I need help with rod/reel/line setups for a new guy

[JasonK94Z]

I'm a new bass fisherman in South Carolina fishing in Lake Hartwell mainly and also Russel occasionally.  I've been buying rods and reels when I can, along with line.  There is so much information out there that I just end up thoroughly confused and just randomly pick one and go with it.

Right now I have 3 baitcast setup and 2 spinning setups.  The usual approx 6 foot medium fast rods.
I've been using p-line floroclear 15 lb or 12 lb line.  I do have a spool of 20 lb braid in the boat that I have not touched yet. 

How should I be setting these rods and reels up?  Which lines for which use?  Sounds like people set a rod/reel combo up for specific duties and I'm not sure what I should be doing to stay organized here (rod/reel combo duty) as I build up an inventory of equipment. 

If you have any suggestions for future rod/reel combos for specific use, I'd appreciate it. 

Thanks in advance!

[J.W.]

Some generalities...

Line-

Monofilament- has the most stretch and least sensitivity. Floats. Best use is for applications where treble hooks are involved, because the stretch will help prevent snatching the hooks out of a fish's mouth on the hook set, which is easy to do with trebles sometimes. Cheap, readily available.

Braid- has the least stretch and most sensitivity. Floats. Casts very well. Good for a wide range of applications. Lighter braid is excellent for finesse applications and heavier braid is the go-to for hand-to-hand combat style fishing like frogging in heavy cover, etc. Cuts through grass, but digs into wood.

Fluorocarbon- Not much stretch, high sensitivity. Sinks. Hard to see in water. Castability varies greatly with brand and weight. Helps get sinking baits down faster. Doesn't cut grass as well as braid, but slides off of wood instead of digging in.

For what it's worth, that P-Line Fluoroclear is mono, not fluorocarbon. It's coated with fluoro, but it's mono.



Rods-

Rod lengths and actions/tip are going to vary with applications.

For what you have, those spinning rods will work great for weightless soft plastics, drop-shots, light top-water, and other finesse-type applications. 6' is on the short side, but people made it work for years, so it's do-able. I fished with 6'6" spinning rods for a long time.

As far as baitcasting goes, I think a 7' to 7'4" medium-heavy/fast is a great choice for a "utility player" rod. You can do weighted T-rigs, chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, jigs, lighter frogs... pretty much any power-fishing technique that doesn't require a really heavy lure.

That will get you started, and you will learn your own preferences as you go.

[Donald Garner]

Jason,
First welcome to the UltimateBass Family we're glad you're here 

I've never fished in SC or on Lake Hartwell.  You're rod setup I would think should be on the 'Style' of fishing you enjoy doing.

Your spinning rods could be set up for Dropshoting & Wacky Rig fishing. 

The (1st) casting rod with the braided line could be set up for Fishing Texas Rigged Soft Plastics, Jig, Swim Jigs, Frogs etc.

The (2) casting rod could be setup to fish crankbaits whether deep diving or shallow crankbaits

The  (3) casting rod setup could be for Swim Baits, Spinnerbaits, Top Water Baits.

The line of choice would be yours to decide.  There are a lot of fisherman that fish with just braided line.  Others use a combination of braid and fluorocarbon and some use plain old monofilament.

Here's a link below that explains Fishing line types and the Pros and Cons of each.

  Types of fishing lines and use

I'm sure there will be other that will chime in with their suggestions on the setups.  Good luck with which ever you choose.

 

[Smallie_Stalker]

Welcome to the Ultimate Bass family! Looking forward to seeing you around the various boards.

All excellent advice so far.

Can you tell us a little more details about the rods (and maybe the reels too) that you are fishing with like the action and power of each? The more details we have the easier it will be to help you get things dialed in and maybe make some suggestions on future needs.

In fishing there are no hard and fast rules or right and wrong. I know this may not be what you want to hear but when it comes to which rod, reel line etc. a lot of it boils down to an individual angler's preference. Two guys fishing the exact same bait may be using two completely different setups.

But here are some general guidelines to help get you in the ball park:

A good all around workhorse rod is a 7' MH power fast action rod. You can do a LOT with just this one rod.

For treble hook baits you want a rod with a moderate or moderate-fast action.

For moving baits like a spinnerbait you want a fast action rod.

For fishing heavy cover with jigs or plastics you want a fast or extra fast action and generally a heavy power.

