what rod reel combos you using for bay fishing ?

[ceoranger]

Did a search but didn't find much.
Looking to get another bay setup soon geared more for saltwater and wondering what everyone was using. Primarily fish Mission Bay for spotties using swimbaits.

Currently use:

Baitcaster
shimano curado I paired with a shimano convergence 6' 6" med rod
abu garcia black max combo med 6'6" (caught a ton of fish on this)
shimano curado I paired with a shimano clarus med/heavy 7ft

Spinning
shimano symetre 2500 paired with abu vigilante 6'6" med

Buddy got a Lews inshore LFS MCS and seemed nice and leaning that way but no idea what medium 7ft rod to pair it with.

[Delbrugge4]

Are you close to the Kearny Mesa area? I work at turners over there and if you're close by I could help you find a great combo.

Also it depends on what you're fishing off of, Kayak or shore, to say what length rod you should go with. Those rods you have would work great in the bay. The power of the rod would depend on what kind of lures you're using. There are plenty of saltwater rated reels but it really depends on how much you take care of it.

If you wanted to swing by shoot me a PM and I'll let you know what days I work.


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[ceoranger]

Fish from a pa12 and sometimes boat.
take care of my stuff rinsing with water after each trip and maintenance.
use primarily 3/8 lead head and sometimes 1/4 and 1/2 oz.

[Delbrugge4]

I fish from a outback 12. I like 7 foot rods because it can reach around the front of my kayak if I hang a big fish. Also for the casting distance. Most med power rods will cast 1/4 oz+ a great distance. Always rinse your rods off to get the saltwater off right after fishing. But what most people do and is really bad for reels is rinsing the whole reel. What that does is it pushes all the saltwater and debris into the reel which makes it harder to reach and will rust the insides of the reel. What most reel companies suggest after saltwater usage is to actually just wipe the outside of the reel with a damp rag. And after a couple of usages take it apart and re lube everything.


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[ceoranger]

Thanks, good info.
im not near you but I do have a turners near me in oc. Any suggestions rod and reel wise to look at there ?
Most med rods are good for 1/4 to 5/8 and I like the fight from spotties on that rod vs a med/hvy.

[YakDout]

Check out the california rods at turners. Very well priced and great rods. I have a 10-20 calico special I paid no more than $130 for and I love it. For reels, I really like the lexa line of reels . I rarely fish bass anymore, but have caught many yellowtail on my lexa 400 and 300. Very versatile. 50lb braid with the 300: 8lb flouro leader for bass. Want to fish yellowtail switch to 30-40lb flouro and no problem.


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[HobieScot]

I have a few different set ups for inshore but what has been my go to for years is a Gloomis 6'6 10-17lb paired with a diawa Luna 300

It casts a country mile with a 1/4 oz lead head and has enough power if you hook into something bigger than you expected like a decent Hali or even a bat ray

I must have monkey arms because I've never had a problem with a 6'6 rod on my 12 foot outback

Once you get into a 7 foot rod you run into more problems transporting and storing them IMO

You can adjust the cast control instantly on the side by turning the side plate if you are the type that likes to switch between light and heavy lures repeatedly throughout the day

Although I never see the need to do so

This is my co to Spottie/calico set up

[Delbrugge4]

CEORANGER for sure man stop by that turners and look for a med 7'. That rod will give you a good bend and be super fun fighting anything in the bay. What's your price range? I'll give you a couple rods and reels I suggest.


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[buddha]

I like my Lews BB2 Inshore Reel. It has held up a lot better than my Curado 201 I reel. Rods I use are Abu Garcia Volatile and Okuma Shadow Stalker both are reasonable rods and suitable for MB.

I like to use chatterbaits with z man plastics in 5 inch size. The colors I like in the scented paddlerz are new penny, baby shad, houdini, and redbone.

[ceoranger]

$100 range ? But looking for feedback from others what they prefer and why too.
looking for pure bay rod/reel targeting spotties as my buddies and I usually fish that a few times a month.
Got other gear for kelp and offshore like terez, curado 300, toriums etc. As you can tell mostly shimano gear.

[maquinapescado]

If you are in North OC, I'm gonna say to avoid Turners based on Signal Hill and HB having terrible customer service. If you aren't buying a gun, you'll be left hanging big time.

