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Need Advice on Fishing Gear

Hank

Hank

I am 40 years old, was born and raised in Iowa now living in Tennessee. As a kid my summers were spent at the river and various local "Farm Ponds" . In those days a zebco 202 and some night crawlers were all that was needed for many hours of fun and to put a meal on the table. I fished from probably the sumer of 1973 untill the summer of 1993 in Febuary of 1994 my Dad died and I quit fishing. Through a divorce and many ex girlfriends various moves and so on I lost all of my fishing gear.

Now that I live in the foothills of the smokey mountains and I have a ten month old daughter and a wife that loves to fish I would like to start this one time favorite hobby again.

The fishing times sure have changed since 1993. I live less than two miles from a Bass Pro Shop. I stopped in their fishing department the other day and was over whelmed by the selection of fishing rods, reels, tackle, and tackle boxes . Being that we just moved we don't have a lot of money but I would like to start somewhere. Please help me
 
R

rod251

Fishing is just like shaving: there's all kinds of bells and whistles but the basic stuff can still get the job done. Just go in your bass pro shop and seek out the stuff that you used in the past. Combine that with an inexpensive rod and reel combo and you're all set. Good luck and good fishing!
 
Pkrankow

Pkrankow

Believe it or not, that Zebco rig is still a solid performer for a budget entry. There is a modern version.

Since you are on a budget I would get a Shakespeare Ugly Stick with a "better" store brand reel that suits your style. Plan to drop $100 after it is spooled with some performance line. (I hate mono-filament, but...well, the stuff will catch fish and need restrung every year and it is very stretchy and weak for its diameter) This kit will last you for a decade or longer (lifetime?) if you take care of it, and need restrung in 5 years, maybe longer if you keep it indoors out of the sun.

Getting a $20-$30 starter kit will get you a fair quality pole with a low quality reel that may not last a year. My parents have a box of these reels, all with broken insides. Most of them were bought by other people.

Get a basic tackle box, and decide on your fishing style and buy some stuff that suits it.

Hook and bobber flavored with bait still makes meat! If you are going for bluegill and sunfish the micro-bobbers with small hooks (#8 and smaller) with maggots or mealworm are excellent, and works with a cane pole or whatever stick you have handy (and irks my friend that I produce more out of his pond with $2 in gear than his $400 kit) (and one of the few times I like to use monofilement)

For panfish get a 5ft light pole with a matching reel, for all purpose pond and freshwater river fishing get a 6 or 6.5 ft pole in medium or medium/light with a matching reel.

Most of all HAVE FUN!

Phil
 
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Greyfox

Greyfox

Hank, given where you live, and if you are even remotely interested in fishing the park for trout I am going to suggest that you check out a beginner fly fishing rig. Check with Byron at http://littleriveroutfitters.com/ for a starter rig. They will even teach you how to do it. It would be ashamed to be that close to some of the best trout fishing East of the Mississippi and not indulge in it. Not to mention flyfishing rapidly becomes a life long love. There are few places more beautiful to indulge yourself in this sport than the Great Smokey Mountains.
 
Slash McCoy

Slash McCoy

I freehand dog rockets
Check garage sales, flea markets, pawnshops, and ebay for dirt cheap gear. You might have a look in walmart. You don't need the stuff with catchy advertising or famous sponsors. It don't have to be pretty. For basic freshwater fishing in your part of the country, you should be able to put together something for between $50 and $100. Go off in the woods with a milk jug with a big hand hole cut out near the top, Find a dry ravine with a deep layer of leaves in the bottom. Dig down to where composted leaves end and actual dirt begins, and you will find plenty of earthworms. Fill the jug with a mixture of the composted leaves and a little dirt, and the wigglers will live a long time in that if you keep it cool and moist. If you are lucky you will find big, fat, white grubs, too. Set your kids to work catching grasshoppers. Carefully hooked with a #12 hook and allowed to float on top of the water, bass and large panfish find them irresistable near shore or weeds. FREE BAIT!

Doughbait made from uncooked oatmeal, or canned corn, works okay for carp or catfish. Crawfish are easily caught with a scoop net in rocky streams. Flip over a rock with the net downstream and scare the little fellers into the net with your free hand. Catch little fish with little hooks and use them to bait big hooks for big fish. (Don't use game fish... it's illegal in most states) Salamanders, small frogs, all make good bass bait. Bacon works good for bluegill. A minnow trap can be made out of window screen. Just look at one in the bass pro shop and duplicate it.
 
_JP_

_JP_

First of all, decide what you are going to be fishing for. Then decide on equipment. And as you go along, you can always get more equipment as you see fit. Some kind of spin casting outfit would probably be the best start.
 
Blue Raccoon

Blue Raccoon

first you need to decide warm water fishing or trout fishing or both given your location I second the suggestion of at least stopping into Little River Outfitters in Townsend. If I was just restarting I would get an Ultralite spinning combo. Ugly sticks are good and can be found anywhere. The reel ain't great but will last a few years and it can always be upgraded if you get into it. If fly fishing the park or small streams for trout I would go with a 4wt 8' max lenght rod. Bass Pro should have pleny to choose from or again of you are close to Townsend it's worth the trip to LRO look at the low end combo's from Orvis. You could fish in the park forever and never cover all the options as far a water. You could also use the spinning outfit in the park (no live bait). I make at least 2 trips a year to the park. LRO also has an active forum that would be worth lurking and asking questions.
 
bassopotamus

bassopotamus

One thing you might consider (which for most other purchases I don't advise) is to get something cheap now and wait for fall sales. Last spring, I decided to get our foster kids into fishing since it wasn't TV, and had to start 100% from scratch (and was buying 3 rod & reels). I ended up getting three of the cheapest shakepeare combos at walmart (I think they were 12 bucks, and they came with line already on them). Not the best, but adequate for going 1-2x per week for basic stuff (smallish bass, various panfish). One of the two piece rods had a problem staying together and we lost the tip (on a cast). It had a better reel though, so we put the better reel on the remaining rod. One of the boys stuck with it, so we bought him a decent Shimano rig for his birthday. Farm and Fleet, Target, etc. have similar bargain packages. Also, it might be worth looking at garage sales and pawn shops, although most of the stuff I see there seems to be in dubious condition.