Finesse techniques like drop shot and ned rigs are usually fished on a longer spinning rod with a fast or extra fast tip action.

Obviously this is by no means a complete list just something to give you the generally accepted starting points


When it comes to line choice for which bait or presentation that is a deeply subjective matter and there is plenty of debate both here on UB and across the Internet.

Personally I have gotten to the place where I use braid for everything but 1 specific crankbait situation but that's just me, and it suits the way I fish well.

J.W.'s description of the various line types and what they are best suited for is 100% spot on.

1) For now experiment with what you have and see what works best FOR YOU.

2) If you can, give us some more details on your rods and reels so we can help narrow things down for you.

3) Most importantly, ask a LOT of questions as you go along. You will find the people here at Ultimate Bass are  always willing to help out.






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[JasonK94Z]

I'm sorry everyone, I mistakingly said I had 6' rods.  They are 7'.

I will provide specific details about each setup when I get home this evening after work.  Thanks for the replies so far!!  Great help!

[JasonK94Z]

#1 Diawa Tatula SV TW on a Diawa Aird X medium heavy-fast 7 foot

#2 Diawa CR80HS on a Duckett Silverado medium heavy-fast 6'8"

#3 Diawa Tatula SV TW on a Duckett Silverado medium heavy-fast 6'8"

#4 Diawa Fuego LT 2500 spinning reel on a Fenwick Elite Bass medium heavy-fast 7'

Any setup suggestions for these above and any suggestions to buy going forward would be great! 

[J.W.]

#1 is your all-purpose 7' MH/fast rod that I mentioned in my earlier post.
Jigs, weighted T-rigs, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, buzz baits, buzz frogs, etc. Most of your 1/4 oz to 3/4 oz moving baits, this rod will work fine for.

#2 I might would use it as a second rod similar to #1, just shorter.

#3 Out of the rods you have, this one would be your best bet for walking topwater lures, poppers, shallow crankbaits, and traps.

#4 Weightless T-rigs, wacky/neko rigs, light vertical jigging, jighead minnows, drop-shots, etc.


What to buy will depend on where you like to fish, and which techniques you enjoy using. I think if you play around with what you have on hand already, you'll get a better idea of what you like and don't like about your current gear, and can fill in the gaps as you see fit with new stuff.

Welcome to the addiction 

[JasonK94Z]

#1 is your all-purpose 7' MH/fast rod that I mentioned in my earlier post.
Jigs, weighted T-rigs, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, buzz baits, buzz frogs, etc. Most of your 1/4 oz to 3/4 oz moving baits, this rod will work fine for.

#2 I might would use it as a second rod similar to #1, just shorter.

#3 Out of the rods you have, this one would be your best bet for walking topwater lures, poppers, shallow crankbaits, and traps.

#4 Weightless T-rigs, wacky/neko rigs, light vertical jigging, jighead minnows, drop-shots, etc.


What to buy will depend on where you like to fish, and which techniques you enjoy using. I think if you play around with what you have on hand already, you'll get a better idea of what you like and don't like about your current gear, and can fill in the gaps as you see fit with new stuff.

Welcome to the addiction 

Thank you very much for this. It is a huge help to me and is sending me in the right direction!
I look forward to giving my future paychecks to the local bait and tackle store. Ha!
One good thing about that is my friends don works there and I get 30% off everything. He'll be working there through college.

[Princeton_Man]

Good advice here, nothing I can add. -J

[D.W. Verts]

Just don't make it so complicated that it isn't fun. Bass fishin' is supposed to be FUN.

Dale

[JasonK94Z]

Just don't make it so complicated that it isn't fun. Bass fishin' is supposed to be FUN.

Dale

I understand. Just got to hook one now. Got hit a couple of times Sunday on a shakey head but missed hooking it. I'm going to figure this out soon.

[J.W.]

#3 Out of the rods you have, this one would be your best bet for walking topwater lures, poppers, shallow crankbaits, and traps.

Ok, when I posted that, I swear I thought your post said your #3 was a medium/fast, not medium-heavy/fast. So your #3 is about like your #2.

You can still fish the stuff I posted with it, but you might want to spool it with mono to give those trebles a better chance of hooking up.

Good luck! Like Dale said, just go have fun. This is a great time of year to catch some.

[JasonK94Z]

#3 Out of the rods you have, this one would be your best bet for walking topwater lures, poppers, shallow crankbaits, and traps.

