Need help for a beginner in bass fishing

[Fire Ball]

I suggest you start off with a Citica 200E and a 7' MH Fast Shimano Clarus. That would be the good all purpose, I'd still opt for a longer rod,7'3", 7'4" or 7'6" MH and have a longer sweep when setting the hook. 2 setups will be better than one! Get 1 spinning and one casting...

My fav setups:
My Baitcasting Rod is a 7'6" MH Crucial with a Citica 200E.
Spinning is a 7'3" Carrot Stix and Daiwa Sol 2500.

You don't have to spend that much money, but stick with a Shimano Rod, they have Lifetime Warranties... If they ever break, you'll usually get a brand new for free; no questions asked,,, :-)

I completely agree with Geordy, but you don't have to spend as much money as he wants you to.

Not all Shimano rods and reels have a lifetime warranty, but I don't know if they will replace rods if they break when your warranty is up since I haven't broken any Shimano products yet! I know that Pure Fishing (they own Abu Gacia, Berkley, and more) will replace rods for free if they break, even when they are not under warranty. They don't ask for a receipt to make sure you still have a warranty or anything!

[calico killer kevin]

I've never been asked for a receipt when replacing my Shimano rods. All the rods in the Clarus lineup and up are covered by the limited lifetime warranty. I believe I've demo'ed every single rod in the Compre lineup by now.

[Fire Ball]

I've never been asked for a receipt when replacing my Shimano rods. All the rods in the Clarus lineup and up are covered by the limited lifetime warranty. I believe I've demo'ed every single rod in the Compre lineup by now.

Well, if the rods you have all have lifetime warranties, it doesn't matter when you purchased it, lol. Have you tried getting a replacement for a rod without a lifetime warranty before?

[GeordyBass]

I've never been asked for a receipt when replacing my Shimano rods. All the rods in the Clarus lineup and up are covered by the limited lifetime warranty. I believe I've demo'ed every single rod in the Compre lineup by now.

I have broken 3 Crucials, 1 Clarus,1 convergence.... All were replaced No questions asked, Over The Counter....

And No, You don't need to buy really expensive gear, but get something that will last a long time. Shimano Clarus are usually $60-$80.... All Lifetime Warranty.... The Convergence series are about $30-$50 and Lifetime Warranty, though, not many places carry them, so it is better to get a Clarus because they are so common....

I've tried getting a berkeley lightning rod replaced, but nope....

FB, Me and Kev will Stick to Shimano...lol jk...

I'll also stick to my carrot stix... They have lifetime warranties as well!

[FishEye]

I want to get started in bass fishing and was wondering what the best all purpose setup (rod and reel) would be. I was looking at the St. Croix Premier Series Trigger rod in the 6'6" or the St. Croix Mojo Bass Trigger in the 6'8" paired with a Shimano Curado or Citica Low Profile baitcast reel.... I'm sorry but I'm a beginner at this and want one good setup that can be used for a lot of stuff. I really like St Croix rods and Shimano reels. Any help would be appreciated!!!!

Go with a 6'-7' Med. casting rod with a line rate of 8-17lbs and handles 1/4-5/8oz lures. With this setup you can use jigs, t-rigs, c-rigs, flyline senkos, swimbaits, cranks, topwater plugs, and jerk baits. The conventional setup really shines when your using topwater plugs, jerkbaits, and flipping jigs; which is what you'll mostly be doing during the height of LMB season. IMO its much easier to "walk the dog" with a conventional reel than a spinning, furthermore I find it annoying to have to open the bail each time I cast especially when your flipping or jerking on bedded bass. Dont get me wrong a spinning setup is integral for finesse but in late February when that full moon pops up and those Bass begin bedding and rubbing you'll be plenty glad to have a conventional setup. Since its your first setup you dont have to break the bank; go with a new rod and search for a good used baitcaster. Something like the older Shimano Bantam Curado CU101 is perfect for a beginner and can be had at a reasonable price if you can find it. My go to setup is a 6'6'' BassPro Shop rod with a Bantam Curado CU101B(I'm a lefty) spooled with 8lb test. I bought that setup a few years ago as a combo from BPS and was a bargain at $140. One thing about conventional reels is you gotta get out and use it in order to learn how it works. Practice flipping and casting in your yard and it will really help in minimizing backlash when your out on the water.