Now I know this sounds basic but not everyone listening to this podcast will have that much fishing experience so I want you all to be prepared. Even old dogs like me learn new things when talking

And listening to others.

Now I do not get paid for any brand I may mention. I only mention them because I use them or have used them in the past. I am not connected in any way to any company at this time.

You need gear that can be used in a variety of locations and for a variety of species.

Yes having gear specific for certain waters and species in great but if you are like me

I fish for a variety of species and in certain types of water that don’t vary much in tackle needs.

Let’s take for instance that you are fishing city lakes and large ponds – you don’t need tackle designed

For salt water fish. Yes it could work but is expensive and an overkill for these types of lakes.

Let’s first look at the different types of rods out there.

Spin cast rods – these are the type that use a push button spin cast reel or a bait casting reel.

The have a finger rest on the bottom of the rod that is right under and at the back of where the reel mounts. I use these rods for my bait casting reels but a person starting out can use the more inexpensive spin cast.

The first reel that I started out with was a Zebco 33. It was a chrome finish and I thought I had a sports car the way that I treated it. I loved fishing with that reel and caught thousands of fish on it.

So don’t rule out the spincast reels just because they are lower in cost. Buy one of the higher end models that cost a little bit more and you will have one that will last for a long time and give you

Good service during that time. That kind of goes for any gear you get. I also will buy used gear but I also

Know what I am going to buy. Research online through reviews are a good thing. Recommendations from other fisherman and friends can also come in handy.

The next type of rod would be the spinning rod. It doesn’t have a finger rest on it because of the design of reel it holds – the spinning reel. These rods are the main rod in my fishing tackle. They come in so many strengths and are very versatile. You should have multiples of these.

The next rod is the fly rod – very specific but worth mentioning just the same. The reel attaches to the butt of the rod. These rods are long and very flexible and designed to cast a fly line a considerable distance with a very light lure.

Those are the basic types of rods you can and should have according to your budget and areas you fish.

Now to get into reels.

I talked about the spin cast a bit already and you should know the spin cast reel is a good starter reel (and old timers use them as well). The next reel I want to talk about is the spinning reel. These are usually open faced reels that hang under the rod. They have a bail on the front that you would manually open to make a cast. I use these as my mainstay reels.

I have more spinning reels that any other and recommend them for most fishing you will do. They come in many sizes from ultra-light all the way up to salt water rigs. I have some ultra-light models and a few that are more for larger species and one that is for the big boys – mainly large catfish but will work on any large fish and boy it is worth it.

I would recommend getting a small one and putting 4 – 6 pound test line on it and a medium one and using 10 – 15 pound test and then a big one with heavy braid or test line on it. My large reel used 80 pound braided line and I love it for catfishing.

If you had these three reels they would take care of most of your fishing needs.

Now other reels would be bait casting – the ones you all see the bass fisherman on the bass fishing shows using.

These reels are rugged and take a bit of tuning and practice to get them to perform to their best.

They can make a day of lure fishing so much easier because of their design. My hand does get as tired using one as it does with other reels after repeated casting. I own four of them and use them when fishing for bass and other game fish with lures.

Fly rod reels would be of course used on fly rods. They are pretty basic but some high quality ones can cost a pretty penny. You can do just fine with a less expensive reel – I did for years.

I currently have 17 rod and reel combos

One fly rod

4 bait casting outfits

And the rest are various sizes of spinning rigs.

You get the idea of what I think are some of the most versatile outfits – right?

I would at least have one ultra or light rig

One medium weight rig (10 to 15 pound test)

And one heavy rig (35 pound plus capability)

You will find out what appeals to you and you fish more and more.

Now one pole that I didn’t mention earlier is the cane pole.

Simple, no moving parts that can break down and versatile.

I have used cane poles in many instances and find them to be effective.

Man fished with this style of pole long before reels came along.

If he could catch fish on them for so long – you can too.

They are inexpensive and can be made from a variety of materials.

They are limited to some extent so I won’t go into much more detail on them except to say you

Should have one in you tackle gear even if you made it from a willow tree branch. Bamboo would

Work better.

Next consideration is line. I use mainly monofilament on my rigs except for the heavy catfish rod

That I use braided line on. With line I would buy as expensive as you can afford. This is the tether to your fish and the weakest chain in the link. So don’t skimp when it comes to line.

There are many brands that work well. Here are a few –

Stren – My first choice

Trilene

Fireline

Spiderwire

South bend

Scientific anglers

And much more

Don’t buy a generic or cheap line.

Imagine how hurt you will be when that once in a lifetime fish bites your line only to get away because you are using dime store line.

Get the best you can afford.

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