Ok, when I posted that, I swear I thought your post said your #3 was a medium/fast, not medium-heavy/fast. So your #3 is about like your #2.

You can still fish the stuff I posted with it, but you might want to spool it with mono to give those trebles a better chance of hooking up.

Good luck! Like Dale said, just go have fun. This is a great time of year to catch some.

Much appreciated JW!

[D.W. Verts]

Just don't make it so complicated that it isn't fun. Bass fishin' is supposed to be FUN.

Dale

I understand. Just got to hook one now. Got hit a couple of times Sunday on a shakey head but missed hooking it. I'm going to figure this out soon.

Oh brother. Been doing this almost a half century and I ain't figured much out yet. Enjoy the ride, the sunrises and sunsets, and the folks you get to spend time with. The fish will come.

Dale

[Capt. BassinLou]

Good recommendations. Welcome to UB Jason.    Piggy backing off Dale's post, keep things simple. Learn the fundamentals, get really good at them, and you will have a blast!  Best of luck on your bass fishing journey. As you can see, we are always here to help. 

[JasonK94Z]

Good recommendations. Welcome to UB Jason.    Piggy backing off Dale's post, keep things simple. Learn the fundamentals, get really good at them, and you will have a blast!  Best of luck on your bass fishing journey. As you can see, we are always here to help. 

Thank you. The few times I've been out on my new boat has been really fun.

[loomisguy]

I would consider purchasing a lesser powered spinning rod for finesse stuff . Medium light or medium at most for the Ned rig , Shaky head , wacky rig ect. 10 or 15 lb. braid to a 6 or 8lb. leader.

[Hobious]

in my experience and my hands...I keep the 20lb braid on the spinning reels.  I find the smaller diameter braid really bite into the spool on bait cast reels.  the small diameter allows the line to slip in between each other causing me fits.  I laughed at a friend for a season when he would cast out his jig, and it comes to an abrupt halt 25 feet from his rod tip.  his line was doing exactly this.  me?  I would try to compensate by casting harder...and I would backlash.

I only put 40lb..okay 50lb or greater on a bait cast reel.  I can cast so far!!  the diameter of 50lb braid is like 8lb mono (I think) and I have no issues.  right now I have a SLX DC with 40lb braid, and a Curado DC with 50lb braid.  last year on big bomb cast from shore, I could feel the 40lb coming off the reel "sticky".  but the big 3/4 or 1oz lures would just haul the line off the reel.  it was like playing a game of chicken with my reel.  I put 50lb on the Curado for the same Oklahoma striper trip.  I don't expect problems.

just a thought.

[JasonK94Z]

#3 Out of the rods you have, this one would be your best bet for walking topwater lures, poppers, shallow crankbaits, and traps.

Ok, when I posted that, I swear I thought your post said your #3 was a medium/fast, not medium-heavy/fast. So your #3 is about like your #2.

You can still fish the stuff I posted with it, but you might want to spool it with mono to give those trebles a better chance of hooking up.

Good luck! Like Dale said, just go have fun. This is a great time of year to catch some.

Good call. Thank you!

[JasonK94Z]

Just want to report back that I have set up my rod/reel combos as suggested in here.
I have since caught about 6 bass in a couple of trips since I posted this question!  One trip to a different lake with someone local that's been helping me. He fishes a lot of tournaments, so he showed me a lot that day about where to find bass usually.  We fished that day as if it was a tournament. Every fish measured, scaled, culled, and kept in the livewell. We covered a lot of water. I'm hooked on this way of doing things! 

20lb braid on spinning teaks is a dream to cast. Wow!

Baitcaster reels are my nemesis right now. I have two Daiwa sv tws reels that are forgiving to me but one Tatula tw100h that is trying its hardest to make me rage quit. Could be the p-line flouroclear?  It likes to come unwound at will and it's certainly spooled on in the right direction.

Yesterday I went out and caught nothing but it was still an okay time until the wind really picked up. Cold front came through recently and I believe it has the fishing all screwed up right now.

Thanks again everyone for the help in the right direction! 

[Capt. BassinLou]

Just want to report back that I have set up my rod/reel combos as suggested in here.
I have since caught about 6 bass in a couple of trips since I posted this question!  One trip to a different lake with someone local that's been helping me. He fishes a lot of tournaments, so he showed me a lot that day about where to find bass usually.  We fished that day as if it was a tournament. Every fish measured, scaled, culled, and kept in the livewell. We covered a lot of water. I'm hooked on this way of doing things! 

