# Your "GO-TO" Rod and Reel



## bottomfeeder (Jan 31, 2006)

Unless I am Sharkin I generally carry one rod with my cooler to fish.My question to all of you is if you were fishing this way,what rod and reel would be your choice.Last year I carried a 6500 "Blue Yonder" on a tsunami rod that would give me some power for bigger blues,sharks,etc,but also was great for the whiting and trout.This year I am using that,and two other combos...a Shimano Stella 4000fd with a Trevala rod.It has serious backbone,but is very sensitive at the same time.And then my old junker,the Shimano Sonora 4000 on a el cheapo 6-6 Shimano fx 1-3 0z rod.I have caught hundreds of fish on that rod.What say you?


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## SmoothLures (Feb 13, 2008)

Have a brand new Blue Yonder I got for Christmas, looking to break it in...gotta find a nice light budget rod in the 8' range. 

Also have a light 7' Ugly Stik with a green Abu 6500C on it...nice little whiting/pomp setup. 

Apart from that any light 4000-5000 spinner on a 7' rod with a soft tip is about all you need for SC IMO. Lighter is better...10-15 lb test. If you like casting rigs, a 5500 or 6500 is about perfect.


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## bottomfeeder (Jan 31, 2006)

You got good stuff right there.I like spinners because I can keep my strong arm on the rod when fishing all day.And if throwing lures,especially lite grubs,they just dont get it done for me.That junky Sonora with the 19.99 rod can throw anything I need to throw,but of course I had to go out and spend a fortune on a Stella.Yeah,its smoother,and massive drag,but the fish have no idea...I really bought that reel and rod for big Blues,and the possible Shark along the way.I might stop for a sandwich and put a bigger bait on there and get into a good fight with a shark.


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## cutbait91 (Nov 9, 2009)

i have a couple! for trout and whiting i use a okuma avenger 7' medium, that i really only throw lures on sometimes some shrimp or fleas for pomps. for chunkin bait i use i 9' penn sargus with a penn silverado reel. for jiggin for spanish of the piers i use a 12' shakespeare alpha with a penn slammer reel. those are my main rods but i have about 30 others lol


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## bottomfeeder (Jan 31, 2006)

I love Okuma rods.I have that 11ft Solaris xh for Sharks.It can whip some big fish.For some reason I never even tried a reel.I bet they are nice.

Those Penns you got are proven reels around here.My friends fish some of those same reels.

The trick is though when you can only use one,which one will do most of the things you require it to do?If you choose to try the "walkabout" you will find out.


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## Too Busy (Sep 7, 2007)

I spend all my time on the yak, so if I only carried one rod it would be an Okuma 7 foot MH Reflexions Rod with a Trio 40 reel, spooled with 20 pound PowerPro.
That's what I use personally and in my business targeting inshore reds and sheeps. I downsize to the same rod in ML and a Trio 30, spooled with 15 pound PowerPro for trout and flounder


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## SmoothLures (Feb 13, 2008)

That Stella ain't no joke.  

Absolutely if you want to throw light jigs and plugs, you gotta go with a lighter spinner. Unless you want to throw your grubs on a Carolina rig with a 1-2 egg sinker on it.


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## cutbait91 (Nov 9, 2009)

if i had to pick one it would be the okuma its light it cats a country mile and i have caught fish on it from 5 inches to five feet so its strong its spooled with 20 lb fireline and that does the trick since it only has an 8 lb dia.


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## bottomfeeder (Jan 31, 2006)

Sounds like you guys are set with your rigs.

Im gonna fish the Stella for sure,but honestly the "Blue Yonder" set-up when Im gonna be fishing only bait is the rig.And I will fish my El Cheapo because it has the "Mojo".You got to switch around sometimes,but know when you only carry one it will do what you intend to do that day.Thanks for all the replys.


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## SmoothLures (Feb 13, 2008)

What model Tsunami do you fish the BY with, if you don't mind me asking? I gotta settle on a rod soon.


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## cutbait91 (Nov 9, 2009)

i have heard alot about these "blue yonder" setups one of these days im gonna have to get one to add to the collection


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## SmoothLures (Feb 13, 2008)

They cast great, plenty on them for everything we see around here, plus they look great.  

