Where (and what) to Shop for Starter Fishing Reel and Rod?

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So I decided to try out fishing, initially solicited advice from FIL and bought an inexpensive rod from Walmart (Zebco 202 combo $20). His justification was that a spin caster is easier to manage for someone new and it is a low upfront investment if I don't like fishing.

Got my fishing license, some starter hooks and bait, and started to research species in the local ponds/lakes near me. There are a bunch of small ponds in the Haverhill area with this mix of fish listed on the wildlife reports:

"Largemouth Bass, Chain Pickerel, Yellow Bullhead, Brown Bullhead, Yellow Perch, Bluegill, and Pumpkinseed. Trout are stocked in the spring."

So I have started practicing casting with the Zebco and its OK however I definitely think I would prefer to upgrade to something a bit nicer if I am going to put in the effort of leaning how to cast well.

So does anyone have a good suggestion of the best places to check out options in the Essex County/Merrimack Valley area for beginner fishing equipment. I know I could always just piece together stuff from online or shop at a place like Bass Pro but would appreciate any insights on good shops to get equipment from or suggestions on equipment that is a bit of a step up.

My budget would probably be $100 for rod and reel.
 
I'm not pro, but I hate spincast.. seem to always f*** up with the stupid button.. Never tried baitcast, but I hear it's tough with light tackle.. I like basic spinning setup.. I used an Ugly Stick with a Shakespeare 1 bearing reel for a long time.. did the job with no issues.. I just replaced it with https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/bass-pro-shops-johnny-morris-carbonlite-20-spinning-combo Treated myself and I get my discount.

you should be able to get a decent setup for well under $100. Shakespeare makes combos matched for certain fish species at around $30-40.

although I suck at fishing, I love sitting there tossing the line out while listening to a podcast or tunes.. just something relaxing to me..
 
Spincast reels are really the easiest and probably best way to first start.

Next would be a good spinning reel. Not all that much harder. Shimano reels are great.

Why don't you at least give the spincast reel a try.

If you want to frustrate your self learning, then try bait casting with light weight lures on a windy day
 
Another vote for spincast. I bought myself and my son a Shakespeare Ugly Stik combo for $60 each. I got the 6' models as they're a good balance of what I want, even though I use my old ultra light setup most days on the river.
 
I'm not pro, but I hate spincast.. seem to always f*** up with the stupid button.. Never tried baitcast, but I hear it's tough with light tackle.. I like basic spinning setup.. I used an Ugly Stick with a Shakespeare 1 bearing reel for a long time.. did the job with no issues.. I just replaced it with https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/bass-pro-shops-johnny-morris-carbonlite-20-spinning-combo Treated myself and I get my discount.

you should be able to get a decent setup for well under $100. Shakespeare makes combos matched for certain fish species at around $30-40.

although I suck at fishing, I love sitting there tossing the line out while listening to a podcast or tunes.. just something relaxing to me..

Yeah I originally was looking at the ugly stick combo before my Father In Law said to go with a spin caster. I can relate to sucking at fishing but just throwing the line out, that was what I was doing practicing at lunch. The beauty of targeting to fish in local ponds is there are 3 options within 5-6 minutes of my house and some crossover to where I work across town.

Spincast reels are really the easiest and probably best way to first start.

Next would be a good spinning reel. Not all that much harder. Shimano reels are great.

Why don't you at least give the spincast reel a try.

If you want to frustrate your self learning, then try bait casting with light weight lures on a windy day

I did give the spincaster a try, played around with it for about 30-40 minutes on ponds Sunday, 45 minutes of practicing casting in the back yard Sunday, and 30-45 minutes of casting into the pond at lunch today.

Part of the challenge is likely that I am using whatever line was wound on that it shipped with, on the package it said it was 10 lb test.

I know the spin caster is perfectly suitable and not holding me back, I just don't really like it that much. I fully intend to keep the spin caster, will be useful if we do a family outing as my wife doesn't like spinning reels (her side of the family all fishes) and it will be easier to manage around the 3 year old.

Hey its a new hobby, why would I not distract myself during inside time with looking at how to buy the next thing?
 
Another vote for spincast. I bought myself and my son a Shakespeare Ugly Stik combo for $60 each. I got the 6' models as they're a good balance of what I want, even though I use my old ultra light setup most days on the river.

Just to be clear, did you buy the Ugly Stick Spin Cast combo or the Spinning Reel combo?

Spin Cast Combo:


Spinning Combo:

 
All of my freshwater rigs have Shimano reels on Shakespeare Ugly Stick rods. I have an ultra light 4' for the trout streams, a light 6' for trout ponds, and a medium 6' for bass.

