[Jayhawker]

Will be getting my first casting reel, settled on the Shimano Curado, but am a bit lost on what rod to pair with it.

My current go-to setup is a Shimano Sedona spinning reel with a 7' Medium Abu Garcia Ike "finesse" rod. I really like this setup - seems to be good for most presentations as an "all purpose" rod.

Thinking of either getting a St. Croix Mojo Bass or the casting version of the Abu Garcia Ike.

Am I on the right track? Any thoughts on other rods for consideration.

And, what style of casting rod (medium/medium heavy)? Do I designate my spinning setup for plastics, etc, and make the new one more of a crank/jerk/spinner setup?

Lots to consider. Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

 

[Anglico]

7ft Medium Heavy would cover a lot of baits. St. Croix is a good rod, I also like Falcon Bucco for the money.

 

[Strictly Biznuss]

Anglico picked it right: a 7 ft Med-Hvy will be the most versatile. Anytime someone is buying their first baitcasting set-up, that's what I recommend. The brands you have mentioned are just fine. I personally use Ardent rods. If you'd like to consider it at all, I have a used 7 ft Med-Hvy Ardent Denny Brauer signature series rod that I am selling for $50 (retail is $100). I am just upgrading my gear to Ardent's latest line of rods right now and getting rid of all of my slightly older stuff (2 years old).

 

[TTZ]

7'2" Shimano Zodias, medium heavy, my favorite all purpose rod!

 

[Trarecar]

Will be getting my first casting reel, settled on the Shimano Curado, but am a bit lost on what rod to pair with it.

My current go-to setup is a Shimano Sedona spinning reel with a 7' Medium Abu Garcia Ike "finesse" rod. I really like this setup - seems to be good for most presentations as an "all purpose" rod.

Thinking of either getting a St. Croix Mojo Bass or the casting version of the Abu Garcia Ike.

Am I on the right track? Any thoughts on other rods for consideration.

And, what style of casting rod (medium/medium heavy)? Do I designate my spinning setup for plastics, etc, and make the new one more of a crank/jerk/spinner setup?

Lots to consider. Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

I have the Ike crankbait rod (which I love!) and the Ike Medium (med/hvy in Abu Garcia are very stiff) finesse rod which I also love. That Mojo Bass is awesome but I think they are like twice as much as the Ike.

I've had my eye on that Zodias for a while and will probably get one soon as I hear they are bad ass...

 

[Jayhawker]

Thanks for the comments. Very helpful.

 

[erickso1]

Shimano sent out a tweet this morning that they are selling a Crucial/Casitas combo for $200.
Crucial Combos

 

[Trarecar]

Shimano sent out a tweet this morning that they are selling a Crucial/Casitas combo for $200.
Crucial Combos

I REALLY wish you hadn't posted that. I fell in love w/ my Casitas 3 months ago. At retail for the Casitas that means the rod is less than $100? No Way! GRRR.... guess I better make room for another combo on my wall

*now just to figure out how I tell the wife she can't buy a new rug and I can buy a new fishing combo LOL*

*UPDATE* - just checked w/ TackleWarehouse and they will honor that deal if you call them...

 

[WhoDat]

Can't go wrong with a Curado. I have 4 or so, in various sizes, and love them. They're great for salt or freshwater. believe it or not, I've even caught West Coats Tuna with them. Braid and heavy drags have changed the game. Having said all of that, IMOHO, there are some better deals out there, and the Curado live is getting a bit long in the tooth. I recently bought a couple Johnny Morris Titanium 8s, for example (live a couple mins form Bass Pro), which have been great. 19lbs of drag, lighter than my Curados, and rated for salt as long as you spray them down. Not saying the Curados aren't great, but more drag and just as smooth for half the price is a good thing.

Regarding rods, I'm coming aournd on that one. I used to be a fairly heavy GLoomis guy, actually doing most of my fishing with one rod & reel (GLX MBR with a Shimano Calais DC). That was a pricey setup, but a deal when you consider I did 80% of my fishing with it. But then I started branching out, using cheaper but more specialized rods, and have fared much better. Using the $60 on sale skeeter weightless worm rod made tossing senkos so much easier than my $350 Loomis GLX. I came to the realization that specialized rods were better than one size fits all.

If you're coming form the spinning world, those setups are great for finesse (very light). So make your forst baitcaster heavy, and fall back on the spinner for light stuff. Then make your 2nd baitcast setup lighter

These rods won't break the bank, but I've really cone to like mine. The fact that they're actually labeled (eg. Jig/Worm, Senko, etc) keeps things simple for a beginner. Keep an eye on them, as I bought mine on a pretty big sale. Great rods for the money. And that Senko rod gets more play than any of my Loomis'es ... Wright & McGill Skeet Reese Tessera Casting Rods : Cabela's

I'm really liking these... Bass Pro Shops Johnny Morris Titanium 8 Baitcast Rod and Reel Combo | Bass Pro Shops: The Best Hunting, Fishing, Camping & Outdoor Gear

But if you're sold on Curados, and you plan on doing lots of salt, this is a good deal... Shimano Curado I Series Reel/Bass Pro Shops Johnny Morris CarbonLite Micro Rod Baitcast Combo | Bass Pro Shops: The Best Hunting, Fishing, Camping & Outdoor Gear