20 Best Cheap Catfish Rod And Reel Combo (2023 Updated)

This rod and reel combo really caught my eye, especially when I saw that it was on sale for 4 cents off regular price! Yes, you heard me! Don’t everyone stampede for this item! I don’t know how Dick’s can do it, but they can get you this rod and reel combo for the ridiculously low price of $49.

95! Did you think, “no way can this excellent rod and reel combo sell for anything less than $49. 99”? Well, believe you me, Dick’s is selling this beautiful combo indeed for $49. 95! An amazing 4 cents off regular price!!!!.

This a great fishing combo. , I have thirty pound line on it just waiting for the big one to strike. Like all ugly sticks you don’t have to worry about this pole breaking. The reel has worked really well too! Just check the locking knob that holds the handle on to make sure it is tight every so often.

I love it. I hauled in bass all morning long from 5 to 10 pounds and never had a problem. Had to avoid some gators. Great quality and hasnt let me down. My favorite pole because it makes small and large fish very exciting to haul in.

A great truck rod to throw on any bait, or lure, good action, can target any species. Though casting is average and reel is kind of stuff. Good budget combo

Goff action for trout. Light line but real works great to land fish

Reels are mediocre if you catch anything larger than bluegill or fish with the kids (10 and 11) a few times a month. We fish in nearby rivers and catch blue catfish, bass, strippers, bowfin, chain pickerel, and blue gill.

We have lots of snags and the heavier line means I don’t have to replace tackle as often. Most fish we catch are 1 to 3 lbs. from 16 inches to 24 inches in length and these reels work fairly well the first year, but can’t tolerate fish that big more than a year.

They strip and have to be replace. Still, they are cheap enough and are good for the season as long as you replace them annually. I will eventually get them spinning reels when they can handle them in he brush.

But until then, this is pretty much an annual Christmas present. The poles zebco pairs with these poles are inadequate for the size of the fish we catch in the nearby river. We typically use a medium light pole at the minimum.

I can typically pick up a better pole at a junk shop or yard sale much cheaper (~$10). It is a good bluegill reel that will handle an occasional bigger fish, especially if you only fish 4 or 5 times a year.

Then, it may last a little longer. These are far below the quality they were in the 60s and 70s,.

Dollar for dollar, you can’t do much better than a Zebco 404 combo. I have several now from different eras, from early 90s Made in USA to this newest one I bought this month just to keep in the truck “just in case”.

I use them all. I wasn’t crazy about the line that came on the reel from the factory, so I changed it and casting improved immensely. But I caught fish on it the first day. The drag system is more like the design on the 33 and is a major improvement from past designs.

And it has bait alert with the anti-reverse switch like the 33. I haven’t had a big fish to challenge the rod yet, so I can’t comment on the rod. But basically you’re getting a free rod when you consider Walmart’s price on the combo isn’t much higher than everyone else’s price on just the reel.

If the rod breaks, I’ll get a Rhino rod and keep on catching fish.

I was familiar with this brand as they were around when we were raising children. It was inexpensive and ideal for them. I was surprised that they were still around and more surprised that they had an adult arrangement and decided to give it a trial.

very satisfied.

Its described as a 10 surf rod, but only has a. 75-2. 5 oz casting weight. If youre looking to use a pompano rig in the surf, this may not be for you! Generally, you use 2-4 ounces of just sinker to hold your bait in place.

Make sure this is what you really want before you buy. Otherwise, it seems well made. We will see how the reel holds up. Price cant be beat though!.

This combo worked like it should. I am an avid northern freshwater fisherman typically I will only use IM7 or above rods and reels with at least 7 ball bearings. This combo is only a fiberglass rod with a a pre-spooled 1 ball bearing reel.

This is not a precision piece of equipment. However, I used it to soak bait off the bottom on the surf and at the pier and it performed flawlessly. I was able to cast far and lift fish onto the pier catching 15 mullet 1-3 lbs.

I did see the exact set up at a local Beach area Walmart and they were $49. 99, so I believe I received a great deal online. Bottom line, don’t be afraid of this combo for the occasional saltwater fishing trip.

It is priced the same as a 2-3 day pier rod combo rental.

