FS Digest

Hey everyone,

I’m pretty new to fishing but I wanted to start getting my own gear rather than renting when I go out. I plan on fishing offshore Southern California if that helps at all. I was wondering if anyone can give advice on a good starter rod/reel as well as good hooks line etc?

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by Rownun

FS Digest

A 7 ft- 7'6" ft spinnign rod paired with a 3000 (30 depending on the company) size reel with braid as a main line, but you can go eith flouro or monofilament. Really personal choice and budget

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by Magikarp23169

FS Digest

Thank you for the advice, appreciate it! Any idea on what kind of line strength I should be looking at? Or is that sort of just a budget thing too

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by Rownun

FS Digest

A friend and I routinely go offshore off Newport Beach for a 3/4 day trip about once a month so there's a good chance we might cross each other's paths.

Without knowing a budget, we can't really give an accurate recommendation.

For my setup, I have two poles I bring out for charter fishing. One's a conventional setup: an Ugly Stik Tiger Elite 7' Heavy Casting Rod with a Penn Fathom 2 Level Wind, 40lb braid, 30lb fluorocarbon topshot and leader, and 1 to 1/0 size hooks. I like using this setup if I'm just dropping weights straight to the bottom. The pole can handle sinkers up to like 12oz with no problem which keeps my line stationary and not getting tangled from other people. I recommend this setup if you're targeting medium size fish and if you just want an all around decent setup. The pole is kinda stiff and the reel isn't too big and heavy but it's an all metal body and can take on fish like 30-50lbs. I like the trigger on the reel seat as it keeps my pole from turning around my hand and it gives me reassurance that my pole won't slide off my hands. Total cost was like $240 since I got the Fathom 2 for $125.

My second setup if I'm targeting smaller fish and if I'm casting live bait with no sinker is an Ugly Stik Tiger Elite 7' Heavy Spinning rod paired with a Daiwa BG 5000 with 40lb braid and 30lb fluoro also using either a 1 or 1/0 hook. The Tiger Elite casting and spinning rods are completely different even though they're rated as heavy. The spinning is clearly more flexible and seems over rated for it's line weight. The Tiger Elite spinning rod almost feels like an inshore rod and it'll flex like crazy if you get a slightly larger fish than usual but it'll keep up with the fight regardless. That's just something to look out for. Total cost was like $200.

Look for combos on Amazon or other fishing distributors that has both the rod and reel if you want something cheaper. Stick with well known brands in case something goes wrong and you need to exercise the warranty. Also check out the used market for good deals. Alot of people are moving out of state and selling their fishing gear.

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by TeleVue

FS Digest

This is awesome! Exactly the type of info I was looking for, thank you!

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by Rownun

FS Digest

From what I’ve been reading about conventional reels, they’re a bit harder for a beginner when it comes to casting. Is this true or should I not really worry about it?

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by Rownun

FS Digest

There's a learning curve for spinning and conventional reels and the conventional reel takes a bit of getting used to but it's something you can pretty much overcome after like 10 casts. My Fathom 2 level wind is almost impossible to get a bird nest since the level wind mechanism slows down the spool if the line is coming out too fast. Even if I try getting a birds nest, the reel won't birds nest. I wouldn't worry about anything. There's alot of helpful anglers and deckhands to help you out if you get a birds nest or if you aren't casting well and to be honest, on a charter boat, you're either dropping straight down or casting maybe like 10 to 20 yards at most. There just isn't enough room to be casting real far distances. What I like about conventional is that to get the reel to free spool, all you have to do is flick the switch and use your thumb to keep the line from coming out. With a spinning, you need to open the bail and grab the line with your index finger. Doing that for 12 hours can get tiring. I do however, prefer to using a spinning reel when I'm casting further out especially with live bait since I can feel with my index finger when the line gets super taut and feel when I should let go for maximum distance. There's also no risk of getting a bird nest with spinning reels. So in short, my conventional setup is for targeting big fish and dropping straight down while my spinning setup is for targeting small fish and for casting further distances.

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by TeleVue

FS Digest

Honestly, I would go with 20 lb braid as a start or even 30 to maximise the whole spool on the reel and increases your feel on whats going on with the rig, you can use Pline CX Premium or CXX as leader material since its a copolymer. Meaning a monofilament core with a flourocarbon "shell" so to speak. Or even Berkely Big Game mono for the shock absorption benefit. Cause Braid has very little to no stretch and can break on a cast since all that energy has nowhere to go

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by Magikarp23169