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Can anyone recommend either an ultralight combo or a rod and reel separately for under $50? My $15 Walmart combo that I've been using every week for the past 3 years is on its last legs. I'm looking to get something a little more specialized for panfishing. Right now I think I'd like something 6' and 500. If anyone has any questions that I can answer to help you help me, please let me know. Thanks.
Shakespeare make a Micro lite series of rods. They are around $20 and feature cork grips. For reels higher bearing count is best most of the time
FishUSA shows the Shakespeare micro light rods in ultralight 4'6" to 7'6" for $20. I have the light action 7 foot rods that I used to shoot docks with. They are pretty tough
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Not a bad combination, but you may want to look for a rod and reel separately to fit your needs. Bank fishing? Tight quarters? High speed retrieve to get fish out of cover? Stiffer action to do the same? True UL action to enjoy fight and more fun factor? The hunt is half the fun.
If you're near a Bass Pro/Cabela's, go check out some of their combos.
Tried to link one above, BPS.Quote:
Originally Posted by deathb4disco
Yeah, it says "access denied" on my end.Quote:
Originally Posted by StantheMan2567
If you doubled your budget, I think you could get a much better outfit, something like a low-end Daiwa and a BP or Cabela's "house brand" rod.Quote:
Originally Posted by ArthurLK11
Definitely the Shakespeare Micro,and you can get a Shimano IX Series Spinning Reel for 9.99 that's smooth and durable.
Shimano IX Series Spinning Reel | SCHEELS.com
I'm glad you asked. I've never really liked the Shakespeare stuff, but that's my personal opinion (I've not tried the ones mentioned here). The micro series seems to be a graphite composite blank with stainless steel guides. I like the Okuma Celilo ultralight trout rod. It is a graphite blank with aluminum oxide guide inserts. Most of Shakespeare's stuff is inexpensive and a lot of their rods are fiberglass, which is great for strength, but not great for weight or sensitivity. The Celilo is about $30. I am losing fish because I'm used to a stiffer rod and my hook sets are kinda weak.
For reels, I got a Shimano Sienna FG 500 and LOVE it. You need to be using 4 pound (or less) line. The reel is about $30. If you want to use more than 4# test line, go to the 1000 series. That's over your $50 limit for the combo, but with that Shakespeare rod that others have mentioned, it puts you right around the $50 mark.
For the Sienna reel, the FG series has 3+1 ball bearings whereas the FE series had 1+1, so try to get the FG series (they have the red spool). Mine are only a month old, so I can't say how well they hold up over time, but they are silky smooth right now.