This was my first surf rod and after shopping and researching I feel like it was a good purchase. I can tell that it is not a “top grade” unit but certainly worth the $40 price range. The combo arrived in a carton that was actually two square tube shaped boxes taped together.

The tape had broken so the rod was not completely in the boxes. I am actually surprised that it was not broken but just had some minor nicks on the foam handle. Poor packing by Walmart. com. Spoke with customer service and in the end they covered shipping cost plus a credit of 10% of the item price.

I was pleased with this offer and they issued a credit to my card. Used the combo this past week for a beach trip and it worked great. Did not have any large catches so I cannot say how it would perform under those circumstances.

Good value for the price.

The rod was really cooked! I’m very familiar with rod splines as I have built many rods in my day but this rod is just plain dog leg crooked. If I had seen this rod in person I would not have purchased it.

It is a 6 1/2, 2 piece rod and it arrived in one piece in a 8 ft long tube open at one end and it fell out of the tube when I picked it up from my porch! Not sure if it could have been damaged or bent from falling out of the tube during shipping like it did for me all though I don’t see how that could happen with out breaking it.

There was no packing slip with it. I purchased it for a friend as a gift but didn’t give it to him. Instead I went to Wallmart and bought another ugly stick that was not messed up to give him. If I had a packing slip and a reasonable way to send it back I would.

It looks to me like it could be a factory reject or something. I was very dissatisfied with the purchase.

Bought the rod before the price hike. Really liked it I caught a 30 pound black drum on the beach at Ft Pickens near Pensacola. Have since caught several medium sized reds with it. Ok, great! Great action for 10 pound line.

Then last Friday at Dauphin Island throwing a 2 oz surf weight the rod broke (snapped) above the large first guide on the forward swing of the cast. I was somewhat shocked to say the least. That’s never happened with me and this brand before.

Love me some Ugly Sticks! Anyway, I have 2 more of the same rods. Might consider adding a little more backbone toward the butt of the rod.

I brought 2 of these Combos a while back and they are working great. I’ve used them for both Fresh and Saltwater and the reels seem to hold up just fine provided you do the proper care after fishing.

These are light and you can feel the hits when they strike. The Rod itself is a beast I’ve had both of them get snagged and put them through some really tough bends and neither of them snapped, Uglystix holding true to there name.

These rods are a beast. Only Issue I had with the reel was I fell and landed with the reel hitting a boulder and bent the bail. Thats on me not the company, I was able to bend it back into place and make it work again so they can take some abuse :-).

I deffinetly recommend these combos.

I needed something for lightweight tackle. The Zebco Micro 33 combo fits the bill! Combo handles tackle from 1/32 to 1/4 ounce lures. Casts and retrieves easily. Comes spooled with 4# test mono. I super-tuned the reel, replacing 2 plastic bushings with shielded stainless steel bearings and put 8# braid on it.

Caught a 1/2# bass on my 8th cast!.

Had to give one star just to make a review. Bought this combo for my wife because she wanted to start fishing with me more, these were the easiest reels for her to use after surgery. Purchased in April did not use until July 4th, one reel broke after 3rd cast,used second one today lasted about 10 cast before it gave out.

Zebco quality is not what it used to be grew up using zebco 33 all metal and lasted forever. All plastic now not worth the money!!.

I recently purchased 3 of these for my wife and kids for a recent fishing trip. Keeping the price in mind, we were pleased with the rods and reels. Although the reels were not as smooth as my more expensive reel, they performed well and were trouble free with the exceptions of the factory line installed on the reels.

It seemed to break quite readily compared to the similar 10lb test line on my reel, and as a result, ended up losing a significant amount of tackle. We will be upgrading the line before using again.

I have not used the rod yet but it certainly appears to be adequate for my purposes. The price is great and I didn’t see any flaws as I examined the product. The picture for the ad shows 2 reels and rods so that I was expecting to receive verses the one blue set that was shipped.

I’m not really complaining as it appears because for the price you just can’t go wrong with even the 1 combo that I received. I only suggest that the ad show the option of the red or blue combo as being sold instead of what is shown.

Enjoy whichever one you receive. Cheers!!.

We recently got into fishing and came across this beauty! We were glad it came in a combo because it game ready to go right out of the box. Hooking up the fish line was really easy, the rod is very light and durable which made casting really easy and even fun! Highly recommend this rod combo for beginners as well as advanced fishers because truly is the whole package! Looks great too!.

