Rod or reel which is more important ??

[Mr Flyguy]

Originally Posted by 58thecat

ooop's memory came back one sturgeon was around the 4' mark.....reeled it in like nothin' compared to the others....the reels sure got a work out and the rods where solid one piece....guide said only ever had one snap on them....

still put more into the reels but in combination with the rod/line and species targeted...some people got a boat full of rods.....it's a sickness:sHa_sarcasticlol:

I guess I'm long dead then

[CardiacCowboy]

I think rod is more important for catching fish. But a good reel will increase your enjoyment more.

I started fishing again last summer after 8 years and probably 15 years since I regularly fished. My gear was all 20 to 30 years old. Triped and broke my medium rod and replaced it with a nice shimamo rod (retail 150 paid $75). It was so light and my casts and hook up ratio improved. 2 months ago I got fed up with my reels they creeked , tangled, drag was not constant and I would switch out reels instead of wasting time on the water getting untangled. I bought a Phlueger Trion (62 retail paid $42). I don't think I catch more but I enjoy it more. The gear just disappears while I fish and don't think about it at all. I fish 3 to 4 times a week and never get tired mentally or physically with this set up. Line on the reel is still perfectly even. Never had to cut a knot out or had a bad cast that wasn't my fault.

The rod brought me more fish but the reel has made the experience much more enjoyable.

[sailor]

Originally Posted by CardiacCowboy

I think rod is more important for catching fish. But a good reel will increase your enjoyment more.

I started fishing again last summer after 8 years and probably 15 years since I regularly fished. My gear was all 20 to 30 years old. Triped and broke my medium rod and replaced it with a nice shimamo rod (retail 150 paid $75). It was so light and my casts and hook up ratio improved. 2 months ago I got fed up with my reels they creeked , tangled, drag was not constant and I would switch out reels instead of wasting time on the water getting untangled. I bought a Phlueger Trion (62 retail paid $42). I don't think I catch more but I enjoy it more. The gear just disappears while I fish and don't think about it at all. I fish 3 to 4 times a week and never get tired mentally or physically with this set up. Line on the reel is still perfectly even. Never had to cut a knot out or had a bad cast that wasn't my fault.

The rod brought me more fish but the reel has made the experience much more enjoyable.

Where have you bought the reel if not secret?

[CardiacCowboy]

Got the Trion at the fishing hole a while back. The newer model is on sale there and Cabelas quite often. I have run into issues with the trion lately. First fish I caught on it was 3 ft+ pike in bow. After many more 20inch+ trout and dealing with the current on the bow the screw howling the bail arm striped out the hole it goes into.

Last week the President was on sale (14 to 27) https://www.cabelas.ca/product/10646...-spinning-reel for $62.00 and was going to pick up a 350 reel. I fish alot in all 4 seasons and after seeing the beefer construction on the President XT for $109https://www.cabelas.ca/product/94589...-spinning-reel I picked that up. The fishing hole will price match as long as Cabelas has stock and would rather give them my money then the big corporate stores.

Still think the trion is nice little reel but the 30 just wasn't upto the use and abuse I put on it. I am going to fix it up and put on 4lb mono and use it for stream and pond fishing. I think even the 35 trion would not have lasted me much longer. Sometimes you get what you pay for. The President is probably the better deal (a still a heck of a nice reel) right now but went with the xt because it a step up and fishing and being outside is my passion so worth the price.

Only used the xt last Sunday on stocker trout throwing small spinners. Landed 4 little guys. Reel performed flawlessly. The wind would gust suddenly and had no issues with knots. One thing I did really like is the much larger handle. On the trion I felt sometimes I had to grab the know with the tips of my finger as not to bump my knuckles on the reel.

[58thecat]

The question to be had is what comes first the rod or the reel....then there's the answer...

[smitty9]

Solid opinions right there.

Just thought I'd chime in specifically for situation: saltwater flyfishing.

Both!

Need a decent rod for casting into wind in the salt, and powering larger flies.

