frontpage Posted by dubba-low | Staff • Oct 22, 2024
Oct 22, 2024 3:53 PM
Item 1 of 5
Item 1 of 5
frontpage Posted by dubba-low | Staff • Oct 22, 2024
Oct 22, 2024 3:53 PM
30" Zebco Dock Demon Reel & Fishing Rod Combos: Size 10 $11 or Size 20
$9.00
$17
47% offAmazon
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Not bad for trout or bluegill fishing if you replace the reel with something better though honestly.
Not bad for trout or bluegill fishing if you replace the reel with something better though honestly.
You can bend these rods in half and they won't break, which is a good thing with kids.
As for the line that comes with it, you can dunk the spool in hot water and it'll help with the line memory (swirls). But it's best to replace it with a better line
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You can keep one of these cheapies in the trunk without much fear of anything breaking. They're pretty tough and cheap. Nice if you want to get in a few casts on the spur of the moment.
These are way better than any kid's fishing rod with a cartoon on them and it costs less. So if you're in the market for a kid's rod, this is a great deal.
If you want a loaner rod you care very little about, these are great. I took a young cousin fishing for the first time and she enjoyed it. This rod was perfect for an inexperienced angler, and so cheap I just gave it to her so she could go fishing again at any time. Even if she uses it 1x without me being present, it was totally worth needing to buy a new one the next sale.
If you want to fish places that require a hike through the woods, this is relatively easy to carry. The small size also makes it ideal for fishing on banks with heavy tree and brush cover around a small opening to the water. If you were hardcore, you might prefer a collapsible rod to save the most space and avoid the most branches.
I've caught bluegill, crappie, perch, catfish chain pickerel and bass on these. Though the rod isn't ideal for much anything but pan fishing near the shore/dock, it does work well enough for a variety of fishing styles. Luckily, this rod even makes small fish fun to bring in.
As for the line that comes with it, you can dunk the spool in hot water and it'll help with the line memory (swirls). But it's best to replace it with a better line
Reason for cane poles: Kids need to learn about bites before they figure out reeling in the line. The cane pole allows them to focus on feeling the fish biting and setting the hook. Even if you get the dock demons, focus on the bite over the reeling. Reeling is "part two" of the kind of fishing they are doing
For the type of fishing you are describing, the attached line works fine.
If the line has bad memory(basically still loopy after being pulled off the reel), just add 6-10lb monofilament.
Additionally, the hooks are important. Get small hooks. I typically get smaller than a 6 for small panfish. Don't get treble hooks, get single hooks. The kids will hook up more with this approach. Finally, if you can find them get barbless hooks. If you cannot find barbless hooks, flatten the barb on the hooks before going with the kids. This slightly reduces the number of catches but it is super important when the hook inevitably gets stuck in a kid.
Also, I like circle hooks for kid fishing, but they are much harder to find in smaller sizes with thinner wire. The advantage of them is they hook up better with fish when kids cant feel the bite AND they are easier to get out of the fish.
Final note: If you have a kid who can't "hook up", do it for them. This is an old "dad trick", but it works great. Hold their rod for a bit, when you feel the fish bite, set the hook. Now, don't reel it in yet. You'll know the fish is on because it will be tugging. Don't react. Now hand the rod back to the kid. They'lll think it bit right when you handed it to them.
This also shows them what a pull on the rod feels like so that they get a better idea of what a fish bite feels like. Generally after doing this once, the kids will start catching fish on their own.
Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.
I've taught dozens of kids to fish and I am a huge advocate for scouting.
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