I wanted to get back into fishing after many years. I ordered the Shakespeare Navigator spinning combo at $15 for curbside pickup at Academy due to COVID. Smaller than expected but pleasantly surprised at the aesthetics and functionality.

It’s my go-to for nearby creek and pond fishing. As I expand and upgrade, I’m sure this will be along as an heirloom.

This rod is 7′ with realtree camo pattern on the rod and reel. The rod is designed for medium action, it has soft grips to be comfortable in your hands and performs well. The spinning reel on this works so smoothly I’m really impressed.

It came prespooled with 20lb line making it easy to just head out to the water. This is my favorite pole yet! Casting and realing in your catch is a breeze. I don’t catch anything to big so I can’t say how it would handle a monster.

My left handed son loves it as well.

Nice rod with cool camo design pattern. Strong fishing line and easy to use setup. Casting a line was smooth and no tangling of the line. The pole is good quality and fits nicely in my hands. It was a little long for our 7 year old but even he handled it well.

We are not avid fishers, we do it as family fun outdoor activities, we used it at a park with a lake and small dock. Overall it worked great and I would recommend this combo pole to a friend.

Okay, It’s been 8 months,since i reviewed the Bank Stik. I see that you have changed the reel,on this combo. This one I looked at in the Store and it is the same reel as the bank Stik. I have no problem with that,These are the same reels as what i have on my Cat Stiks also, and they have proved over and over to me how good they are.

I know they were and are almost the same reel. just the front cover is different,all the working are the same. Mine have done more than what they were intended to do and i have 2 TI 20 and 1 Synergy 4003/ 20, that has 3 bearings,it is all most the same as a TI 20 ,but one more bearing.

What a good reel, I have a large collection of these reels,the same as what is on this combo. These reels have been put to the test. And are one of the Best large spincast reels you can buy,that holds 20 lb + test line.

I have used 30lb test with no problem, if you buy good line,some copolymer mono’s are thinner and stronger and last longer. That being said about your reels,you do not have to rate a Ugly Stik,It now speaks for it’s self, But where is my Bank Ugly Stik,This is a catfish combo,to catfish you always need a Rod holder,I know you can make one, and still have a strong handle,Your Ugly Stik ,So make it ,they will come and buy it, The New Ugly Bank Stik.

I will be waiting,and the World will be to.

I bought this combo around a month or two ago. At first this seemed to be a decent set-up. After using it a while now my opinion has completely changed. First the sticker on the reel wasn’t installed properly.

When I removed the sticker the chrome finish came off with the sticker. It bothered me a little bit but since it didn’t effect the way the reel operates, I didn’t think it was that big of a deal. Since that I used the rod and reel a couple of times.

Then the line that came with it started snapping when I had a catch on my hook a couple of times. So I changed the line to a better quality 15lb. test mono line. After doing so I adjusted the drag to my preference.

The next time I had a catch I noticed the drag didn’t work at all. I’ve tried on a couple occasions taking the reel spool off to see what the issue was. I could not visually see any reason for the malfunction.

Just to add, I am a mechanic, I understand how things are supposed to work. I didn’t take the lower section of the reel apart yet to see if I could find a issue with the gears. In my personal and professional opinion, I think this reel is cheaply made and does not work properly as it was designed to.

So in conclusion, don’t waste your money on this junk combo. You can find a better quality combo for less than what this one cost. I know this for a fact, because I did find a better quality combo made by a reputable company for less than what I paid for this one.

I will be making a attempt to contact Lews to see what they have to say in regards to the issues I have found. I hope this review helps others. Good luck and happy fishing!.

Just saying… I waited a year for these to come back in stock at this price. I think them! It’s a lot like the ugly stick catfish combo for half the price and better. I also take this places where I don’t want my More costly rods going.

Perfect for my yak since they cheaper to replace then the penn fierce I lost last year.

As I read other reviews, I laugh. what do you expect for 24$??? These rods are good “trunk rods” I plan on throwing 2-3 of these in my car and using them for simple bank fishing. I do plan on replacing the line but that’s personal preference.

if you’re looking for a good, cheap but well built catfish starter rod and reel set up, this is it. comes spooled with 15 pound high vis green mono filament line. Any experienced fisherman such as myself can reel in a 40 pound catfish easy with this rod straight “out of the box”.

