Fishing pole recommendation?

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It depends entirely on the type of fishing you will be doing.  You won't use the same outfit for trout that you would for salmon, nor the same for fly fishing as for surf fishing or casting.  For traveling, I like my collapsible rod just fine for trout, bass, etc.
 
If I knew how to post images from my files on here I would show you why some cost so much.&nbsp; I have caught everything from a 2 oz creek chub to a 750 pound tiger shark.&nbsp; I weekend mated on several offshore boats from Cape May, NJ&nbsp;to Ocean City, NJ.&nbsp; Made some spare money as a trout bum and fished the Delaware and Cheasepeake Bay.&nbsp; Both recreational and commercially.&nbsp; <br><br>I use orvis fly reels, but not the rods.&nbsp; The rods range from 300 to 1200, just to give you an example.&nbsp; <br><br>Basically, it is the fisherman that catches the fish.&nbsp; The reel is a way to hold and get line back, the rod is meant for a delivery system of your offering and to give you leverage in fighting the fish.&nbsp; <br><br>For your need (Pier saltwater fishing) I would get a Penn 5500 series reel, with 20 pound test and an 8' ugly stick that has a med-to heavy action.&nbsp; You can cast with enough weight to hold bottom, yet still cast a lure to surface breaking fish with enough sensitivity to feel the bite of a one pound sea bass or have enough back bone to land a 40 to 50 pound fish.&nbsp;<br><br><br>Hope this helps.&nbsp; This out fit will run you about&nbsp;$150-$160 but will out last the $80 rigs buy 3 fold, hence saving you money in the long run and be worth half as much on the street vs. a five dollar bill maybe.&nbsp; <br><br><br>The reel will run you $110, the road another $40, line will be in the $10 range.&nbsp; If you need links to find them let me know.&nbsp; The real (not reel) cost is in the other gear and bait.&nbsp; If you drink could be the beer or the addiction the lost of work for days taken off to fish the bite.<br><br><br>
 
Thanks for the excellent information! I agree it's better to spend more for something better that will last, and something that I can grow into instead of outgrowing and having to buy something else later. I will probably get something large enough to meet current and future needs, but it has to be able to come apart in 2 or 3 pieces for easy storage in the vehicle. &nbsp;<br><br>Even though I know little about fishing rods, the one thing I do know is that anything that is mechanical with moving parts is the thing that has the greatest potential for failure. &nbsp;In this case, an excellent reel is imperative since that one thing can get all messed up from constant movement. &nbsp;<br><br>It's a lot like buying a decent mountain bike. Why does one mountain bike cost only $300 versus another one for $1000? &nbsp;Because the moving parts (eg: Shimano gears for brakes, gears, etc) are much better grade at the higher cost level, versus cheap sometimes plastic parts for the lower price level. Brakes and gears are the items that will usually fail for the cheap parts of a mountain bike. <br><br>However, the frame of most mountain bikes whether low price or high price will usually not break no matter how much force is applied for most bicycle riding. I would liken the bicycle frame to the fishing rod. The higher price bicycle frame costs more because it's lighter and stronger versus regular steel. I'm guessing that's why graphite material fishing rods cost more than regular rods.&nbsp;<br><br>More importantly, I don't want to show up at a fishing pier with an inferior fishing pole that other guys would laugh at, haha! Joke!&nbsp;<img src="/images/boards/smilies/eek.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img"><img src="/images/boards/smilies/rofl.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img">
 
