Fishing rod/reel setup questions from a newbie - Update - pics added in post 29

[numpty]

I didn't want to hijack Mustard's thread so I'm starting a new one. My scenario is a bit different, I think.

My 11 year old son is determined to start fishing. We went once with some rented gear and some friends and now he's "hooked".

We fished off of the Embarcadero Pier in SD which doesn't require a license. We rented gear there and bought minnows for bait. There were probably 20 of us out there and no one even got a bite. Well, we caught a bird that was trying to steal the minnow, but we got him off of the hook. But we obviously didn't know what we were doing. Apparently people catch halibut frequently there. That's what I wanted to catch but am ignorant as to how.

The desire is to fish probably off of those types of piers (bay locations) and not in the ocean...at least not now as I understand it's considerably more expensive for that type of gear, as well as pond fishing for trout. There are little stocked neighborhood ponds and inland lakes that we could fish at.

I know everyone says buy the specific tool, but is there a way to buy a do it all setup? If not, is it possible to have two separate setups and I'd use the inappropriate one while my son uses the proper one?

I'm assuming it's not ideal, but can work since you can fish with a wooden stick even.

I did some bass and trout fishing as a kid with my best friend on the lakes in the Ozarks of Missouri but that's about the extent of my knowledge. The last time I went no one in his family caught anything and I caught two trout. It was with corn and marshmallows as bait. No idea why, but that's what they liked.

So my questions:

1. Is there a do-it-all rod/reel combo that we could fish for trout in the lakes and also whatever is caught in the bay off of the piers? Or is that setting myself up for failure?

2. I've felt a lot of the reels in stores, and I can definitely feel the butter smooth action of the nicer reels but what are some good price points to look at? I don't want to break the bank, but I don't want crap that I'll be replacing in a year either.

3. I'm assuming on a pier in the bay I don't need saltwater gear. Is it only construction to hold up to salt water spray and stuff, or am I going to ruin freshwater gear using it in the bay?

4. For the pier - what length rod, strength?, etc. and what size reel. I've been told get a spin caster style reel, a rod about 6.5 to 7 long with 4-12 lb line capacity. I don't understand what fast and medium and all those words mean though I assume it's the stiffness of the rod?

5. For the ponds/lakes - same question.

6. Is splitting 4 and 5 above right down the middle going to be a good compromise or is that throwing money away?

Hope that makes sense. Even though we didn't catch anything all the boys had a blast and my childhood memories came back so I want to be able to share this with my son now and make some memories for him. Maybe even catch some halibut in the meantime. Yum!

[numpty]

Another question I thought of. If I need a saltwater setup, can it be used in freshwater? Or freshwater rod and saltwater reel?

Hope these aren't completely stupid questions. There's so much conflicting information I end up more confused the more I read.

[numpty]

Another question I thought of. If I need a saltwater setup, can it be used in freshwater? Or freshwater rod and saltwater reel?

Hope these aren't completely stupid questions. There's so much conflicting information I end up more confused the more I read.

[castgold]

Congrats on taking this journey with the youngster. I don't do fresh water, so my advice will be more for pier/inshore.

Just about every reel manufacturer makes a reel that will work for pier fishing and fresh water. Reels have effective drag ranges and we usually look at the maximum drag rating, although the numbers don't convey how smooth the drag will work with the fish on. When you spend more money, you get more bearings, smoother drag, and more durable construction. You don't have to over think this part. He'll have the rest of his life for this hobby to drive him into poverty. Shimano, Daiwa, Okuma and Abu Garcia are some reel makers that I would look at for fishing light line, and they all offer entry level gear that can get the job done.
If you're on a raised pier, you'd probably want to fish 15-20# leader on a 6-7' rod if you need to crank a fish up from the water line to the height of the platform. If you get licenses and fish from the surf, you'd want to fish 4-8# line on a 10' rod.

As for rods, I'd look at Big Five and check out some light Ugly Sticks, Graftech, and Californian rods. They're cheap, durable, and replaceable.

As for rigging, this is where YouTube will be worth checking. My friend has a surf fishing channel called Benjie Kim Fishing, and he has a growing library of surf/inshore tips.
For the pier, a dropper loop with a live minnow or smelt is effective, as is strips of squid above a 4-6 oz torpedo sinker. You can make bait from the pier by spreading chunks of dry bread on the surface and then using a sabiki with a 4-6 oz torpedo sinker on the bottom. I'd just bring some frozen squid and use that. Everything eats squid.
Part of fishing in any saltwater situation is observing what other people are doing to be successful. The more time you spend absorbing this free information, the better you get. The journey is part of the fun.

This is how I started, and after a number of years and several thousands of dollars, I'm still out there chasing that feeling of a fresh bite. Now my 6 year old daughter is getting into it. Feel free to reach out, and I'll be happy to offer any relevant guidance I can provide.

CG

[the_tunaman]

[JagerDog]

Pond trout and pier fishing are 2 very different games, much better done with 2 different rigs.

A legal halibut is going to be a tall order on a pond trout rod/reel. And it's not like you can maneuver like you would on a boat or even a dock/shore.

No to spincast. Spend more time pulling the cover off and un-fouling your line than fishing. Spinning or baitcast.

Look for the guys who do the fishing on the pier. Follow their lead.