20lb braid on spinning teaks is a dream to cast. Wow!

Baitcaster reels are my nemesis right now. I have two Daiwa sv tws reels that are forgiving to me but one Tatula tw100h that is trying its hardest to make me rage quit. Could be the p-line flouroclear?  It likes to come unwound at will and it's certainly spooled on in the right direction.

Yesterday I went out and caught nothing but it was still an okay time until the wind really picked up. Cold front came through recently and I believe it has the fishing all screwed up right now.

Thanks again everyone for the help in the right direction!

Appreciate the update! Wtg! In regards to the reel with FC. Buy cheaper 14-17 lb quality mono filament and practice with that type of line. That way, if you have over runs or backlashes, it won't break the bank to replace. That's what I did years ago. Good luck!

[J.W.]

Baitcaster reels are my nemesis right now. I have two Daiwa sv tws reels that are forgiving to me but one Tatula tw100h that is trying its hardest to make me rage quit. Could be the p-line flouroclear?  It likes to come unwound at will and it's certainly spooled on in the right direction.

I don't want to push my preferences on you, but I prefer braid on my baitcasters for smooth casting and longer distances.

[JasonK94Z]

Baitcaster reels are my nemesis right now. I have two Daiwa sv tws reels that are forgiving to me but one Tatula tw100h that is trying its hardest to make me rage quit. Could be the p-line flouroclear?  It likes to come unwound at will and it's certainly spooled on in the right direction.

I don't want to push my preferences on you, but I prefer braid on my baitcasters for smooth casting and longer distances.

I've read people doing this.  What size line do you use?  How is it if/when it gets a birdsnest?  Or is it less likely to do so?

[Capt. BassinLou]

Baitcaster reels are my nemesis right now. I have two Daiwa sv tws reels that are forgiving to me but one Tatula tw100h that is trying its hardest to make me rage quit. Could be the p-line flouroclear?  It likes to come unwound at will and it's certainly spooled on in the right direction.

I don't want to push my preferences on you, but I prefer braid on my baitcasters for smooth casting and longer distances.

I've read people doing this.  What size line do you use?  How is it if/when it gets a birdsnest?  Or is it less likely to do so?

The weight of the braid is determined by the technique you are throwing. Power fishing techniques will employ heavier braids versus finesse fishing, where you will use lighter braids.

As far as backlashes and overruns are concerned. Several factors are at play. The experience of the user is a very important factor.  Proper reel adjustments as far as spool tension and brake settings are critical.

Throwing a light lure or light  soft plastic will definitely cause you some headaches, especially if you are not using the proper rod.

 If you're determined to use braid, throw heavier baits first. They are more forgiving versus lighter baits.

Although braid may be easier to cast, if you don't have the reel experience and your thumb is not trained enough, mistakes will be a lot more costly with braid.

Practicing with mono is your safest and cheapest bet for now, as I mentioned on a previous post.

Good luck!

[J.W.]

I've read people doing this.  What size line do you use?  How is it if/when it gets a birdsnest?  Or is it less likely to do so?

Like I said, I don't want to push my preferences on anyone. What Lou posted above is excellent advice, it hurts your heart and mind a lot less to cut into a blown up spool of mono than one full of brand new braid.

Braid does not have the memory that the other two can get, so it doesn't try to loop or coil on you, which might make it easier in some respects. That was my experience, anyway. Maybe I just had garbage mono, I can't remember. Birdsnests suck regardless of line choice. To me braid is a little easier to pick out if it's a minor mess, because I don't have to worry about kinking the line like you do with mono or especially fluoro, but it's also easier to get a knot in your braid, and once it's there, if it doesn't pull out, it ain't coming out. There's pros and cons to everything.

Whichever line you choose, you need to make sure your reel is set up. The usual advice is to start with really conservative settings. Set the spool tension so that the bait drops from the rod tip fairly slowly, and set the brakes close to max. Once you get the hang of it, you can back off those settings incrementally.

Also, look at your spool occasionally when you're winding your line back on, make sure you don't have any loose loops or they'll cause you problems on the next cast.

As far as which weight, I usually throw PowerPro original in lb tests ranging from 15 lb for lighter baits up to 50 lb for frogging and heavy vegetation. 20 lb is a good "general-purpose" line.

Just keep practicing, it'll come. Even the pros get the occasional backlash.