Yes, but you can get it cheaper.&nbsp; IF you order from there, to keep cost in check, order the Penn Battle 4000 or 5000.&nbsp; Lean to the 5000. They are also all metal constructed.&nbsp; <br><br>Below is the specs of the Penn Battle 5000.&nbsp;<br><br>Here is a lessen on reels. First they wrote the line capacities wrong.<br><br>A-1 is the lower line rates. A-2 is the higher line rates.&nbsp; They have them written wrong for A-1 and A-2.&nbsp; The 250/12&nbsp; and the 405/20&nbsp;should read 405/12 and 250/20&nbsp;this mean the reel can hold 405 yards of 12 pound line or 250 yards of 20 pound line.&nbsp; You will notice&nbsp;this reel for your use is mid range.&nbsp; Which is good.&nbsp; If you were to fish lighter line for smaller fish or larger line for bigger fish or conditions&nbsp;it will work.&nbsp; <br><br>B is the bearings on the reel.<br><br>C is the max amount of drag you could put on this reel. If you chose 20 pound line, if you tighten the drag as much as it can be tighten and the fish still is pulling line, you need to tire him out or your line may break..<br><br>D is the ratio of retrieve.&nbsp;&nbsp;For every one turn of the handle, the spool revolves 5.6 times.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><br>E for every turn of the handle your line is retrieved&nbsp;37 inches<br><br>F is&nbsp;the weight of the reel.&nbsp; This is good to know to balance the reel with the rod.&nbsp; You can go with a stout 7' rod or a more flimsy 9' rod.&nbsp; Stout meaning Heavy and Flimsy meaning light in rod terms.<br><br><br>Hope this helps.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A-1&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A-2&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; B&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; C&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; D&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; E&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; F<br><table width="578" class="body1" border="0" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td width="72" class="model-code"><br><a href="http://www.tackledirect.com/penn-btl5000-battle-spinning-reels.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">BTL5000</a>PEN-0893</td><td width="64">250/12<br>220/15<br>190/17</td><td width="64">405/20<br>305/30<br>250/40</td><td width="64">6+1</td><td width="64">20 lbs.</td><td width="64">5.6:1</td><td width="64">37 in</td><td width="64" style="border-right-color: currentColor; border-right-width: medium; border-right-style: none;">20.3 oz</td></tr></tbody></table>
 
Great, detailed info, thanks! &nbsp;Might you have a link for a good place to buy that particular reel ?
 
I have two Penn Sargus reels.&nbsp; Yes, the price is not bad.&nbsp; Check locally to save on shipping and to support the local shops.&nbsp; They will give you good tips or advice for the area.&nbsp; Something the web stores can not or do not do.&nbsp; <br><br>Tight lines.&nbsp; LOL&nbsp; <br><br>That means see you later.&nbsp; You might as well get used to the lingo.&nbsp;
 
I have an update here! I ended up going to a high end fishing shop not too far from me. They had fishing poles costing over $440 just for the pole! That was too high end for me.<br><br>I ended up getting a decent Ugly Stick (Shakespear Bigwater&nbsp;model)&nbsp;that is sturdy and long enough and detaches into 2 separate pieces for easy storage.&nbsp; Plus got the Penn BTL8000 Reel to go with the pole.&nbsp; Everything was put together separately, as opposed to the combination packages.&nbsp; The pro shop guy manually added 250 yards of 30 pound line to the reel for no extra cost.&nbsp; Plus he also helped me in obtaining what he thought are&nbsp;necessary starter items for my tackle box.&nbsp; <br><br>The pro shop guy really knew his stuff.&nbsp; He showed me how some poles were not sturdy enough, and demonstrated by flicking the rod up and down to show how much some rods wobbled&nbsp;in the air excessively.&nbsp;But the Ugly Stick he recommended to me was quite sturdy and will hold up for most any saltwater fishing needs I might encounter.&nbsp; He also told me that I shouldn't get a graphite pole because it's not as sturdy, and may break under pressure.&nbsp; I don't know if that's true for certain, but I took his advice.<br><br>The rep also gave me helpful advice, such as why it's better to *not* have the line already spooled into the reel (pre-packaged).&nbsp; That's because the line may have been packaged that way for many months, and may have developed a "memory" of being wound in the reel for so long.&nbsp; Hence when you throw the line out, the line may not be as smooth in going through the holes in the pole (rough paraphrase).&nbsp; So I went for his suggestion of adding the line manually to the reel, which he did at no extra charge.<br><br>As for the reel, I had read good reviews on the Penn series, so I opted for one. I almost got the 5000 Penn reel, but there was noticeable difference between the lower 5000 model versus the 8000 model. The 5000 model has parts made of thin metal, and I think&nbsp;were also plastic versus metal.&nbsp; The 8000 model was noticeably thicker with its stainless steel metal parts, and I can easily tell the difference that the 8000 model&nbsp;is sturdier.&nbsp; So I opted to pay more for the top of the line 8000 Penn reel.<br><br>I almost got this other reel called the <span id="btAsinTitle">Okuma Avenger that has a special "brake" lever feature at the back of the reel. The rep was trying to explain how that special lever works, and that it would be more convenient to use versus traditional reels.&nbsp; But unfortunately, I had a hard time understanding how that special feature works, so I didn't get the Avenger reel.&nbsp; The lower end Avenger reel was around $125 and the higher end Avenger reel was around $170 if I recall correctly.<br><br>Before going to this boutique fishing shop, I had also visited other sporting stores such as Big 5, Sports Authority, Walmart.&nbsp; But seriously, these big box stores have a smaller selection of low(er) end fishing equipment, plus trying to find a knowledgable sales rep to help me is sometimes next to impossible. So many of these sales reps at these stores are like young kids that could easily work at a Starbucks! So no matter what they tell me, I would be doubtful about any of their "expert" advice regarding fishing needs! <br><br>Anyways, check out the 3 pictures attached.&nbsp; I spent a total of just over $200 that includes the reel, pole, tackle box and items.<br><br>Now I need to get a fishing license and watch some "how to dummy" fishing videos on YouTube, haha! <br><br><br></span><br><br>
 
