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Posts: 250
Location: Pittsburgh, PA | how good are these combos i mean for 149.99 thats pretty cheap so would you buy this or save up a little more and get a more expensive combo |
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Posts: 1316
Location: Lebanon,Mo | The rods are decent,but sometimes the reels have problems.Not saying everyone of them do,but when I walk into the Bass Pro outlet store(returned catalog order) you can find a ton of the reels at discounted that had some kind of malfuntion.You hardly ever see a Abu reel in there,if that tells you anything.
Spend a little more now and you will be happier.For about 220.00 you can get a Okuma IDX400 and a Okuma rod or Tica rod and Ipersonally think you cant beat this outfit for the price.Just my 2 cents.
Edited by missourimuskyhunter 5/15/2008 1:18 PM
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Posts: 226
Location: W. PA. | I have one and really like it. Mine is one of the older ones from a few years ago with the black reel. I've heard that the newer ones with the gold reel are even nicer. I think I got mine for $119 though and it was well worth it. |
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Posts: 203
Location: Germantown, WI | I have 2 of the 7 1/2' MH and 1 of the 8' MH rods. I just got the 8' this winter, so I have not used it much yet. I got it for a longer rod to cast bucktails, especially the big double 10s. I'm 6'6" so the longer rod should really help my figure 8s. I like the the 7 1/2' rods for trolling, casting/twitching larger crankbaits and fishing soft plastics like Bulldawgs and Magnum Bulldawgs. It seems to handle 10" Jakes and 10" Believers quite well. I really don't like the 7 1/2' rod for small to medium sized bucktails. For the money they are good rods. Definitely heavier than some other brands, but they seem pretty durable.
The reels are pretty nice too. Pricewise they are about the same as an Abu 6500C3, at least they used to be. I have two of the older black ones and one of the gold ones. For general use they are a pretty decent reel, probably better than the Abu 6500C3. For heavy use, e.g. a lot of trolling and or ripping big baits you may want to go with something else. I have had to do some repairs and have found that replacement parts are fairly cheap through Outdoor World Rod and Reel Repair The repairs are pretty easy to do yourself. Keep them clean and lubed and you should be OK.
If you're not into paying $300-$500 bucks for a new combo they are definitely a good economical alternative. The combos are a better deal than buying the individual rods or reels separately.
Some other good rods and reels that I have and can recommend are the Gander Mtn Guide series rods. I have several of those too. A couple of 7 1/2' that I use for small/medium bucktails and smaller twitchbaits. A 6'3" that I use for wtd topwaters and gliders and a cheap 7' that I used for dive/rise jerkbaits like Suicks. I have one of the GS66 reels which is the same as the Pfleuger Trion 66 and similar to the Pete Maina series reels.The Gander rods and reels can be picked up for $10-$20 off when they are on sale at certain times of year.
I also picked up an Okuma Induron IDX 400A this winter which seems to be a sweet reel for the money. I got the Okuma brand new from an EBay merchant who also has a brick and mortar shop. He sold it for about $30 below normal retail price.
Tom Ramsey
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Posts: 1237
Location: South Portsmouth, KY | I have a couple and i like them. I use my St Croix's more but i use the mainas now more as a backup. I like the reels. They are smooth and come with a power handle. About the only thing you have to watch with the rods are if you use the weight balancer on the butt of the rod over time it might start to actually break off the butt of the rod a little. But nothing a little electrical tape wont fix! |
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maina combo