Catfish Angler Forum at USCA banner

More Fishing Rod questions?

3K views 18 replies 17 participants last post by  dannybcc 
#1 ·
I've read through alot of the threads in regards to Ugly Stiks, King Kats etc. I plan on doing mainly bank fishing and here is my question. I have an Abu Garcia 6500C3 currently on an Ugly Stick big water M/H rod which is 6'6". In many of the threads I see where mainly 7' and up are mentioned. Anyway should I consider possibly purchasing a 7' rod or simply stick with the 6'6". I know this probably sounds crazy. I understand the longer pole tends to increase casting distance which may be useful fishing wide rivers which I plan on doing. I see that most of the catfish rods on the market are white and or have glow tips. This may be more useful for night fishing. Anyway long story short should I stick with my ugly stick big water 6'6" or opt for one of the King Kat rods 7 +feet from Cabela's. All suggestions accepted. I'm considering the King Kat based on the price and most of the reviews seem to be decent. Thanks for the info! :crying:
 
#2 ·
I think the reel is too small also, the 7000 is starting to get there for me but I'm partial to the penn321 with a 9' rod. Rods with a heavy back bone and a lighter tip are my favorite. The longer rods are better for steering a big fish through structure and you can get away with ligher line because the rod take on the fish instead of the line. Take a look at Fenwick's Legacy/Plus 9' moocher. It's still glass so the price isn't too high like the GL's. The 6500 might be a good match for 6'6" rod for bass. When reeling fast trying to catch up to a fast running fish you stand a better chance with a faster more powerful reel. If you keep using the 6500 a longer rod will definetly improve your situation. Some folks love the little 6500 but when you try a faster reel with larger line capacity it's tough to go back. Remember the bigger the spool with a decent ratio the faster the reel. If a reel is 5-1 but has a small spool it too slow. My take anyway, Fish on Bro!
 
#3 ·
It sounds like you have some good setups thier to me!

It's all about how you feel with the rod if you don't feel comfortable with a 7 foot rod then don't get one. There is only 6 inches difference thats not much maybe only a few feet while casting. Remeber not all reels and rods will match up if.

A 6500 Is sorta big you mighta wana think about moving up

If you worried about glow tips one of our members Gene offers some nice deal on his site. You might wana check it out http://www.akwolf.com/MainWolf/Main.html

My dad just got a king kat combo with a spinning reel recently. He hasn't used it yet but it seems like a good rod!
 
#5 ·
Outfit sounds fine to me, too. We all like new tackle, and yes some other outfits would be great, but yours will work. I probably would save up and think about another whole outfit when I could afford it - like maybe that 8' or 9' or longer rod with the Abu 7000 (or something similar) for big fish.

Another advantage of the longer rod is that it will hold more of your line up out of the water (and current) when you cast from the bank.

Just get out there and fish and see how it works out for you.
 
#6 ·
I'm with JAinSC on this one. The outfit you have now sounds good. If you are looking for more casting distance I would get a 9 or ten foot outfit with maybe a 7000 baitcaster or one of the large spinning reels. The big spinners cast exceptionally well. I would definately keep the one you are using now and look into getting one for distance. Just my two cents. Vern
 
#8 ·
BlueZeus said:
I understand the longer pole tends to increase casting distance which may be useful fishing wide rivers which I plan on doing.

Bill, You can't ever cast far enough no matter how long your pole is. lol
I bought a 15' surf rod and I still cant reach the middle. lol
It doesn't always take a long cast to catch big fish. Some of my best fish come from only a few feet off the bank. Keep your mind on structure, cover and bait.Your outfit will work great. But then we all need more rods and reels. lol :0a10:
 
#10 ·
Very good answers from everyone :thumbsup:
My self, I'm gonna get a longer pole. I fish with two 6'6" poles from the boat. However, last weekend I used these two on the bank along with my 7' spinning rig. I noticed my shorter poles hanging up way more than the one 7' pole. My buddy uses 8' poles and he didn't hang up not one time.
I guess it's because he had less line in the water near the shallow water. We fish lakes and the water is very low right now. Even when I held the pole above my head to reel in and check the bait, I would snag a rock or something. My buddy when checkin' his bait just held the pole normal height and never hung up.
I think what ya have well work fine, but, if your like me and hang up close to the bank, get ya a longer pole.
 