If you want something better then go spend the extra 50$ and stop complaining.

So me and my girlfriend both bought this combo while on vacation. Took a trip to go fish a local river. First off, the combo is very lightweight and easy to pack around. Second is the lure weight, which we tested.

We we’re rigged up with Santee Cooper rigs and casting with one ounce weights with a decent amount of weight on the end of the line. It did excellent!!!!! And she caught a nice channel catfish from a long distance away and the combo did great!!!! I was pretty surprised.

And I’ve had a big blue catfish slam this rod in a rod holder and it did excellent there as well. I have to say, for a cheaper combo, it’s a great value. The drag works great. It’s perfect for beginner fisherman and seems to be able to take a beating.

Only time will tell how tough it really is but I have to say, I’m impressed so far!!!!.

Rods look and feel great. Have not used but compared to other rods they should last a long time. Eyes are really strong and well made, rod is flexible and strong enough to hold up to drift fishing in lake.

Eyes are closer together and this adds strength to rod, helps relieve stress points.

I bought the Wild series 9’ light 2 pc a couple of weeks ago, it’s now 2/9/19, I’ve fished for some stocked trout with it in a local lake, and in very pleased. Great action, it’s lightweight, feels great in the hands.

The build quality is fantastic for a rod in this price range. I’m a huge Shakespeare fan, own several of the Agility rods and reels, and of course ugly stiks. This Wild series rod is much lighter in the 9’ than what I have experienced with other similar 9 footers and although I have been gentle with it, I am sure it can survive some rough handling.

Go get one, either at the Shakespeare site or at a local retailer before you wish you had one during a period when the trout or crappie are biting. You won’t get buyer’s remorse and stuff the rod into the back corner of the garage.

I promise! Tight lines.

I bought this 10. 5′ ultra light rod a month ago and finally got to use it as ice out was late this year. The shipping was super fast and the rod was packaged very well. It came in great shape and the rod shines, very sharp looking.

The rod preformed great with a small spinning reel. I was casting further than anyone else thanks to the length and the line was smooth out of the guides. When I had a fish on the rod had a great stiffness in the back bone to set the hook and the fight was great with the ultra light action.

I would recommend it to anyone. Only thing I saw was one of the larger guides was attached a little flimsy it didn’t bend but I heard a crack as tension was put on it seemed to come from the glue. I will keep an eye on it.

I purchased 3 wild series rod, a medium light, medium and medium heavy spinning rods. The build quality is very good. Hard to believe they can be purchase at $39. 95 each. I use the medium heavy rod for surf fishing and salmon fishing with 1 to 3 oz.

weights. The medium I use for striper fishing. The medium light i use for steelhead fishing. I own over 40 rods. I couldn’t even build rods for this price.

Nice combination for a great price. Got this combo as a gift for a start-up rig. It seems to be made of good quality materials. I test casted it a few times and liked the feel. The drag works well and the retrieve is balanced.

I’m really happy with it.

It’s a nice light rod for pan fish and bass. It is pretty delicate and subject to break at the tip easily. Reel is fine and does a fine job. I bought it for my 12 year old grandson and the tip broke the first day.

Luckily Academy allowed us to return it. It’s replacement is holding up well.

This has to be one of the smoothest casting and reeling combos that I’ve ever purchased. Unbelievable sensitivity and easily able to cast with accuracy. I’d highly recommend it to any angler.

My son bought this with his Christmas money in December. He has used it twice and yesterday the tip broke about 6″ down from the end. After looking at the rod where it broke, it is hollow and the walls of the rod are paper thin.

This is an overpriced, poorly made rod that should last a very long time for that amount of money. Not break on the 2nd trip!! I will be returning this combo and will NOT be purchasing any more ProFISHiency products!! Stick with name brand products who have been time tested!!.

I ordered this because it was cheap and I was waiting for my Lew’s KVD to be delivered in 2 weeks. I wanted to fish! I was very impressed with this rod and reel especially for under $20. I thought it would be a throw away or parked in the garage but it goes with me on my fishing trips.

Both the rod and reel have great action. The only thing I would change is that the rod has no specs on it so it is a guessing game but it handles like a medium/fast action rod.

