What rod and reel combo to use for fishing on the shore of a reservoir?

Question

I want to buy my husband a rod/reel combo for our anniversary . but i don't know anything at all about them. there is a state park near us with a nice reservoir that he can fish at. i don't know what kind of fish are in it or anything.

i would really appreciate any advice about what type of rod/reel to get and what size, etc. i found a couple at bass pro shop that looked decent but i don't know what size to get, and what type of line to buy, or if the pole comes with it. (see i really am stupid about this kind of thing ;) ) Thanks for any help!!

The park is Fort Yargo Park in Georgia, it's between Athens and Atlanta (much more toward Athens) ... I have no idea what type of fish are in the reservoir & don't know if he "likes" to fish for anything in particular. Thanks for the answers so far though!! It helps a lot & hopefully I'll know what I'm talking about just a little bit more when I go shopping so I don't get completely hosed.

Answer 1

If you could say which part of the country you are in, even the name of the state park it would be easier to answer your question. If you could add that information I could update this with a more accurate answer.

Since we don't know what type of fish are in the reservoir, your best bet is to visit the local fishing store closest to the reservoir. This is better than going to most chain stores because the small shops are generally more customer oriented. They will have information about the type of fish that live there, the type of equipment needed including rods, reels, baits and lures. You may get that from the chain store as well.

The only thing you will need to watch there is that they don't sell you more expensive gear than you need. There is a difference between equipment, but unless he wants to fly fish, you should be able to completely outfit your husband with everything he will need for under $100 if budget is any type of an issue.

UPDATE:
The waters in the park sustain warm water species. This means that your husband is going to be able to catch bass, carp and panfish. This may or may not include trout and other species. These statements are from what I am able to verify online.

It sounds like your husband may somewhat new to fishing, my recommendation about a 6 foot, medium action spin casting combo strung with 8 or 10 lb test line. If he is more experienced, you can go with a bait-casting combo with the same test line. You can go with brands like Shakespeare (Ugly Sticks are good, solid affordable rod) or Zebco. There are many other affordable options available as well

Answer 2

It depends if he going to pitch spinner baits then a spinner action rod and reel is good people call it an open face reel. But if he can also get a bait casting mainly for trolling and deep sea. the type of line you could buy can be any where from 6-10 is good any color u want to buy. go nuts. good luck

Answer 3

Go with "medium action" on both. So you want a medium action rod and a medium action reel. Buy both by the same manufacturer and they should fit together nicely. Here's a site with some great prices. You shouldn't have to spemnd any more than $40 on each.

http://www.jrwfishing.com/fishing_rods_reels.html

Answer 4

any good quality light to medium rod will work fine, just buy a reel to match the rod or get them already combined, anything from 4lb test to 8lb test line should work.

Answer 5

in stead of buying the rod and reel get him a gift certificate

Answer 6

What kind of fish does he like to fish for? So I can give you a better answer?

Answer 7

Any of the basic combo sets,Zebco,Shakespeare.