Which One?

Been lurking here a long time....finally joined up,
I turn to the wisdom here for a bit of advice:

My grandson wants to start fishing like me. His birthday is coming up, and he hinted that he wants a new rod and reel. He will be 8 years old. He already knows how to cast.

I've been fond of Ugly Stiks for a long time, and I like Abu Garcia reels.

Would you recommend the Abu Garcia Ike Dude combo or the Ugly Stik combo for him? Both rods are medium, and 5' 6" long. The Ugly Stik is a durable rod that would stand up to a lot of abuse, but the reel is not the best. The Abu Garcia has a better reel, but I am unfamiliar with the rod.

Your opinion is greatly appreciated!

Keep the Ike rod and upgrade the Abu reel to a better Abu spin reel..! All you need for a starter!

I agree.. if he's 8 he should be able to start using a spin cast. let him start learning to cast with that rod and a good spinning reel and he'll make quick in advancements.. maybe a year from now you can upgrade the rod to a nicer rod that will last a couple of years.

I also recommend the Okuma trio reels as well as Berkley lightning rods for guest or kids set ups (but the ugly stick will take more abuse for a rod)

Zebco 33 Platinum...i'm 66 and still use it...my 1st reel was a Zebco 89...who remembers those???

For a spincast reel I would recommend a Diawa Goldcast. It has a higher gear ratio that the other spincast reels. I have several that I take along if I have inexperienced anglers with me. There are several sizes. A lot better than the 3:1 or lower ratio reels.

Thanks for the replies thus far. I guess I should have been a bit more specific.

The Abu Garcia Ike Dude combo has the better reel on it. The Ugly Stik combo is a really durable rod that would take a lot of abuse and last a long time, but has a lesser reel on it. Is the Ike Dude rod better than the Ugly Stik?

Once again, I welcome you comments.

zebco 33 is best for kids.

I caught a lot of fish on a Zebco 33 growing up. Reels are bullet proof. I still have the one a grew up with. Planning on teaching my Grandson how to fish with it.

Weak point on the new Zebcos is the plastic push button.

All my children use the daiwa goldcast. It's the best made spin cast and easy to use.