Reels
Again, the BPS Qualifier is a great reel...reviews will guide you in the right direction there. I have 4 of them and they have lasted me several tournament seasons. That said, I'm in the process of slowly upgrading my equipment....in the $150-170 price range of Lews right now. To be honest, price points are a key thing to look at too. Just because it's a brand name reel, a $50 reel is going to fish like a $50 reel....it may work for some but when your going out fishing tournaments and putting these things to work as often as we do, you got to get something that is above entry level. Some would say the same about the $100 reels, making the same case for you to spend $200 lol. I made the decision to go with a low mid grade reel like the pro qualifier....it's still a good reel and I'm very happy with it but it's still not a top of the line reel is the only point I'm making. Ask 100 people this question and you'll get a 100 answers.
Rods
These days there is a rod company on every block. The market is flooded with them. Rods are more important than the reel, a lesson that took me a while to learn. I'd stick with a brand name, not the rods you see on Facebook or what some pro staffer you know is trying to sell you. What I mean by brand name is, can you buy it at
www.Tacklewarehouse.com or
www.basspro.com That's just my 2 cents on rod brand. As far as types of rods, that depends on what type of fishing you do. Your looking at length, action, speed, and power. Length is easy...6 1/2' to 7 1/2'. I use 7 foot rods in most applications. Action is the rating: Light-extra heavy. Med-Heavy is all purpose. Speed is the tip. Extra fast tip bends at the very top and nowhere else. Slow will bend down all the way down to the middle of the rod. I use a fast tip for general purpose. You need a slow rod for anything with a treble hook (fiberglass rods are slow tips). I'd you hear the pros talk about having a lot of tip they are talking about a faster action rod as the bend is more in the middle of the rod for slower rods. And finally power rating. This is different than action because a high power rod in med-heavy will actually feel like a heavy action rod in a lower power. Basically, power allows the rod to handle more weight. Power is usually found in the model number. A 703 model rod is a 7 foot rod in a 3 power. It's a all purpose rod. A 705 is a 7 foot rod with high power to handle the weight of flipping in grass or top water frog rod. A lot of swim bait rods now are up to 6 power in order to cast a huge swim bait or a-rig. Some rod companies don't give you all this info and just tell you what lures they recommend for it. Most companies that only make rods do give you this info though.
How to fish
This by far is your toughest question. It really can only be answered once your out on the boat and get some more experience on our waters. In a nutshell, crankbaits like the KVD 1.5, 2.5. 5XD, lipless crankbaits, (all shad colored), shakey head (small and large worms), top water, worms, flukes, and spinnerbaits all work well. Places to fish include wood, grass, points, and areas close to deep water.
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