Its been forever since I picked up a rod and reel...probably since teens. I kinda have the bug again though to get back into bait-casting. Anyone here fish and want to give me some recommendations on equipment, or point me in the direction of a good site, etc.

Where's ol Petecockroach when you need him?

I love fishing, but haven't been out to the lake in years.

Oddly enough, I don't eat fish...

I have a bass rod and a mountain/trout rod but have never really been able to get into either.

I do however enjoy saltwater fishing in the bays, rivers and intercoatal waterways (fishing for white and speckled trout and redfish mainly) and wish like hell I could go more than the once or maybe twice a year that I get to.

I haven't fished since my teens - until I took my 5th grade class on a field trip last year. I've found that not much has changed. Unless of course you truly want to spend some time, money, and effort in the sport, you could probably grab an old pole from garage/basement, get some fresh bait and hooks, and you're ready to go. It's still an easy, fun, relaxing afternoon (or early morning as the case sometimes is).

Yeah, I probably have my old reel still in my parents garage, but I'm sure there's new technology, etc. I live around some primo river spots, and definitely within a driving distance for some weekend seaside casting as well. Obviously, different reels are needed. I was at a sporting goods store today and there were such a range of rods. It was mind-boggling.

This was recommended on a forum-Okuma Halogen 400 combo
Someone was asking for a rec and a bunch of people said this was a good "all freshwater" reel.

NO, not just ANYONE...

I fish on occassion, but it's almost strictly saltwater. I don't think I'd be much help.

I fish every weekend I can, when the tides are right.

Your best bet is to go into a local bait & tackle store and get a recommendation from the old red-faced salt with the mullet and mustache behind the counter. He's the man you want to get advice from.

He'll also have a good clue about what bait has been working locally recently, and which spots are landing lots of fish.

Fishing equipment is generally well priced, in that you can get quality combos that will get the job done for dirt cheap; less than fifty dollars, but then you can also spend thousands on a rig and still justify it.

I mainly use one of these Abu Garcia baitcasters, on a short Abu rod:



I have light line and a short rod because i do lots of walking and wading when i fish, so i don't wanna be carting around and tripping over a monster rig on a long pole designed for pulling in reef fish, which is what some people get talked into.

Think about the kinds of spots you will be fishing at and the size of the fish you are targeting, and keep your rig as light as will possibly get the job done.