Crappie rod and reel combo suggestions?

I'm looking for a good rod and reel combo for Crappie and Panfish, but I dont want to break the bank. Any suggestions????

[QUOTE=KYfishman;543226]I'm looking for a good rod and reel combo for Crappie and Panfish, but I dont want to break the bank. Any suggestions????[/QUOTE]

I can tell you what I use, if you tell me what method you intend to use it for, primarily.

But, in general, a light action spinning rod 6-7ft long with a fast tip, paired with a quality mid-sized spinning reel & 4-6lb test mono would put you in the game. How close you get to "breaking the bank" depends on brands bought and how far up the model line you go (+ what your budget limit is )

... pappy

[QUOTE=crappiepappy;543228]I can tell you what I use, if you tell me what method you intend to use it for, primarily.

But, in general, a light action spinning rod 6-7ft long with a fast tip, paired with a quality mid-sized spinning reel & 4-6lb test mono would put you in the game. How close you get to "breaking the bank" depends on brands bought and how far up the model line you go (+ what your budget limit is )

... pappy[/QUOTE]


Its really for all purpose, just a light rod and reel for catching crappie/panfish.

It be great if you would tell me what you use:)

[QUOTE][/QUOTE]
I would get a rod that is 6,6"-7' and is designed for drop shots. They have a very light tip so you can feel/see the lightest bites. I have a pflueger president for my reel. But I do a lot of cast and retrieve methods to catch my crappie so I want a silky smooth reel. If your just going to straight line minnows I would get a light action rod and the cheapest reel you can get.

[QUOTE=KYfishman;543231]Its really for all purpose, just a light rod and reel for catching crappie/panfish.

It be great if you would tell me what you use:)[/QUOTE]

If you're thinking low dollar but reasonably functional ....

You might want to look at the Berkley Cherrywood or Lightnin rods ... med or med/lite action ... and find a small Okuma or Shimano reel that balances them out. if you're going to be doing any casting at all, you will want the rod/reel to balance when placed on your outstretched finger (at the front end of the handle, where the blank comes out). Not so important if you're going to be laying the rod down or putting it in a rod holder.

I have about 30 outfits that I use for Crappie fishing, from 5' to 14' rods, depending on what method I intend to use. I mostly cast jigs, and have several outfits to choose from for that method. My main jig casting rod is a 6'6" ESP PowerLite with a Shimano Aero 1000 reel spooled with 6lb test Vicious Panfish hi-vis copoly line. ESP rods have micro guides, so they're not real user friendly to slip float/bobber stop use. When I want to use a slip float setup ... If I'm casting, I'll use my 8' BnM FnF rod, and if I'm putting the rod in my rod holder, I'll use one of my 10' rods (BnM Sam Heaton SS or Todd Huckabee Dippin rod).

If you don't much care about the weight of the rod/reel, and want something that's pretty "bulletproof" ... you might think about a Zebco 33 spincast reel on a 6'6" medium or 7' med/lite Ugly Stik GX2 rod. Just get rid of any line that comes with the reel & replace it with Vicious Panfish, BPS Excel, Trilene or Stren in 6lb test.

... pappy

Last year I bought a micro lite combo at Bass Pro (their brand). It was on sale for 20 bucks. Used it quit a bit and has done good. Its just a 2 ball bearing spinning reel and a fiberglass rod. I bought the longest they had 7'6" I think. Some say its a little floppy but makes these pan fish fun to catch. I used 8lb line and even got in a catfish that was close to 2 foot and fat. They are on sale again right now, looks like they changed the color, mine school bus yellow.