You did well and he told you correct info.&nbsp; <br><br>The live line real you are talking about the Okume Avenger is a decent reel, but it is unlikely you would need it jetty or pier fishing.&nbsp; IMO it is fish specific.&nbsp; I use one when I live line stripers, bluefish and a larger version tuna.<br><br>In laymens terms, the fish grabs the bait, doesn't feel any resistance and turns and runs with the bait, then the brakes are hit and he is hooked.&nbsp; Why this is important in these species is they tend to mouth the bait a bit and can spit it out at any thing odd to them.<br><br>Good stuff, hope you enjoy and tight lines.
 
RJCooper,<br><br>Many thanks! Always good to know I made a good purchase from someone in the know! I was at that pro shop for over an hour trying to figure out what to mix and match. It was agonizing, haha! &nbsp;Thanks for the info about the Avenger reel. &nbsp;Your explanation makes more sense to me! &nbsp;Maybe in the future, I might get the Avenger reel for a second spare, but for now, I'm satisfied with my current choice of gear.<br><br>By the way, how do you carry your fishing pole to the destination? Do you just carry the pole/reel "naked"? &nbsp;Or do you use some type of carry case? &nbsp;I'm thinking of getting a carry case with a shoulder strap so I can easily carry the gear to whatever spot for fishing. The carry case would be useful not only for protection of gear, but also I'm hoping the case will help prevent any stinky fish smell from seeping into the rest of the van. &nbsp;I can just imagine!&nbsp;<br><br>Here's an example of a carry case with shoulder strap that I'm thinking of getting. I measured my fishing pole with reel attached, and the 2 parts are exactly 50" in length for each piece. &nbsp;I attached 2 pictures showing the length of the pole detached. &nbsp;I'm trying to figure out what carry case will fit the pole with the reel attached. &nbsp;OR.......is it a bad idea to store the pole with the reel attached? &nbsp;Is it better to detach the reel from the pole when not used? &nbsp;<br><br><a style="font-size: 13px;" href="http://www.amazon.com/FISHING-ROD-C...p;sr=8-3&amp;keywords=fishing+pole+carry+case" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/FISHING-ROD-C...p;sr=8-3&amp;keywords=fishing+pole+carry+case</a><br><a href="http://www.amazon.com/FISHING-ROD-C...p;sr=8-3&amp;keywords=fishing+pole+carry+case" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><br>Or maybe this hard case:<br></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Daiwa-System-...p;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=fishing+pole+carry+case" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Daiwa-System-...p;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=fishing+pole+carry+case</a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/FISHING-ROD-C...p;sr=8-3&amp;keywords=fishing+pole+carry+case" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><br><br><br><br></a>
 
If I am surf, jetty or pier fishing I use a $25 hand truck.&nbsp; I put a 1 foot piece of 1 1/2" PVC on it with a bungee cord.&nbsp; I put my cooler and tackle box on the platform turn around and walk where I am going.&nbsp; <br><br>Flyfishing, all goes in rod tubes and reel cases.&nbsp; <br><br>When I kayak fish, the rods go into the basket behind me until I am ready to fish. Then the rod holders.&nbsp; <br><br>The only rods I protect are the fly rods and reels.&nbsp; The other stuff is hanging from the ceiling of my cap in rod holders.&nbsp; A total of 8 rods and reels in there.
 