If $$$ are tight, there's used equipment around. You don't need high end stuff, but crap is crap.

[theduracellbigd]

Your son is eleven, hopefully it will be a lifetime hobby that you can spend time with him. You live in SanDiego I would lean toward saltwater fishing. Ask your son what he would prefer, does he want to go out on party boats and catch bigger fish? Do you or him get seasick? Would a small skiff or kayaks for inshore/bay fishing be an option? Maybe surf fishing. Generally speaking, you will catch more fish in saltwater environments then you will in lakes in the San Diego area. You and your son discuss a goal and slowly begin to tackle up with the proper gear.

[Mustard]

::Applause from the other OP ::

For #5 and #6 by my (freshwater bass fishing) understanding...
"Power" is how heavy of a fish you can hold with the rod. Think of tying a dumbbell to the end of your line and lifting
"Action" is where the rod bends the most when you load it up; imagine a 7 foot piece of steel rebar, but with a 6-inch spring at the end

Power + action = sensitivity. There is some optimal level of sensitivity for your target fish and the lures/retrieves you use. I'm still too new to know what works and why, but after having bought a $60 medium-heavy power extra fast action rod I can kinda see the difference, vs the mediums and ultra-lights I'd been given as a kid.

If you'll be fishing with your boy, by definition it means you'll need two setups. So I'd go with two different different setups. Which ever one is "right" is strictly a question of what works at the time based on fish/lure/environmental conditions, of which there are MANY. I'd wager you don't need anything super expensive on either setup. I graduated from walmart gear to bass pro shop gear mostly because I was curious, not because I could out-fish walmart gear.

Most importantly, make sure your boy is having fun and make those quality memories. I didn't care for fishing with my dad, making me wake up early to prep for the day, yet somehow still not getting onto the water until late morning, then sitting in silence in the blistering heat or freezing cold, not catching a ****ing thing. I didn't care for fishing... until we got our family dog; dog LOVED going on the adventure, at which point making the two-hour round trip to the lake so the dog could go for a walk/swim while I fished in the background wasn't such a bad time even if I didn't catch anything

[stonefly-2]

The fishing/sporting goods industry is immense and in something of a
decline.

There's good and bad to this,

the bad is mostly a "fool and his money" thing.

The good is as well if you develop an eye for quality that may not be the latest and greatest whizbang color, action, pattern, weight, rod material etc.

I know you asked for "what" to buy but that will come soon enough unless I mistake the symptoms here.

Knowing "how" to buy for a kid may be more important because a guy that has 2 poles is really not that into fishing.

"Spin cast" is a no go if you really even know what that is....think zebco.

Those are for taking pictures of toddlers with their first fish.

The specific question of a "combo" will only get more complex to a beginner the more it's asked.

The rods come in a multitude of forms based on intended purpose,
a single reel is likely to be suitable for a whole lot of different pairings.

Since salt/inshore seem to be the starting point of the journey here I would recommend the venerable Penn Jigmaster 500 as a base reel.

Even if you get ginked at the yard sale it's going to be less than $40 and there are more aftermarket parts than for a 68 Camaro with ample you tube tutorials to maintain/build to whatever you need ocean wise.

There are a lot of reasons why this is a good reel for a kid,

bushings instead of bearings means a single dip in salt water is not likely to ruin it.

It's modular design allows for opening for cleaning/critical maintenance, to clear a backlash or change to a spool of different size line.

When you learn to cast it you can cast anything.

No one is going to steal it.

[MJB]

Hit the Fred Hall Show you'll get to look at everything

Fresh water I like Lake Poway or Dixon they plant trout have crappy The world record bass was caught at Dixon a few years ago but was foul hooked so she didn't count........

Your local tackle shop is your friend most are geared for salt go inland and more fresh water options.

And I second the 1/2 day boats as a better option than the Piers

[MJB]

Hit the Fred Hall Show you'll get to look at everything

Fresh water I like Lake Poway or Dixon they plant trout have crappy The world record bass was caught at Dixon a few years ago but was foul hooked so she didn't count........

Your local tackle shop is your friend most are geared for salt go inland and more fresh water options.

And I second the 1/2 day boats as a better option than the Piers

[edgerly779]

You pay shipping and i will give you a couple freshwater spinning reels. 2 pece spinning rods are cheap get a couple 6-7' fast tip rods. pm me for imfo. Have fun.

[numpty]

Thanks guys, there's come good information here for me to dig into.

And I ignorantly stated spincaster when I meant spinning. Didn't know they were two different things but I did use a friend's zebco as a kid so now I know the difference.

edgerly779, that's very kind of you. I'll reach out to you. Thanks.

[deckhandmike]

[numpty]

More good info. Thanks deckhandmike.

I have a question though.

Are bay rays, stingrays? I've been hit while walking out to surf and I'd rather not have to handle one. I'm thinking more and more I'll need to do as others have said and find a guide/friend/stranger with the know how so we don't snag something that could be an issue. Or something that could be harmful that I don't even understand. My kid's former elementary school's soccer coach died from an infection after getting poked with a fin from some fish. Don't want to go down that route especially since my wife almost died from something similar, cellulitis after our last kid (caesarian). Scary stuff.

I'm not fearful, but cautious...and their is ignorance. I see videos of people with gloves that look like chainmail. Not sure what I'm going to be dealing with if we are fishing off of piers.