Now, for where this is all going....

I ended up shopping for a new rod and reel in the fall, and there were killer deals. I got a 1 piece graphite rod that had originally been marked $125 for 25 bucks. I'm not sure if they ever sold it at 125, but based on what was around, it had retailed for at least 75 previously. There wasn't much of a discount on the reels, but rods go crazy on sale around sept/oct. This is one case where it might be worth getting something cheap with an eye towards an upgrade when stuff goes on sale.
 
40boy

40boy

I was in a similar position a few years ago.
If you want to get a decent set up for a good price just to get back in the game, the BassPro combos are pretty good bang for the buck.
They still make the Zebco 33, but I prefer spinning reels.

I bought a Shimano/XPS 6' meduim combo a few years ago, and it's been great.
I took a quick look at the BassPro website, and I think that Bill Dance/Quantum spinning combo looks like a decent setup for a great price.

As far as tackle boxes, there are a lot of options. The Plano boxes are decent, and very affordable. I'd just get a basic all purpose one, and add or replace later as you decide what types of fishing you like, and tackle you prefer.

Have fun!
 
Pkrankow

Pkrankow

Blue Raccoon said:
bamboo rod talk about an expensive addiction!!
Click to expand...

There is a place out by Sandusky Ohio that you sign up for a week long class and you MAKE a bamboo multi-piece fly rod blank, then make a rod using the blank. As I understand it you start with whole bamboo, and end with a fishing pole. I haven't taken the class, but would like to.
Phil
 
Doc4

Doc4

Stumpy in cold weather
Staff member
Hank said:
The fishing times sure have changed since 1993. I live less than two miles from a Bass Pro Shop. I stopped in their fishing department the other day and was over whelmed by the selection of fishing rods, reels, tackle, and tackle boxes . Being that we just moved we don't have a lot of money but I would like to start somewhere. Please help me
Click to expand...

There's an old saying that some lures are made to catch fish and some lures are made to catch fishermen.

Fish still eat bugs, critters and worms. :wink2:
 
winston61

winston61

Greyfox said:
Hank, given where you live, and if you are even remotely interested in fishing the park for trout I am going to suggest that you check out a beginner fly fishing rig. Check with Byron at http://littleriveroutfitters.com/ for a starter rig. They will even teach you how to do it. It would be ashamed to be that close to some of the best trout fishing East of the Mississippi and not indulge in it. Not to mention flyfishing rapidly becomes a life long love. There are few places more beautiful to indulge yourself in this sport than the Great Smokey Mountains.
Click to expand...


For me fly fishing was a lot like golf. Lots of money, lots and lots of practice just to be adequate. But hey, if you got the money and motivation, get to it. Oh, did I say that it takes a lot of money? For me, baitcasting is rewarding enough.
 
Alraz

Alraz

All rods/reels catch fish, this is the first thing to keep in mind. The type of fishing that you would be doing, as well as the species that you will target, will determine, to a certain extent, some of the more specialized aspects of the decision making. I would go with a middle of the road rod/reel combo. In the $30 to $60 range. I have a Berkley/Garcia spinning (easier than casting and more durable than spincasting) combo that has served me well for bass fishing for several years (C.E: I mostly do fly fishing these days). This rod is pretty stiff and very good for plastic worms. Other manufacturers like Quantum have outfits in the same price ranges. Ye olde worms still work best but if you are fishing for bass, people use plastic ones ( an many other contraptions). You may want to look at some plugs but they can be added later. Go easy, the software cost more than the hardware, as usual. Please show us pics of your fish and ENJOY!!!

Al raz.
 
KM-instructor

KM-instructor

I love fishing but alas I am the WORLDS most unluckiest fisherman, so I would not be able to offer anything that could possibly help.
I went sea fishing and caught the first and only fish i have ever caught in my life, it was maybe 18 inches long,I was simply the proudest fisherman at that moment (My first ever), the guys on the boat snapped it in half before i could get a picture, and used it as bait for something a wee bit bigger.:001_smile
 
Pkrankow

Pkrankow

I dug out one of the old Zebco rods at my parents so I could set up a similar kit to what I have for my daughter (3yo) (one of those character poles, My niece used it) Well all the reels were gone, tossed or given to our cousin. So I went to the store and $6 later I have a new reel that I hope lasts several years.

I still think the Zebco kit is a good choice, but enjoy other kits better.

Phil
 
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ackvil

ackvil

A few months ago my brother-in-law and I were fishing (salt water) downs here in St. Pete. Both of us enjoy both fresh and saltwater fishing and have quite a few rods and reels. A youngster was fishing next to my BIL with a Zebco outfit. The first cast and he got nasty backlash. My BIL spent 10 minutes undoing the damage. Three casts later the same thing happened. My BIL being a nice guy fixed that problem too. In the end we gave the kid a spinning outfit to use and he had no problems.

Now, I don't know if this was an issue just with the kids reel or happens frequently with Zebco outfits. But, it made me leery about ever buying one.

P.S.: I use spinning, baitcasting, and conventional reels and can use a fly rod but it's not one of my favorites.
 
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