Getting back into fishing

[ChefConfit]

Hey guys I figured there's probably a pretty good amount of NERMs that are also into fishing so I'll post this here.

I haven't fished in probably 10 or 12 years and when I did fish somewhat regularly it was all live bait because that's what my dad did.

My 4 year old has taken an interest lately and so I got her a kids pole and I've been looking online for gear for me.  I think I'm interested in panfish and ultralight setups.

I've been watching onlineoutdoorsman on YouTube and listening the the panfish nation podcast. Any other content creators you guys recommend for the type of fishing I'm interested in.

Any budget rod and reel recommendations? I'm looking to spend $50 or less on the rod and reel. 

I already ordered a few different sized jigs and a couple hard body lures and some small floats. And I've got a few different soft plastics in my cart on bass pro shops. Anything else I should get to start?

[Fish Folk]

On 7/26/2022 at 9:44 PM, ChefConfit said:

Hey guys I figured there's probably a pretty good amount of NERMs that are also into fishing so I'll post this here.

I haven't fished in probably 10 or 12 years and when I did fish somewhat regularly it was all live bait because that's what my dad did.

My 4 year old has taken an interest lately and so I got her a kids pole and I've been looking online for gear for me.  I think I'm interested in panfish and ultralight setups.

I've been watching onlineoutdoorsman on YouTube and listening the the panfish nation podcast. Any other content creators you guys recommend for the type of fishing I'm interested in.

Any budget rod and reel recommendations? I'm looking to spend $50 or less on the rod and reel. 

I already ordered a few different sized jigs and a couple hard body lures and some small floats. And I've got a few different soft plastics in my cart on bass pro shops. Anything else I should get to start?

If you can find an online / flea market sale with a used ultra light Shimano spinning reel and a stiff, short 5-ft graphite pole, you can probably do very well.

My boys love fishing with me, especially my 6-yr old. Started a fishing journal / thread here on the Forum...

 

[Brandon p]

Zoom worms watermelon Texas rigged. Easy to use and for kids that like to cast over and over its weedless and very easy to rig. Thought my kids at that age on a cheap Zebco push button. The then moved up at 6 or 7 to shimano or penn reels. We got ugly stick rods because they didn’t break as easy. Corrtsticks where still a round, and didn’t break but they where like using a tree trunk to fish. I’m in Fl so second hand fish stuff is all over. Every one is going to retire and fish, get a bit, and have that dream aquarium. Florida man does get a break once in awhile.

[Patrick_G]

I mostly fly fish but also I’ve been a warm water fisherman for most of my life.
My favorite lures for Bass are Rapalas and Texas rigged plastic worms. For panfish try tiny jigs, and beetle spins. 

You can get by with using the same rod for both, but panfish are a lot more fun on a lightweight spin setup, and it’ll be much easier to throw those little lures with an ultralight.  Personally I use a spin rod for bass too, but a bait caster is more common.

$50 is going to be a tight budget but it’s doable. Check the the bargain cave at Bass Pro or Cabelas for deals. Their store brands are surprisingly decent. 
 

Some trout I caught last week in Montana. Small stream and ultralight fly rod. 
 

For the kiddo a Zebco and power bait will net her as many panfish as she can handle!  😁

Edited July 27, 2022 by Patrick_G

[MattyM]

I would stay away from bait casting setups - spinning reels are easier to deal with. Then again, I've only used spinners and whenever I pick up a bait caster I just make a mess out of the line. Also, the handle setups are different. I like casting with my right and reeling with my left - most bait casters, you reel with your right hand. 

I'd recommend maybe spending a bit more, at least on the reel. It will feel and behave so much better. If you have a local shop in the area you like to fish in, I'd hit it up and get some advise - they can also tip you off as to what rigs work best in the area. 

[lefty o]

for strictly pan fish, it is hard to beat a whippy spineless little rod. 4-6# test line, and a half decent spinning reel. just absolute fun when panfish go sideways or start spinning with a very light rod. as a bonus with a limp rod you can actually get a little hook set in without ripping the lips off the fish.

[Patrick_G]

What @lefty osays is gospel. I can spend hours in the evening at the local pond with a 2wt fly rod or a ultralight spinning rod. It’s just as fun to catch the biggest bluegill in the pond as it is to catch the biggest Bass in the lake. An sometimes a big bass decides he’s interested in that little panfish jig. Then it’s game on! 

[AquaHobbyist123]

I fish occasionally, but haven't caught anything (except a rainbow trout by hand) recently. I just use a simple zebco rod, because I don't fish often.

[mibohes]

On 7/27/2022 at 10:11 AM, Patrick_G said:

I mostly fly fish but also I’ve been a warm water fisherman for most of my life.
My favorite lures for Bass are Rapalas and Texas rigged plastic worms. For panfish try tiny jigs, and beetle spins. 

You can get by with using the same rod for both, but panfish are a lot more fun on a lightweight spin setup, and it’ll be much easier to throw those little lures with an ultralight.  Personally I use a spin rod for bass too, but a bait caster is more common.

$50 is going to be a tight budget but it’s doable. Check the the bargain cave at Bass Pro or Cabelas for deals. Their store brands are surprisingly decent. 
 

Some trout I caught last week in Montana. Small stream and ultralight fly rod. 
 

For the kiddo a Zebco and power bait will net her as many panfish as she can handle!  😁

Excellent and patient work. How much time will it take you to catch it?

[Patrick_G]

On 8/7/2022 at 12:18 PM, mibohes said:

Excellent and patient work. How much time will it take you to catch it?

Small stream fishing is pretty easy, not much patience is needed. The tough part is finding places to fish and navigating streams that can be steep, slippery and brushy. The best part is the lack of other fishermen! 

[Brandon p]

Walmart has lots of decent gear for a good price my kids started on a zebco and moved to a spinning real at about 6. We used lots of live baits like crickets. The kids would walk around and grap crickets and grasshoppers. As far as lures go and kids seem to like to cast( at least mine did) small spoons, the classic red and white if you can find them. Rubber grubs, small top water baits, or poppers. The fake crickets from bass pro, I think there uncle something. There some bite that my son now 18 uses and loves. He gets it from bass pro but other places have it it’s called “magic bait,billgill bait” 

 

I don’t like the gulp maggots or grubs.

[YeePuffer]

I’ve had good luck fishing for bass & bluegill with crank baits & rooster tails. My favorite road & reel I’ve ever owned was one of the ugly stick ultralight ones that only weighed a pound combined. 

[Brandon p]

I like the Texas rig without  the worth it’s great for kids because it’s basically weedless.