8 rods and reels, wow! You are serious!&nbsp; I think I'll buy 7 more just to catch up with you, joke! <img class="emoticon bbc_img" src="/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif">&nbsp; Hmmm, the more I think about it, it's probably better for me to get 2 separate containers, one for the rod, and another container for the reel.&nbsp; That may provide better protection that way.&nbsp; Plus it's hard to find a carry case that I'm sure will fit my particular setup.&nbsp; Might you suggest a good reel container?&nbsp; Do they make custom fit reel containers that will fit my Penn 8000BTL reel?&nbsp; I'm thinking maybe a hard(ish) case is better? <br><br>Your hand truck idea is great, I think I'll steal...err, borrow that same idea!&nbsp; I've been keeping a portable/collapsible dolly/box with wheels in my van for many months without ever using it.&nbsp; Probably is a good idea to use it for carrying the fishing gear plus a cooler too.&nbsp; Just for kicks, I noticed Amazon sells specialized fishing carts going for up to $200, unreal! <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Reels-Wheel-Fishing-Select-Options/dp/B0023APCFI/ref=pd_sim_sbs_sg_11" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Reels-Wheel-Fishing-Select-Options/dp/B0023APCFI/ref=pd_sim_sbs_sg_11</a>&nbsp; No, I won't get it! <img class="emoticon bbc_img" src="/images/boards/smilies/eek.gif"><br><br>What about a fishing rod holder?&nbsp; Here's one below&nbsp;that just stakes to the ground.&nbsp; That way I can just relax in my lounge chair waiting for a fish to bite, instead of constantly holding onto the fishing pole?&nbsp; Is this useful or&nbsp;a waste?<br><a href="http://www.amazon.com/MiniFighter-F...amp;sr=1-21&amp;keywords=fishing+pole+holders" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/MiniFighter-F...amp;sr=1-21&amp;keywords=fishing+pole+holders</a><br><br><br><br><br>
 
The best and cheapest hard case for rods are PVC pipe with a threaded cleanout.&nbsp; For the reels, go to any box lumber store and get a tool box.&nbsp; Mine go into a Stanley waterproof box.&nbsp; I have made and sold surf fishing carts for $50 and sold them at the parking lots for $150.&nbsp; I make and sell about 10-15 a year. It pays for my hobby, my hobby buys my meat.&nbsp; I eat fish 3 times a week in season which for me is March-November.&nbsp; I start hunting in October and run that through February, so I don't buy much meat or seafood for that matter.&nbsp; <br><br>I can a bit too.&nbsp; Pressure cook it or dehydrate right in the campgrounds I stay.&nbsp; When I fire up the smoker or crab cooker, it's like the pied piper calling.&nbsp; lol<br><br>This past weekend the crabs were steaming and a pair of lady campers enjoyed some steam crabs with me.&nbsp; Hand lined them the night before about 3 dozen in a few hours, using my fish scraps from the day before.&nbsp; It is a simple life, everything is a circle.&nbsp; <br><br>
 
Wow.........you are the MAN!&nbsp; When I get laid off my job, whenever that might be, I'm gonna have to hire you to learn how to live off the land! <img class="emoticon bbc_img" src="/images/boards/smilies/thumb.gif"><br>Where you located?&nbsp; I'm in California.<br><br>By the way, I just finally paid $59 for my California fishing license, which is only good for the end of this year. I'm gonna try to get at least a few fishing sessions in before winter comes.&nbsp; There are some great <a href="http://www.meetup.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.meetup.com</a> fishing events in my area, so I'm gonna sign up for fishing events as much as possible for the rest of this summer.
 
