get two receipts, ( you and one of your sons) and get two $10 off coupons.  There are no limits, but once a receipt is used  that is it with that one.

rman

Quote from: fishandkamp on July 09, 2017, 12:50:31 AM
Give a thought to a Berkley Lightning Shock rod. DO this alone without the kids. Go to your local Wal Mart. Go find a 6'6 Medium moderate spinning rod.  This rod should cost $49. They have been found to be an a sleeper clearance price around $15.  Add a Pflueger president reel. Dicks has some on sale, and remember to always shop twice at Dicks. You go in and purchase anything cheap, a Jawbone jig, a pack of gum a bottle of water. Go home and go online and fill out their customer servey ( follow the instructions on the back of your receipt).  Now print you $10 off coupon. Get two receipts, ( you and one of your sons) and get two $10 off coupons.  There are no limits, but once a receipt is used  that is it with that one.
not a bad idea. Currently they have Berkeley Cherrywood/Abu Promax baitcasters, and Daiwa Laguna/Pflueger Trion spinners

I use a Lightning Rod Shock baitcaster and like it decently, I'm replacing it this week with a Daiwa AIRD. Also have a Daiwa Laguna w/ Pflueger President XT.

Will have to check out Dicks, didn't know tjat about the survey.

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SFL BassHunter

I think the Berkley line is good. The Lightning rods are great for the money. I think the reviews on it are better than that of the cherrywood so it would be an upgrade.
Some folks mention the lightning shock, I haven't owned that one but it gets lots of good reviews.

Dicks also has a rod called the Field and Streams Inferno. Its a cool looking red rod that I am sure kids would like. You can get it in a ML or M maybe even UL, not sure. The M is kind of like a ML to be honest.
I have that in spinning and I really like it.
PB: 6lbs 5oz / 24.25 inches.
Rods/Reels Dobyns, 13 Fishing, Cabelas Arachnid, Daiwa Tatula CT, Tatula SVTW, Tatula Tactical, Tatula Type R
Florida Bass Fishing

fishandkamp

My wife and I use several of the Berkley Lightning shocks.  She uses one of the spinning and I have 2 baitcasters.  They would be fun with the panfish,  but really shine with treble hook baits. We both use them for bass and stripers. I would load them up with some

During the fall the Chesapeake Bay stripers leave the main bay ( the domain of the big boats, planer board and parachute lure guys) and enter the tidal creeks.  This is a time when lots of menhaden or "bunker" leave the cooling waters of the main bay for the warmer waters in he creeks.  That is when they are available to us bass boat guys.  The cool thing is the bass, stripers, catfish, big yellow perch and more mix in together. You might catch a 30 inch striper then a 13 inch yellow perch, then a 15 to 20 pound blue catfish.  It is a smorgasbord.  It is the only time all year that I need a spread of 4 rods to throw traps.  So I fish my two main crankbait rods and these to Berkley's. They handle the job just as well as my two much more expensive rods. 
The 6'6" med mod would work out nice. I would get a 30 series  Pflueger President and load it with some Berkley Original FireLine 10 pound to play with the panfish 14 for all around use. You can easily run a 6 pound copoly leader as well.  We use a line counter reel, a medium Cabelas Tourney rod, the 10 pound FireLine ( 4 pound equivalent diameter) and troll for big white perch in our local reservoir. Just an couple of ideas.

rman

thanks guys. Would love to get them some president 30s, they currently use trion 30s on their "every day" setups. Might be a little out of the budget right now though. maybe.

Also might look into a cheap UL spinning combo. There appear to be some house branded, as well as a shimano, UL combos in the 5-foot range.

Seems there are a few, most seem more than adequate for the sunfish around here. Hell if we can hit the pond with a lightning mcqueen or barbie rod, a little spinning combo should work decently with quality line.

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SFL BassHunter

Quote from: rman on July 09, 2017, 10:39:57 AM
thanks guys. Would love to get them some president 30s, they currently use trion 30s on their "every day" setups. Might be a little out of the budget right now though. maybe.

Also might look into a cheap UL spinning combo. There appear to be some house branded, as well as a shimano, UL combos in the 5-foot range.

Seems there are a few, most seem more than adequate for the sunfish around here. Hell if we can hit the pond with a lightning mcqueen or barbie rod, a little spinning combo should work decently with quality line.

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BTW Amazon had the Presidents on sale, and Dicks did as well. You can get a president now for the price of a trion.
PB: 6lbs 5oz / 24.25 inches.
Rods/Reels Dobyns, 13 Fishing, Cabelas Arachnid, Daiwa Tatula CT, Tatula SVTW, Tatula Tactical, Tatula Type R
Florida Bass Fishing

fishandkamp

I just found the answer, go online to Dicks Sporting goods.
They have the President combo that includes a IM8 graphite 5'6" inch light action rod and a Pflueger President 30 on sale from $79.99 to $49,99.  That is the cost for the entire combo.  Use my trick and get you and a son to purchase  a pack of hooks or crappie baits and use both receipts to get two $10 off coupons.  Go back and get your combos purchased separately and you can get two great panfish rigs for $39.99 each.  That is a no brainer. Just have to shop with your wife, or let each sons purchase their own. They will get a kick out of it.