If I was to start with one rod, would you recommend starting with a light or a medium?

I like the Shimano Baitcaster myself but there’s a huge offering out there.

Fair warning: Like guns it’s not a one size fits all. 😆

Yeah, I kind of figured. Some are cool to use, some are cool to look at, and some are relegated to backup to the backup because they are the least exciting.

Being from NH I would hit Pellitiers in Jaffrey or Wildlife Outfitters in Manchester

Good to know some quality places to check out!
 
For most of my fishing I use my light ugly stick and shimano spinning setup. For ponds/lakes around here where its mostly perch/crappie/bluegill and small mouth it suits me fine.
 
Phlueger President spinning reels are nice. Model 30 would do you well with a light/med rod. A model 25 of you want something light. To start out you might just want to go medium because you"ll be throwing into the trees and dredging the pond. Cabela's house brand rods are decent, cheap and have a lifetime warranty. I like it better than my more expensive Berkley rods.
 
I prefer a spinning reel set up, but since I have developed arthritis in my fingers I now use a spin casting set up. It is not as accurate as the spinning but I am still fishing. I have to watch how I set out the cast. For line I use Silver Thread AN40 8lbs test. Very smooth casting.
 
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as you saw above, if you're a beginner, baitcasters may not be for you. but you'll get good at untangling line.

i've always used penn reels. i particularly like the older style brass penns that they don't make any more. you can find them at yard sales or flea markets. i found a beautiful medium weight penn circa 1980's, maybe early 90's, at the wilmington shriners gun show several shows back...in a box of junk under a table. had the box also. 10 bucks, which i gladly payed. can't beat the penns i believe. i don't think the newer graphite production is as good, but still a nice reel. they offer a bunch of gear ratios but buy on sale, they can get pricey for entry level. i own a couple of newer penns, both ultralites. i haven't fished in a bit but they did the job. i use to trout fish in the streams in the foothills of the rockies in colorado, they were fine.
 
6.5 ft ugly stick and shimano 4000 size spinning reel. Spend your money on the reel, not the rod. 8-10 lb mono Berkeley Trilene. Stay away from braided line while you learn the knots. Have fun
This is what I use as well. I liked Penn spinning reels back in the day when they made them in USA, like Greencobra says...the brass ones. They were great reels.

Fishing for trout typically I will use 6 pound line for ponds or 4# or less for brookies. I used to have a downsized rod and reel setup for brookies around here, easier to cast on tight stream banks.
 
6.5 ft ugly stick and shimano 4000 size spinning reel. Spend your money on the reel, not the rod. 8-10 lb mono Berkeley Trilene. Stay away from braided line while you learn the knots. Have fun
This right here. I fish a lot, I mean a lot. For the money nothing beats an ugly stick, and they are indestructible. Check out these reels: Amazon product ASIN B079PSW9Y6View: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079PSW9Y6?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-ypp-ro-model_ypp_ro_model_k0_1_13&amp=undefined&crid=BT0GEZEELSC4&sprefix=spinning%2Breel&th=1
. Rippin deal for the money. I have been using them for a few years now and they work great. Smooth reel and smooth drag. They are now on my ultralights, medium rods and ice fishing jigging rods. I trust them enough to hike into the mountains with them.

I will spend a lot of money for salt water setups for jigging stripers out of the canal. I will even spend more money on a flyrod. But for everyday pond fishing this setup works excellent.
 
Don't forget about craigslist. There are a few rods for sale in the Haverhill area right now.

Piscifun Flame is a very inexpensive, but decent spinning reel you can buy online.

I have always stuck with Stren or Trilene monofilament line.
 
I haven't seen him post, yet. But somewhere on NES there is a similar thread, and the member was a guide in Pittsburgh, NH. Lots of good advice. Someone posted and awesome mini rod and reel combo for back packing. I wish I remembered who it was. Maybe this will jog someone's memory.
 
Starter setup, Shakespeare ugly stick with a not total bottom of barrel spinning reel. 60-100 bux should do the trick, rip off t he shitty mono line and buy a decent line and have them despoil it, I would go 8#....I like running 6#. Lighter test line casts better, and intro you want less than 10# so it can break when needed.
 
I haven't seen him post, yet. But somewhere on NES there is a similar thread, and the member was a guide in Pittsburgh, NH. Lots of good advice. Someone posted and awesome mini rod and reel combo for back packing. I wish I remembered who it was. Maybe this will jog someone's memory.
 
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