Here's an update. I found the perfect carry case! I drove 2 miles to visit a Bass Pro Shops store. That store was gigantic, like a Disneyland for all things outdoor activities! &nbsp;I almost got a large cylinder made for carrying poles, but the problem was that it didn't fit the reel attached to the pole. &nbsp;So I went to the hunting department, and found a 52" shotgun carry case, and my large Ugly Stick BigWater pole fit perfectly inside with the Penn 8000 reel attached! &nbsp;Even better, I bought a second smaller fishing pole/reel combo, and that also fit inside the same shotgun carry case. Now I have 2 complete fishing poles inside a shotgun carry case that I can sling over my shoulders to carry to the fishing hole! &nbsp;I also picked up other odds and ends, such as a bottle of Penn reel lubricant, fishing plier tools, fishing gloves, even a fishing vest, haha! &nbsp;I almost got a fishing pole holder, but the only one that would fit my large Ugly Stick pole was this huge metal thing that looked like a stake you would use to kill count dracula! &nbsp;I decided against it. Also got a new lounge chair to comfortably lounge around while waiting for the fish to bite, haha!
 
Update here. I went on a fishing trip last weekend and caught my first fish EVER in my life! See picture attached. Unfortunately, it was a small 2 or 3 inch trout, so I had to throw it back in the lake. <br><br>I was not deterred though at the small fish caught! I learned a lot from a couple other more experienced&nbsp;guys.&nbsp; I learned more from all the various things that can go wrong versus things that go right.<br><br>For example, I learned the importance of having lots of line yardage on the reel, preferably around 300 yards. That's because our lines kept getting tangled up in a knot from our multiple rods on a raft boat. Even though our raft was anchored in the Sacramento River, there was a pretty strong and constant current which over time kept tangling up our 4 fishing pole lines that were cast out behind the boat from a long distance.&nbsp; You should see some of the huge tangled knots!&nbsp; We were cutting lines constantly left and right!<br><br>I also learned the value of having multiple lures.&nbsp;That's because we kept losing lures since our lines were near the bottom of the water and kept getting permanently snagged to whatever was underneath.&nbsp; Those T-55 Flat Fish Lures by Yakima aren't cheap either at around $7 to $8 each.&nbsp; Heck, you pretty much need multiples of everything!<br><br>I also got another fishing rod/reel combo from Bass Pro Shops.&nbsp; It's a Penn Fierce 6000 reel with a Penn 8' 2-piece rod combo for $89.99, and I paid extra for the 30 pound braided&nbsp;line at 300 yards.&nbsp; My first rig is a Penn 8000 Battle reel ($119)&nbsp;with a 9' Big Water Ugly Stick ($59) with 30 pound mono line at 300 yards.&nbsp; My 3rd&nbsp;rig is a Power Plus rod/reel/line combo&nbsp;for a mere $29.99 at Bass Pro Shops, and ironically this cheap combo is what I used to catch my first fish ever, per the attached picture, haha! By the way, you guys should check out a Bass Pro Shops store, it's the largest outdoor sports store I've ever seen! Just massive!<br><br>I also got a few tackle boxes of different sizes and quickly&nbsp;filled up the boxes with various items. I can't believe how fast I spent $300 on a whole bunch of small items, haha! I don't even know how to use half these items! <img class="emoticon bbc_img" src="/images/boards/smilies/crazy.gif"><img class="emoticon bbc_img" src="/images/boards/smilies/eek.gif">&nbsp; My next step is to figure out what types of bait to get. I quickly learned that I pretty much need to get specific types of baits depending on the type of fish I'm trying to catch. So far I've learned that sardines are good for trying to catch salmon, and anchovies is good for pier fishing. I also want to get some of that "PowerBait" stuff that comes in a bag or container that I can use for catching trout or catfish at nearby lakes.&nbsp; <br><br>I'm also thinking of getting a portable fishing rod that you can fit in your backpack, such as these choices:<br><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ODM2RM/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_2?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ODM2RM/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_2?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1</a><br><br><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...le_3?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1&amp;smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...le_3?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1&amp;smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER</a><br><br>I figure if I get a dozen more fishing rod/reel rigs, I can catch up to RJCooper, haha! Just kidding!<br><br><br><br><br>
 

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