[J3000]

Yeah yeah, fly fishing forum, not a gear fishing forum. But really, you guys are my only resource for this sort of thing.

I'd like to pick up a couple basic trout weight spinning rods. I've been a 'big brother' to a kid for the past couple of years and he's old enough now that I'm going to try and get him out doing a bit more stuff this summer. I love video games, but I hear too much about xbox and wii from this kid. He needs to be catching some fish and hiking on some trails. Anyway, I'd like to start him off with something easy so I'm going to go spinning rod first off. Yes, I've got a fly rod that the kid can learn on a bit later. But he's got a pretty short attention span and I'd like to be able to concentrate on one thing at a time. Plus, our time together is limited, so I'd like to use it getting him some fish on the end of a line rather than making him frustrated with casting. It's a lot easier to get someone to learn once they are already stoked.

But I know exactly zero about spinning rods. I think the last time I bought one it had snoopy on the reel. I've used a rods from a couple of friends a few times in he past. But since it was spin-fishing, I was probably too busy drinking beer or washing the powerbait off my fingers to pay attention to what kind of rod/reel I was using.

Anyway, what's a half decent rod/reel combo that I won't get pissed at but I won't stress if it gets broken or lost by a space brained kid. Yeagers here in bellingham has their rod/reel combos 30% off and the rest of their fishing gear 20% off until the lakes opener. But I'm not against going to Wholesale Sports (Sportsmans Warehouse) or even Wally World to get something else. At the end of the day though, I'm not spending a ton on these rods. A spin rod isn't ever going to be a frequently used rod for me and I'm hoping to graduate this kid up to a fly rod in the not too distant future.

 

[BDD]

Probably don't matter much on the name brand of the rod/reel combo. The spin cast (push button) is the one I learned on but spinning reels are probably more versatile. The main thing is whatever reel you get, if it comes with line pre-spooled on the reel, take that crap off and replace it with good quality, low memory monofilament line. Line twisting from crappy line can be a real pain the butt with kids. I like cork handles, probably as a result of fishing and using fly rods for the last 20 years so when I got my kids spinning reels last year, I spent a little more to get cork handles. But traditional foam grips will suffice. I would look for a medium action rod capable of 4-10 lb test in the 6 to 7 foot length for general, overall fishing conditions.

 

[Old Man]

Berkley makes some nice rods. They come in all sizes. from 5' to 7' I was always partial to the ones called Cherrywood. Not made out of wood, just something to call it. And maybe a Mitchell Spinning Reel. That was always a good set up for me. Plus a few Mepps spinners Sizes "0" to "2".
Of course you'll need the odd assortment of Swivels, sinkers, pre-tied hooks. Maybe a fish stringer and a cheap net.

Thinking of this type of set up brings back a lot of memories. And lots of fish caught and kept for my dad to eat. I kept in fresh caught trout for many years.

 

[Kent Lufkin]

Good on you Josh for investing your time in another person who could really benefit from your experience. You instincts about getting him off the couch and into the woods seem spot on.

Like many of us here, I started out with spinning gear at about age 6 and have always had at least one or two rods and reels lying around (especially large ones that I used to take to Alaska as backups and tiny ones for mountain streams and lakes). The good news is that the cost to get into a spinning outfit is a small fraction of what it takes for the same quality fly rig.

I'd suggest that you start at Cabelas. They have a number of house brand rod lines that are sure to fit your budget while providing a high-quality product. Ditto on reels, but as a practical matter, the more ball bearing sets in a spinning reel, the smoother it'll operate. I'd suggest sticking with the simpler designs where you simply use an index finger to hold the line to the edge of the spool before releasing to cast.

Pick up a rubber casting plug and bring the whole rig to a park to start developing your young fisherman's casting skills out by aiming for a plastic bucket or hula hoop, gradually increasing distance as his coordination and aim improve.

You know the rest of the drill from there,

K

 

[flybill]

I've got a couple of Luhr Jenson rods, one was broken in a door, and a new tip top placed on. Matched with Shimano reels and light lines. Mostly 2 and 4 lb lines. Got me back into fishing at Pine Lake in Sammamish / Bellevue and worked for the stocker fish fine. I still like the rods and get my neice and nephews out with them when I can.