Go to Fisherman's Hardware in HB. They are all fisherman and sell fishing gear, not guns. The plus on them is if you buy there, they repair and service reels and rods. When it is busy you can kind of leverage them with that for slightly expedited service.

[Delbrugge4]

If you like shimano I would stay with the Currado 200. If you wanna try other brands take a look at the Daiwa tatula. I have Abu reels and they seem to not fair well in salt water. As far as rods go I have an Abu vendetta rod that I like as well as a Daiwa tatula XT. Both of those rods are pretty cheap but still have pretty good quality.


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[chancy94]

Been really digging my Lexa 100 paired with a 7' abu garcia medium action volitile. Bought both off amazon for good deals and been my go to set-up for throwing 3in swimbaits as the rod is rated 1/4-5/8. I also throw a crank with it sometimes and it handles. I run 20lb braid cus you can pack a $hit ton on that small reel and the rod has perfect give for the smaller dinks but handles the fatties that come out with good backbone in the rod. One of the best setups for spotties imo and won't break the bank hope the input helps.:cheers1:

[BIG JOAQUIN]

For mission bay I use a spinning reel (pfleuger president size 35) and a 7'6" falcon HD in medium. This throws everything up to 1/2 oz great.($130 total)

For SD bay I use a lews tournament pro and a 13 fishing omen black at 7'3" medium heavy. This throws everything from 1/4 to 1 oz great. Lews makes an inshore series of reels that is better suited for the salt. ($290 total)

Everything rigged with 20lb power pro and an arms length of whatever leader material/test made it into my tackle bag. Works great for spotties/sandies/ and the occasional halibut.

[Hunters Pa]

If you can wait, the Fred Hall show is coming up in a month. Great buys can be found at the show

[chancy94]

If you can wait, the Fred Hall show is coming up in a month. Great buys can be found at the show

x2 thanks for reminding me to save my money:D

[ceoranger]

Can wait for fred hall. Went last year and picked up a few things.
Still looking for suggestions on what rod and or reel i should look for there so keep it coming.
heard good things about the no. 8 blackout rod and seems affordable.

[Dave Legacy]

My bass rods are:

6'10" Shimano Clarus MH (10-20#) w/Daiwa Lexa 100HS
7' St. Croix Mojo Bass H (14-30#) w/Abu Garcia C3 4600 + Power Handle.

I'll just as easily use my Lexa 100 on either of those rods and I'll eventually get a Lexa 300 to use on my heavy bass rod, but I have caught some pretty big Lingcod from shore using the Clarus & Lexa so there isn't much urgency to upgrade. If you're only fishing within the bay you don't need to go nuts on having robust gear.

[Amish Ed]

I have 2 Okuma Shadow Stalkers in the 7'6" M and one 7'6" MH. Love those rods for the price (about $100). On them I have a Shimano Cardiff 200 and a Curado 200. On the MH I have a Cardiff 300. I prefer the Cardiffs over the Curado because they are cheaper and hold up better in the salt. I do nothing to my reels until they die (about 6-9months for the Caridiffs and 4-6months for the Curado) and then take them to Shimano and they fix them up like new for $25 each.

[Delbrugge4]

The turners stand at Fred hall show will have a great amount of shimano baitcasters and for sure at least one Lexa 100.


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[tacmik]

Don't forget about the ugly stick. In-expensive and durable. match it up with the Cardiff reel and you have a set up that works great for the bay.

[ROSSOLY]

If you're looking for an inexpensive rod, Berkeley has several trigger sticks. I fish two, 10/12 lb and 20 lb setups

[stoned-trout]

cant go wrong with an ugly stick ..

[tacmik]

Another option is to go down to Squid Co. Tell them how much you have to spend, where you want to fish and that you are in a yak. They know their stuff and won't steer you wrong.

[Mr. NiceGuy]

I put a new Shimano Curado 300 EJ (Squidco) on a Lamiglas 7' IC 70 MH Inshore Classic (on my pole rack for many years with a reel I didn't like. I loaded it with 65# Power Pro braid.

It's a zinger, to say the least. Amazing combo. Casts over the horizon.

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I would like to find something as nice to replace my aging La Jolla kayak fishing heavy rod. I have no clue about that yet, but I want tangle free long distance spectra casting from my kayak. Durable, salt resistant and relatively maintenance free. Recommendations for a state-of-the-art combo would be greatly appreciated. When the summer boils start again, I want to cast to my targets before pedaling.