if you want to catch bass on a regular basis id upgrade your rod and reel along with larger line than 4lbs.

Do i HAVE to upgrade my rod/reel? Im tring to keep thigns as low budgrt as possible. Could ijust upgradethe line? What specific brands of line would you recommend?

Along with lb test, tyoe, etc.

Thanks

If you want to catch bass consistantly you will HAVE to upgrade your rod and reel. You can put 8lb test on your rig, but you won't be able to cast nearly as far and your rod is too short to get a proper hookset and proper leverage on the fish. You need a longer rod to make decent cast with heavier line and the longer rod is essential to get a good hookset and to be able to control and leverage larger fish. A 6'6" rod is the shortes i would use unless you're fishing in some really confined areas. Even then, 6' is the shortest I would use. 6lb test is the max I would put on your combo.

If you're not gonna get a bigger combo than I would put the bullet weights to the side for now and just use jigheads and split shots. BTW, you can get an ok rod at Academy for $7 and an ok reel for $20. Triliene XL is the best line out there for UL fishing and it's pretty good for medium spinning reels too.

OP, WHere do you live? I could give you a better rod and reel than that, if you're in N.E. Texas. Keep what you got for bream and crappie, but I've got a zebco 33 laying around that works pretty good.

If you're a kid, get parents permission before giving out personal info.

I was serious.I have caught bass on 2 inch grubs and the like,but when all else fails,hook up a texas rigged worm to any rod and reel combo.If they take anything,they will take that.

I really appreciate the fact youre willing to give something to me but im on the other side of texas haha. Im in the houston area.

dangit. Exactly what i didnt wanna hear. Lol. Now that you said that, are there any combos that you would recommend me buying that are cheap? Im young and unemployed at the moment so im relying on my parents atm.

On other posts i have seen people recommend the ugly stik. Ive seen an ugly stik rodreel kit with tacklebox at target. It looks rather inexpensive. Should i go for that?

Im looking to get as cheap as i can with the ability to catch bigger fish.

Thanks so much you guys

Tournament Choice 7' rod
Quantum Optix size 20
Diawa Crossfire better
Push come to shove find your favorite uncle or aunt and see if they'll hook you up. Mention gangs; worked for me!

Ok i see the minimum price range for a good rodreel is about 30 dollars...

Mk ill keep that in mind. This comes as a shock bc my current equip cost 11 for the entire combo. I guess price reflects quality greatly in here.

You didnt mention the ugly stik. Ive heard people recommend it. Do you personally boost their ideas or do you differ in opinon?

Also i noticed that what you recommended were separate rods and reels. Are there any COMBOS that you like?

Thanks alot!

I like Ugly stik rods, but I mostly use them if I'm fishing with bait or if I'm fishing in some serious bush. Ugly Stik combos normally come with an inferior reel. They are also out of your price range since the one's I've seen are at least $30. I like to put together my own combos because I can get a rod AND reel that feel good to me. It seems every time I buy a combo that is already put together, either I don't like the reel or I don't like the rod and end up replacing them at some time. If I get the rod AND reel I like the first time, I save money.

Here is a Tournament Choice combo for $20.
Tournament Choice Combo 6'6"
Keep in mind that these rods are fiberglass so they won't be near as sensitive as a rod with graphite/fiberglass composite or graphite rod. I like to use glass rods when I'm fishing plugs with treble hooks, spinnerbaits and buzzbaits.

Oh yeah, I don't let them spool me up on spinning reels. It seems like everytime they do I have serious line twist in the first 20 cast. Not worth the headache. Learn to put your own line on correctly and you'll be worry free.

I use an ultralight combo I got from Academy for $20 almost daily. http://www.amazon.com/Shakespeare-Stream-Seeker-Ultra-Light/dp/B000Q89XZO. I've spooled it with Trilene XL Smooth Cast, 6lb.

Lately I've been learning plastic worms -- favorite is 4" Zoom finesse worms with a 2/0 Gamakatsu offset worm hook and a little split shot. I do pretty well with it I think, and reeling in bass on this setup is a TON of fun - biggest I've brought in was a 4.5 lb LMB. The reel is so light you feel every little thing on the line. You'll miss more strikes as it's harder to get the set with such a small rod, but when you do hold on and take it easy. Every fish feels like a monster!

With that said, I am looking at a baitcast setup - I originally just set out for little sunfish and crappie but the LMB fishing has got me completely hooked. You can fish just fine with a small combo, just know its limitations and enjoy it for what it is.

Hmm thats interesting.. The little ditch that i fish in has lots of weeds. Its like a jungle under the water. 4/5 casts end up with weeds/snags. Should i look at the ugly stik? And pardon the stupidity, but what exactly is the help in using a specific rod for heavy bush cover?

And regarding your recommendatn of the tourn choice, thanks. Should i get that or still go with the customized rod/reel combo you talked about earlier?

@always the noob, tha ks for the recommendation, ill check it out soon. Atm it looks even lilgher than my current setup.

I'm really taking a liking to this kid! I wish someone from the board would visit him in person and show "how its done!" Heck, if I was closer I'd just give him a new rod/reel and some tackle.

Trex, can you send a picture or two of the areas you are fishing? I'm fascinated in your experiences and want to see what it looks like!

Dw, if you saw how i went fishing, youd laugh.

Hers a pic of the late from google satellite. Ill snap some photos of it in person later.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/132/hwpics.png/

Caught 8 bluegill today. Im happy!

Thank you for the satellite image! It helps to see what body of water you are fishing too!

I have about 14 bucks on my Bass Pro Shops "rewards card"...Anyone know if I can transfer the card into Trex's name? It may not be much but I'd like for him to be able to use it to get more tackle.