They weren't expensive, the whole setup was maybe $75, I think, and I've enjoyed them.

 

[Slipstream]

Josh, Once you get a rod and reel picked out, I suggest you purchase a couple of the clear casting bubbles. I used the kind with a peg down the middle of the bobber that allows you to add some water for weight. Start your young angler out fishing with a fly behinnd the bubble and forget the sinkers, power bait and worms. With the clear bubble, a barrel swivel and a fly the youngster will have something visual to hold his attention. He will be able to watch the bobber as he retrieves it and many times he wil be able to see the splash of the fish as it takes the fly. He should convert easily to fly fishing before too long. Good Luck and Good Job! SS

 

[JesseC]

I would second Kent's advice. Check out Cabelas; They have a massive selection of spincast combos.

I fished every single day after school with a Zebco33 combo. It's practically impossible to break those set-ups. However, I think if I was buying one again, I might spring for a bit nicer of a rod and reel. Who knows, you might find yourself fishing for Smallmouth bass in lake washington one of these days!

 

[Ryan Singh-Cundy]

a word of advice get a cork grip BUT make sure you squeeze the handle and if it gives dont buy it, a lot of spinning rods now do not have solid cork grips, just cork wrapped around a thin piece of plastic so they split pretty easy after a little bit of use. i just had the grip on my berkley lighting rod split in half. If your just fishing for trout i would get a 2pc 6-7ft light or ultralight fast action spinning rod, with a 1000 or 2000 class spinning reel with 4 or 6 # P-line brand (my absolute favorite). a few mepps and blue fox spinners and maybe a few marabou jigs should round it out.

 

[Kirk Singleton]

If ever around Issaquah- I have a brand new one that I will give you.

 

[Richard E]

Yeah yeah, fly fishing forum, not a gear fishing forum. But really, you guys are my only resource for this sort of thing.

I'd like to pick up a couple basic trout weight spinning rods. I've been a 'big brother' to a kid for the past couple of years and he's old enough now that I'm going to try and get him out doing a bit more stuff this summer. I love video games, but I hear too much about xbox and wii from this kid. He needs to be catching some fish and hiking on some trails. Anyway, I'd like to start him off with something easy so I'm going to go spinning rod first off. Yes, I've got a fly rod that the kid can learn on a bit later. But he's got a pretty short attention span and I'd like to be able to concentrate on one thing at a time. Plus, our time together is limited, so I'd like to use it getting him some fish on the end of a line rather than making him frustrated with casting. It's a lot easier to get someone to learn once they are already stoked.

But I know exactly zero about spinning rods. I think the last time I bought one it had snoopy on the reel. I've used a rods from a couple of friends a few times in he past. But since it was spin-fishing, I was probably too busy drinking beer or washing the powerbait off my fingers to pay attention to what kind of rod/reel I was using.

Anyway, what's a half decent rod/reel combo that I won't get pissed at but I won't stress if it gets broken or lost by a space brained kid. Yeagers here in bellingham has their rod/reel combos 30% off and the rest of their fishing gear 20% off until the lakes opener. But I'm not against going to Wholesale Sports (Sportsmans Warehouse) or even Wally World to get something else. At the end of the day though, I'm not spending a ton on these rods. A spin rod isn't ever going to be a frequently used rod for me and I'm hoping to graduate this kid up to a fly rod in the not too distant future.

Saw a very nice trout Quantum rod/reel setup at Out door Emporium, I think it was under $25. It was very nice, particularly for the money.

 

[J3000]

Thanks for everything so far folks.

Two questions:

1. Are gear rods marked in weights or something like fly rods? What would indicate to me that I was looking at trout rod other than it being short and thin?

2. Should I be getting a 10 year old a push button "casting' or "spincasting" reel? I figured that he was old enough to operate a spinning reel. But perhaps I should rethink that.

3. What price range should this sort of thing be in? I've seen everything from $15 to $75 combos in the zebco/okuma/shakespear brands. Then the stuff at cabelas looks like $60-150+ or so.

Sorry for sounding like such an idiot. But gear fishing is a mystery to me.

 

[J3000]

If ever around Issaquah- I have a brand new one that I will give you.

