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Hey all, this is my first post here. I never fished much as a kid, but my buddy took me out last weekend and I had a blast! This Sunday we're gonna go out again for some largemouth bass. Right now pretty much the only (and I mean ONLY) fishing gear I have is a cheapo rod/reel, some hooks and some split shot.
Tonight I'd like to pick up some gear, and your suggestions would be appreciated. I plan to get:
Shakespeare Ugly Stik Rod/Reel combo (size suggestions appreciated)
Gloves
Line
Maybe some artificial baits (suggestions appreciated)
Anyone have an Ugly Stik? Are you happy with it? Would you suggest a different rod?
I'm in Maryland and I plan on mostly fishing for bass and trout, if that affects your suggestions at all. Right now most of my fishing is done on the banks/in the river/on the pier/etc., but I imagine I will make it out onto a boat at some point.
Thanks in advance!
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Hello and Welcome to BFT,
The ugly stick is a good rod, when fishing from a boat, drop shotting or jigging you may want to eventually look into a graphite rod it is a bit more sensitive but I still fish ugly sticks often and even use them for drop shotting and jigging. When jigging or drop shotting for large mouth bass the bite can be pretty subtle and it takes a bit to judge the feel but if you start doing more of that you'll get that feel down.
If your shore or bank fishing you could start with a med-heavy action rod (6 or 7 foot rod, its really prefrence) (spinning or baitcasting is up to which you like to cast better) the spinning rods are the one with the big guide loop at the bottom closest to the reel and the baitcasting is the one with the small guide at the bottom (you will need to get the corresponding rod to the reel you buy).
On baits, Your area will be a factor but you really will get use out of soft plastic worms, poppers (top water), and spinner baits almost anywhere. You should ask your tackle store worker what colors are working where you fish or try our regional boards on this forum.
Good Luck and please come back with some reports!
P.S. Sorry if some of that was stating the obvious but this is a great question that comes up a lot so I figured I would cover it a bit wide.
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Hello and welcome to BFT. I have an Ugly Stik and i love it that is the only rod i will buy i just got a new one it is an ugly stik intercoastal they sale them at walmart for 39 buck great deal it is a 7 foot medium action you couldn't ask for a better rod. i would stay away from the combos they usally give you a cheap reel. buy the rod and reel seperate it will be a little more money but well worth it.
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Thanks for the advice guys, I really sppreciate it. I am totally unfamiliar with a lot of the terms you used, though. Jigging? Drop shotting? All of my fishing experience has been stickin a worm on a hook, casting into a spot that looks like it has some fish (sometimes I can see the fish and that's nice) and hoping for the best. I really am a noob at this.
Any suggestions on a good reel?
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[size 1]Reels there is quantum, zebco,shakespeare and daiwa there is also more just the list will go on and on. I use a quantum but it is what ever feels comfortable to you. [/size]
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Cool, I'll keep those in mind. I just don't wanna buy something that's total crap, preferably something I'll get a few years' use out of would be nice. I'll definitely take my time picking this stuff out, talk to the guys at the store, etc.
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good luck on getting you new stuff post what you got when you get it and if you need any help just ask any of us
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Welcome to BFT.
I am using a Daiwa rod and reel combo atm. My wife and I both use them and we got them for 15.00 a piece. So far they have been a great purchase altho we will be buying some Ugly Sticks soon and using the Daiwa's for backup poles. We were under a tight budget when I came back to fishing.
You've come to the right place...
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Welcome toast, I use shamono reels and a 7' med to med/heavy rod for bass. Try a bag of senco's watermelon and pumpkin worms with just a #3 wide gap hook and hang on. Just throw it out and let it settle to the bottom. Slight twitch as you pull it back to the boat. There are too many ways to hunt these bad boys, but alot of fun. I,m still trying new ways. You'll have to find out what they want in your area and time of year. Don't get discouraged and let us know how you make out. If you get hooked on bass, get out the checkbook and we'll be happy to advise ya.[  ]
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Welcome aboard Toast. We are glad to have you amonst the members here. Feel free to ask any questions that you may have and don't be afraid to answer any that others may ask.
We all learn from each other[cool]
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Hey Toast, welcome to BigFishTackle (aka: BFT [sly]).
I have an Ugly Stick. I have a medium strength spinning rod with a Pflueger Trion reel on it. If I were you I'd go with the new Ugly Stick Lite rods for two reasons; 1) They weight less than the older models, 2) they line guides are made out of a better material than the older models and will last longer and allow you to cast farther. For just starting out with fishing, I'd definitely suggest learning how to cast with a spinning rod/reel combo. Those baitcasters can be tricky.
