Good rod for 8 year old/Rod maintenance.

[Urban Nightmare]

I got my son's rod at the same Canadian Trash as I got my rod. Mines a Total Tackle trout rod spin caster and works nicely for a single bearing rod. His is a cheap "Just Add Water" spin caster. When we where fishing Dillberry this past week we noticed that his was getting harder to reel in. I'm thinking of just replacing his rod and reel with a better one. Does anyone out there have any tips as to what a brand or size of rod I should get for him? If I gave him my 6' 6", would that be to big for him?

Also we where waist deep in water this past week and the reel was under water a bit. Should I take the reel apart and grease anything or should I do any other maintenance to the reels to keep them in good working order.

As you may have guessed I'm a bit new to fishing.

Thanks
Urban.

[Geezle]

It sounds to me like the rod might still be okay but it's the reel that's giving you trouble. I'm not sure of your situation but if budget is a concern for now you could just replace the reel and keep the rod he's using now...especially if the rod is a good size for him, and then if you want you can replace the rod down the road.

At 8 years old you should be able to teach him how to use a spinning reel without too much trouble. I have a couple inexpensive Daiwa reels that would be good for learning on...one is the Sweepfire and it's around $20 and the other is the Crossfire, which is around $30. They're nothing fancy but they've been pretty reliable for me :) The Sweepfire is a smaller reel, and honestly, I think it's smoother reeling than the Crossfire.

If you're looking at getting him a new rod, I'd look at a shorter Ugly Stik...I believe there's also an Ugly Stik Jr. line that might be closer to his size. They're decent rods, and most importantly for you young'uns, they stand up to a good beating :)

[nicemustang]

Yes, lube that sucker up good. It isn't that desirable to get the whole reel wet but shouldn't hurt a quality reel in the long run if maintained properly.

As for rod/reels for an 8 year old. I wouldn't treat him any different than you. Any thing you use he should be able to use no problem. Plus you don't want to buy something just to have him grow out of it.

[Urban Nightmare]

Thanks for the advice. I'll try and lube it up tonight. Hope it didn't get rusty in the last couple of days. Any suggestion on what to use to lube it?

Money is always a problem. But I also don't want to get just cheap cr*p. Why I thought I could just let him use my rod and reel was because I was thinking about getting a bait caster to try out. I can always switch to the spinning if I'm fishing alone. So if I get a bait cast I would also get the rod to go with possibly. Maybe I'll just get the bait cast reel and switch my spinner to his rod.

Thanks for the advice guys.

Urban.

[nicemustang]

IMO, stay away from bait casters until you can a. afford a good reel and b. until you have more experience fishing with them. An inexpesive baitcaster will only cause you grief.

Plus, bait casting rods are different than spinning rods. The eyelets are different. Spinners have large eyelets close to the reel and get smaller to the tip. Baitcaster rods are relativley all the same size because there is no spinning reel. It will be a headache to have either one mixed up, trust me I tried (cause I am also cheap). And it takes quite a bit of practice to get used to bait casters. I suggest more fishing experience.

[Urban Nightmare]

Thanks for the tip. May be a trip to Pro Bass or something is in order. Just try and replace the reel on my son's rod. Don't want to spend to much on a new reel but I'm sure there is something out there for around 20 or 30 bucks that will work better.

[nicemustang]

a GREAT deal...Reel from fishin hole (https://www.thefishinhole.com/index.cfm?imageSku=3865778&enlargeSkuz=25833&GETSPECIALSPRODUCTS=) if they have any left. Although it's a little big, a great reel for its price.

Or if you can find a shimano sidestab at CT or Walmart, buy it!

[Geezle]

a GREAT deal...Reel from fishin hole (https://www.thefishinhole.com/index.cfm?imageSku=3865778&enlargeSkuz=25833&GETSPECIALSPRODUCTS=) if they have any left. Although it's a little big, a great reel for its price.

Or if you can find a shimano sidestab at CT or Walmart, buy it!

That is a good reel, especially for the price. I've got one on my sturgeon rod :cool:

I found a Sidestab 1000 today at Army and Navy...they wanted $50 for it...not sure if that's good or not?

[FishingFrenzy]

If i were you i would go with a spinning reel instead of a spincast. I've got this reel and it preforms AMAZINGLY for the price. https://www.thefishinhole.com/index.cfm?imageSku=3865780&enlargeSkuz=25830&C=021&GETPRODUCTSBYCLASSG=021&D=02
Ive even gotten it wet a few times and had no problems. Load it up with some spiderwire braid and your ready to slay some pike! I would also reccomend against baitcasters if your new to fishing.

Tight lines!

[nicemustang]

I found a Sidestab 1000 today at Army and Navy...they wanted $50 for it...not sure if that's good or not?

Not a good deal. A 1000 is a small reel, too small for me but might be OK for ice fishing. 2500 or 4000 is what you really want.

