Advise on gear for the river

[ithaca10]

Big sale going on at Dick's this week.

[Tightlines74]

Originally Posted by ithaca10

Big sale going on at Dick's this week.

Thank you! Definitely will be taking advantage!

[Lard Almighty]

If you're after bigger fish, I wouldn't go with any less than a 6 to 6.5 foot medium action rod. St. Croix is good, but multiple brands can get the job done. Get a good-quality spinning reel that can hold over 100 yards of 8-10 lb. mono. Gear ratio depends on the kinds of lures you will mostly be fishing. If you predominantly fish spinners, plugs, or other lures that are constantly under tension, you should go with a slower gear ratio (5:1 to 6:1), to prevent you from fishing the lures too fast. If you are doing a lot of finesse fishing with lures on a slack line, get a higher gear ratio (7:1 or higher) so you can quickly pick up the slack to set the hook. Line also depends on the type of lures; for steady retrieves I use mono, but when finesse fishing with plastics I'll go with braid and a ~10 foot fluoro leader.

I hope this is helpful. It's not the only way to do it, but it works for me.

[briansnat]

Not including my fly rods, for streams and smaller rivers I have a 5' Fenwick and a 5'6" Shimano Clarus, both UL.

I haven't done a lot of larger river fishing, but the few times I did I grabbed a 7' med rod and a 6'6" MH. I think those are the ideal size, unless you have to deal with a lot of overhanging trees, in which case you may want to go down to 6'

If you want a good rod that won't cost you a lot, check out the Berkley Lightning Rod, or the Berkley Lightning Shock. Both come in under $50. I have four of them now and and I like them as much as some of my rods that cost triple what the Lightnings cost.

[Tightlines74]

Lot's great ideas! Since I'll be shopping for my son and I we may mix it up. Been on dicks website browsing and going there to see how they feel in hand.
For those that fish the raritan and passiac we are looking forward to seeing you out there. Thanks again and tight lines to all!

[Deepdeckhand]

In my opinion it is hard to go wrong with Shakespeare rods and shimano fx series reel( bargin prices).My freshwater rigs are all@6 ft.. 8 lb test ande pink mono is my line of choice for most freshwater fishing.Live bait is always good, but sometimes kids like the casting as much as fishing- in which case a few rapalas will catch most things that swim. I like 2 in silver and gold models in floating and countdown depending on current and water depth...good luck out there and catch emm up!!!

[Super]

I'd start with the $20-$30 comb sets that they have at Dicks. They're agood value. Then, once you get experience, you can make a better judgment on what you prefer and what you need. Someone new to fishing won't be able to tell the difference between a $20 rod and a $200 rod.

And, remember...It's technique that catches fish, not the equipment.