What would be the best rod and reel for bass fishing?

Question

I am not fond of baitcasters and am looking for a spinning reel.  The usual catch is about a 1-2 Lb. bass, but there is possibility of catching substantially larger fish.  I would like something strong enough to catch a larger fish if it comes my way, but with enough finesse to make smaller catches fun.  I use lots of spinners and buzzbaits.  Any Suggestions?

caunltd · Accepted Answer

What is your price range?  

When it comes down to it, you can spend as little or as much as you want to.  You can either pay $30 for a combo that's not going to perform well or you can pay $1000 for a combo that's going to be awesome.  (Granted, it's really too much money in my opinion...but if you have it, then why not??)

If I were looking for something in the middle ground range, I'd go with a decent 10lb rated reel and an 8-17lb range rated rod.  

If you can afford $100+ for a reel, then I'd say Daiwa.  If not, then Shimano is probably your better bet.  (mid-range Pflueger and Quantum reels are pretty decent for the money too.)  

If you can afford $100+ for the rod, then I would suggest Falcon, Fenwick, Shimano, or Quantum.  If less than that, then I'd still look at Shimano and Quantum, as well as Shakespeare.....

Keep in mind, BassPro and Cabela's always have stuff on sale....esspecially combos.

shoot2kill · Answer

I have fished with $800+ set ups and I've fished with setups that cost less than $30. In my mind there is not a better bass fishing rod than the Shimano Clarus. As far as reels go, the Plueger Supreme is by far the best. Both of these can equate to about a $200 setup.

What would be the best rod and reel for bass fishing?

2 Answers