By Ethan Hollifield
I remember growing up with relatively little money to buy fishing equipment. The rods and reels I learned to fish on were… well, they were nowhere near the quality of what is on the market today when it comes to budget friendly tackle. I’ve used a very long list of rods and reels, particularly for river smallmouth, in just about every price range imaginable and have compiled a relatively consistent list of tackle options that I would confidently recommend to anyone not looking to spend a mortgage payment on their next rod or reel. Now granted, when I say “budget’’ that doesn’t necessarily mean that you can take 20 dollars and have a rod or reel last for multiple seasons. I’ve learned through guiding that sometimes spending a little extra money initially when purchasing tackle, especially bass fishing tackle, pays off tremendously in savings down the road. Here’s a list of some of my favorite budget friendly rods and reels, with nothing on this list being over $200, as of the writing of this article.
TFO Professional Series Spinning Rod 7’ ML – M: Coming in at roughly $100 bucks, this has always been a consistently durable rod for me. TFO also has one of the best rod warranties on the market. Combining that with solidly built components, it’s hard to beat.
Fenwick HMG Series 7’ ML-M: Fenwick has had a solid reputation with smallmouth fisherman for many years, and the HMG series of rods provides a great deal of versatility. I’ve used the 7’ medium from throwing everything from jerkbaits to small finesse tubes and drop shots. The rod itself is also very sensitive when paired with braid.
Shimano Stradic 2500 HGFL: Now, while most people don’t put “stradic’’ and “budget” in the same sentence: I’ve seen these reels last for over a decade of heavy use with the right maintenance. The casting ability and drag system built into these are well worth the initial investment.
Pflueger President 2500 -3000: It’s very hard to find spinning reels that will last for longer than a couple of seasons under $100. However, with the proper routine maintenance the Pflueger President has done very well for me in my guiding career as a workhorse reel that can take a beating without breaking the bank in price. The drag systems and other components are well made, making this one a no-brainer for me to recommend.
While there are many other good options out there, these rods and reels are ones that I would highly recommend to anyone looking to get into river smallmouth fishing, and are some of the same ones that I use on guide trips on a consistent basis. With the proper care and maintenance, these rods/reels can last the average angler a very long time, and also provide some very good gear at an affordable price point for most to reach.
Ethan Hollifield is a member of a conservation organization called 2% For Conservation and a guide for Southern Appalachian Anglers.