What do you prefer? I no longer tournament fish. But my go to was St.Croix rods and All Star rods( both made in America) and Shimano reels. $250 -300 outfits were the norm back then.
So what are your go favorites for the occasional weekend use?
Also, what is your favorite rod length and action for various lures?

Now for my catfish rigs. I use Abu Garcia reels (Sweden made only) and Ugly stick rods in 7 and 8 foot. Plus 20 -30 pound Ande back country envy line. Has landed fish up to 92 pounds. Handles 20-50 pounders with no problem.

Sarge

Shimano cauis reels. 69 bucks. Powell rods I have several old allstar and castaways New rods won’t hold up. I have a Carolina honey rig rod I use to bed fish with. It is over 35 years old and a semi wouldn’t hold the fish caught on it

St Croix rods and pfluger spinning reels. Rod length depends were I’m fishing. Fly fishing St Croix rod and Ross reel.

Jbyrd, added up quick back in the day. $150 outfits wasn't out of the norm. Those $250-300 outfits served their purpose for certain occasions.
Always bought quality. Failures weren't an option when i was fishing the Walmart FLW tour. Losing a fish could mean hundreds if not thousands of dollars.
Now I bass fish for enjoyment. My catfishing strictly for the freezer.

Sarge

Bass- older Shimano Curado reels and 6 1/2" or 7' rods, fast and medium fast. I've got a couple of 4500 narrow reel Ambasaduer reels I like aslo.

Anymore, I'd rather crappie and catfish. Seems like bass are over rated and everybody's chasing them.....
For catfish, 7' fast graphite rods 2 1/4oz weight and a couple of Ambasaduer 6000 reels with the bait clicker. Also have got an old old 5000C Ambasadeur that I've had for 50 years. Runs as good now as when I bought it second hand years ago.
Line is 20lb Trilene Big Game with the leader out of 17 lb Trilene.
Still got a couple of 7 1'2' glass rods with Penn Sea Boy reels that I use to night fish for flathead with but don't do much of tht anymore. 25lb Trilene on these rigs.

Open face reels and 6 1/2' rods for crappie.

I have maybe 30 rods. All different lengths and actions. They all have a purpose. No favorite.

If I was ever to go fresh water fishing again it'd be with a cheap Walmart combo, lol

I have and use all different types of rods and reels. I really like Denali rods and have lots of them in different series and models. I also use alot of kistlers rods and reels. I have plenty of abu Garcia, quantum, st.criox, gloomis, ark, lews, and falcon rods. All make good rods. For reels I like daiwa the best but have plenty of shimanos, lews, abu Garcia, Kistler reels. I believe as long as you get the right action of rod with the right gear ratio reel with the correct type and size of line brands are really just preference like brands of trucks.

I think probably I'll get some funny looks from people for my recommendation for a day use rod, but I use this. Little rod under 3 foot makes it easily fit into any vehicle, maneverable around bushes so you can get into trout holes a longer rod would struggle to reach, and with a nice braided 12lb test I can switch between fishing trout and salmon on a whim. I preffer a slightly stronger test if fishing a current, but as my grab and go it's ideal. You can obviously upgrade the reel, but the rod itself has proven to be sturdy enough for large fish, sentative enough for ice fishing, useful in spots a seven foot rod can't even cast in, and convenient to use all for a laughable price tag.

7' Berkley Cherrywood MH rod and any half way decent baitcaster. I don't fish tournaments anymore either. This is a inexpensive rod that I first bought just as a cheap replacement for one that broke on vacation, but it's been great. I have at least 8 of them of various sizes. I don't bass fish with spinning reels at all anymore since I fish them for fun and only target the biggest bass. I do use spinning rods, just not for bass. I should add these are large mouth bass, if I was fishing for smallies I may opt a spinning rod then.

I'm a trout fisherman on the North Platte River in Wyoming. My go-to rod is a 5' 6" Ugly Stik with 5 eyelets. I throw a 1/8 oz kastmaster on 6# line. I like a large diameter spool. I like US Reels but they must have quit making them.
The same rig works well on spring crappie but I switch to minnows under a bobber then.

I was a Loomis IMX and Shimano Curado or Chronarch user for years. My main Bass rods for the past 3 years are Alpha Angler rods and Shimano Curado DC reels. For spinning, still Alpha rods but Shimano Stradic FG reels. These reels are 10 years old and have been there done that.

Got to love a 1/8oz kastmaster. Which color do you use? I'm more of a silver person over a gold person but my favorite if the half blue half silver face.

My buddy has a $700 fly rod he swears by.

All that money to let them go.

I let them go into some oil.


I have a 7’ medium action rod and a spinning reel for general purpose.

7’ medium action rod for saltwater and a 9’ rod for saltwater. Have a mess of other rods the boys use. A couple light action 5-6’ rods for bluegill.

I’m not a good enough fisherman to notice all the finer points. I will say, I’ve fished with expensive rods and they are nice.

Gold where I fish but blue and silver works fair. I also toss kastmasters in ponds for bass and they like them too.

Reminds me of something funny.
When I was growing up big bass where kinda delicacy I guess you could say. Catch and release into the grease. Evying who was serious about them around where I lived geared up with heavy line and stuff more akin lighter catfish gear . Want any playing a fish just when he bit her was coming out come (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) or high water.
Something like a Shakespeare tiger spinning or spin cast with at least 25lb monon was the preferred. Any thing less and you where looks at as a real amateur or one of those "catch and release fishers " and that was EXTREMELY frowned on.

Crazy that was only 15 or so years ago lol

From Crappie to Musky ALWAYS a St. Croix blank and Fuji titanium guides

You can catch most anything on a kastmaster. Its possibly the best all purpose lure.

When I bass fished about four days per week in the early 70s, I used Ambassador 5000 baitcasting reels.