What's your favorite Bluegill outfit(s)..Rod, reel & line?

[Jeff Soto]

  My rods and reels are not expensive, but they do a great job of catching large, strong fighting panfish. Part of their success is accomplished by using good quality-made reels that have smooth drags and can handle very light lines. Reels that have a drag that grabs and binds are of no use to me. A 1 pound Redear will take off and run like crazy and if you are using 2 pound test line and your drag binds a little... SNAP!...There goes a good fish with your lure in it's mouth..

Here's my current favorite outfits:

1. Rod- Daiwa "Spinmatic" #602 1-4 lb test line 6 ft long 1 piece
Reel- Abu Garcia 301 ultralight spinning (great smooth drag)

2. Rod- Daiwa "Heartland" trout rod 5 ft 2 piece 1-6 lb test line
Reel- Daiwa "Crossfire" 1000 ultralight spinning reel

3. Rod- Quantum "Micro" MS-54UL 4' 6" super ultralight Rated for 1-2 lb test line  (This is an older rod, bought it around 1993)
Reel- Daiwa "Spinmatic-X 500T This is my favorite set up for Bluegills because it is so tiny, even small fish are fun to catch. I have landed several 3 to 4 lb bass and Channel Catfish with this tiny rod.

4. Rod- Daiwa "Spinmatic #SMC 401ULFS 4ft  1-4 lb test line
Reel- Pflueger "President" #6920 ultralight spinning reel
This is my close-in brush and dock jigging rod.  Also is nice to use while vertical fishing jigs, spoons and bait from a float tube.

I use various 2 lb test lines, either Trilene XL , Maxima, Izoreline XXX, or Yo-Zuri Hybrid brands. A couple of these rods are older models, but I keep them clean and take care of them. Remember too that with a longer rod, you can cast tiny spoons and jigs farther, but fishing from a float tube like I do, you don't need to make very long casts.

[carl hendrix]

  JEFF SOTO; I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU ON THAT BUDDY!!   MY FAVORITE OLD REEL JUST DIED! IT WAS A DAIWA 1000 C SPINNING REEL AND COULD CAST A 1/16 OUNCE JIG A GOOD WAY

[carl hendrix]

 my favorite rod is a fenwic blackhawk; 7 footer; 2 to 8 pound line;  ive had that rod for about 30 years  at least! coupled with that daiwa 1000c reel; ive brought in some big  fish! some stripe ive caught was in the 20 pound range.  my favorite fly reel is also old;; and its a automatic reel;; a old perrine.  they dont make them any more!

[David Dillman]

Jeff

My favorite rod is a esp 6 foot power lite rod.  They are sold at sportsman guide from a little company in northern Iowa.  They have a im-6 graphite blank and a graphite handle.  It is very sensitive.  I have a Okuma ultra lite reel on it, but I am having some problems with the reel.  I am thinking about purchasing a hi tech ice fishing ultra lite reel to replace it.

I really like the new naofil line from berkley. This year I am going to get the six pound line, because I would get some nice bass on and it would break off on the 4 pound line.  The Nanofil really cast far and I did not have any tangles at all this year using it.  They are supposed to have the nanofil in Gold florescent this year so l think I will try this out, since I perfer to see my line.

Dilly

[Vince Fusco]

I had a Okuma ultra light on my ESP rod, but had trouble with my line wanting to get under the spool. I returned it, and bought a Pfluger President reel, and am really pleased with it, David. 

[Randy Goad]

I have been using NanoFil since it came out....pretty much my only line. I was excited when they came out with the hi-vis. Well I ordered 4 spools of it in 2#...1# and 3# test..... I cant see it any better than the white....LOL

                                                                                                     Regards

[Stan Wright]

I started with an ultra light spinning outfit too. Usually 4# test line.  The reels 50 years ago were the Mitchell Garcia.  After moving to Hawaii the reel of choice was  Penn. Now days it's the Shimano reels that are most popular.  I have a few Diawa and Okumas.  The latest Okuma reels are much improved over the ones of a few years ago ( I guess all our complaining paid off )

I have always loved using a fly rod... and now I'm almost exclusively using a Tenkara Rod...  Believe me, there is a huge difference between a Croppie Rod and A Tenkara Rod... they are not even close.  LOL

[Lee]

 My favorite Bluegill rod is a 3wt 8 1/2' TFO BVK flyrod with a Orvis BBS reel and Scientific Anglers WF3 Mastery Series line. I use Mono or Floro leaders and tippets depending on wether I'm fishing topwater or subsurface, I tie my own leaders.

 For a long time I only fished poppers for Bluegill but a couple years ago I had a moment of enlightenment and realized I could catch them year around and sometimes larger if I went under. Now I enjoy both styles of flyfishing.

 Lately I've been experimenting with a 2wt rod, lotsa Fun but wont push the size bugs/poppers and streamers I like to use.

[Donald Schmotzer]

  The SA GPX lines are my favorite overall. They are a little bit pricey, and they seem to run about 1/2 wt heaver

 then they are rated. On a mod-fast or fast action rod I seem to be able to get a little more distance with these lines. They also don't have much coil memory and cold water doesn't seem to make them stiff. I tend to over-line my rods sometimes and rather than I whole wt over (might be a bit much) the 1/2 weight over seems just about right...............Don in SC 

[Jason Preslar]

I always go light/ultralight for just about anything that i pursue, unless it's big cats or something similar.

The setup i've been using consists of a Gander Mtn GSX combo (light action), 6lb Trilene XL lline

I've just bought another combo too, I'm planning on putting line on it for the first time tonight. It's a Shakespeare ultralight combo. I like a combo that light but not "whippy" light. I like to have at least enough length/backbone to get a good hookset. At the same time though, I despise using a stiff rod for anything other than something that's actually going to put it to the test.

[Ronald A Wilson]

ihave a couple of rods called micro series  from creekside fishing ,8ft ,2piece,ultra lite,at the present i have plueger supreme reels 8030mg reels ,they seem to work real well i had some gander mountain reels but they didnt hold up to well, I normally dont use line heavier than 4lb ,but some times will use 6lb .i also ususlly tie on a short flourocarbon leader in either 4 or 6lb  i use cabellas proline almost all the time and have no problem with it at all.I have a few other rods that i also use but these are my favorite ones .i vertical jig most of the time and these rods have a nice tip that is very sensitive 

[Vince Fusco]

My favorite rod is a 5 1/2'  ESP series from Norseman Outdoors. It is super sensitive with a fast tip, which allows for longer casts..  I fish a Pfluger President reel spooled with 4 lb.green  Trilene XL. 

[carl hendrix]

for right now; my favorite reel is a quatum q vex. its small light; cast real good; and mainly; runs super smooth. its the first quantum ive had; usually get shimanos;; i just like the smaller reels