Thanks for the offer Kirk. But I can't remember the last time I went to Issaquah. Going to Seattle today to take a friend to the airport was the first time I had been down south in months.

Which leads me to:

Saw a very nice trout Quantum rod/reel setup at Out door Emporium, I think it was under $25. It was very nice, particularly for the money.

Hahahaha. I was JUST there this morning and left because there were a billion rods and I had no idea what any of them were in terms of use or quality. Plus, there was some sort of seminar and sale that was packing the place out.

Such is life.

 

[Jim Wallace]

Denny's suggestion on price range is about right. I've been seeing decent combos advertised in the $25 to $30 range that would be just great for kids.

I'm using a smaller model cheap Okuma Avenger that I got about 9 years ago, casting for surf perch here on the beach. I have it spooled with 10# Power Pro braid on an 8'6" IM6 med-lite drift/jig rod, and I can huck a 3/4 oz egg sinker a long way. It is holding up just fine.

That same little Okuma reel on an older 6 1/2' med-lite trout spinning rod, loaded with 6# was a pretty versatile fresh water rig for trout, perch, panfish, etc. I landed two steelhead on it one evening set up that way. What a surprise. Haven't used it for freshwater fish since about 2002.

I've never felt that an expensive spinning reel was needed until you get into big, strong fish, and then you need one with a good drag system that won't fail on you. For small fish, anything that isn't just cheap junk should do. Quantum (Zebco) stuff is pretty reliable.
Personally, I've never thought Mitchel 300's were all that great.

 

[Lugan]

A 6.5' rod may be too long for a little kid and potentiall small streams. I think 5-5.5' and something just a step about 'ultralight' would suffice. I'd do push-botton spincast if I were you. A spinning reel is nice for slightly older kids, but hard for a kid who is also a beginner to master due to too many reuired operations. Also make sure you have him use single hook lures and de-barb all of them!

 

[JesseC]

Dude, in all honesty - its just baitcasting. It's not rocket science like fly fishing has made itself out to be to keep us rich old guys with nothing better to do all excited about buying 10 different rods.

Just got to wal-mart and get yourself a nice $30 rod. Whatever you get will be fine for trout and the occasional panfish.

 

[Tim Lockhart]

Zebbie w/ pushbutton at that age. That should be every kid's first pole anyway (it's the American way). Rod should be 6ish ft, 2pc. Do this kid right and go traditional...worms, eggs, eagleclaw hooks with the little looped leaders, red/white bobbers and good ol' snap swivels. Sometimes you can find the whole shootin' match as a starter set...probably 15 bucks or so. If he takes to it, a spin rod/reel and artificials can come next, but that's down the road. Have fun! (BTW, Padden first 3 wks of opener, and Fragrance now thru mid-summer...both are very good bets with kids & bait).

 

[simon says]

I'll tell ya what I've gat a little five foot combo I can give you. Its a little okuma I believe rated either 1-4 or 2-4 lb test. I think i paid 40 bucks for it last year in so cal, and ever since I moved up here all i do is fly fish when it comes to trout fishing. Its a pretty fun little rod it makes a little stocker feel like a dumptruck. I live in bellingham pm me if you want it

 

[Old Man]

Thanks for everything so far folks.

Two questions:

1. Are gear rods marked in weights or something like fly rods? What would indicate to me that I was looking at trout rod other than it being short and thin?

2. Should I be getting a 10 year old a push button "casting' or "spincasting" reel? I figured that he was old enough to operate a spinning reel. But perhaps I should rethink that.

3. What price range should this sort of thing be in? I've seen everything from $15 to $75 combos in the zebco/okuma/shakespear brands. Then the stuff at cabelas looks like $60-150+ or so.

Sorry for sounding like such an idiot. But gear fishing is a mystery to me.

Gear rods are marked just like fly rods are, they tell you the line weight and the lure sizes..

 

[trout man]

you can get a spinning rod and reel at walmart it will last a long time. if you dont think he's ready buy a seperate push button one then he can "graduate" the the spinning reel

 

[trout man]

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...parentType=index&indexId=cat601233&hasJS=true

here is a good one just an example. get him one of these maybey the underspin combo. its in between spinning and spincasting.