But you darn well better have a quality, quality reel that protects against saltwater (anodized, sealed drag) and protects tippets for 40 to 180lb tarpon.
Even bonefish go on reel screaming runs.

[HuyFishin]

Reel Is more important for myself. As for rod Finesse rods I do prefer something higher end. When it comes to soaking bait then its not to important.

[Coiloil37]

For Alberta I’ll vote rod, the fish are to small to need much out of your reel. I’m not suggesting a quality reel doesn’t increase the enjoyment but most reels can easily handle 99.99% of the fish.

Now over here it’s the reel almost all the time. For some techniques like slow pitch jigging in deep water or popping the rods important and more expensive but the reel is always critical. There are many fish here that will dump 700+ meters of line in seconds on their first run with the reel screaming and the drag can’t fade nor can the bearings fail.

[HuyFishin]

Originally Posted by Coiloil37

For Alberta I’ll vote rod, the fish are to small to need much out of your reel. I’m not suggesting a quality reel doesn’t increase the enjoyment but most reels can easily handle 99.99% of the fish.

Now over here it’s the reel almost all the time. For some techniques like slow pitch jigging in deep water or popping the rods important and more expensive but the reel is always critical. There are many fish here that will dump 700+ meters of line in seconds on their first run with the reel screaming and the drag can’t fade nor can the bearings fail.

for me the reel will always be more important, I have a pet peeve of chattering drags.

[Coiloil37]

Originally Posted by HuyFishin

for me the reel will always be more important, I have a pet peeve of chattering drags.

I like quality gear all around but I know what your saying. I wouldn’t zip tie a nice reel to a broom stick and I wouldn’t want a crappy reel on any rod but I can’t think of many fish I caught in nearly 40 years in Alberta that stretched my gear to its limits. I enjoyed a sensitive rod to feel most hits while jigging but could easily crank them in with a 50 year old mitchell 300 reel. I did my downrigger fishing with shimano TR200g reels that I had put carbon drag washers in. They worked great, flawlessly, even on cold lake lakers and big pike.
I took those tr200’s out ONCE fishing here and got spooled twice on the first two fish. The drags didn’t fail but the line capacity is only about 500m and with 6kg of drag they didn’t stand a chance. The 25” per crank retrieval rate would of let me down too had I not lost all the line. I’ve landed marlin and 90lb wahoo on $140 shimano trolling rods but I don’t have any reels that cheap.

[tullfan]

Growing up in Niagara Falls we had awesome fishing for big Walleye, bass, salmon, suckers, you name it.
We used to take our fishing poles and reels to the creeks and tributaries that flowed from Lake Ontario through Vineland and Bronte creek. Port Dalhousie had a great pier to fish off. We'd use fluorescent lures and hit them with a camera flash to really make em glow at night.
Anyway we sort of 'run what you brung' fished. I tell you, hook into a salmon in a stream, in the dark with your buddies all around on improper tackle with 20lb test. LOL what a gong show/hoot. Ugly sticks were popular.Mitchell reels worked well, We learned to not to tie your line to the reel less you want to lose rod and reel or chase it downstream.
Good times. If I'd known then what I know now, fishing might not have been so much fun, lol..
Anyway, I now have a 300 dollar set up for good fishing and my faithful ugly stick/old school Mitchell combo for everything else. Works well for me.
Tullfan

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by HuyFishin

for me the reel will always be more important, I have a pet peeve of chattering drags.

the only reason you have chattering drags is because you keep getting snags on rocks and loosing your gear....

[sailor]

Originally Posted by Coiloil37

For Alberta I’ll vote rod, the fish are to small to need much out of your reel. I’m not suggesting a quality reel doesn’t increase the enjoyment but most reels can easily handle 99.99% of the fish.

Now over here it’s the reel almost all the time. For some techniques like slow pitch jigging in deep water or popping the rods important and more expensive but the reel is always critical. There are many fish here that will dump 700+ meters of line in seconds on their first run with the reel screaming and the drag can’t fade nor can the bearings fail.