For the money spent, this rod and reel combination is excellent. There are much more expensive options that I am sure deliver higher quality, but if you want a decent starter rode and reel, this is a great choice.

Broke on the first fishing trip. Very disappointing. Would have returned it if I didn’t have to return in person in the store. Poor quality. Reading the good reviews, I wonder if I just got damaged item at the first place.

Good things about this rod is that Ugly Stik stuck with the same blank as the older rod, and that they went with the stainless steel guides which alot of people had been asking for. Bad things? THE GIMBAL??? The only reason for a gimbal on a Rod is if a person is fishing for Enormous Tuna, Marlin and Shark in the Ocean.

I have caught plenty of really nice sized salt water fish with not even coming close to using one. The next “Bad Thing” is that Ugly Stik did not listen, and provide catfisherman with NEW multiple lengths and strengths of rods to fill the need for different catfishing situations.

Other catfish rod makers are stepping up to the plate, and creating these different lengths and strengths for each catfish species for different fishing environments. First off, the 7’6″ length is one of the most common and popular lengths used by catfishing guides and pro’s around the country.

Tangling with Catfish(TWC), Team Catfish, Rippin Lips, Meat Hunter, Catmaxx(Bass Pro), Mondo Cat, Night Stik Pro all make rods in the 7’6″ length for a reason. New companies like Warrior Cat and others, are following suit and doing the same.

7’6″ is a given, and is usual found in the Medium, Medium/Heavy, and Heavy strengths. All of these newer catfish rods were sort of based on Ugly Stik’s TIGER rod. Just about all use the Tough stainless steel guides on those rods are like the Tiger’s.

In fact, the Tiger Blank is an AWESOME Blank. It would be A PERFECT rod. It Just needs the 7’6″ lengths with a thinner handle, and a trigger and the rods are ready to go! Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Ugly Stik Rods! I got a bunch of them’ GX2’s, Elites, Catfish, Tigers, Lites and others.

I just now how Great of Rods you guys are capable of making. And really think that you can produce the rods this New Modern Discerning Catfisherman knows you can make, spearheading a new breed of catfishishing rods for the Ugly Stik Catfisherman.

Bought this rod a week or two ago and it’s held up. Negatives- It’s a bit heavy (which I get Bc it’s main purpose is a catfish rod). Also don’t like the clear tip of it, why not make it glow in the dark for night fishing if your already going to make it clear? Positives- it’s surprisingly got pretty good sensitivity for it being a thicker 2 piece rod.

It’s a pretty strong and it really shows no signs of weakness. I’ve caught a bunch of catfish and perch over the past week and the rod has done great. One of the catfish being over 15lbs, it’s earned my trust.

All in all if your looking for a nice, strong, and durable rod for under $50 this is a safe bet. It’s got minor issues imo so the pros heavily outweigh the cons. 4/5 stars.

Bought this for carp and catfish. Didn’t catch a carp yet with it but had luck with channel catfish. It’s overkill for most but I need the size and length to cast far enough. Already recommended to a friend.

The handle section is quite large but that’s the only issue.

I’ve been a Quantum & Shimano fisherman forever! NOT ANYMORE! From the moment i picked up this Battle II i knew it was the perfect fit! The rod has Amazing, smooth casting, super comfortable grip, light weight, & extremely well balanced! The Reel is on an entirely different level compared to what I was using! The Reel is so smooth and setup 100% perfectly! Super fast retrieving, smooth as glass, zero absolutely zero back spin, more durable than any closed face reel I’ve ever owned, and it’s very appealing to the eye! Once you have PENN equipment in your hands you will understand why they’re THE BEST! Enjoy!!.

I purchased the Battle II (two of them) 4 ago. They are my first line reels. I have one with mono and the other braided. I have been a freshwater fisherman my whole life until we bought a winter home in Naples Fl and now do both.

Last year durning Covid I went on Penn Site to buy the Battles “Sold out” I use the Spin Fisher in salt water now, for which I have just about all the Spin Fishers (My wife feels I have way to many roads and reels, figures).

I actually only buy Penn reels now (I actually have other models as well), to me they are the best quality and durable, to quantify that statement as all fisherman know is proper maintenance.

