Rod/Reel and Lure help

Looking for a bait caster rod/reel. I don't want to skimp on the reel but don't want to pay a fortune.

Thoughts on these?

Lake Fishing:

Rod:

Fiblink Graphite Baitcasting Rod Portable Casting Rod 2-Piece Baitcaster (7' Medium)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...I2OCD89X36UVEB&psc=1&ref_=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl

Reel:

Lew's BB1 5.1:1 Right Hand Baitcast Reel Multi Stop Anti Reverse

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...I39XEWRA4HU7BQ&psc=1&ref_=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl

Stream fishing:

Rod:

Okuma ABF-90 Avenger Baitfeeder Spinning Reel (30lb/330yd)

http://www.amazon.com/Okuma-ABF-90-...UTF8&qid=1446170708&sr=8-4&keywords=Spin+reel

Reel: http://www.amazon.com/Plusinno®-Tel..._UL160_SR160,160_&refRID=1H44XN8EHX3PBD4V5RM0

Bait/Lures
Also looking for lures to try out for A: Large mouth bass lake fishing and B: Small mouth bass mountain stream fishing.

The lake I fish at generally catches not much more than 1-3lb large mouth. I've been pretty lucky with the worm rig and crank baits do well with the local perch but I'm looking to expand my lure selection and will be testing out the Keitech swing impact next summer.

I want to try to do some stream; I did some canoeing in New Castle VA and saw some killer fishing holes I want to try out but don't know where to start for lures

 

a lews bait caster is hardly skimping on the reel. i find unless you are reeling in tanks with spinners, most will do ok for a while. some people hate the penn battle, i have 7 of em, and a few penn sargus'. im still learning on LMB and SMB. i mainly small mill pond fish where i am at so i cant help you on the bait selection. sawry.

 

Thanks for the reply. I really like the Penn reels but my brother had a Penn Battle and hatted it. He recommended the Okuma reel.

 

@timmytoast

 

all good man!!!!! i have snapped okuma reels hahahaa!!!!
i get crap fro the abu guys because i use akios reels now.

 

Damn, snapped? Where I fish, the bass generally don't get much bigger than 3lbs so don't need to worry too much about that. The reel I posted might be a bit overkill but I don't like skimping on reels. Just need one that will work and work reliably.

Going to try a new rig this spring/summer with the Keitech swimmer and a flashy spring hook. Water clarity is about med and I get better hits with the green tiger crank bates than naturally colored baits. With this rig, Ill start with swimming it in the upper and middle water column during the early mornings when bass are hitting hard, then switch to non flashy hook and troll it like a worm. If that doesn't work, the old Carolina rig has always been the go to rig during the later morning and noon/afternoon times when the bass are not so active.

$9 Owner American Flashy Swimmer Hook with CPS (2 Per Pack), 1/0, 1/8-Ounce,Silver

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00689G0PQ...lid=30L86RRV51G6Y&coliid=I3CU70YBSIBYCN&psc=1

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0132NNO2M...TF8&colid=30L86RRV51G6Y&coliid=I21UAK8W9YNU4H

 

this was a sentara surf setup. like i said, it always isnt the case!

 

The Lews is a great reel. But please do not pair it with a mediocre rod, especially a two piece. One piece rods, if you don't need to buy a two piece because of travel purposes, is a better and stronger blank. Abu Garcia Veritas rods are great. You also can not go wrong with a St Croix Bass MOJO rod. My staples for lures are Strike King 3x z-too white rubber shads, strike king zero's in watermelon color are awesome. Texas rig them both with a 2/0 offset worm hook and 10 pound green spiderwire.

 

I know this won't exactly answer the OP, but I figured it's worth a share.


I like to fish here and there (almost exclusively for food not so much for sport, although it is a nice way to pass the time.) I wanted a setup that could catch fish but I did not have much money to spend. I bought 2 ugly sticks for $30 a piece and 2 Daiwa reels for $20 a piece. The rods were something like 6&1/2ft and the reels were medium-heavy. My reasoning was that the long rod would be useful in open areas, and when fishing in thick brush I would only use the lower half of the rod, as flex and casting ability is of no real import when creek/stream fishing for 3/4 to 1&1/2 lb fishies. With the reel, I figured having the medium heavy was a good choice for 2 reasons, one being that it is a cheap reel so I wanted to make sure it was tough enough to hold up (I figured the lighter-load ones would be more prone to breakage) and reason #2 being that I wanted the ability to catch bigger fish/trash/branches/boots without wrecking my reel.

So far the gear has held up admirably and I'm never afraid to just toss it in the truck with other heavy/sharp gear. If any of it ever breaks, I'll just replace the broken component for about the same price as a 1-day fishing license.



Side note, I'm not a fishing expert and like to do boneheaded things such as a technique I've come up with, let's call it "swim-fishing." It entails not owning or being able to afford renting a boat, so I throw on a spinner or jig and swim around a lake or pond in concentric circles until something bites (yes it works, surprisingly!)

 

Kind of stuck on two piece rods. Depending on the vehicle I'm taking, one piece will be a bear to fit. Been looking at that bait, might try it out this weekend.

Also looking at a floater rig with a wacky rigged Senko. Heard lots of good things with this rig. Lots of people just let it float while they fish a separate rod.

 

The very reason i have 2 rods. Well, that and I was in a relationship at the time so I needed something to put in her hands while my "rod" was resting.

Oftentimes the resting reels catch more fish than i do! An added bonus is you have a cheap setup to hand to tag-a-longs.

 

ugly sticks...they are breakable but are better than most IMO...also for bass its all about the right color...Junebug is a good color as is watermelon with red flake.

 

Thanks for the color selections

 

lots depends on water clarity, temp, and what natural bugs are available in their environment.