Good baitcast combo?

[Daniel Riggs]

I am wondering about a good "bang for your buck" baitcast combo.  I've got a couple spinning reels, but I like a baitcast reel for certain lures.  It has been a long time since I've bought a bait caster, so I'm out of the loop a little bit.

I would most likely be using it for buzz baits and crank baits.  

[rps]

Lews Speed Spool offers the best ratio of quality to dollars. I prefer Falcon rods and they offer several price levels. Even their least expensive grade, the BuCoo, is a good stick.

[Smallieguy87]

Falcon rods are top notch and made in the U.S. I like the Diawa Tatula baitcasting reels but Lews are always a good value. You can find Tatula's marked down a good bit on Ebay and they're brand new. I believe you can find Lews the same way. Don't overlook St.Croix on the rods. The Avid is a great rod and i have several of them.

[Daniel Riggs]

Thanks for the tips. I should be able to find some good options based on this info. 

[Seth]

I know people aren't a fan of Bass Pro, but I think their Pro Qualifier baitcast reels are hard to beat for the price. They are normally $100, but they mark them down to $80 pretty regularly. As for rod's, I really like the Cabela's Tournament ZX casting rods. They are normally $100 as well, but they are marked down to $70-80 pretty often. I'm using a 7'2" jig/worm tourney ZX rod paired up with a Lew's Speed Spool Tourney Pro and absolutely love that combo. A couple of the best bass fishermen I know also use the tourney ZX rods and feel they offer the best performance without breaking the bank.

The Tatula rod and reel combo's are dang nice as well, but they are costlier than what I mentioned. My buddy has a Tatula combo and he spent around $300 on it if I remember correctly.

[Daniel Riggs]

1 hour ago, Seth said:

I know people are a fan of Bass Pro, but I think their Pro Qualifier baitcast reels are hard to beat for the price. They are normally $100, but they mark them down to $80 pretty regularly. As for rod's, I really like the Cabela's Tournament ZX casting rods. They are normally $100 as well, but they are marked down to $70-80 pretty often. I'm using a 7'2" jig/worm tourney ZX rod paired up with a Lew's Speed Spool Tourney Pro and absolutely love that combo. A couple of the best bass fishermen I know also use the tourney ZX rods and feel they offer the best performance without breaking the bank.

The Tatula rod and reel combo's are dang nice as well, but they are costlier than what I mentioned. My buddy has a Tatula combo and he around $300 on it if I remember correctly.

Thanks for the info

[jdmidwest]

What about a good baitcaster combo to fish light line in the 6-8 lb with 1/8 to 1/4 oz lures.  I use bait casters for my heavy stuff now, it puts the work off on my left arm and saves straining my right arm that has damage.  I just can't seem to find a combo that works well for the lighter stuff.

[Mitch f]

9 minutes ago, jdmidwest said:

What about a good baitcaster combo to fish light line in the 6-8 lb with 1/8 to 1/4 oz lures.  I use bait casters for my heavy stuff now, it puts the work off on my left arm and saves straining my right arm that has damage.  I just can't seem to find a combo that works well for the lighter stuff.

That's a tight rope to walk for sure. I don't fish any line under 8 on my baitcasters. The rod is the key piece here. I've been using either a RazR 6' medium, or a B&R Outlaw 6' medium with a Lew's SH1SH

[Gavin]

You will want a good reel and a light tipped rod if tossing light stuff on a caster. Can toss 1/8oz on just about any casting rod but your not gonna get distance. JDM market has a few that might work better for light lures but pricey stuff.

[jdmidwest]

We need to start a new market.  Light action rods and bait casting reels with spools tempered for 6 - 8 lb lines.

Most rods I have tried work better with heavy lines.  Reels need better damping systems and rods need lighter actions.