Quote Originally Posted by crappiepappy View Post
... NOT :p (well, not "seriously", anyway)

And, not as far as brand goes, either. What you DO want, though, is a reel that can handle light line ... has a smooth drag ... has a smooth cranking motion ... and matches/balances well with whatever rod you've chosen to use. You "can" use the plastic reels/fiberglass rods, in the blister packs that you see on the shelves of discount stores ... but, they seldom last for more than one season of use. Even the low end versions of major brand reels, are more likely to give much longer & better service.

But, what I think most of the responders are saying is ... "this is the reel I use, for panfish of all kinds (Crappie included), and it works well for me". Some may be more into using ultra-lite equipment for sunfish only, while others are utilizing their equipment for multi-species functionality.

I use the same 5' to 9' rods, 4lb test line, and reels from 100 to 2500 series sizes ... of various brands ... regardless of whether I'm fishing for Crappie, Bluegill, Shellcrackers, or various other sunfish. I don't have a "dedicated" outfit, for Bluegill/sunfish, alone ... all of my outfits are primarily for use in fishing for Crappie, but can be called on to be "multi-tasking" equipment.

... cp
thats what i do basicly.i will use the same rod,reel,line ect for any fish i can catch in lakes.i usually don't catch things like muskies tho lol.my usual setup is shake spear ugly stik ultra light rod n reel combos(around 29$ or so at k-ommie mart).4'8" rods.spooled with power pro 10 pound braid.i'll bring 3 rods sometimes when im on the boat with 3 different lures on each.and i'll just pick up a different rod when i feel like throwing somethin different.i do have another ugly stik light thats a little longer which is better for casting farther,and a few other UL setups,along with some flyrods.when im ground poundin,i take one of my 3 ugly stik UL rod n reel combos and my UL flyrod with me.i don't always have enough space to cast well with the flyrod tho.