Smallie_Stalker

Well first we gotta say  :bday) to your twins Armand.

I have several of the Lightning Rod Shock but not in an UL. They are very good rods for the money and you can find them on sale at Wally-Mart a lot.

For my UL panfishing I use the BPS Micro-Lites. They are affordable and durable rods. I don't think they come in a one-piece though.  :(

All my spinning reels are Pfluegers. They will be a good addition to any rod you put them on.

Keep us posted on what you come up with and how the kids like them.  :)
Dobyns Rods   Titan Tungsten   Abu Garcia  Berkley  Pflueger  Spiderwire

rman

honestly, I'm leaning towards the Shakespeare Micro whatever combos for $15 at walmart, but I do like fishandkamp's idea too. I have spending issues.

I've been fishing sunfish on senkos with my 6'5" M/F Lightning Rod Shock and it's been amazing with 50lb 832. a little overkill but still haha.

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rman

#11
ok, is UL too light? they'll be 8, a bit clumsy?

Also, L comes in a 5'6" 1 pc, which is a little nicer.

Biggest goal is to turn up the skill on panfish. right now they toss in a red worm, bobber sinks, boom, hit.

We're starting to fish them on spinners and plastics, partly to weed out the smaller ones, and partly because I'm convinced theres LMB in there that we can't find. Something is jumping, could be the sunfish... but one twin caught a 3" the other day and it had to have come from somewhere.

long story short, looking to spice things up for them.

Their light/ul reel is going to be nicer than their everyday reel... that might bug me

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fishandkamp

I will say this and of course your wallet has limits I understand.  My wife and I have very good arsenals of gear for bass. 
About 3 years ago we purchased a pair of Berkley Cherrywood 5'6" light action rods and a pair of Abu Garcia Cardinal reels for panfishing. These rods are so much fun for throwing little grubs, tubes, crappie jigs, and even the equivalent of a beetle spin.  We use the same type spinnerbait style arm and blade and a small jig head with a rubber minnow bait. You could even use some of the little Berkley Gulp minnows rigged that way. Also look at the Berkley Gulp "Waxies". These are imitation wax worms.  These are deadly on panfish.
Unfortunately the specs on the new Cherrywood HD 5'6" light action rod is not the same as ours. It is lighter. I see the spec of our rod is the same as the Pflueger combos except the reel is larger.  I wish they were combined by a 25 size reel instead of the 30 though. The thing is many of the cheaper combos do not have a graphite rod.  That is a disadvantage to me.   

rman

I have a ML cherrywood and brand new trion 30 that I need to spool up. I was looking for a trion 30 on ebay and got. carried away, too many good deals. Ended up with 3 trion 30s and 2 alero 35s lol.

The new Cherrywoods are supposedly pretty light. I used mine for awhile, but as a novice I didn't have much to compare to. It'll likely be my light-ish setup.

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rman



Opted for the 5'0" 1pc UL with 25 series reels. Really liked the weight of the 4'8" with 20 series, but it was a 2pc and think my boys would prefer the length a bit.

$111 on sale, 2 $10 survey coupons, 2 bags of senkos and a little Crappie Magnet kit. Not bad!

Also picked up 2 spools 10lb test Fireline at Gander yesterday for $11/125y
Got Crystal, despite the mixed reviews, I love the 20lb on my spinning rod. Super smooth and I yanked a crankbait out of a tree from about 50y away lol.

Thanks for spending my money guys! I hate you all, I was perfectly content with the $15 Shakespeare micro combos.

Now their UL setups are nicer than their everyday setups (trion 30),which is going to bug me a little bit...

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Smallie_Stalker

Quote from: rman on July 12, 2017, 04:24:35 PM


Thanks for spending my money guys! I hate you all, I was perfectly content with the $15 Shakespeare micro combos.

Oh, this is only the beginning brother.  lo 

Seriously though, seems like you got a good deal. Glad you found something you are happy with. For now......................... ;) ~shade
Dobyns Rods   Titan Tungsten   Abu Garcia  Berkley  Pflueger  Spiderwire

rman

hopefully these rods don't break (after a good and long life) and force me to get some 7' UL....

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fishandkamp

I am sure glad we could help you hate us equally! LOL
That looks like a good deal to me.  Tell the kids   HAPPY BIRTHDAY from their online friend here.

Oh and we forgot all this advice does come with a bill!
WE ALL LOVE FISH PORN!
So we expect some pictures with a couple of big fish held up by some smiling kids. 

Seriously thanks for being a great dad!  You are "spending" the most important commodity we have in life.   That is you are "spending" your time and attention!  It is our most precious commodity period.

I turn 55 this year.  There are not a lot of things I remember from when I was less than 10 years old,but I remember my dad and grandpa taking me to a river bank to catch my first fish, a bluegill.  I remember catching the hood to my own sweat jacket too. LOL,

Go make their memories, which of course are your memories too.