3 fitzgerald fishing fx8
$ 219.99 | fitzgeraldrods . com
Fitzgerald Fishing is looking to give anglers a taste of its quality at a lower price point by adding a combo to its rod offerings . The FX8 combo includes Fitzgerald ’ s bestselling FX8 reel , which features a 7.2:1 gear ratio and 16 pounds of drag while weighing in at less than 7 ounces . The family-owned company built the accompanying 7-3 medium-heavy rod to match the reel and provide anglers versatility . The rod , which features a 36-ton graphite blank for extra sensitivity , can be used for worms , jigs , topwaters , spinnerbaits and even light flipping and pitching . Just because it ’ s a combo , don ’ t think it isn ’ t tournament-grade . Trevor Fitzgerald , the founder of Fitzgerald Fishing and winner of a 2020 Toyota Series event on the St . John ’ s River , said he keeps three of these combos in his competition boat .
4
bass pro shops johnny morris platinum signature series
$ 379.99 baitcast ; $ 299.99 spinning | basspro . com
Taking advantage of the combo offerings from Bass Pro Shops can allow anglers to get their hands on rods and reels used by the likes of Ott DeFoe , Edwin Evers and Chris Lane at a discount . You ’ ll hardly have to sacrifice in terms of model options , either . Each of the five baitcast rod models offered in Bass Pro ’ s top-ofthe-line series are also available in combo form — 6-9 medium , fast ; 6-9 medium-heavy , fast ; 7-1 medium , fast ; 7-6 heavy , extrafast ; 7-10 heavy , extra-fast . They can be paired with either 6.8:1 or 8.3:1 gear ratio reels . At 6.4 ounces , the reels are impressively light , especially considering they contain 11 ball bearings .
On the spinning side , buyers once again have several rod model choices — 6-9 medium ; 6-9 medium-heavy ; 7-1 medium ; 7-1 medium-heavy and 7-4 medium . Each can be paired with a size 2000 , 3000 or 4000 reel .
DECEMBER – JANUARY 2024 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM 63