# good rod for abu garcia 6500 c3



## bigcatman

i need some help finding a good medium medium heavy action rod for catfishing already have king kat pro and abu garcia tccf 6500 like the reel but rod a little heavy for most situation would like a 2 pc and alittle lighter action looked at shimano compre and st croix avid both muskie rods or ugly stick i want 6'6 , 7' . i want to catfish with it for nice channel cats any help would be great. i need it to pair with a abu garcia 6500 c3 have read things jim moyers the boss ang quantum big cat ,catmaxx, and berkley e cat so many choices and thats why need help im stuck thank you


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## Predator225

For the past several years my rods of choice have been strictly Quantum Big Cats. I use these rods for almost every catfish situation because they are made in a few different sizes. If i am using stinkbaits or fishing for a mess of eating size channels, then i use lighter gear of course, to make me feel like i AM catching a big'un  . But if you are after bigger channels and maybe even flatheads, then i suggest the big cats.


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## soua0363

You can try the new Shakespeare Ugly Stik Tiger Lite. It is a 7' heavy action rod. It is the rod that I will get when I buy the Garcia HC60. The rod is $55. You can also try the Bass Pro CatMaxx Rods. They are pretty nice for around the $50 range too. They are made of E-Glass and is super strong. It comes in medium heavy to heavy action.


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## ClickerCrazy

My fishing partner and I just purchased Berkley Glow-Stiks! These are the rods that not only have a full glowing shaft, but also have the black L.E.D's in them. They run on 3 AAA batteries. You can either use the batteries to charge up the glow stik, or just leave it on. We have both been real lsatisfied with them so far, and they are really neet if your away from your pole much it really lights up well. They make them in 6,7,9, and 10 foot rods and run from 24.95 to about 50 bucks. I have an Abu 6500C3 on mine and I'm going to get one for my TideWater next month.


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## Abu65

The Boss rod by Jim Moyer in Medium action it is an awesome rod for the ohio ect. alot of action but will still handle the larger fish. get it at Catfish connection. It w ill last a lifetime.


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## catfish_hunter

I really think the Berkly Big Game Rods are Ideal for any Catfishing Situation...I have 3 of them Paired with Abu 6000's I use for Cattin, Also for something that has a lighter action but will handle even the biggest fish, I would think about the Ugly Stick Catfish, They are also an awsome rod, They have a good bit of play in them but You can bend them tip to but without breaking them...I would just look around and check out rods at the different stores close to you until you find one that fits your needs...


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## BottomBouncer

I have my 6500's on the Catmaxx rods. They are a great buy....for $50 you can't beat it.


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## Flathead King 06

Depending on where you live, the best places I have found to buy catfishing tackle is at a paylake (yes believe it or not). In springfield, beaver lake is the local big game tackle shop, and the best rod in your case I believe an Ol' Whiskers rod about $20 (7'-10' in med. action) a Master striker rod (10'-12' med.action, $30-$50) or an Abu Garcia spinning rod( 8'-10' med. action) I prefer the 9' model which i got at beaver lake for $15. And you want the spinning rod because the casting rod they manufacture is too heavy for using it as a catfish rod (you end up slinging live bait off of them every time). But if you go the cheap route, alot of baitshops in the area offer eagle claw, pinnacle, and some other brand of rods. I have owned a few and it seems they last for about a year or two and either the eyes fall off or break, or the sun destroys the finish on the wraps around each eye.


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## soua0363

Well, I just receive my Ugly Stik Tiger Lite and it is a nice nice rod. It is very light for the size of the rod. The handle is like a rubberish foam type handle. Now I just need to get the reel and I will be set. 

I have a couple of cheap Zebco 7'-6" rods medium heavy that I got from Bass Pro for $8 a piece last year. They are nice rods and are 2 pieces. For how cheap they are they hold up pretty darn well. I was able to easily haul in my 23 pound flathead. I think they are called "Catstik" or something.


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## H2O Mellon

Flathead King 06 said:


> the best rod in your case I believe an Ol' Whiskers rod about $20 (7'-10' in med. action)


No offense, but HUH?  You really can't compare Ugly Stick Tigers, Boss Rods, Catmaxx Rods, St Croix Musky Avid's, Berkely E Cats, heck even Berkley Glow Sticks to 'Ol Whiskers Rods.

I have held the "Ol Whiskers, Catfish System" rods in my hand as well as Tigers, Catmax's, ECats, St Croix Avid's & Glowsticks, there is no comparisons.

Personal advice is just that.... personal but.... come on now. The quality, the designs, the material from these rods are not comparable to Ol Whiskers.

Let's just compare the "Ol Whiskers" rod to the rod this guy got, the "Ugly Stick Tiger Lite"


*Ugly Stick Tigers*
http://www.shakespeare-fishing.com/products/rods/ugly-tiger.shtml
*
Ol Whiskers*
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000B13OF/qid=1152151336/sr=1-6/ref=sr_1_6/104-6453919-9992767?%5Fencoding=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&v=glance&n=3375251"]Amazon.com: H.T. Enterprises&reg; Ol' Whiskers&reg; Catfish System Spinning Rod Model OWS-902MH: Sports & Outdoors[/ame]
http://www.bargainoutfitters.com/cb/cb.asp?a=224395

Now we all have our "Budget Rods" or the rods that we say "if you had to spent $20" here is the rod I'd recomend, etc..... (FYI: For my $20 one of the best rods is a Pinnacle Power Tip. They have a 7 year warranty and are designed just like an Ugly Stick.) The "Ol Whiskers" system may be decent for someone looking to spend $15-20 but for someone w/ an Abu 6500 series I doubt the "Ol Whiskers" rods would be an option. Now for what it's worth, that's just my opinon.


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## H2O Mellon

soua0363 said:


> The handle is like a rubberish foam type handle.


My new Fenwhick Water Eagle has the same material. Boy, it's really nice, isn't it?


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## soua0363

Well, I finally shelled out the money and got the Abu Garcia HC60 reel for my Ugly Stik Tiger Lite. It is a pretty nice match sizewise and weightwise and it has an excellent feel. The reel is super smooth when reeling and the drag is real smooth as well. By any means, it is not a cheap set up. $60 for the rod and $150 for the reel both including taxes. Now, I just need to take it out and catch a fish on it to maintain my "at least one fish on each rod" theme.

The rubberish type handle is awesome. It looks to be pretty non-slip when it gets wet. It seems to be kind of cushy like the foam handles but is pretty tacky. 

On a side note...I finally counted my rod and reel setups and I now have 13. My wife asked me why I have so many and I told her I want and have a rod for every type of fish I catch. Good excuse huh?


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