# Panfish



## aacosta (Dec 18, 2015)

Best panfish rod and reel $100 budget. Casting from a boat most of the time. Opinions, go!


----------



## tincanary (Jul 23, 2018)

Okuma Celilo ultralight with a Penn Fierce III 1000. I tend towards the Penn reels at that price point because they come with a metal frame and carbon fiber drag. Other offerings typically use a composite or graphite frame and a Teflon graphite drag system. Honorable mention would be the Okuma Ceymar C20, probably the smoothest and lightest reel you'll find at its price. Many will recommend the Pflueger President which is also a great reel, but there are better options out there for the money. I own all three reels mentioned and the Penn gets the most use due to its ruggedness. If you want to stretch the budget, Lamiglas X11 LX702ULS with a Daiwa BG 1500 would be the bee's knees. Sportsman's Warehouse sells the Lamiglas for $59.99 and you can get the BG 1500 for ~$80 on Amazon. I have the casting variant of the Lamiglas, it's very light with a wonderful action. Mine weighs 4oz on the dot, and the spinning model should be less as a reel seat/grip for a baitcaster is heavier than that of a spinning reel.


----------



## Drake (Dec 29, 2000)

For a panfish rod , Check out the
Dawia Presso ultra light - many lengths to choose from .
Mine is a 9' , maybe a little long for some people but I can cast and vertical jig . 
Lures 1/32 - 1/4 oz.
Line 2 - 6 lb.

Sent from my Pixel using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


----------



## jimbo (Dec 29, 2007)

For gills, I don’t think the reel matters much. There’s not much need for drag so I think it comes down to size, fit and balance.
The rod would be the key. And then it’s just personal preference.
My favorite is a simple 7 ft ultra lite. 6 lb line. 
I have a cousin that has some dang 12’ rod that he loves. Seems a bit long to me, but if that’s what you like, us it


Sent from my iPad using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


----------



## 5eyes (Jan 24, 2003)

Berkely Lightning rod..Pflueger President reel,30sz..Fireline or Nanofil,4lb test. Flouro leader too.


----------



## gatorman841 (Mar 4, 2010)

5eyes said:


> Berkely Lightning rod..Pflueger President reel,30sz..Fireline or Nanofil,4lb test. Flouro leader too.


30sz for gills? That seems way over kill. I just use my 1000 series ice reels or a 1500


----------



## bobberbill (Apr 5, 2011)

Look for a nice used fly rod. Garage and estate sales and you can find all kinds of excellent quality stuff for pennies.


----------



## The Mediocre Fisherman (Jan 22, 2020)

I love my Pflueger President ultra light 4’6”. 4lb test and one of my weighted steel head floats it’s super fun to cast with just a flick of the wrist. Casts surprisingly far for its length with a perfectly weighted float.


----------



## john warren (Jan 25, 2005)

go with an uglystick and a zebco.. no worries and darn near bullet proof.

or as I taught my grand daughter,, a telescopic fiberglass pole no real come in different lengths from8- 10 foot on up. cheap amd more fun than you can imagine


----------



## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

john warren said:


> go with an uglystick and a zebco.. no worries and darn near bullet proof.
> 
> or as I taught my grand daughter,, a telescopic fiberglass pole no real come in different lengths from8- 10 foot on up. cheap amd more fun than you can imagine


I bought one of those to use on a beaver pond I use to trout fish on


----------



## NormD (Oct 21, 2002)

Bought a Presso for panfish. Love that rod!


----------



## tincanary (Jul 23, 2018)

The Presso is a killer rod. I wish they sold the baitcast variant here in the states like they do elsewhere.


----------



## Gordon Casey (Jun 13, 2017)

tincanary said:


> The Presso is a killer rod. I wish they sold the baitcast variant here in the states like they do elsewhere.


Can't beat a Whirlaway.


----------



## Drake (Dec 29, 2000)

My Aunt had one of those , her kids and my brother and I weren't even supposed to look at it if we were going fishing . I can still see it pegged on the wall at the cabin . She loved bluegill fishing !
The good ole days !

Sent from my Pixel using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


----------



## NormD (Oct 21, 2002)

I'm looking for a matching ultralight reel for it.


----------



## tincanary (Jul 23, 2018)

NormD said:


> I'm looking for a matching ultralight reel for it.


Check out the Japanese market reels, they tend to offer more species/technique specific reels than the US market. For instance, all Daiwa spinning reels on the Japanese market also come with shallow spool variants that are specific to trout and smaller fish species. At the budget end, look at a Daiwa Revros 1000S or Legalis 2000S-XH. The S in Daiwa nomenclature states it has a shallow spool with a beveled lip which enables it to cast lighter baits better. A friend of mine has the Luvias 2000S-XH and that sucker will fling a 1/48 Panther Martin out of sight on his 5' St Croix Avid. American reels tend to be sold under a one size fits most standpoint so you find reels that hold hundreds of yards of line when it isn't necessary. The smallest Daiwas on the US market will hold well over 200yd of 2lb mono while the same reel with a shallow spool will hold about half of that or even less.


