# Rod/reel setup for inshore fishing?



## Oddball

Redfish would be my main target in the flats and marshes of the GA coast as well as around Santa Rosa island sound/Pensacola Beach. My heaviest spinner right now (other than a Penn Spinfisher 650, which is more suited to light surf/pier fishing) is an old Shimano Symeter 4000 series that is supposed to hold 160 yds of 12 pound line, but in actuality only holds about 135 yds of 12 pound. Every reel I've measured the line on has held about 20 to 40 yds less than the manufacturer claims. Also, every Shimano I've had has a light bail spring and is easy to trip the bail during casting, so I'm not hooked on Shimano and would actually like to try something else. I'm thinking maybe a Penn Battle or Slammer that holds in the neighborhood of 200-220 yds of 15 pound line mated with a medium - medium/heavy 7 foot rod. Budget is $100 to $150 for reel and preferably under $100 for a rod. What do you guys use/recommend.


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## Rodsmith

I(personally) like the Shimano Stradic series, 2500 to 3000 size for inshore. Never had a problem with the bail tripping, or any other problems as far as that goes, they really hold up well in the salt too. But to each his own in the reel category, this is what I have settled on after 30 years of trying everything under the sun, and they give me great service. Line capacity is not as important as a good drag system, which these reels have. I do fish braid exclusively in 15# test, and love it, and have landed many overslot reds with ease, so don't let the size fool you. The penns you mentioned are good as well, but the weight is more than the Stradic line. As far as rods go, the 7 footer is hard to beat in the marsh as an all around rod. I have noticed an increase in requests for 7'-6ers in the past little while. Lots of guys fish popping corks, and light live bait rigs on the 7-6, and seem to like the extra length for line control. There are rods out there for under 100 that will give you good service, just watch the components and make sure they will handle the salt. You may want to bump the rod budget up just a bit to get a great rod instead of just a good rod. I have re-guided several rods that the salt has eaten up(cheap guides), or the cheap UV cure epoxy has let go on, so be careful. Bottom line is everyone has a favorite, and you should be able to go somewhere and try some different set-ups out for feel, the stores like dicks or bass pro will be happy to let you mount a reel on a rod to test the feel and balance of the combo. Good luck!


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## sentrysam

*shimano*

You dont have to spend a small fortune on a reel,or rod,shimano is a darn good reel,I have 5 or 9 shimano 2000 to 4000 quick cast reels that were like 29 bucks each,bought 4 of them over 20 years ago and still use them.Put some 20 lb braid on one with a 30 dollar ugly stick and you got as good a setup as the 500 dollar outfits.Point: keep them cleaned and oiled ,they;ll last a life time...I like the fast cast Shimano makes ,bought 4 of the newer models last year,there is some corrosion issues with them but they do work well.....tight lines ....ss


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## geaux-fish

Seven foot , med. action Castaway for reds, seven foot med.light for specs. Penn Battle 3000/4000. I have used Penn Slammers forever but they get really heavy after a days fishing, I now use them for bottom fishing for bull reds. I can't say enough about the Penn Battle. Very light, awesome drag and holds pleanty of braid. The braid spool is an added bonus.


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## wharfrat

Shimano Saros 3000 (119.00) and a St. Croix Mojo Inshore Series 7 or 7'6" rod. (119.00) spooled with 15 or 20 lb suffix performance braid. You could even spend a dollar or two more and get rodsmith to build you a custom rod. he has several quality blanks including St. Croix.


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## bnz

I fish mainly from the kayak so my take on inshore gear may be a little different as my gear gets wet/dunked more often than I'd like.  You already have some great suggestions here.  I love my St Croix mojo 6'9" ML rod for inshore, almost as much as my more expensive G Loomis rods.  Even the St Croix triumph series can be good inshore rods.

As far as reels I've come to really like the performance and durability of the Okuma VSystem spinning reels.  They are smooth and hold up to saltwater better than most (and I've gone through a number of less expensive reels in the past that just couldn't stand up to the rigors of kayak fishing).


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## Bryannecker

The rod and reel combo that my buddy Herman was using in the video on sheepshead fishing of 11-14-11 is a Bass Pro special, which he claims to have spent a whopping $19.95 on several years ago.  I will attest to the fact that he has caught a ton of fish with it, and I think that it is a Sheakspeare brand.  So, you never know!


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## Oddball

Thanks for all the advice. I hope I didn't offend any of you Shimano fans. All my freshwater spinners are Shimano and even though I complain about the bails closing unexpectedly during casting on occasion, they've served me well. Its just that they're starting to do it more and more frequently. Two of my cheaper ones, both IX series with the quick fire bail trigger, are almost unusable because they close so often and my Symetre 4000 that I took to Pensacola a few weeks ago got to where the bail was closing during casting probably 4 out of 10 casts, and I was using light 3/8 ounce jigs and no matter how smoothly I tried to cast it didn't seem to matter. The reel is 10 - 15 years old, but has not been used a whole lot and should not be worn out. 

