Hey everyone, relatively new to the site (lurk in the shadows :tounge_out But I was wondering what would be a nice rod setup for a new catfisherman? For example, a pole, reel, line, sinkers, hooks, etc... I found a lot of different ones on the site, but not sure which one I should go for :embarassed: Lets say my spending limit is $100-$150 Thanks for the help in advance! :smile2:
Welcome to the BOC.... I'm in California at the beach out of LA. Not really the one to say "dont go out and by new gear"..... but you may have all that you need now, just have to get the line up to par for bigger fish.... what have you got as of now..... spinning, bait casting, salt water??? where do you plan on fishing?... give us some feedback and we'll get back to you..... like you mentioned... there is a lot of info out there on the site... here is a pic of a "trashpole" I gave to Robb, and a "new Diawa" bait runner function.... 65lb line and doing ok with this channel.... Bayrunner Ray
Where and how you fish will determine what you should need. If you fish urban lakes, a nice bass rod and reel with some 10 lb mono should be plenty. Even though bass fishermen catch 40-50 lb flatheads on bass rods all the time, I wouldnt recommend it unless you dont mind breaking tackle and losing a lot of fish. I usually use a medium/med. heavy spinning rod and reel along with some 20-30 lb braid. Alot of people cant get the hang of a baitcaster and get discouraged. Once you get the whole casting thing down most people move to a baitcasting set up as they do have their advantages. In the world of tackle you usually get what you paid for but just remember that your pole and reel are going to take a lot of abuse. I would suggest E-Bay as there are some really good deals on tackle to be had there. Whatever you decide, just remember to match your hooks to your bait, always check your hook points after every cast and check your line for fraying, periodically cutting 5 or so feet off.
I will be honest with you....it really depends on what type of catfishing you are looking to do. If you are planning on fishing urban lakes or channel catfish, or something that is bound to be under 20lbs, you would probably be better set to look at Walmart and buy a Medium-heavy pole with a decent reel. You can use either small live bait, anchovies, chicken livers, stink bait, etc. Total cost for a couple poles, terminal tackle and other stuff will probably be about $75.00. It is not to say that this type of fishing equipment is poor, as this is what I started catfishing with, but it is not as "high quality" as some of the other stuff out there. If you are looking to find flatheads (and some monster cats) on the Colorado River, Bartlett, Roosevelt, or Pleasant it may be more encouraged to invest in some nicer equipment. The only thing is that this stuff costs a little more. I currently use Ugly Stik MH Tiger rods, with an Abu Garcia Ambassador 6500c4. The total setup with 65lb test braided line will cost about $125 for one pole. This is a decent setup, but does cost a little more. If you are looking for more detailed info, shoot me a PM and I can get more descriptive. Ultimately though, it really depends on what kind of catfishing you are interested in doing. Ryan
I currently have a 5-6' Ugly Stick with 10lb. Line on a spinning reel which I use for bass. And of course a smaller one for crappie/trout etc... But I am used to baitcasting reels as Ive used my grandfathers quite a few times when im over there. I mostly fish at bartlett or pleasant and occasionaly I fish at roosevelt. I wanna have gear that could handle a decent cat without me having a chance to break my pole :tounge_out: Thanks again guys! -Josh
WELCOME TO THE BOC.WHETHER SETTING UP POLES,RIGGING,BAITS,BOATS,OR ANYTHING ELSE.YOU COULD ASK 100 PEOPLE AND GET 100 DIFFERENT ANSWERS.YOU JUST HAVE TO DO SOME RESAERCH ABOUT YOUR AREA(ASK AROUND AT LOCAL BAIT SHOPS)FIND OUT WHAT SIZE CAT'S ARE IN THE AREA.LOTS OF GOOD INFO IN THE MEMBERS LIBRARY.IT ALL BOILS DOWN TO WHAT YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH AND WHAT YOU CAN AFFORD.LOL:smile2:
Welcome to the BOC, and starting out I would have you a good cat pole, Berkley glow sticks are good rods, and I would use about 30 pound test, circle hooks, and some heavy sinkers, and when you go fishing I would use some cut bait, you should do good good luck and keep us posted on how you do.
Thanks for all the suggestions guys! I dont think ill have it by the time I go to Lake Mary next weekend, but ill have it before I go fishing the next time :roll_eyes: Ive got an idea of what bait to use (Plenty of info on that :smile2... Might go for some Channels at first at in the river connecting Horseshoe & Bartlett Thanks again! -Josh
Welcome to the BOC. I agree with the statement abouve. Berkley glow stick is a great pole for the cats.
