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I am new to fishing, but have recently done a decent amount of it and have done some research. I am located in Flagstaff, AZ where there are a lot of lakes around here stocked with trout as well as pike and catfish. As of now I have just been fishing for trout and I am using a Mitchell Rod and Reel (although the reel seems to be falling apart). I am looking into getting a new setup possibly, and have about $100 to spend. I would like to get something pretty common that I can find at Big 5 or other retailers instead of waiting to get something online. I would also like to get something a little versatile that I can fish other things besides trout with. I have had a couple people recommend the Ugly Stick rod.
What are your guys' suggestions for a rod and reel?
What lb line? I have been using 4lb
What bait? I have been using a small spinner or a small hook with garlic scented corn
Lure?
Oh, and also I am fishing off the shoreline.
Thanks!
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Welcome to the site CC268. Ugly Stick rods are a good choice in that price range. As far as a reel, that is hard to say, there are a lot of good brands out there, I usually look for some type of combo. What kind of reel do you fish with now? The more you spend, the more you get, so just look for one in your pice range. As far as line, it depends on how big the fish are that you are trying to catch but in general I use 10 to 12 pound test. As far as what you need to catch fish in your local area, I would go to a smaller local bait shop or sportmans store, they can help you better on what lure or bait selection will work best in the lake or river you are fishing. Hope that helps.
WH2
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Thanks a lot for the reply! Currently I have a Mitchell Avocet II S2000 reel with the Mitchell Avocet II rod (combo), however I have had it for about a week and the reel is already getting a little jammed and making funny noises (probably due to loading the line wrong onto the reel). I may pick up an Ugly Stick with a good reel as I have about a $100 to spend. From what I understand...around here you don't want more than four pound or six pound line for the trout around here as anything bigger will scare them away.
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When fishing for catfish or pike, the heavier line or even using braided line is a good choice but not necessary, it really depends on the size of the fish you are trying to catch. Since Pike have teeth, braided line is always a good choice and for the pound test it is a smaller diameter than mono and can resist the teeth of pike. An example is, for the same size dia of 6lb mono, braid line is 12 lb test. If the rod and reel combo you bought is only a few weeks old, you might be able to take it back and get a refund but that depend on where you bought it and if you still have the receipt. Loading the line wrong won't cause any jamming or funny noise but I'm not familiar with the Mitchell Avocet II S2000 reel. Is it a spinning reel? If it is, then the worse that can happen is the line will twist when coming off the reel.
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Well I picked up an Ugly Stick Lite Medium Action, 6-15 lb...so I should be able to fish a a little bit of variety. I also got a Shimano Solstace 2500FI Reel, so I have a good setup now. Hopefully I can catch something soon!
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Good for you, I hope the new setup brings you some good luck. Please feel free to post your report on our AZ board, in case you have not found it yet, here is a link to that board:
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?forum=10"]http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?forum=10[/url]
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I agree with Wiperhunter. Braig is good but not necessary.
However, there are some major pros to using it. Keeps you from having to use a steel leader. Youll rarely get biten off. And snags and such arent as big of a deal. It's nice when you get a lure on a rock or in a tree and you can just beast it out and not loose a lure. Most of the time youll bend the hook before breaking your line. I use 30lb power pro mostly...here in the midwest that keeps me good with musky, pike, salmon, and gar.
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