Newbie rod and reel question .... if you had to choose one of these??

[JimInAlabama]

Hey y'all, I've been lurking and reading for a long time and I know this has been asked before but I’d like a fresh opinion!

I've fished all my life but my only crappie fishing has been the easy spawn fish. I've recently upgraded my electronics and I can now spot structure and fish so I'm ready to try some hot weather crappie. All my tackle is heavy bass baitcast stuff so I need to gear up..... but slowly!

I don't have a local place to go to try out so I'll be ordering online. I don't want junk but I don't have a St Croix budget either. I'd like to start with one rod and reel and hopefully get a feel for what I like or don't like. I think most of my fishing will be casting but maybe some vertical in standing timber and deep ledges.

From what I've read here I'm thinking either a Heaton Super Sensitive or Wally Marshall Signature Series might be a good mid price starter rod but I'm not sure about length. I'm thinking 7' or 9' but not sure about casting the 9'. If you had one rod to cast in open water and jig in timber, which would ya choose? I'm thinking 9' for the extra reach unless you tell me it won't cast well.

I know a lot of you like the Pfleuger President but I haven't seen a solid lower priced 2nd choice, is there one?

Thanks in advance for tutoring another beginner.

[SuperDave336]

I’m gonna suggest the Leland trout slayer rod. Won’t break the bank. Has good reviews and can cast a mile and does decent for jigging. I think you could be happy and find a place for this in your arsenal. I have the Pfleuger President on mine. BnM also has the Leland rod which is essentially the same but priced slightly higher.

Trout Slayer Series Rod

Leland's TCB (Trout, Crappie, Bluegill) Rod - B'n'M Pole Company

[BobC]

I have the TSS Trout Slayer and can second that this is a terrific U/L rod that can handle a lot of specie of fish and won’t break the bank. A fun rod to fish with. I have a Pflueger 20 size reel with it and couldn’t be happier. Good luck with your search.
Bob

[CrappiePappy]

Unless you're fishing pretty shallow water or very clear water when vertical jigging, you should be fine with a 7' rod. I have a Sam Heaton 7' (signature series) and it casts just fine. I just don't use it as my primary casting rod because of the parabolic bend action, preferring a very fast action rod. (currently using a 6'6" ESP PowerLite)

I've never used a President, but I do have a couple Mitchell 308x reels that are quite smooth. I believe the current version of this reel is known as a 308xe.

The main problem I see in buying the two components separately is "balance" . My Sam Heaton currently has a Shimano Spirex 2000 reel on it and it's too heavy a reel for that light of a rod. Heavy reel makes the outfit handle end heavy, and although it's WAY better than a tip end heavy outfit, it's heavier in hand than necessary. That being said ... a tip end heavy outfit will wear you out after a days casting, especially hard on your wrist/forearm ... so you don't want to put too small/light a reel on it, either.

I did a little experiment with my SH 7' rod and Shimano Spirex 2000 : the Spirex weighs 8.8oz and is very handle heavy, but when I put a 1/2oz weight on the tip end of the rod ... it balances perfectly. So, if you decide on the Sam Heaton ... look for a reel that's around 8.3oz in weight (but better to be closer to 8.5oz than 8oz or less).

[Dollfly]

TSS rod and a President 25 and you are in the game. Almost forgot SOS 2# line.

[ET Fish]

My main rod is an 8’ BnM BGJP with a President reel.

[slowhand]

Of your 2, the Sam Heaton Super Sensitive in 7 foot. I like mine very much for casting and jigging.

Sent from my SM-T580 using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

[SuperDave336]

TSS rod and a President 25 and you are in the game. Almost forgot SOS 2# line.

That’s my exact setup too!

[SeaRay]

Recently someone posted that Walmart had Presidents for $35. That a good price. Their 20 model has 2 less bearings than the rest (7 vs 9) but it's a decent reel too.
Don't know which model is on sale.

[Grainraiser]

I think your looking for a general purpose crappie set up so a 7-8ft rod would be the perfect length. The Sam's super sensitive would be a great choice. I needs to be matched with a 1000 series reel. The President would be a great choice. You can also go with a Daiwa Revro or A Shimano spinning reel. There are lots of choices out there but a medium light rod with with a 1000 series reel is what you want for a all around crappie set up.