If we ever fish together remind me and I'll bring mine.


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## cutbait91 (Nov 9, 2009)

will do i am hopein to do some fishin with some p&sers this year


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## bottomfeeder (Jan 31, 2006)

Its a Tsunami Airwave 8ft 5/8ths to 3ozs.Very nice rod for the money.I think I paid 50.00 for it.You can use it for about anything within reason.
It will for sure sling four and bait no problem.Much more than 4ozs and you might as well go home anyway.Or break out the Big Rod.


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## cutbait91 (Nov 9, 2009)

thats a good price i might get in trouble if i bring anymore fishin stuff home though since when moving stuff to the new house today one and a half of the loads was just fishing gear lol


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## SmoothLures (Feb 13, 2008)

cutbait91 said:


> thats a good price i might get in trouble if i bring anymore fishin stuff home though since when moving stuff to the new house today one and a half of the loads was just fishing gear lol


LOL I know what you mean. 

Thanks Bottomfisher I'll poke around for one. The Airwave is a nice rod.


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## MDubious (May 10, 2008)

Go to...10ft St. Croix Premier with the old trusty 704Z, never fails...ever


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## dangie704 (Jun 4, 2009)

sound like a bunch of nice set ups there........:fishing:
new to surf and jetty fishing but last year i was at huntington jetty and almost got spooled out with my little shimano shara 4000 got scared and held on to the spool only to snapped the line..... so this year when i come back i will bring a little more..... heres what i got to fish with

st croix premiere 10'6 MH with a shimano stradic 6000 FI with 20 or 30lb power pro
daiwa emblem 10' MH with a daiwa coastal inshore 4000 with 20 or 30lb power pro
daiwa emblem 8' M with a shimano shara 4000 FB with 15 or 20lb power pro
shakespere ultra lite 6' with a field & stream rainer 40 with 15 or 20lb power pro:redface:


just bringing all this to make sure i got the rite gear for what ever is out there at the time that i come..... hoping to not get spooled out to see what was really on the other end of the line........


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## Flytyingguy1 (Sep 8, 2009)

When I'm down your way I use my Stella's 5000 & I just picked up a St Croix 9 & 10' Legend. I also love my Abu 6500 Rockets along with the Calcutta's 400 TE. I fish the Stella's with 17lb Sufix Braid Hi-Vis Yellow.

Some of the cheaper rods you guys want to take a look at are the Tica, DBlues & The Tusami rods. Great Rods for the Money. All so the new St Croix Mojo series rods are sweet but twice as much but not as much as the Legends.


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## Kellercl (Jan 28, 2010)

I have a Shimano Sustain with 15 lb braid on a St. Croix Inshore Legend. I use that current setup more than anything else. I also have a Shimano Saragosa with 20 lb braid on a St. Croix Surf Legend. Overall it has worked out very well for me.


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## matt anderson (Jan 29, 2006)

Shimano calcutta 250B on a 7' St. Croix TideMaster, use for Gatcha's ,Gulps ,live baiting flounder,drum and sheepies from the pier


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## outfishin28 (Jul 15, 2005)

my go to reel is a Abu Garcia 6500 CTC3, the go to rod is a 12' diawa emblem rated 4-6 i think. The reel will cast a mile and a half or so, even farther in the hands of the guy who sold it to me......


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## bluefish1928 (Jun 9, 2007)

SmoothLures said:


> What model Tsunami do you fish the BY with, if you don't mind me asking? I gotta settle on a rod soon.


i highly reccomend tsunami airwaves

lightweight, great textured grip, nice even bend, and casts well


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## kingfisherman23 (Dec 14, 2003)

I like a 525 Mag or 6500CTC3 on a 10' Ocean Master 4-8oz as my "bring only one" rod. That setup has caught everything from whiting up to 3' blacktips. If I think there are going to be bigger fish out there, I'll rig up the 12' OMCP Then of course there's the 13'6" AFAW Match or 13' Breakaway HDX for when the medium-large fish are way out there . And, in the extreme case where the big fish are a long way out, I have a knobby-magged SLOSH 30 to go on either the Match or my 14' Penn PPT.

But I never take just one. That's why my cart has so many freakin rod holders!

Evan


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