# Fishing gear



## Laura Zone 5 (Jan 13, 2010)

I'm lookin' to drop a line in a few ponds around here. Nothing fancy, just lookin' to catch and release.....

Not sure what to buy (rod/reel....lures, ??)

Don't want to spend a fortune....but would like to go fishin' this year.
What do you suggest?


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## sniper69 (Sep 23, 2007)

Laura - are you fishing for panfish or bass, or catfish, or??


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## Laura Zone 5 (Jan 13, 2010)

Bass, crappie, catfish....those are my choices.....with a few carp and sunfish / perch thrown in!!


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## sniper69 (Sep 23, 2007)

Well for bass - I usually use an artificial worm set up with a Texas rig or a Carolina rig. The color I've had best luck with was Chartreuse. Either can work with catfish too, but for catfish I find some liver on a hook with the weight (sinkers) set back about 12 inches or so from the hook to work good. For panfish, crappie, perch - I use worms - although I have caught crappie on little chartreuse soft plastic grubs. I have friends that use minnows for bass and crappie.

As for a rod and reel setup - that is almost like asking a Ford versus Chevy question, lol. If you have experience with fishing - you might have a preference for an open face reel or you might prefer a spincast reel (what I called a closed face reel when I was a youngster). For the fish you mentioned I would try to use the lightest line you are comfortable with - maybe an 8 lb test would be a good all around line strength. As for an affordable setup - a Zebco 33 combo is under $30, or you might be able to find it cheaper or with a different reel for a better price. A lot of times walmart will have rod and reel combos for a decent price - especially if one doesn't want to spend much.

Here is a link to a setup I bought back in 2013, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000BY56T/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 it doesn't take up much room and is something I can put in my vehicle without taking up much space.


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## rags57078 (Jun 11, 2011)

Walmart has some ugly stick combo's that will fit your needs , buy one with medium action


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## Oxankle (Jun 20, 2003)

Laura; be careful what you buy in the way of reels. Some of the reels now, especially the open-face spinning reels, are junk. One of the zebco 33 reels would be pretty much fool-proof but even they have been seriously cheapened since the brand changed hands. 

Perhaps someone here knows the Walmart stock well enough to suggest a good reel in the "won't break the bank" category.


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## Bret (Oct 3, 2003)

Just have fun. Fishing catalogs make my head "spin". I think they are made to hook fisherman and fisherwomen.

I could have as much fun tying a line to a stick with a clothes pin bobber, a hook and paper clip for a weight. If I took a friend, I would give them my cheap open face real and I would enjoy watching them flip it out and bringing the fish in.

I could watch the bobber and practice the fiddle. Share a wadded bologna and cheese sandwhich and can of pop carried in the hood of my sweatshirt.

My last rod and real was from Wal-Mart. Under 30.00. It could toss light lures and pull in fish. Wore the paint off it in a few days in Canada, but it worked and I still have it. Not been out of the garage in six years. Got more than my moneys worth from it. I'll give it to you. 

The next time I am moved to fish, I will buy another, if I can't find a stick.


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## Nimrod (Jun 8, 2010)

This is like asking what gun will hunt all types of game. There isn't one that is best for all.

I suggest you start with a medium light action rod and reel combo from the big box store. Shakespeare, Mitchel, Zebco, and Diawa are decent brands. This will be light enough to make catching panfish fun and have enough backbone to handle a bass. Catfish, forget about it. They can grow to be over a hundred pounds. I think you would need a harpoon gun for one of those big ones.

The line the combo comes with (if any) is probably junk. Put on some 4 to 6 pound Trilene XL line. 

I have had fewer problems with an open faced spinning reel that a closed face one. They are slightly harder to learn to use but easy once you get the hang of it.

Ger a hook assortment, split shot weights, and bobbers. Worms will catch sunfish, bass, and catfish. Minnows are good for bass, crappies, and, sometimes, sunfish.

Go out, drown some bait, soak in the sun, and have fun.


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## Cygnet (Sep 13, 2004)

I've always had the best luck across the widest variety of fish species (trout, panfish, various kinds of bass, walleye, and -- yes -- channel cats and suckers) with spoons. They're cheap, so if you lose one it's no big deal, and anything that is used to eating minnows will strike at them. An assortment of spoons in various sizes is a good addition to any tackle box.

Crappie jigs are another multiple purpose lure.

I'd also want an assortment of hooks in a wide range of sizes, including a few fairly large ones.


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