Favorite Flathead and Channel cat rod and reel

What are your favorite flatead and channel cat rod and reel combos and why.

For channels I prefer my medium light action ugly stick tiger combined with a shimano tekota 500 baitcaster reel. The action on this combo is very nice. It has the tip sensitivity to allow for the cirlce hook to set in IMO. The rod tip also allows one to be able to cast very delicate baits such as shad. The reel is the smoothest I have ever used. I can cast a mile with very little weight.

I also use this combo for sturgeon so it definatly has the backbone to handle some powerful fish.

For flatheads I like my medium action ugly stick tiger and shimano tekota 500 reel. The rod has a soft tip so you can cast baits further if needed. The reel again is a winch!

Got to thank Bob at Moore’s Bait and Tackle for setting me up with them!

My favorite rod is one with a fish on the other end.

So far I’ve had good luck with Abu Garcias, 6000 and 7000. I have a Quantum Iron that I like alot too.
For rods I’m happy with Ugly stik catfish for channels and a H or MH Ugly stik Tiger for flats.

I wish I could try them all though and find a true favorite. That Shimano tekota sounds nice from what you said.

I am rocking a 3 year old Ugly spinning combo for both species. I should be flogged.

Tim, any tme you want to give a Tekota a trial run, give me a shout, I have a few

Tekota’s are the way to go with me.. 500 & 600 series both are as smooth as glass, cast well, and can winch the boat onto the trailer if needed. Super smooth, powerful drags really put any other reel I have to shame. I will be playing around with the 400 series this spring to see how they perform compared to their *big brothers*. I also have one of the new black cat abu reels planned for the near future with the carbon fiber drag to see how they perform.

Rods.. I dont really have a *favorite*. I use different rods for different bait presentations and structure at different times of the year.

Early season Channels.. 8’6″ St Croix Tidewater Series rod rated 8#-15# test with a Shimano Symetra 2500 reel. I use light mono or tiny diameter power pro(15#) for casting light weight and the smaller bait presentation.

Summer-Fall Channel cat rods I use my lighter tiger rod with a soft tip and heavy backbone, or my Boss rod #3 most of the time which both have really proven to be excellent all around rods… but I have caught more fish than I know what to do with on my 8′ glow stick matched with a 6500.

Flathead Rods.. here again.. where am I fishing? I have rods coming out my ears, but I like my Whoopin Stick(dicontinued model) rated at 10-50# test the best. The #3 Boss rod I always have full faith in, and I have a #4 Boss with 100# test for true forearm wrecking, close quarter combat. These rods get used the most, but I have a few more that get used regularly.

I have my eye on the new Surge rods which will be in at Moores bait here in the next couple weeks. I plan to add a couple to my arscenal to give them a good run to see how they are in real fishing situations, and I also plan to take the heavier Tiger rods for workout once the flatheads are motivated to eat.

Thanks Dave. I may have to check one out.

The other day I saw some Daiwa Beefsticks at Bass proshops on clearance for 13 or 14 bucks. I have never used them but they are solid fiberglass with blank through handles. I imagine a solid glass rod would be one tough stick. Maybe I’ll order one…
Before I do though has anyone here used one?

I havent seen or heard of them.. they sound.. Heavy

They come with an optional shoulder harness to support the weight of the rod?

I am being obnoxious of course, but the only solid fiberglass rods I have ever seen are old whippy rods, or super heavy stand up boat rods for saltwater trolling for Jaws.

I dont mind some extra weight, but too heavy is too heavy(5# fishing rod)

Yeah Dave, you probably wouldn’t want to strain your wrists picking up a heavy fishing rod like that. Easy now I’m just foolin .

Seriously though, I have a 6’6″ Sturdy stik that I think is solid glass. Its heavy but its not too bad. That’s what rod holders are for anyways. There’s a 7 foot 20-50lb line Beefstick with 8 guides on Basspro for 25 bucks. Not bad for a flatty rod. Now, where did I put my credit card???

I don’t have the number of rods or near the experience as Dave, but here’s what I like.

Channel cats, I’ve got an 8′ Storm Thunderstick Alaskan that I love. I think it’s an MH rod. Got a solid backbone but a very soft tip so it is awesome for detecting light biters in cool water. On it, I’ve been using a 6500C3 that has performed well.