I'm an old school monofilament guy and have just had a hard time making the switch over to braided line, so of course a reel that holds approx. 200 yds of 15 pound mono would have to be bigger than one that holds the equivalent amount of 15 pound braid. I was thinking in the Penn Battle 5000 size range, but I see you all use 4000 size reels or smaller. Aside from the fact that smaller reels are lighter and less cumbersome, is this simply because you can get enough braided line on them so you don't need a bigger reel for line capacity?

I've got many rods I've bought over the years, all mid grade, not cheap but not expensive either, and have never paid more than probably $69.95 for one. Actually, the majority are Bass Pro Shops branded rods that I've waited and bought when they were on sale. They have all served me very well. While a $100+ rod, either manufactured or custom may be nice, I just have a hard time justifying the expense since I'm not on the water every spare moment.
I've got too many other expensive hobbies to start getting into custom fishing gear!! Gotta draw the line somewhere.


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## Rodsmith

To answer your question about braid, braided line has no memory, therefore no aggravation with the twists and kinks. You will have a few wind knots and tip wraps though, but braid is the only way to go on a spinning reel that will be used for alot of casting and retrieving.(my opinion only!) The reel size you mentioned us using is for weight and control balance, and a good drag system that will land most any inshore hook up. My Stradic Ci4 2500 will totally fill with 150 yards of 15# braid, and has a 19# drag. I have never had the need for 450 feet of line, so every season I will turn the braid around and have fresh new line on the reel...some call me cheap...I call me frugal. Fishing is just like any hobby, the more you fish, the better equipment you may want. I usually beat the water in 8 hour stretches,sometimes 3-4 days a week, so I prefer light weight and quality all the way. Most fishermen can get by with a standard inexpensive combo and enjoy sucess with it. Whatever the reel, a good drag system is important. A fellow poster mentioned the Okuma V's, my nephew fishes them and likes them very much, and the price point is not too bad, and you are correct...you must be able to justify the cost in your on mind. I fish what some would call expensive equipment,(quality rods for obvious reasons)  but as I said, I put many hours on my gear and certainly don't like to replace it every season or two. Tight lines!!


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## bnz

If you aren't fishing regularly you are right, no need to justify paying more for gear.  But after fishing this area regularly for over five years now (> 50 trips/year) there's no going back to budget rods and reels for me.

While an ugly stik will get the job done and is darn near indestructible, the weight, sensitivity, and backbone of the more expensive rods will spoil you.  There just isn't any comparison in my mind. I also went through four cheap reels the first three months I started fishing saltwater and have moved to higher end equipment that is still going strong after five years of frequent use.  I've actually saved money by doing this.

This being said, if you want a more budget conscious inshore rod, check out the Berkley Lightning rod series.  A decent rod for around $40.  The penn SSG reels also hold up well but are older now compared to what I think are the nicer Fierce, Battle, and Sargus (all at decent prices). I've never needed over 100 yds of line fishing inshore so the smaller reels are more than adequate and will save some weight if you are casting all day long.  I have no problems landing a 10 lb fish with my little Okuma V-20 and have a buddy that will only fish his stradic 1000 when inshore.


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## Oddball

Thanks again for the info. Looks like I need to rethink my approach to inshore saltwater fishing. I, like many saltwater newbies I'm sure, just assumed saltwater fishing means heavier equipment. I guess that's not true for inshore fishing. Sounds like I can do just fine with the reel sizes that are normally associated with freshwater fishing. As far as rods go, should I still look for rods capable of handling heavier lures than what I would for freshwater, say up to 1 or 1 1/2 ounces?


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## wharfrat

Oddball said:


> Thanks again for the info. Looks like I need to rethink my approach to inshore saltwater fishing. I, like many saltwater newbies I'm sure, just assumed saltwater fishing means heavier equipment. I guess that's not true for inshore fishing. Sounds like I can do just fine with the reel sizes that are normally associated with freshwater fishing. As far as rods go, should I still look for rods capable of handling heavier lures than what I would for freshwater, say up to 1 or 1 1/2 ounces?



 bass gear is perfect for the marsh. just wash it off really good with drags locked. after it dries, give it a good shot of reel magic, etc. and loosen drags. rods should be rated (labled) for 10-20 lb line and 1/4 to 3/4 oz lures. 15-20 lb braid will give you the long cast needed to reach fish without spooking them (especially reds), which in most cases is critical. it will also give you all the strength you will ever need to get them out of stucture, etc.


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## Oddball

Thanks Tim, that's exactly what I wanted to know. I checked out you're website. I may look you up sometime. I haven't been fishing on the GA coast but once or twice, around the Crescent area and Sapelo/Blackbeard, and that's been many years ago. Have no idea what I'm doing as that's just a little out of my element. I sold my jon boat many years ago and am strictly a bank fisherman now on the local lakes.


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