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Cabela's Fish Eagle II Spinning Rod w/ Shimano Sahara Reel? Rod and Reel HELP?

I'm planning on purchasing this Rod and Reel Combo but need help on the Rod length and Power.and Reel Line Capacity and LB Test. I will be mostly fishing for Bass, Crappie, Panfish and Trout. I want the Rod and Reel to be able to handle the biggest fish possible out of the species I'm fishing for yet be light and responsive. Rod choices are: 6' med light (4-10lb test) 6' med (6-12lb test) 6'6" med light (4-10lb test) 6'6" med (6-12lb test) Reel Choices: 120yd/4lb test (4.7:1 ratio) 130yd/6lb test (6.2:1 ratio) 140yd/8lb test (6.2:1 ratio) 200yd/10lb test (6.0:1) Thanks

Public Comments

1. I like the 6'6" med or med fast. and the 140yd, 8lb test. but that is my prefeance, Most cabela's salesmen or wemen will be able to probley be the best place to look for advise. they are trained on the fishing gear they sell.
2. 6"6 medium light for the rod. Now for the reel...I have a little bit of a dilemma. I personally would go with the 6lb/130yds because I'm a lightline type of guy. I think most people would go with the 8lb/140yds. That will take anything you can toss at it. A 4-10lb test rod will have enough backbone to pull fish (bass) and yet retain enough sensitivity to fish for panfish/crappie/trout. These aren't "light" rods. They aren't made with ultralight angling in mind....that would be more like 1-6lb....that's ultralight. It's a difficult decision on the rod because fishing for bass is totally different from crappie/panfish. It's a completely different aproach and "feel." I would recommend looking into a seperate setup for each....or at least a different rod if you can. <<<<<HOWEVER>>>>> If I were you, I would just fork out the extra $10 and get the Shimano SYMETRE/Fish Eagle II combo. That's a MUCH better reel. I have two, and I put them up close to the Stradics I have. The Sahara isn't going to be as smooth or as durable as the Symetre. The Symetre was a mistake for Shimano - they put better technology in a "cheaper" reel. That's why they had to UP the price two years ago. They realized that too much of the same technology was in the Symetre that was also in the Stradic FI. I would definitely go with the other combo....you'll be glad you did - it's a world of difference.
3. I would say the 6'6" med rod and the 200yd/10lb test reel. And here is why. First the rod is longer and accommodates 12lb pound test line. The longer the rod the further you'll be able to cast. This will come in handy fishing from the bank or boat. Plus you'll be fishing bass, you'll need the stronger rod to pull him out of muck or moss or grass. You'll have more backbone. The reel allows for 10lb pound test, you can upgrade to a stronger mono like 12lb if you want. Which will come in handy for the trout and bass. If you choose the 6' med with the reel rated for 8lb test. I would use braided line. Ideally, some spinning reels come with an extra spool. I put mono on my extra spool, and braid on my regular spool. This way you could change spools if you wanted to chase bass instead of crappie. I would forget about the med light rods and 4-6lb reels. Those are Ultralight set-ups for that are awesome for panfish and small trout. You'll just have your line snapped if you go up against anything with size and if you've never played a fish like that before with light tackle. Last, consider your lure size and what you fish. The line, the reel, the rod, and the lures all have to complete each other for you to get the best fishing experience possible. Tight lines and good luck.