Missouri fishing equiptment question?

[GaryO]

Hey. My daughter and son-in-law have moved to just outside of St. Louis and have access to many small lakes and stock ponds. I would like to gift them a couple of spinning outfits to get them started fishing. What would those outfits look like in your experience? Please be specific... Thanks and God bless.

[lamm1]

without knowing the experience level of the operator and what they will be fishing for it's hard to make a concrete recommendation. If they are going to fishing for bass and panfish or other smaller fish I'd recommend just picking them up a pair of rod/reel combos from Bass Pro, Cabela's or whereever- the combos are usually matched up pretty well and can save some time and money versus picking them individually. A 5'6" ultralight spinning rig spooled with some 10lb. Spiderwire is an awesome rig for a young kid or a beginner- when even a small fish gets to yanking around on an ultralight you get alot of action and it's exciting and teaches them how to fight a fish the right way. If they get hung up in the weeds or hook a big one the Spiderwire is stout enough to get them in. Most ultralight rods are pretty flexible so they can take a bending that most stiffer action rods won't take. Just be sure to show them how to tie a good knot and how to work the drag.

[ThJudg]

Gary,

I've had really good luck with some of the Shimano combo sets that Bass Pro sells.
The ones I bought were standard spinning sets and not ultra lights, but I was going to be using them for Bass and Catfish so I wanted something with a stronger backbone.

I'm sure either one would be welcomed by your Daughter and Son-in-law.

ThJudg (Roger)

[ILMO]

all this time I thot you used a quarter stick of dynamite, Roger !!

:D

R

[ThJudg]

Now you know I'm not that kind of a guy, Randy. An eighth of a stick is plenty ! ! !

ThJudg (Roger)

[papapaul]

So the guy hands the gamewarden a stick of dynamite and says:"you come here to bullshit or did you come here to fish!".

[GaryO]

Is this what is called "highjacking a thread"?

[Kentucky Fisherman]

Gary, I'd recommend a spinning combo from Bass Pro, Cabelas or whoever has the best deal and maybe something on sale. If you think they will take care of the gear and are really interested in fishing, you want to pay a little more and get decent gear. For spinning, a combo in the $75-$100 range ought to be about right. I'd recommend a 6'6" or 7" rod and make sure it's two-piece. There are plenty of 2-piece vs. 1-piece rod arguments and I own both, but for beginning anglers in an urban area a 2-piece rod is a lot more convenient. If you go to the BPS website, you can find combos that have charts recommending certain rods for certain line and lure weights. I'd nudge you toward a rig set up to handle 8 pound test. Any lighter can be a problem and any heavier means the line won't cast as well and will kink a little more. If the rigs don't come spooled, be sure to also get them a good monofilament line; standard Stren will do fine.

Those are my ideas for starters. If one or both are very inexperienced, consider a combo rig that features a spincast reel that hangs under the rod, like a spinning reel. There are several of those out now that are pretty darned good reels and you avoid the possible tangles of a spinning reel.

[papapaul]

I've been fishing all my life. Raised on a lake in Minnesota, stationed in saltwater areas, etc. I have some really expensive gear. What I use everyday for pond and lake fishing around here (kentucky) is a Shimano 2000 reel from K-Mart and a cheap graphite rod (light or ultra-light) also from K-Mart. Total cost $20. Amen on the 10 Lb spiderwire. (the green stuff made out of kevlar) You can't break it, you can hardly cut it and it knots real well. I wouldn't gift them a $100 outfit just yet.