----------



## theshaunster (Feb 23, 2009)

I use 5’8” St. Croix Trout Series! It’s basically a pull out of my car and see what I can get type of rod, it is amazing. Sensitivity is great and I have caught some big fish with it and no problems with its strength. I bought it for $80. 


Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


----------



## tincanary (Jul 23, 2018)

I was using this on perch a couple weeks back, throwing 1/16 paddle tail grubs. What a hoot.


----------



## sfw1960 (Apr 7, 2002)

gatorman841 said:


> 30sz for gills? That seems way over kill. I just use my 1000 series ice reels or a 1500


I've got several of the 500/1000/1500 size reels & they're usually kept as a backups.

A 30 size reel with a good drag is a great choice.
LINE PICKUP...
Use mostly size 30's, especially on ice too since perch will come from 45-60 fow.
Open water my wife and I prefer an Okuma RTX-30 with a 6.0:1 retrieve (6.6 oz carbon fiber) mounted on a 10-1/2' IM6 Steel head rod.
Fishing 7-15 fow, swing over the side vertical or sling a small bobber with 2lb.
Deep water? Tungsten, Hali, Swedish Pimple or perch flies often.
Ten inch gills on 2 lb and small jigs, use the net if you're smarter than the average bear.

Swinging large panfish on small hooks just isn't a good way to get fish in the box IME.


----------



## tincanary (Jul 23, 2018)

sfw1960 said:


> A 30 size reel with a good drag is a great choice.
> LINE PICKUP...


Even better is a carbon fiber drag lubricated with a low viscosity synthetic grease. It's buttery smooth and won't stick. Many US market spinning reels still use the antiquated oiled felt drag which is very prone to sticking and attracting dirt.


----------



## sfw1960 (Apr 7, 2002)

I service & maintenance my own reels and have done so for over 30 years.
Carbon or oiled felt is fine, but you must care for either of them.
The replacement cost of felt is a bunch less than CF.
The RTX have a "Hydro-Block" seal over the drag compartment which helps with any ingress.
Ardent reel lubrication products keep my reels smooth - whether I'm pulling bull gills on one lb or 12# walleye on 30# braid I let the drag do it's job and have no problem replacing worn components when needed.


----------



## tincanary (Jul 23, 2018)

sfw1960 said:


> I service & maintenance my own reels and have done so for over 30 years.
> Carbon or oiled felt is fine, but you must care for either of them.
> The replacement cost of felt is a bunch less than CF.
> The RTX have a "Hydro-Block" seal over the drag compartment which helps with any ingress.
> Ardent reel lubrication products keep my reels smooth - whether I'm pulling bull gills on one lb or 12# walleye on 30# braid I let the drag do it's job and have no problem replacing worn components when needed.


The beauty of carbon fiber is you only have to buy it once.


----------



## sfw1960 (Apr 7, 2002)

Where and how can you qualify your claim?
All things wear ...


----------



## tincanary (Jul 23, 2018)

sfw1960 said:


> Where and how can you qualify your claim?
> All things wear ...


I've been working on reels for quite some time, every one of my customer reels that comes through my shop gets Carbontex drags if it didn't have them from the factory. I do reels for customers around the country, from saltwater fishermen chasing yellowtail out in California to salmon fishermen in the PNW to musky fishermen here in Michigan and not one burned drag. Felt drags and Teflon drags wear considerably, sometimes in as little as one season depending on usage and species fished. When using a high temp synthetic grease, the washer is lubricated and performs better as it heats up. Some years back I used to cut Penn HT100 washers to size before drop-in carbon fiber drags were widely available. Carbon fiber drags do not compress or wear to a shine like Teflon graphite or felt.

If you want some carbon drags for your reels, let me know as I can give you a nice deal. I get them right from the manufacturer and as a registered business get them far cheaper than what non business buyers would get them.


----------



## Gordon Casey (Jun 13, 2017)

sfw1960 said:


> Where and how can you qualify your claim?
> All things wear ...


I think you challenged the wrong guy!!!


----------



## salmon_slayer06 (Mar 19, 2006)

This season was first I've ever had drag issues. 24 pound male king off the pier fought harder than a fresh 30 from a month before. I tried to get a hold of carbon fiber before the next trip couldn't find anything I could get quickly. Ended up swapping out parts cleaning and re lube for next time.


----------



## tincanary (Jul 23, 2018)

salmon_slayer06 said:


> This season was first I've ever had drag issues. 24 pound male king off the pier fought harder than a fresh 30 from a month before. I tried to get a hold of carbon fiber before the next trip couldn't find anything I could get quickly. Ended up swapping out parts cleaning and re lube for next time.


Which reel is it? I may have some in stock.


----------



## salmon_slayer06 (Mar 19, 2006)

Shimano 2500 nasci . I use same reels for steelhead fishing I have like 8 of them


----------

