05-29-2013, 07:28 PM
You need to consider exactly what kind of catfish you'll be targeting, before you buy equipment. With out getting too technical, some catfish don't get much larger than a pound or two, and some catfish average well over 15 pounds, which is big enough to destroy your average walmart special spinning rig.
With that said, you can get a quality set up for 150 bucks, no problem. Shakespeare came out with a Tiger Jigging rod, which is an exceptionally strong and lightweight rig. I use the 120 class version of this as a back up bottom fishing rod for offshore fishing for grouper and snapper. The rod retails for around 75 bucks. Penn makes a Sargus spinning reel which is all steel and braid ready in a 5000 size range for about 80 bucks. that puts you just a tad over 150 with tax, and you'll have a multi use outfit capable of handling the largest of freshwater species. I also use mine for targeting larger blue and flathead catfish with live and fresh cut bait.
I wouldn't settle for any less.
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With that said, you can get a quality set up for 150 bucks, no problem. Shakespeare came out with a Tiger Jigging rod, which is an exceptionally strong and lightweight rig. I use the 120 class version of this as a back up bottom fishing rod for offshore fishing for grouper and snapper. The rod retails for around 75 bucks. Penn makes a Sargus spinning reel which is all steel and braid ready in a 5000 size range for about 80 bucks. that puts you just a tad over 150 with tax, and you'll have a multi use outfit capable of handling the largest of freshwater species. I also use mine for targeting larger blue and flathead catfish with live and fresh cut bait.
I wouldn't settle for any less.
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