When you are trying to put together Rod and Reel Combos, one important thing to remember is that there is no one right combination for every situation. The rod and reel that you choose will be dependant on the type of fishing that you are doing, the size and type of fish that you plan to catch, and also on your personal preferences and budget.
One of the most important things you need to keep in mind is what type of water you will be fishing in. A large amount of rods and reels today can be used in both salt and freshwater, but only if you make sure to meticulously clean them after the fact. Saltwater rod and reel combinations, unlike freshwater ones, are made out of sturdier materials that resist corrosion due to saltwater. If you are like many of us and prone to not completely cleaning your equipment after every outing and plan on doing a lot of saltwater fishing, it is a very good idea to get tackle dedicated to fishing the seas.
You also need to keep in mind where you are fishing at. If you are fishing from a pier or a beach you are going to need relatively heavy equipment to pull any fish out of the waters. However, if you’re fishing backcountry streams, you are going to want either light or ultralight tackle. This is both because the streams are generally smaller, and so you’ll catch smaller fish, and also because you have to hike all of your gear in and out.
The Three Types of Rod and Reel Combos
There are three different types of tackle combinations you can use when you are fishing. These are spinning, baitcasting, and fly tackle combinations.
A Spinning Reel
Spinning rods and reels are best incredibly versatile and can be used in almost any angling situation. Spinning tackle is further broken down into four different sizes, ultralight, light, medium, and heavy. What size your rod or reel is should be indicated on the tag when you buy it. It is absolutely essential that you match up the size of the rod with the size of the reel. For example, always pair a medium reel with a medium reel and an ultralight rod with an ultralight reel. If you fail to do this and instead pair a light reel with a heavy rod, you will not get the best performance out of your rod or reel.
You will know what size spinning combination to get by what type of fishing you plan to do. Use ultralight spinning tackle for fishing in smaller areas or if you are planning to fish in the backcountry. This tackle usually uses anywhere between two and six pound test line and if you are planning on catching any larger fish it takes some experience to reel them in. Light and medium spinning are great for almost any situation, from river and lake fishing to some sea fishing. The only kind of fishing this tackle is unsuitable for is surf or beach fishing. Finally, heavy tackle is used in offshore fishing when going for big game or fish that fight extremely hard and also in surf fishing.
If you are fishing for bass or need to cast lures and baits very precisely, you cannot beat a good baitcasting tackle combo. These require a bit more experience to operate, but will give anglers a great advantage when fishing inland waterways that are rife with obstructions. Finally, fly rod and reel combos are obviously used for fly fishing. The type of rod and reel you will want will largely depend on whether you are dry or wet fly fishing because the casts you will have to use for these two types of fishing may vary greatly.
No matter what type of fishing you are doing, there is a rod and reel combination out there for you. One final piece of advice is that if you are a serious angler, you should not buy a combination set that includes both the rod and the reel. They may come with inferior parts and combinations. While you may end up spending a few, but not too many, more dollars in the short term buying a quality rod and reel separately, it will pay dividends in the long term as you will have found tackle that exactly fits your personal preferences and situation.
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