Hi everyone,

Im new to the area and trout fishing in general. Whats a good setup with rod/reel/fishing line etc. ?

rod size?action?
reel type ?
fishing line?
leader ?
does the leader size and fishing main line have to be the same size ?

Ive heard to use braided line with a leader ? if so what type of leader and how long should it be?

I'm going to buy a setup just for trout fishing so i will go all new.

Thanks in advance,

I assume you're asking about spinning gear and not fly fishing:

rod size?action? Ultra light spinning, 5 or 6 ft long
reel type ? Ultra light spinning, no need to spend more than $30
fishing line? 4 or 6 lb
leader ? no need
does the leader size and fishing main line have to be the same size ? No need for leader unless your looking to fly fish.

I would look into buying a combination ultra light set. More bang for you bucks. I would recommend starting with a spinning rod rather than starting out trying to learn fly fishing. Make sure you become familiar with the rules for trout fishing below the Canyon Lake Dam on the Guadalupe. If you would like to start out fly fishing, don't hesitate to ask again, maybe in the fly fishing section. Best of luck to you.

yes, spinning gear. thank you for the recommendations.

I will look into a combo with those specs. thanks!

I would just stay with mono or braid. Either will work without a leader. For trout you will be throwing some fairly light lures and an ultra-light or light combo will work.

Medium light action 6-6 1/2 spinning rod. 10 lb braid and 3 ft leader of 6-8 lb fluoro. Small jigs, spinners, blade baits, super dupers, soft plastics that look like bugs or small worms. My go to lure is a micro chatterbait with a helgie trailer. The helgie looks like a hellgrammite, favorite food of the trouts. It has worked in Colorado and the Guadalupe, and pretty much everywhere I've been with running water for many species. It slays the guadalupe bass and largemouth as well.

Years ago before I fly fished I fished the Colorado in northern Arizona and southern Utah with a couple friends from back east who did fly fish. Since I didn't fly fish and most of my equipment was geared for catfish, one of them rigged me up a Daiwa Micro-Spin on about an 8-foot 3wt fly rod rigged with 8lb trilene. He tied a brown Wooly Bugger straight to the line with about a 1/2oz split shot crimped on a couple feet above it. That little rig was easy to cast and caught trout every weekend we went. I don't see why it wouldn't work on the Guadalupe. Best of luck to you, sir!

To the TFF!