[phil]

I just got that 6,6 St. Croix Lite Power Fast Action rod. Then, I went to Dick's to buy a reel for it and found a nice Okuma on sale...the Status GT (size 15). It's a pretty nice reel, 9 bearings and it feels very smooth...original price of $60 on sale for $30. But, the guy at Dick's was trying to talk me into buying a nicer reel, like a Pflueger or Quantum. I always thought that Pflueger and Quantum are lower quality than Okuma. He was saying that if I'm getting a $90 rod, then I should spend at least $90 on the reel. How's this combo look (and has anyone ever used this rod/reel)? Also, is a size 15 reel a good size for a lite action rod? Thanks for the help.

Phil

 

[FishinMatt]

Phil, I really do believe you get what you pay for in the rod and reel department. If this is going to be your primary rod I would put the best reel on that you could afford. Any of the high end Shimanos like the Symetre are good in my opinion, but there are many to choose from. You will certainly appreciate a high end reel when you hook that fish of a lifetime.

 

[toothdoc]

Phil, I have to agree with Matt here. Spend as much as you can afford on your equipment. I have a couple of Pfluegers and have not been disappointed in them. My nephew has an Okuma and IMHO, it is not as nice.

 

[Culprit]

Never knew reels had sizes .
size 15,whats that UL,L,M,MH ?

 

[phil]

Never knew reels had sizes .
size 15,whats that UL,L,M,MH ?

It depends on the reel...it's usually like L. I brought the Okuma back to Dick's today and ended up getting a 1500 Shimano Sedona...not bad at all for $50 and I hear Shimano's are great reels. It goes perfectly with the St. Croix and balanced great. I also can't believe how smooth the reel is. Here's the BPS link to the reel:

http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog. ... rchResults

 

[toothdoc]

That looks like it will be a good combo.

 

[FishinMatt]

Shimanos are the best and their customer service is first class. I am sure you will happy with it. I recently had the bail assembly on one of my Symetres snap and they had a replacement part out to me in a couple days free of charge. This is without a warranty too. Good luck with your new toy :wink:

 

[jnapodano]

Everybody is giving you great advice in purchasing the best rod/reel you can get. When your talking about high end your going to get quality from just about all of them with each having their own "distinguishing" features. No sense in debating Loomis/St.Croix as they both kick arse. I'm a Diawa & Penn guy, Pfleugger & Shimano are quality too. Diawa's are my fav, I have two excelors' 2500 & 3500($70/each). The reason I like Penn reels is I have them ranging from 1 year old to 20 years old and they all work the same. Most of my fishing buddies use shimano's and swear by them but I've had better luck with the diawa's myself.

 

[phil]

Everybody is giving you great advice in purchasing the best rod/reel you can get. When your talking about high end your going to get quality from just about all of them with each having their own "distinguishing" features. No sense in debating Loomis/St.Croix as they both kick arse. I'm a Diawa & Penn guy, Pfleugger & Shimano are quality too. Diawa's are my fav, I have two excelors' 2500 & 3500($70/each). The reason I like Penn reels is I have them ranging from 1 year old to 20 years old and they all work the same. Most of my fishing buddies use shimano's and swear by them but I've had better luck with the diawa's myself.

I've heard great things about Daiwa also. I've fished with Penns while deep sea fishing, basically just trolling, so I don't really know much about how they perform in freshwater. My uncle just got a Daiwa SS1500 and it's nice, but IMHO, you get more for your money with a Shimano. The Daiwas are old school and are made to last. With a Shimano, you get more modern features and are backed by great support from Shimano if you have any problems (from what I've heard). I can't wait to test this combo out. Let's all pray for good weather and west winds!

 

[Culprit]

All manufacturers high end products are quality products its all about personal preference and the features ur looking for.

I have 6 rigs I fish with 3 baitcasting & 3 spinning all my rods are G.Loomis
all my baitcasters are Team Daiwa 1 spinning is Team Diawa the other 2 are Shimanos a Stradic and a Sustain. People think I`m nuts spending so much money on my hobby,but I enjoy the high end product.

It`s all a matter of personal preference.

 

[krnfishboy7786]

I love the St. Croix premier series casting rods. I only have one as of now, but I'm planning on buying atleast 2-3 more (a 6' M, 7' M, and maybe a 7' MH). They're all in the 90-100 dollar range but they're light as can be and great quality for the price. When I get a better job in a few years, I definitely can't wait to get my hands on some G.Loomis rods though.....

For reels, I just bought my second KVD seris Quantum baitcasting reel (the newest version). Both the old one and the new ones work like a charm -- much smoother than the Daiwa Capricorn that a lot of us WCF members have, the old curado (the new curado is probably better.......), and the abu garcia ambassadeurs. I've tried all of these reels, and I gotta suggest quantum for everyone..

by the way,

Aris I miss deep lake....... hah hah :wink:

 

[Culprit]

Don`t worry Tim it`s still there. :lol:

 

[Topwater]

I personally like any setup, cheap or nice, that has a fish on the other end!!!!

 

[Culprit]

Too bad they don`t sell them that way

 

[toothdoc]

I just picked up a Pflueger Trion baitcaster on sale at Dick's yesterday. I'm going to put it on the 6'6" St. Croix Premier MH that I picked up. I can't wait to give it a try.