Thread: Slab Seeker????

Originally Posted by newbie20

thanks again i have felt of many poles and one of the lightest and my favorite is a berkly ultra light pole at Wal mart it is sensitive and super light have you tried this pole or maybe the rhino with glow action tip also is abu garcia a good brand or would shaakespeare or mitchell be a better brand i pesonally think the abu garcia cardinal looks like it could hold up to anything but again just a thought what about also the length i am preferring is anywhere between 5-7 foot but is there any poles u would reccomend for crappie if so i wpould like a price range below or at 25 dollars preferalby less but i will be going to bass pro shops they might have a wider variety but any brand poles or reels you would reccomend would be good any info
Thanks again your an awesome help

Let me get this straight ... you're looking to vertical jig and tightline with the same rod, and you want a beginners outfit price, and you want to use a 5-7ft length range rod that's light and fairly sensitive. Hmmmm. That's a daunting task :D
First off ... vertical jigging is "usually" done with a rod longer than 7ft. Point being to have a rod long enough to reach a good distance away from the boat/angler, so as not to spook the fish with the boat or angler movement. Consequently, I don't own any rods over 8ft long, and don't vertical jig much (due to that fact) .... but, a 7 or 8ft rod can be used (it's less significant if you're vertical jigging in deep water, stained to murky water, or in heavy cover ... since the fish feel a little more secure in those circumstances).
Length of rod is not a big factor when tightline fishing, as that's usually done in deeper water ... or the use of a float, technically makes it "longer" than it actually is.
My vote would be a 7ft rod and a "lite" reel ... not a UL !! Reels with small diameter spools have the tendancy to cause the line to coil in very small loops (memory coils), and this can affect line flow thru the guides. Using light jigs or casting then becomes a bit of a problem. Reels with large diameter line spools or "long cast" type spools would be a better choice ... regardless of brand. ABU Garcia is OK ... just check the weight of the reel vs other brands/similar models. If you're going for a 5-7ft light action rod ... you don't want a reel that weighs very much. That's why I suggested a "X" series Shimano ... I have a TX500FA on a 5.5ft IM6 UL rod, and it makes a nice little outfit. The reel runs around $25 (BPS price), has 2 bearings, and only weighs 5.9oz. The Cardinal 100 is comparable -- same price, 6.3oz (probably less with the graphite spool on) and it has 5 bearings. The Cardinal also pulls in 22" of line per handle revolution, compared to 18" for the TX (Cardinal is 5.2:1 retrieve ratio -- TX is 4.2:1) IF it's a smooth cranking reel, it might not be a bad choice. It's certainly worth comparing it against other brands, and similar size/weight/priced models.

Rods to consider .... Berkley Cherrywood ($25 or less/Walmart) - Ugly Stick Lite ($30/6ft/BPS) - BPS Tourney Special ($30/sale/BPS) - Berkley Lightning ($35/BPS) - BPS Micro Lite graphite ($30/BPS)

The Cherrywoods are the only <$25 rods, that I know about, that are worthy of considering. I don't own any, but my fishing partner has several, and they perform very well for him. I don't own, nor have I ever used, any of the other rods I listed for you to consider ... I picked them based on price, lengths available (prices are for 7' rods, except the "Ugly"), and construction/components (IM6 graphite, guides, handle material) ... and I tried to find those with varied components (cork handle vs foam - alum oxide guides vs ceramic - etc), so you'd have a spread of choices to suit you.

If you go to BPS ... take your time, and match and compare several different rods/reels to see which combination feels the best to "you"

.... luck2ya ... cp

BnM poles, mitchell reels

Ive fished with the slabseeker telescopic rods and spinning reels spider rigging here in Ky at nearby Yatesville, and in Guntersville Alabama too. I find they work well with my rod holders and are ok fighting a fish..... but BnM rods beat them bad, Id give the a B on a grading scale.

http://www.shakespeare-fishing.com/p...ducts.php?p=14 or this http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/st...&cmCat=3401809
reply as soon as possible maybe with links to different
reels

btw cp that is my last questoion on this forum

Originally Posted by newbie20

btw cp that is my last questoion on this forum

Ask away ... this forum, main forum, wherever :p that's what we're here for


I don't really know anything about those two reels you posted links to ... but I do have a Zebco & a Shakespeare UL spinning reels ... both of which are at least 15yrs old or more ... and I still get good performance out of them. I really don't get to use them as much as I'd like :p ... and if I did use them more, and they wore out or broke down, seeing as how I paid less than $20 for either one -- I'd just trash them and buy something to replace them :D (figger I got my money's worth ... LOL!!)

I had a Zebco Depth Finder type reel (similar to the Bill D Zebco you posted) ... used it mainly for minnow fishing. It worked OK, while I had it ... but now it's at the bottom of Taylorsville Lake ... and I can't remember if it was the reel on the outfit that got jerked out of the boat and into the lake by a Hybrid Striper --- or if it was the one that got hung up while I was trying to position the boat in heavy wind, and got dragged out of the boat :D

Does any of the local tackle shops, in your area, have a "consignment" shelf ?? Where one can sell used reels/rods/etc (usually for store credit) ... I've picked up a couple "used" reels, here at my local tackle store, and they're two of my best performing ones (Shimano Spirex 2000 @ $25 -- Mitchell Spidercast @ $15)

You're pretty much going to have to pick a rod you like, then match a reel to it, according to your personal taste (or vice versa). How it feels to you is going to be more important than my opinion on it. That's why I'm not much on the "one brand combos" setups ... that "one size fits all" mentality doesn't work for me.

... luck2ya ... cp

where can you catch hybrid striper and what bait is the best to use a lure ore live bait is there any lakes near me ( im about 25 miles from jenny wiley lake but anywhere near cave run or closer is fine