Lure selection:
1) Spinners - in chartreuse, white, and black for sure. Possibly also in blue, red, or green or multi-colored.
2) In-line spinners (one of my favorites) - There's a ton to choose from. I go with what looks most natural (the weighted end kinda looks like a fish head).
3) Crankbaits - There's more of these than anything else I've seen, except maybe choices of soft plastics. I've found that a lot of the less expensive ones ($3-$5) work just as good, if not better than, the more expensive ones ($8-$12). I almost always head to the clearance bins. You can definitely find some great deals! If you're fishing around a lot of trees and rocks in the water, go with something with a square shaped bill on it to help deflect off of these.
4) Topwater - Gotta love poppers! If you're going to be fishing in lillypads, definitely go with the weedless popping frogs. Caught my first ever largemouth bass on one and several others nice ones in the pads with the popper frogs. Again, there's a large variety to choose from. I like the ones that look like real bugs and semi-frog looking.
5) Flies - I just discovered the joys of fly fishing with my spinning rod. I haven't tried it with bass or trout but with panfish it's a lot of fun! To get the fly out there away from you, I suggest some sort of weighted bobber to help get you some distance.
6 - Soft plastics. This is my weakest area. However, one rig that I found to work well for bass is a texposed plastic. Great for getting them thru weeds.
There's a ton of information and lots of articles have been written on these lures and presentations. Check out the Articles link at the top of the page.
Again, welcome to BFT!!! You're in the right place. This is where I got started gathering information about fishing when I bought my first rod and reel 5 yrs ago.
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Alrighty. Unfortunately, I didn't see the last few posts before I went to get my stuff.
I picked up an assortment of sinkers, a few bobbers, swivels, hooks, etc.
Also I picked up some soft plastics, a couplea in-line spinners.
A medium 7' Ugly Stik and a Shimano 2000 something or other reel. I ended up having to go to WalMart and their reel selection was terrible, I wanyed a Daiwa but I think I got a decent reel, it feels much smoother than my cheapo reel.
Anyway, I'm happy with my purchase, but I've got a lot of reading and, or course fishing to do. Thanks for all the help, you guys rock. I'm really looking forward to getting out on the water now that I've got some stuff to play around with.
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Don't feel bad about your purchase. You'll find that with that rod you'll be able to cast farther than you could with a 6 ft rod. Again, feel free to ask lots of questions. The others are here to help. I'm here to leech off their knowledge. [  ]
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Sounds to me like you got a decent rod. Well known companies that have a somewhat decent track record. The nice thing about fishing is you accumulate more and more things as time goes on and you learn from other fisherman.
When I first came here I was 100% of the time still fishing with nothing mroe than a hook and worm, altho 75% of the time I still fish with the basics, now I have accumulated about 3 tackle boxes worth of rapala lures, grubs, and a heaping helping of Maniac Lures.
I actually have to go buy a larger tackle box this Saturday for the 2 days of fishing this weekend.
Half of the stuff I wouldnt know how to sue if it wasnt for alot of the people here on BFT.
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[black][size 3]The Ugly Stick is a good all around rod choice and the Shimano 2000 is an excellent reel - you won't be dissappointed with either. I happen to have 3 Ugly Sticks and half a dozen Shimano reels(including a Shimano 2000). Which ever Shimano you got, it will be a good one and, they stand behind thier product.[/size][/black]
[black][size 3][/size][/black]
[black][size 3]Get a good quality line on it and inspect it often, are the only other suggestions I would make.[/size][/black]
[black][size 3][/size][/black]
[black][size 3]Good to have you aboard and come back and share your fishing exploits and photos.[/size][/black]
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Alrighty, thanks again all. I went fishing on Sunday and Monday, and it was great. Sunday I caught 2 3-4lb largemouth bass on nightcrawlers and one more on a plastic worm. I mostly walked the edge of the lake looking for overhanging trees and whatnot. Monday we went out on a little johnboat and our battery died about 10 minutes out which made for some good rowing exercise. We had some chicken livers lying around so I decided to give one of those a shot and reeled in a 36lb rockfish! That's the biggest fish I've caught to date and it was great. I also caught another 2 bass on spinners, one ~3lb and the other ~6.
Good times, can't wait to get out there again.
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