So my main rigs are 6’6 St. Croix heavy power rods with Abu 6500 c3 reels. I want to get a few cheap setups for backups and friends to use. I’m thinking ugly stick heavy action with a Penn 209 reel. Was wondering what you guys like for your main rigs and backups. If you can’t tell I’m starting to get that itch to be back on the river. 
The ugly sticks are good rods, I haven’t broke one yet. Never used a Penn though.
The Ugly Stik rods are fine, really any cheap fiberglass rod will do. I wouldn’t recommend skimping too much on the reels though, that drag is going to be what you really want to be concerned about, at least over the life of the reel.
Grizper,
I got some flathead and sturgeon gear that I need to dump. Its really good stuff. Check out this link from awhile ago.. Most of it is still for sale.. Give me an offer, I have no use for it over here in SD.
https://www.in-depthoutdoors.com/community/forums/topic/attention-catfish-and-sturgeon-musky-guys/
My backup to the backup flathead rod is a Shakespeare Alpha 8′ rod with an old Mitchell 306 on it. Both the rod and reel are pretty cheap and indestructable and can be found pretty cheap. I’d put that rig with 65-80lb braid up against anything that swims in MN.
If you are in the TC, JR’s in Brooklyn Park always has Alpha rods that were demos or whatever for pretty cheap, and eBay is a good place for old Mitchell reels.
I’ve had decent look with those Shakespeare SKP2000s, there’s an eBay seller that always seems to have some good catfish reels for sale…think he’s a saltwater guy. Just picked up a Tidewater freeliner spinning reel that was real nice from them. Ed-n-Carole. Sells a lot of reels, different makes.
Ugly stick and Rhino rods…I started with the cheap stuff 20 years ago, still use it now and then…
I would check out Cabelas King Cat rods. They are super tough and great for night fishing. I have caught quite a few flats over 40″ on my 7′ medium setups. I really wish I would have purchased the 8′ version instead, but I use the 7′ rods for inside setups. They go on sale a few times every year for $20, tough to beat IMO
I would check into Cabelas King Cat rods. Extremely strong and a great night fishing rod too. I use two 7′ medium rods and have quite a few fish over 40″ on them. I really wish I would have gotten the 8′ rods however. I got them for $20 each on sale.
Gonna bump this thread, just saw that the King Kat rods were on sale again, click on the link I posted above. Very hard to go wrong with this $20 rod
Not to be a poo pooer, but I felt the King Cat rods were too whippy for my liking. Personal preference here. They did catch fish.
Great price though.
The Rippin Lips Catfish Gear rods are S-Glass. Very light weight and comfortable. I use a few as back up musky rods. Good value for a quality rod. As for the Penns, I saved all mine from trolling lake MI and use them on flats. Just turn the clicker off and they work well.
I’ve been using Whisker Seeker Tackle rods…both the 7-6 and the 9-6 rods. I really like them and the price is not outrageous. I have some ABU 6500’s and 7000’s but I switched a couple years ago to the Penn Squalls that I really like. They are very tough reels and cast a mile. The drag is pretty smooth…no complaints and cheaper than the ABU’s.
I also use the WST 7-6 spinning rods matched up with some Penn Fierce reels that I like for channel cats. They’ll do the job on blues and flatheads too though and I would use them on sturgeon…if I had sturgeon around here.
Good luck boys…the cats are biting right now…go git some!!!
L8R…Ken
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