I bought my PENN battle 2 last June. For the price it’s great pier fishing gear. unfortunately the very first day towards the end of the day a monster decided to catch me. Yes he took my reel but I had a chip on tie cord attached to it.

The fish was so big it bent the spool shaft. It was really hard to reel. Then the big fish decided he had enough and took off and snapped the hook. 50lb test line held up. I ordered a new spool-shaft and few other parts and the reel works like new.

My battle 2 is going back for another try this June. PENN Reels are the best.

I have owned multiple Zebco Bite Alerts rods and reels, 3 to be exact over a span of some years. The older models came with a black and yellow pole and black reel with a red flashing light and beeper.

Though I have not owned this newer model, yet, I am a firm believer that it will hold the same quality and fishing standards as the old models. The only downfall is the Bite Alert seemed to get worn after some time and became difficult to fine tune the alert.

I am purchasing this model to see if it holds up!.

The pole is very nice sleek ans smooth. It comes pre-strung so all you have to do is set the line innthe guides and put your tackel on. The line it comes with it practically invisible in lake water with a lot of silt.

From the first cast I knew it was a good pole went out farther than I expected it to. Its great for bottom and top fishing. I’ve only used it once but the reason I give the pole a 4 star is because you have to real in the line for the alarm to stop beeping when you turn it on, tap it or pull the line to tight.

But that is its job just a tip dont lay the pole down it wouldn’t stop going off on me. Next buy for this pole is a pole holder.

Easy to order and quick to pickup. Very nice rod and reel and I like it, but when we brought it in the house it was damaged. The end of the rod was broken where the eye was that you put the fishing line through.

Need to return, but I just learned to order online this year and am not sure how to return it without going into the store. We are elderly and don’t go into many places since the pandemic.

Got these for Spanish/king mackerel fishing. Really happy with reel and rod. I ended up being able to put 300 yard of 30lb braid and 200 yards of 25lb mono. I run two planers, #1 and #3. They have been filling to boat.

Girlfriend was having trouble feeling strikes when Cod/Haddock fishing with a regular jig rod. I ordered up a couple of these combos and loaded them with some braid. Problem solved! Rods have a great feel to them and she doesn’t miss a set now! Glad I ordered a second one as it will now be my go to Cod/Haddock combo.

The Squall Star drag seems to be a pretty solid reel. Liking the 6:1 ratio. Overall, excellent combo for the money.

Nice combo. You can’t go wrong with Penn! Never disappointed with Penn.

I am now on my second Penn Spinfisher VI combo. I had to return the first one because the reel spool would not go down far enough to allow line to load properly. It was a physical limitation of some sort, and there were no shims to remove to fix the issue as there is on other reels.

I ended up with a strong taper towards the top, which means I could not load the specified amount of line, and this could cause with lots of wind knots and reduced cast distances. I returned it. The one I have now is much better; however, it still has a slight taper towards the top.

I even bought a device to load the line and respooled it. Still, it has a slight taper but so far that has not been causing any problems. Be aware, too, that the combo comes with no box for the reel; therefore, you get no instructions, not warranty information, etc.

Not a big deal, however. On the positive side, the reel works great! It is quite smooth and so far, I’ve had no issues. The rod is also really strong and has had to undergo some pretty strong fights with some fish, underwater hazards ,or even being hung up in a tree, once but it still works as it should.

I worry about the stainless steel eyelets with my braided line, but only time will tell. Overall, I highly recommend this combo but just beware of the reel spool travel distance as you wind it to make sure you can load the line properly onto it.

I have purchased a few of these because they are great. The reels are basically where the value is. Your getting a descent rod for an additional 20-30 dollars. I wish they used alconite guide rings but again the rod isn’t the value it’s the reel.

This combo is fun to fish with. Only good things to say about these combos. Haven’t had any issues what so ever. I definitely recommend these if you want a solid combo without having to buy separately.

The Spin-fisher Six Live Liner reels are the new goto reels. They function like a classic spinning reel and also like a lever drag conventional. While fishing with either live or dead baits, we always need a drop back or time for the fish to take the bait.

The Live Liner feature does this for you. It also works well for kite fishing too (which is normally hard for a spinning reel). The 6500 seems to be the best spooled with 40 lb spiderwire braid.