instant fisherman rod and reel as seen on tv?

Question

Hi I was wondering if anyone have ever tried fishing with this product? I have never fish before and would like to try it out..Looking for a cheap,but decent one. This one is seen on tv and is pretty cheap with 10 year warranty.Check it out
http://www.instantfisherman.net/?TrackId=1586419&Custom=

everybody is saying zebco 33.very decent price. Does it matter if its for freshwater fishing or saltwater? I live in los angeles and plan on saltwater of course. Any fishing lure advices?thanks

Answer 1

Don't bother..... stuff like that shown on TV is usually total cr*p compared to stuff made by dedicated tackle companies such as Shakespeare / Daiwa / Shimano / Zebco / Okuma / Berkley / Abu-Garcia / Fenwick, etc.

Try a few out in a proper tackle shop first....... alot of anglers liken choosing a rod to choosing a partner, and a rod that feels brilliant to one angler when holding it..... another may not get along with at all. Kinda hard to explain, but you know you've found the right rod for you once you've got it in your hands.

Answer 2

Fishing saltwater out of L.A., I assume off the party boats, you'll want roughly a 20 pound test outfit for your first one. For local boats (half and 3/4 day) you can use either conventional or spinning tackle, though for bottom fishing during the winter you probably won't want a spinning outfit.

A decent rod and reel can run you from $100 on up. I would suggest going out on a boat and renting the tackle the first few times, and look at what the others are using to decide what you want to buy. Then go to a real tackle shop (not a Wal Mart or Sport Mart) and get real advice on what's best for the fishing you want to do and your budget.

If you're going to be fishing off a pier, just about anything will work for the small perch, tomcod, and mackerel you're likely to see... as long as it doesn't rust up. 8-12 pound line will be adequate for pier fishing. As a kid I started fishing off Venice and Santa Monica piers with a Sears push-button outfit which was a few steps below a Zebco 33. The problem, of course, is that pier fishing is pretty slow. Within a year or so I had a couple more outfits and was fishing local party boats and making much better catches.

Answer 3

You never know about the quality of these "as seen on TV" items
As everone is telling you a zebco 33 is the best starter rod and reel combo, but for even better prices go to Walmart they have a good fishing supply, and as you know their prices are hard to beat.
If saltwater is your main fishing I would go a little heavier than the zebco 33, again Walmart in your local area will stock items in accordance with the local activities so they should have a good and good priced saltwater rod and reel (Be ready to pay more for it too, saltwater gear just cost more)

Answer 4

O K PEOPLE FOR THE LAST TIME !!!! discount store stuff is crap t.v. even worse fishing gear is like oh say golf equip. do you want a ten year old putter from a put putt course going out of business or do you want to go to a golf shop and get expert advice??????? if you are going for mainly saltwater go to a sports /bait shop tell the sales man what you are using it for how much you can afford then second opinion a rod&reel is an ivestment get the best you can and you will not regret it and most of the time if you have a problem just go back to the proshop and most will replace on the spot because the want your repeat business and no return fee and most will spool/ line your reel for free the first time plus a bonus they hear and share fishing info all day GOODLUCK!!!!!!!

Answer 5

Um! don't know about that. I'm always kind of leery of things like that. But they make good Christmas presents to people you have to buy gifts for.

Personally I'd go with a good Zebco 33 or Zebco #1 both good reels for the beginner. Then pick out a rod to go with it with in your price range. One that feels good to you.

You can get fairly good rod and reel combination package a any Wal Mart, Target, or, Kmart store. The two payments of $19.9 whatever is a sneaky way of telling you it cost $40.00 bucks. You can get a good Zebco 33 combination rod and reel package for that much.

Anyway that is what I would do if it was me, for what it's worth. . .

Answer 6

A ten year warranty is only good if the vendor is still around. These guys could be gone in ten days.

You can get a Zebco 33 Rod and Reel combo at BassPro for $29.95.

Answer 7

it all depends on what kind of saltwater fishing you are going to be doing. if you are fishing off a pier or from shore the instant fisherman would work but i wouldnt recomend it. if you are going to be fishing from a boat a good first setup i would recommend is a jigmaster 500 combo. you can find them at most sports stores and fishing tackle stores. very reliable and will last you a long time. if you are fishing from shore or pier, again go to a sports store(sports chalet, big5) and buy a spinning combo.

Answer 8

I got the biggest kick out of those adds. They were saying the gears were a zinc alloy coated with nickle, and making it sound so good. In the real world we call that stuff "pot metal". That rig wouldn't last very long. If you like fresh water try a good ultra-light outfit. You'll pay about $50 for it. I've been using the same one for 12 years and have caught some whoppers on it. You get what you pay for.

Answer 9

If your primary fishin' places be the ocean, this is not the set-up ya' want! As far as that goes it wouldn't last but a short time even in freswater. For me ever usin' one I haven't, but a friend has and said they are a worthless gimmick (like other "cheapo", types on the T.V. market place). Check your local Walmart out (2nd link). This is a good rig at a good price, but don't suggest usin' it in saltwater. Saltwater is corroding and tackle (rod, reel etc..) should be throughly cleaned after each use. However, if saltwater is the only place your goin' to fish, I might suggest somethin' bigger and made for them ocean's. Take a look at this riggin', the price is not bad, it be specifically for saltwater, "corrosion nightmares" and only bout' five bucks more after addin' on your shippin' and handeling to the "Instant Fisherman" ($57.90 Cabela's ~ 51.85 I.F.)...
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat20166-cat601988&id=0032016120027a&navCount=1&podId=0032016&parentId=cat601988&masterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=IH&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat601988&hasJS=true


http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5913248#top

You might want to add some more additional information as ta' what type species fish you'll be fishin' for, that way Answers ppl can give you advice on what lures or bait ta' use.
Your mention of not bein' a fisherman prompted me ta' give you yet another link aimed at the beginning angler (ha', been fishin' for over 50 years and find myself taken a gander at it every now and then ;0 ). Whatever your decision, good luck and "Fish ON" ;)...

Answer 10

Don't buy crap you see on tv please...One, its cheap! second, it was prob. made in a sweat shop!
get a zebco 33!!!!!!

Im sure you can use it in salt water..just wash it with freshwater when you are done. I wouldnt recommend going after anything bigger than 10 lbs. though