rod help....

[rich]

good morning.  i'm having trouble deciding on a new spinning rod for gills (and crappies).  my fishing is done by wading shorelines and back bays so i don't want something overly long.  i'm not sure whether to go with a light power or ulta lite.  length is also a question mark.  i probably will go with a st. croix premier series as the avids are not in my budget.  i have read some reviews on the daiwa spinmatics and they were somewhat impressive for such an inexpensive rod.

any ideas or suggestions will be appreciated.

rich 

[carl hendrix]

rich-- we have several rod makers here to buddy!!  david  ( tooty) eitus;; walt foreman; mark steine are a few.  walt made tony Livingston a really good rod.  rescently;; tooty gave me one of his glass rods!   rod length;; is always a personnel thing;;

[carl hendrix]

rich-- on second thought;; just get a good 3 wt fly rod!!  use it one season!!  you will put down all other rods after that!!

[Slip Sinker]

i now own a 7ft as well as an 8ft daiwa spinmatic great feeling. slip floating or casting jigs ... even for smallmouth . i love catching fish with it.

dont listen to carl! fly fishing with a 3wt will consume you . you will find yourself staying up all hours of the night devising ways to catch everything with it!! its a disease i tell ya! lol

[rich]

thanks, ken.  as for the fly stuff, those days are done for me.  arthritis in my hands ended that venture.  these days i am real happy with spinning gear.

[rich]

welp, i guess this is the wrong time of year to seek help.  Merry Christmas and adios.

[dick tabbert]

Rich I have tried many rods and will continue doing so I guess its in my nature but I never spend and arm and leg for a rod cause I break to many. I can say in spinning I use 5 to 5 1/5 foot ultra lights or even light action. I love the Berkley lightning rods for the money. Are there better rods out there yes to that to but for the money I think they will do what ever you need them to do and not break the bank. I've been using them for years and they always seem to impress me.

[carl hendrix]

rich - my much preferred way to use a fly rod is to roll cast it. the line never goes behind me;; and I cast it straight out.  actually the easiest way to cast!!  but ; also its what ever you prefer in a rod  and its action. light weight u l spinning rods are great !!  my preferred spinning rods are in the 6 foot range  light action.  in fact;; tooty just gave me a rod -- dying to try it out soon!!

[Slip Sinker]

There is a series of rods that I really like also.... it's okuma Celilo and I own everyone in the series except the 8 ft er. Love the action on these also... very sensitive. I use braid on all of them. I have never had a problem ordering from fishusa.com ... they have proven as a very reliable source for me.

http://www.fishusa.com/Product/Okuma-Celilo-Spinning-Rods

Let us know what you choose and maybe give a review on it.

Good fishing and tight lines
Ken ------<")))))><(

[Steve Wilson]

     Rich..... didn't feel like I'm knowledgeable  enough to make recomendations.

  My favorite BG rig is a 4 1/2 foot Berkley ul rod with a Zebco 11t underspin reel.

  Recently have been playing with a 8 ft  ..6 #  fly rod with a Quantum micro-spin reel.

 both on 4# test. From what I've experienced from these, I'm going to get an 8 ft....3# fly rod blank with spinning guides on it built this winter....match to a ul spinning reel  and 2# test line. 

[rich]

thanks for the replies, guys.  figured i would come back closer to spring and try this again.

as for fly rods, i've spent a lot of time fly fishing.  i've sold my sage, avid, tfo and redington, keeping one bamboo and one orvis for nostalgia's sake.  i've no intention in returning to it due to my creaky back and hands...lol.  also, i cut my teeth on spinning gear in the 60s and found it just as satisfying.  so there i will stay.  budget constraints and lack of interest keep me away from custom rods also.  i've a quiver full of st. croix rods at present and though i love them (even though they aren't completely american made as some would suggest), i would not hesitate to buy an import rod these days.  thanks for the ideas that were presented.  wish some of our local shops carried the okuma or daiwa spinmatics so i could see them close up. 

[carl hendrix]

RICH  IF YOU LIKE FIBERGLASS RODS;  LIKE A OLD WONDER ROD;; CONTACT  TOOTY.  HE HAS SEVERAL FOR SALE;; AND ALSO MAKES GLASS RODS IN DIFFERENT LENGTHS AND ACTIONS;; REASONABLE PRICE TO!!

[rich]

thanks carl.  i've got a couple of glass conolons here but much prefer the lightness and sensitivity of graphite these days.