Rod Snapping Fish

[UglyStick]

For the rod I suggest making a little more of an investment than an Uglystick. Uglysticks are decent and nearly indestructible rods but the problem is they have very little backbone for a good hookset and aren't very sensitive.

Take a look at what St. Croix offers. Their base Premier models are very good rods and are quite affordable. Take a look at the better ones also, especially the Avid (not the Avid X). The 8 or so different freshwater rods I use weekly are all St. Croix's except for 1 Grandt. I use primarily Avids, Legend Tournaments and Legend Elites but the latter 2 are likely too pricey for this discussion. They have other mid range models too such as the Mojo Bass and other but I haven't fished them so I can't say if I like them or not.

[Wilson]

If you are on a budget look at the Cabelas brand of spinning rods. They are having a sale on the Tourney Trail rods. They are half price about $35.00 right now. I have 3 of them and bought 2 of them 6 years ago when they were priced at $39.00 full price. No problems and I fish the crap out of them.
I also have some more expensive rods and don't see much difference between those and the Cabelas rods.
The St. Croix rods are very nice indeed but too much money for me.
A $20.00 rod from Walmart though would not be my choice.

I will spend more on a good well built reel with a smooth finely adjustable drag.

As far a landing nets only if I'm fishing for large fish from a boat do I ever need a net. If I lose a fish at my feet well so be it

Good luck

[Skunk City]

Originally Posted by Wilson

If you are on a budget look at the Cabelas brand of spinning rods. They are having a sale on the Tourney Trail rods. They are half price about $35.00 right now. I have 3 of them and bought 2 of them 6 years ago when they were priced at $39.00 full price. No problems and I fish the crap out of them.
I also have some more expensive rods and don't see much difference between those and the Cabelas rods.
The St. Croix rods are very nice indeed but too much money for me.
A $20.00 rod from Walmart though would not be my choice.

I will spend more on a good well built reel with a smooth finely adjustable drag.

As far a landing nets only if I'm fishing for large fish from a boat do I ever need a net. If I lose a fish at my feet well so be it

Good luck

I have had the Cabelas Pro Guide 7ft medium action rod for almost 2 years now and love it. Have landed everything NJ has to offer on it, including Muskie and river Stripers (I was slightly overmatched but managed to land them). It seems about half the time, it is available on sale or in the Bargain Cave for $29.99, which is what I paid for it.

[Chrisper4694]

Originally Posted by UglyStick

For the rod I suggest making a little more of an investment than an Uglystick. Uglysticks are decent and nearly indestructible rods but the problem is they have very little backbone for a good hookset and aren't very sensitive.

Take a look at what St. Croix offers. Their base Premier models are very good rods and are quite affordable. Take a look at the better ones also, especially the Avid (not the Avid X). The 8 or so different freshwater rods I use weekly are all St. Croix's except for 1 Grandt. I use primarily Avids, Legend Tournaments and Legend Elites but the latter 2 are likely too pricey for this discussion. They have other mid range models too such as the Mojo Bass and other but I haven't fished them so I can't say if I like them or not.

Hey does ugly stick know your using their name and turning people from their rods!? Haha

Bring that broken rod back to where you got it get a credit and put it towards a pflueger...their lower priced stuff is pretty good, unless you want to spend more money and get some bells and whistles like lighter weight more sensitivity etc.

I'd recommend a net, you can keep the fish in the water while you unhook and let it recoup a bit after the fight instead of pulling it right out of the water after it has exerted itself.

[HighHook94]

For a beginner, an ugly stick combo is the perfect setup. You can beat the hell out of them and it will last 10+ years easily. I have ones 20+ years old that are still going strong. Don't buy a St. Croix as a beginner. Yes they are absolutely beautiful rods, but they are too expensive for a beginner fisherman. And for freshwater bass fishing, you don't need anything fancy. I buy all of my fancy gear for saltwater fishing. Freshwater I find the cheapest setup at Dick's Sporting Goods and stick with that. Saltwater is completely different though. And no you don't need a net from shore. When you get a fish close to the edge of the water, just drag it up onto land if it's an average/below average size. The bigger ones you have to keep in the water, grab their lip, and pull them out of the water. Then unhook them, take a quick picture, and release them.

[UglyStick]

Originally Posted by HighHook94

Don't buy a St. Croix as a beginner. Yes they are absolutely beautiful rods, but they are too expensive for a beginner fisherman. And for freshwater bass fishing, you don't need anything fancy. I buy all of my fancy gear for saltwater fishing. Freshwater I find the cheapest setup at Dick's Sporting Goods and stick with that. Saltwater is completely different though.

I respectfully disagree with this...

It is common that a person will spend more on gear as their skills increase and focus more money on what they primarily fish for (fresh vs. salt, bass vs muskies, etc.) but to say the cheapest setup is fine for freshwater & bass but salt is a different story and requires fancy gear simply isn't true (noting that gear size/weight must be matched to the species being sought and that some specific techniques require more specialized gear). I fish for most all species fresh and salt and although I do have a lot of expensive and specialized gear at this point, I also still love some of my more modest set-ups (my favorite inshore porgy / seabass rod is still an Uglystick I've had for many years.) I find that in general, for casting, higher quality rods are much more important for freshwater fishing. Being able to accurately present baits, sense pick-ups and deliver a good hook set on over-pressured fish are critical. As for price, at $130 for a good all purpose St. Croix Premier I think this is a good value and money well spent on a quality rod for someone looking to get more serious about the sport. I recommend St. Croix's because they are my favorites out of all the rods I have tried but I acknowledge that there are other good ones out there also. I can't comment on the Cabelas recommendation here since I have never fished that rod.

My point is that quality gear does make a difference and a beginner will be able to progress more quickly and enjoy the sport more if they make a modest investment in a good rod & reel from the beginning.

[NJSquatch]

Originally Posted by Chrisper4694

Hey does ugly stick know your using their name and turning people from their rods!? Haha

Bring that broken rod back to where you got it get a credit and put it towards a pflueger...their lower priced stuff is pretty good, unless you want to spend more money and get some bells and whistles like lighter weight more sensitivity etc.

I'd recommend a net, you can keep the fish in the water while you unhook and let it recoup a bit after the fight instead of pulling it right out of the water after it has exerted itself.

X2 on the pflueger reccomendation