In what seems like an never ending world of rods and reels, how do you go about selecting the right reel for the right job. There are a few things to consider before making a decision. You need to ask yourself, what am I planning on fishing for? Am I planning on using this rod and reel for multiple species? Am I going to use this setup for a specific technique? What types of lures am I planning on throwing with this rod and reel?
Questions everyone may ask themselves from time to time. I will share my own personal checklist when I am in the market for some new gear. First I think about what I want to be in the market for. Am I looking for something to flip and pitch with, am I looking for a setup crank baits, or am I looking for a rig that is gear toward finesse. I first start by looking what I already have at my disposal. I have several rods and reels, each with it’s own task. I have baitcaster setup for flipping/pitching, A two spinning rods for jigging, a spinning rod setup for dropshotting and light topwater baits, a baitcaster setup for larger topwater baits and cranks, and another spinning rod for multi-purpose fishing. I was recently in the market for another rod and reel setup. I chose to go with another spinning rod/reel setup for tubes and worms. Each rod at my disposal is designated for a specific technique and purpose and is rigged an ready to go as I need them.
Each rod/reel setup should be determined based on what you want to accomplish. If you are looking for a good all around setup for bass, I would go with a Medium Power or Medium Light Power, Fast action or Moderate Fast Action rod, with a 5.2:1 or 5.6:1 gear ratio reel. A medium or Medium Light Power rod will allow you to cover a wide range of baits and species, I would opt for the Medium Power, in case you want to do some jigging in some vegetation. A medium action rod will also allow you to throw some larger baits. I suggest lining you multi purpose rods with 10lb-12lb test line. You could go lighter if you choose.
There are several things to consider when choosing equipment, these are the things I ask myself when looking for new gear.
1.) How much money do I want to spend?
2.) What do I want to accomplish with this setup?
3.) What am I missing in my current lineup?
4.) What can i get away with, without my wife killing?
The gear I use:
Flipping/Pitching
When selecting a combination for flipping in pitching, you want something with some extreme backbone. You’re most likely going to be flipping and pitching into some thick cover. You’re going to want something to get those fish out of there and in a hurry.
The Reel
When flipping and pitching, you’re going to want a reel with a high gear ratio. The higher the gear ratio, the more line you can retrieve per crank. I currently use a Quantum Energy PT baitcaster that has a 7.0:1 gear ratio, loaded with 40lb braided line.
The Rod
The rod is an older model 1 Peices Cabelas Platinum ZX 7′ casting rod. This is a heavy power rod, fast action. This rod has enough backbone to yank those bass from deep cover.
The rod and reel combo is a good combo for the waters near me. A long rod is a good choice for flipping and pitching for reaching those far away targets. There are companies that make reels with much higher gear ratios that pick up 32″ to 33″ of line per crank.
Vertical Jigging/Heavy Cover/docks
As I stated before I have two setups for jigging, both spinning rod/reel setups.
The Reels
The two reels I have setup for vertical jigging are both Quantum Energy PTi 30 reels. Each have a 5.2:1 gear ratio. One is loaded with 40lb Fluorocarbon Line, the other with 20lb Monofilament line.
The Rods
My rods for the two reels are a G-loomis G2 jigging rod and a Lew’s Tournament Performance TP1 Speedstick. The Lew’s rod is a one piece 7′ Medium power; Medium Fast action Rod. The Loomis is a 6’9″ One Piece Medium Heavy Power; Fast Action Rod. I use these two setups for a variety of water features.
I use these two setups for vertical jigging rock beds with Texas Rigged worms, Tubes, shaky heads and Football Jigs with a crawfish trailers. I also use these setups for flipping into heavy cover on smaller waters, as well as pitching under docks for bass. When fishing clearer water, I opt for the setup with fluorocarbon line. The fluorocarbon line offers more stealth when fishing in clear water.
Large Topwater/Cranks
This is a great setup for searching baits and early morning fishing.
The Reel
For this setup I have a Lew’s Mach Speed Spool reel, loaded with 20lb braid. This reel has a relatively high gear ratio at 7.5:1. This allows me to fish crank baits fast, which will initiate reaction strikes from fish. It also allows me to work topwater baits fast for those early morning bite. I like this reel for buzzbaits and River2Seas Whopper Plopper 130’s.
The Rod
I have the Lew’s reel paired with a Medium Action Basspro Shops Carbonlite Rod. This rod has enough backbone to hand moderate sized crank baits and larger topwater baits. It is a fast action 7′ rod for making long accurate casts. The fast action allows me to also work other topwater baits, such as a Zara Spook, and poppers.
Smaller Topwater/Dropshotting/Finese
I use this setup when fish are a little more standoffish or if I’m fishing in rivers.
The Reel
On this setup I have a Lew’s Mach II Speed Spin. This is a relatively new reel that I just picked up. I have it loaded with 15lb braided line. This reel is small enough to pair with Medium Light Action rod and not look completely ridiculous.
The Rod
For this Setup I have a Lew’s Tournament Performance TP1 Speed Stick. This rod is a one-piece 6’9″ Medium Light Power; Fast Action Rod.
I got this setup for smaller topwater lures and dropshotting. This setup is good when finesse is needed. I also use this setup for smaller shaky head jigs.
Multipurpose Setup
I was recently in the market for another setup. I chose to go with a multipurpose setup. I chose to go with the Daiwa Revos Spinning reel and Lew’s Tournament Performance TP1 Speed Stick, Medium Power; Fast Action. The Lew’s rods are excellent rods. I have come to love the actions and castability of these rods. Daiwa is a household name for most people and the Revos is a moderately priced reel. I usually spend more money on my rods than reel, depending on the circumstances. The reason? I can always upgrade the reel if I choose too. Both are essential for getting the job done, but for a multipurpose setup, the reel is essentially holding line. However, you want a reel that has a good drag. This setup will also allow me to target other species, such as walleye. Although, I have trolling rods for walleye, different post, different day.
I basically have all my bases covered for this coming bass season. This isn’t counting the other rods I have. There are several factors to consider when trying to make a choice of what kind of equipment to buy. Hope this helps you in the future. Comment Share and Like, submit requests for future posts.