The sidestab is discontinued. They don't make it anymore. Regular price a few years ago was $45. I think I saw one at Walmart this spring for $35. The fishin hole last spring had the good model on for $30 (which was half price). It may be tough to find them now as they get extinct.

[Cal]

I second going with spinning gear if your gonna get a new rod as well. When I was 8 years old my grandfather gave me a 6'6 spinning rig and I had no problem using it. If you want to just get another spin casting reel the zebco 33 is servicable and Diawa makes some nice ones, theres alot of bad ones out there though.

[Cal]

a GREAT deal...Reel from fishin hole (https://www.thefishinhole.com/index.cfm?imageSku=3865778&enlargeSkuz=25833&GETSPECIALSPRODUCTS=) if they have any left. Although it's a little big, a great reel for its price.

Or if you can find a shimano sidestab at CT or Walmart, buy it!

I dont think its big, 200 yards of 10lb test is a pretty good general purpose reel IMO. Great deal! Put that baby on a Ugly Stick Light and your good to go for years.

[Urban Nightmare]

Thanks for all the help guys. First off I miss typed. My son already has a spinning reel not a spincast. Its a really cheap rod and I'm only looking to replace the reel on it. Because I was thinking of getting a bait caster for my self I was just going to put my spinning reel on his rod. Its only a 5' 6" rod and mine is 6' 6" so he probably will have better control with his shorter rod. But he could use my rod and reel no problem.

I've been reading up on bait casters and yes they do seem a bit more difficult to use but once mastered the birds nests can be kept to a minimum. That and some of the $75.00 ones (rod and reel) do have some not bad reviews. What I'm after is a longer cast and they say bait casters can cast further then a spinning reel.

Besides when I'm fishing with the kids I'm always untangling their line any way:-) and never really do much fishing my self. That and I'm just enjoying collecting the gear and learning how to use it.

Thanks again everyone.

[nicemustang]

Again, I'll repeat. I'd stay away from baitcasters for now. You can always upgrade. A decent quality spin reel will cast just as far as a bait caster. It's technique, rod type and line weight that affects it, not the reel. Get a spin reel and practice practice practice.

[Cal]

Thanks for all the help guys. First off I miss typed. My son already has a spinning reel not a spincast. Its a really cheap rod and I'm only looking to replace the reel on it. Because I was thinking of getting a bait caster for my self I was just going to put my spinning reel on his rod. Its only a 5' 6" rod and mine is 6' 6" so he probably will have better control with his shorter rod. But he could use my rod and reel no problem.

I've been reading up on bait casters and yes they do seem a bit more difficult to use but once mastered the birds nests can be kept to a minimum. That and some of the $75.00 ones (rod and reel) do have some not bad reviews. What I'm after is a longer cast and they say bait casters can cast further then a spinning reel.

Besides when I'm fishing with the kids I'm always untangling their line any way:-) and never really do much fishing my self. That and I'm just enjoying collecting the gear and learning how to use it.

Thanks again everyone.

To put it simply... they lie. Some baitcasters may cast further than some spinning reels, but the myth that baitcasters will give you more distance defys all logic, physics as well as my personal experience and observations. Spinning gear is far more popular with surf casters who comonly make casts in excess of 100 yards. To get more distance get a faster action rod, learn to pendulom cast, or possibly get a reel that wraps the line more evenly. If you are dead set on a baitcaster though my recomendation would be the Abu Garcia Ambassadeur C3. They are about as cheap as you want to go and for what they cost they are awesome.

[Urban Nightmare]

Thanks for the reply. That makes a lot of sense. I'm still up in the air about getting a bait caster and have just been reading alot about them. Some people say don't bother with them and others say they started with them and they work great. I'm going to try and get down to The Fishing Hole some time this week and take a look at some spinning reels. Mostly because spinning are just cheaper and I really don't need hundreds in fishing gear.

Thanks again guys. Lets call this one closed for now :)

[walleyechaser]

abu garcia black max or silver max are great bait casters, that are amazing quality for there price, having said that I would still go for a spinning setup, cheaper, takes a beating and very easy to use

[walleyechaser]

cal its pretty easy to cast over 100 yards with a surf rod and real, whether bait caster or spinner

[Cal]

cal its pretty easy to cast over 100 yards with a surf rod and real, whether bait caster or spinner

You've done it?

[walleyechaser]

used to do a lot of surf fishing, yeah could cast a hundred yards with one. world record is over 300 yards

[Geezle]

Not a good deal. A 1000 is a small reel, too small for me but might be OK for ice fishing. 2500 or 4000 is what you really want.

The sidestab is discontinued. They don't make it anymore. Regular price a few years ago was $45. I think I saw one at Walmart this spring for $35. The fishin hole last spring had the good model on for $30 (which was half price). It may be tough to find them now as they get extinct.

That's kinda what I figured. I've got a 2500 but I wasn't sure what it was worth as I got it as part of a combo.