Fishing School
Rods/Reels
Recommended Bundles
Below are some links to the most popular combos across the Insider Club members for all-purpose inshore setups for advanced and intermediate level anglers.
Recommended Rods
The rod is the most important tool for intermediate and advanced anglers who want to be able to catch great fish with lures and live bait.
Here are the two we recommend going with:
- Most Popular: Slam Stick
- Premium Performance: Slot Machine
Note: If you like to travel and need a multi-piece rod, then make sure to get the Slam Stick Travel rod because it is a great rod that has extra parts allowing you to customize power and action while on travel.
Recommended Reels
The reel for a spinning setup is not nearly as important as the rod, but it’s still an important part of the toolkit. Here are 3 recommendations that have proven to be good values at their respective price points:
- Most Popular: Otis
- Advanced Performance: Saltist MQ
- Budget: Legalis
Recommended Braid
The line we use is extremely important… it’s better to save some money on the reel in case you need to make room for good line in the budget.
The best we’ve tested so far is J-Braid 8 Grand from Daiwa… it’s extremely smooth which helps make sure fish can’t feel it moving through the water, and it has performed great in terms of knot strength and abrasion resistance.
Note: Do not be fooled by new companies which show a very high MSRP price on their lines with big markdowns that make you feel like you’re getting a great line at a great price… that’s typically just a marketing ploy to get you to buy sub-par line.
Baitcast Setup
As explained in the video above, the new lightweight spinning gear with good line will most often outperform baitcast setups for inshore saltwater fishing.
For baitcast setups, the reel is arguably the most important item which should get the most budget since it controls casting distance and comfort.
Here are our favorites so far from testing:
Reel: Daiwa Coastal SV TW 150
Rod: TFO Pro 7′ Medium
Please do share below if you have any others that you recommend.
Great video. Who are the names on the inside of the boat?
Thanks William. The names on the inside of the boat are members who upgraded their accounts to Lifetime from a special offer we did in order to raise funds to get the boat.
Their account was set to stay active for life (no more annual dues) and they got their names on the boat.
Really appreciate the time and effort you put into the information/education we get. Is the boat behind you listing or been pushed up on shore?
Yes, this was filmed in St Petersburg a couple months after a big storm rolled through.
I have a diawa saltist 3000mq will that be a good fit for the slot machine rod
I pair the saltist 3000 on my Medium Heavy Slot Machine, and it’s my favorite combo by far for targeting big snook and redfish where I’m in need of 20 lb braid.
That reel will work well with the Medium power Slot Machine too, but I generally stick with 2500 sized reels on the Medium power one since they are lighter and still hold plenty of line.
If you can’t get the Slot Machine, go for the Slam Stick from Fishstrong.com! I own the TFO Pro (4 of them, ML to MH), the Slam Stick (2 of them in Med) and the Slot machine (1 in med)! The TFO Pro is very stiff compared to the other 2 rods in my opinion. Very tough though!
Your lessons are superb. I can see is not just go out and buy anything there is actually a science involve. Looking forward to meeting you and Joe and the gang May 17th.
Thanks for making time to post the nice comment Angel!
Great information on set ups..Never had a clue on proper combos of power and action based on what you’re targeting or lure weight..Thank you …Aced the test, if only that translated to finding fish ! Hopefully it comes with more experience…
Glad to see that you are enjoying the lessons! Yes, the catching will quickly get better and better as you have time to put these lessons to use out on the water.
What is a good rod for using cut bait for Reds. Is a 7ft Medium Heavy Fast action ideal for using Carolina rig with cut bait
Cut bait fishing does t require much for the rod since the bait is doing most of the work. The rod simply needs to be able to cast whichever sized baits you’ll be using while having enough power to handle your target species.
When will the slot machine rods be back in stock?
Hey Jeffrey, my apologies for missing your question. The slot machine rods unfortunately won’t be back in stock until late Jan… the reel seat is on backorder from the manufacturer (Fuji).
Thoughts about a 4000 size BG vs Fuego (for a bit larger fish- I think I’ll need more line capacity of bigger braid)? BG is heavier, but not sealed (Fuego has magseal). I’ll be on a kayak casting all day. I might set it with cut bait while casting with a lighter reel.
I’d go with the Fuego since it’s so much lighter which is a big help when casting for long periods of time.
I need a good three or four piece rod for inshore. I’ve heard good things about the Jigging World Nexus 2.0 over the TFO traveler. Thoughts?
If you’ll be casting lures, the TFO Traveler would be a much better experience because it’s much lighter and more responsive. The jigging rod appears to just be designed for dropping jigs down and working them up… if that’s what you’ll be doing, then it would be a good fit. Otherwise, I’d definetely be going with the TFO.