Could you please advise a good rod around 100$ with good( not stainless) but carbide or similar ( strong) guide insertions ?

[HuyFishin]

Originally Posted by 58thecat

the only reason you have chattering drags is because you keep getting snags on rocks and loosing your gear....

HAHAHA if thats the case then I should retire from fishing

[Kurt505]

That’s like asking what’s more important in a Reese peanut butter cup.... it’s a package imo. I think they both play an important role in success, I’d even add line into the equation. Other than money there isn’t much difference between a $400 rod/reel/line package and a $1400 rod/reel/line package, but there is a difference. I like to buy warranty, I’ll gladly spend $300 on a GLoomis over a $100 fenwick for the warranty alone, even if sensitivity was exactly the same.

[Coiloil37]

Originally Posted by sailor

Could you please advise a good rod around 100$ with good( not stainless) but carbide or similar ( strong) guide insertions ?

A good rod for what type of fish and fishing? Jigging for walleye and down rigging for lakers are two different rods.

[sailor]

Originally Posted by Coiloil37

A good rod for what type of fish and fishing? Jigging for walleye and down rigging for lakers are two different rods.

Will be fishing from shore as I don’t have boat. Pike, walleye, trout...
Lots of good reviews on Ugly stick elite but I would prefer ceramic or carbide to stainless steel on inserts especially guide insert
And about reels- I got used to rear drug reels ( wasn’t buying any for last 20 years) and wen went to Cabela’s there were only Shimano Sahara.Guess it’s not big problem - I still going to use my old one. Just need to buy 3 sets for kids- big kids.
I am not looking for 100$ combo of course

[Coiloil37]

Originally Posted by sailor

Will be fishing from shore as I don’t have boat. Pike, walleye, trout...
Lots of good reviews on Ugly stick elite but I would prefer ceramic or carbide to stainless steel on inserts especially guide insert
And about reels- I got used to rear drug reels ( wasn’t buying any for last 20 years) and wen went to Cabela’s there were only Shimano Sahara.Guess it’s not big problem - I still going to use my old one. Just need to buy 3 sets for kids- big kids.
I am not looking for 100$ combo of course

At the $100 price point I’ve used and would suggest a Fenwick HMG if your careful with your gear. They’re not tough rods like an ugly stick and the warranty sucks but I thought they were a sensitive rod for the price.
I suspect there are more qualified people to answer that question on this site. I don’t have enough detail to know how far you want to cast and what techniques you want to use and I have nearly zero experience fishing from land. I do know for the ways I used the HMG and HMX rods I owned I thought they were a pretty good value.

[walleyechaser]

Generally the reel is more important, but if you cant see the bite or your rod is too stiff then that is no good too. Imo most ultra cheap rods have very poor action and power. See it all the time with guys fishing for sturgeon with cheap fence post rods. They don't see the bites until it's often too late and the fish is gone. You want a strong enough rod for the target species with a good tip. Good eyes make a difference, but isn't paramount.

Good smooth drag on reels is important for larger fish. There are quite a few good reels in the $70-100 range. Pflueger president and piscifun honor come to mind. The piscifun honor is one I bought to test as I had heard about its quality. It is by far the best reel in the price range. Couldnt believe how good it was.

[walleyechaser]

Originally Posted by Coiloil37

At the $100 price point I’ve used and would suggest a Fenwick HMG if your careful with your gear. They’re not tough rods like an ugly stick and the warranty sucks but I thought they were a sensitive rod for the price.
I suspect there are more qualified people to answer that question on this site. I don’t have enough detail to know how far you want to cast and what techniques you want to use and I have nearly zero experience fishing from land. I do know for the ways I used the HMG and HMX rods I owned I thought they were a pretty good value.

Yup it's a decent rod for the price. Pflueger makes a decent combo for under $100 too if I recall

[MetisHunter]

Both