#11 ·
I would stick with what you have. A buddy of mine bought one of those King Kat rods and had to take it back because the eyelet on the tip was freying the mono line in very fine shavings. I first thought it was the line and tried some of my new Sufix line on it, and it did the exact same thing to my line. I use 7' MH Ugly Stik Tiger rods for all my baitcasters.
 
#12 ·
Sounds like that outfit will work for you. If it feels good to you then thats the one that will work. Abu and Penn reels and Ugly Stick rods probably the most used by the folks on this board. The day will come when you will have the urge to "upgrade". Be careful or you will end up like a lot of us, just have to have one more outfit. I have enough to supply at least ten people for a fishing trip. Abu 5000's, 6500's 7000's, Penn Squidder, Jigmaster, 310GTI, Shimano reels. Ugly Stick, Berkley E-Cat, St.Croix Classic Cat, Eagle Claw rods and even more of various brands. I like and use all for certain water conditions and whether fishing a big river or a small river.

Still not happy I guess, ordered a rod from Gator and can't wait to get it.
 
#13 ·
Another option is the spinning rod combo, the Shamano Baitrunner is the best you can get for fishing flats because the baitrunner allow line to be pulled like the clicker on a levelwind but is even smoother and half a turn of the handle the baitrunner automaticly goes back to the main fightin drag. With a levelwind you have to turn the clicker off and tighten the drag. The 4500 and 6500 is what I have. The best rod for this combo is a fairly large rod 8' or bigger with large guides. Many time I've bought rods and changed the guides because the action is perfect but the guides were limiting. If your spinning reel is good size you need large guides or you will not cast far at all. I love both the spinning and levelwind each for different situations. I'm not confessing how many rod and reels I have but definetly have a few favs.
 
#14 ·
I'll use this set up. I figured the expense and advantages of upgrading to a 7' rod doesn't seem to be worth using a cheaper rod when I have a good quality system which has worked well for me thus far. I was just trying to psyc myself up with a pretty rod. Anyway I'll stick with what I have and maybe in the future when I decide to I might upgrade to a Ugly Stick Tiger rod. Thanks for all the information.:)
 
#15 ·
if you fish from the bank you need a long rod. 10 - 12 footers. the longer rod will not only allow you to cast further but it will also allow you to wear down and control the fish better. it is much easier to steer a big fish away from a snag with a longer rod. also helps with the hook set. people who say a 7 foot rod is just fine for bank fishing dont do a lot of bank fishing. or catching. when i just started serious cattin i used the old stand by, 7 foot ugly stik. through many years of trial and error ( and alot of helpful advice from in- fisherman) i finally got a pretty good set up. as far as reels go. abu garcia reels are ok but if you are serious about big cats , get your self a penn! cant be beat.
 
#16 ·
That 6500 will catch anything you will encounter in freshwater. All around it is a good reel. Sure, you can go bigger, but you will be overpowered for most fish you catch.

I prefer the 7'-0" Ugly Stiks that you can get from Wal-Mart for around $29. The tips are not as stiff as some of the smaller rods, so they will cast better. That softer tip acts like a whip and will get you the casting distance a stiffer 7 1/2 or 8 foot rod will get you.

I have a couple of shorter 6'-6" rods that are stiffer than my Ugly Stiks. They don't cast as well, so I mainly use them for trolling when I can drop them off the back and spool line off.

Everyone has an opinion, and you may have to play around a little to find out what works for you.
 
#18 ·
Sounds like you have a good setup and if it has been working why change because someone has a different opinion? Now if the reason you ask is you are looking for some new toys, by all means try a new setup, most of us would. There isn't a rod made that will cast far enough or a reel big enough to land THAT ONE fish we would like to catch.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top