For the bigger guy, my main rods are a 7’6″ MH Quantum Big Cat and a 8′ MH Berkley Reflex. I haven’t caught a flathead on either yet, but both caught a ton of sturgeon this fall and I have been really happy with them. I like that the Reflex is 2 piece, but I like the action of the Quantum better. Both have 6500C3s on them, but I am looking to upgrade one this year–either Tekota 500 or 7000i–can’t decide.

I’ve also got a 8′ Cabela’s King Kat spinning combo that will do in a pinch and a 9′ Bass Pro Trophy Plus surf rod with an Okuma Epixor EB50 that I like. The BP rod has a great action and nice, soft tip, but 9′ is a huge rod, plus, I am not a fan of spinning gear. Both spinning combos mainly get used when I bring unequipped friends with me.

Dave – I have checked out some Tekotas down at Moore’s. I am getting in the mood to pick up a new reel to go with my Berkely Big Game rod.

I generally fish from shore for channels but would like the reel to double up well for bi flats on the MN a couple times a year. What Tekota do you duggest for this?

For double-duty, The Tekota 500 is probably more practical. Both reels cast equally as well but the 500 weighs a hair less.

I havent had a chance to run the 400 series yet, I am waiting for them to come in at Moores, they should be there within the next week or two with the rest of the spring goodies.

The 400 series has a paddle handle(oversized) and is a little bit bigger than a 6500, but smaller than a 7000. It has a slightly lower profile than the larger tekota reels which are at a very reasonable casting elevation. I am willing to put money on they will be one of my favorite reels after a few outings.

Honestly I would wait until they all come in, and decide what fits you best from there. I will be able to give a good report on reel performance after 1 trip… longevity cant be proven until time elapses, but I would guess there as good as the *big brothers*.

Reels Abu Garcias by far. They have proven over and over for my landing big fish. As far as rods, that all depends on how I’m fishing for them, clickers, circle hooks etc… Theres Eagle Claws rods, Ugly Stiks, and a few custom made rods that I use.

I think I am going with a Quantum reel this year. I have owned 1 Quantum baitcaster for bass and it has held up beautifully through the years. As a matter of fact Manny will attest to me taking a 18# Oli (flathead) on that rod and reel. Nothing fancy about them and they don’t have 2 dozen ball bearings or anything crazy. But they are quality reels.

I see BPS sells a Bill Dance Quantum cat combo. I am always a little leery of combos though. Anyone ever try one of those?

Anyway, I have been using a Akuma baitcasting reel on a Glowstick. I can’t same I am pleased with the set up. Before that I had a graphite Pinnacle Power Tip Pro. It was a little light weight and short 6’6″ for flathead fishing, but I really liked the feel of it. I may go back to a one piece rod, even if they can be a pain lugging around.

Hey guys. http://www.catfishconnection.com has Abu reels on sale right now and I am thinking of ordering.

Is there any ‘reel’ differences (get it?) between the 7000 and the 7000C3 other than the color? If not, I can live with a red reel if I save 20 bucks..

The cheaper 7000 has brass bushings instead of ball bearings. I think.

Yes, there is a difference between the 2 reels. I like the features of the new 7000i better than the c3, but the c3 is overall a better reel.

The handle is different and the instant anti reverse is new on the 7000i.

I have caught 1000’s of catfish of all shapes and sizes on Abu reels and never had a failure from fish. They are a good reel. My only complaint with them is the wimpy drag. Horsing a fish at times is neccessary, and its very difficult to do when your drag keeps slipping and you cant pick up line.

Well, given that I don’t hunt for monsters that often, I broke down and ordered the 6500C3 Glowstick combo.

It has been 3 years since I got a new fishing toy, so I am happy.

Is that the 8′ Glow stick?

I used that combo for a few years and it was one of my favorites.. lots of big fish, and you can cast a mile with it.

The 7′ are too light for flathead fishing

Yep Dave, it is the 8′. I figure this will become my prime fishing rod.

I am thinking of gifting one of my old combos to a friend.

Glad to hear I made a good choice. An endorsement from Dave goes pretty far with me.

As mentioned, the 7000C3 is a 7000 with the bushings replaced with bearings.

Same thing with the 7000C3i and 7000i. I like the handle on the new i models a lot better than the previous version.

I talked to a guy at Thorne Brothers about the 7000C3i and 7000i a few weeks ago and he actually recommended the 7000i because he said it will last longer. Throwing large baits can be rough on bearings. He claimed that he prefers the bushing reels and doesn’t see much (if any) difference in castability.

Just something to consider. Both are solid reels.