What should you spend on a new fly rod and reel for Redfish?
I do not want to go with basement bargains that will be trashed at the end of the year and I do not want to overspend.
What are some good brand rods and what are some good reels.
Anything to stay away from?
There are alot of companies that offer good quality product for a beginner price point, as well as reels. Some good ones to look into would be Temple Fork Outfitters, St. Croix, and Sage.
Invest the larger portion of you budget into the rod… The reel is less important with redfish. You do however want to make sure you get a sealed drag system and corrosion proof frame, This will keep you from replaceing it every year.
With rod, reel, line and backing, I would budget around $250.00 to $300 dollars for a good setup.
There is cheaper stuff out there but just remempber you get what you pay for.
Mad MIke
Good advice right there from a pro.
So much water, So little time
the CA set me up with the new Sage Launch rod ( has some fancy tech that lets begginers feel the rod load more, im sure mike could explain better ), an Orvis battenkill V mid arbor reel, and some SA line. Has been a good, relativly inexspensive set up for me
Go Cocks
Which weight of rod for redfish?
How long a rod?
Thanks for all the advice.
The Launch rod is a good choice for someone new to saltwater fishing… There’s really nothing techy about it, Sage just tapered it in a way that would make it easier to load for the angler. This allows even a novice angle to feel the rod loading and unloading and helps them as they learn the physics behind casting. This rod will do well in most conditions, but as you mature as an angler you will probably want to move into something a little stiffer for those windy days and long casts.
Alot of people want to jump into really high end extra fast rods right off the bat thinking that the best rod they can buy will be the best for them. This is not the case, as a beginner you would not be able to take advantage of an extra fast rod, your skills and abilities just arent there yet. Its much better to look into slower action rods such as the launch to help you learn. You will be alot happier in the end and have a better experience as you get your feet wet in saltwater.
Shallowskiff- Im no expert but if you need help or have questions about rods, or want some pointers once you find one that works for you, give me a shout at the shop, or email me and I’ll be glad to help in any way possible.
Mad Mike
quote:
Originally posted by Mad_MikeThe Launch rod is a good choice for someone new to saltwater fishing… There’s really nothing techy about it, Sage just tapered it in a way that would make it easier to load for the angler. This allows even a novice angle to feel the rod loading and unloading and helps them as they learn the physics behind casting. This rod will do well in most conditions, but as you mature as an angler you will probably want to move into something a little stiffer for those windy days and long casts.
Alot of people want to jump into really high end extra fast rods right off the bat thinking that the best rod they can buy will be the best for them. This is not the case, as a beginner you would not be able to take advantage of an extra fast rod, your skills and abilities just arent there yet. Its much better to look into slower action rods such as the launch to help you learn. You will be alot happier in the end and have a better experience as you get your feet wet in saltwater.
Shallowskiff- Im no expert but if you need help or have questions about rods, or want some pointers once you find one that works for you, give me a shout at the shop, or email me and I’ll be glad to help in any way possible.
Mad Mike
Thanks Mad Mike
I really appreciate you help.
What WT. rod would you suggest.
SS
9’ 8wt are the norm for redfish. 7-9.
I’ve been very satisfied with my 9 foot 8wt. It’ good for most everything I run into.
I also have 2 freshwater setups I use from time to time. One is a 7foot 5 wt and the other is a 6 1/2 foot 3wt. Both are too light if it gets breezy and the 3 wt would probably get trashed if I accidently hook into a big red.
So much water, So little time
Ditto… 7-9 wts will work well for reds. 8wt is the most commonly used, and offers a wide array of saltwater targets. To aid in casting you may want to overline the rod. For example, if you buy an 8wt rod, you would load your reel with 9wt fly line. This will make loading the rod alot easier and add some distance to your casts.
Mad Mike
quote:
Originally posted by Mad_MikeDitto… 7-9 wts will work well for reds. 8wt is the most commonly used, and offers a wide array of saltwater targets. To aid in casting you may want to overline the rod. For example, if you buy an 8wt rod, you would load your reel with 9wt fly line. This will make loading the rod alot easier and add some distance to your casts.
Mad Mike
Mad Mike
You sure have a lot of good tips.
Thanks
SS
Pick you up a 9 foot 8 weight with a good weight forward saltwater taper floating line. There are several lines that are color coded that helps you judge how much line you need to have out before you shoot. Another option with considering is to go with a shooting head system which is more flexible as well as a little easier to learn to cast, however, it’s a bit pricer than a single line system. Lastly don’t over analyze the deal, spend as much as you can afford on a good rod, while the reel is not as important as the rod it needs to be of high enough quality that it can handle the salt! Don’t look at it as a single purchase but rather a longterm investment that will provide you years of service.
quote:
Originally posted by jmbPick you up a 9 foot 8 weight with a good weight forward saltwater taper floating line. There are several lines that are color coded that helps you judge how much line you need to have out before you shoot. Another option with considering is to go with a shooting head system which is more flexible as well as a little easier to learn to cast, however, it’s a bit pricer than a single line system. Lastly don’t over analyze the deal, spend as much as you can afford on a good rod, while the reel is not as important as the rod it needs to be of high enough quality that it can handle the salt! Don’t look at it as a single purchase but rather a longterm investment that will provide you years of service.
JMB
Do I ask for the shooting head system? Is this the Rod or the Rod and Reel together.
You can by a pre packaged rig but I’d advise against it, becaues most combos unless it’s put together by the fly shop is going to be on the lower end of the quality scale. Why the concept sounds good to most folks looking to get in the game, it ends up costing you more if you like it and want to progress with better quality stuff.
You should be able to pick up a nice SW rod in the $200.00 to $400 range. Your looking at close to that for a decent SW reel. I’d try to find something in the Bar Stock line, like an Albright GPX which goes for around $225.00. It’s a good starter reel that will last a very long time and give you years of servcie. Orvis also has some nice stuff but if you go true SW the Mark V is going to set you back around 400.00 and change. It’s going to be about the same for a Ross which is my personal favoriate even over a Tibor which is twice the cost. What happen of the lower end reels is that they are not quite as tight and refined as the higher end Orvis, Ross, Able or Tibor types, but typically they are about 1/3 to 1/2 of the cost. I suspect if you go the packaged route and fish very much, you’re going to want to trade up pretty quick and you’re not going to have the same resale value on a lower end stuff that you’ll have on the mid level outfits. As for the shooting head system, they are much more popular amoung the NE surf fisherman than down south because they are dealing with more wind and current plus at times they need to get thier flies down in the current pretty fast. It’s not as popular in the S simpley because most the fly fishing is done in very skinny water. However with that said, what’s good about the shooting head or a color coded floating lines is that you have a visual reference regarding how much line you should have out to load the rod and take your shot. While the shooting heads systems may hinge a bit, it’s was worth the trade off for me becuase it tought me how to shoot your line much more efficiently and effectively than a traditional WF Floating line. When I le
JMB
Thanks.
This is what I like about this website. A man can get good advice that saves time and money. I have learned so much.
What do you think about a Bass Pro Shop setup rod and reel combo?
SS
Just make sure that you share the wealth back, after all we all weap what we soe!
Go to Pfluegers website. You can get an 8 wt President Reel,and an IM8 graphite Trion Rod for about $230.00. I own 5 Pluger combos and they are great. The reel is anodized aluminum and the rod seat is too. The rod also has Fuji stripping guides. I have never had a problem out of any of them. Eventually I may buy a $700 Tibor and a Cross Current but for now they are perfect! www.pfluegerfishing.com
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Uh, where did you catch that fat/beautiful trout?
Go tigers!
“You are young once, but you can be immature forever…”
In the water!
If you have the time you should go to Sportman’s warehouse in Columbia. I was at it yesterday and they have a lot of fly stuff on clearance. Several St. Croix rods for under 100.00. Most were around 75. Reels and line were on clearance too. I wanted to buy a bunch, because of all the great deals, but I have no where to put it.
2005 1442LW Alumacraft With Camo Clad System
2006 25hp Yamaha Four Stroke
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