Ron Thompson G-Force combo

[BaggieRich]

Now that I've been out fishing a few times and decided that I could get into this beach fishing lark, I think the time has come to get a proper beachcaster and reel (I've been using a 9' spinning rod and my brother-in-law's rod until now!).

Unfortunately I can only justify spending (Or more to the point am only allowed to spend) about £60-£70, so I've been looking at some of the combo deals on the web and in the magazines.

The one that stands out to me is the Veals combo of the Ron Thompson G-Force 12' rod with an Okuma beachcaster pro reel. You also get a spool of Varivas line and 5 Varivas shock leaders for £60.

Does this sound like a decent deal to you? I'm not at all concerned about the line/leaders but what are people’s general thoughts on the rod/reel??

The rod comes with a glowing review from Mel Russ, although I'm always a little suspicious of endorsements, and the reel has 3 bb (which I'm led to believe is important) and a ratio of 4.5:1.

Is it worth getting, or should I save a little longer and upset my brother-in-law for a while yet?


Cheers,

Rich.

[Pross]

If you know anyone who is experienced it could be worth looking for some second hand kit although £60 - £70 should get a reasonable starter rod and reel. Don't know what the Ron Thompson stuff is like though sorry.

[Old Smoothound]

Just a personal view and observation.

We all have to start somewhere in our fishing tackle quest for the "must have" bits of kit. I have seen lots of people put out the kind of money you are talking about, and wish they had waited. I am very biased as I can't stand the stuff made by RT or Fladen for that matter.

As with most things we buy...you buy cheap and then pay dearly

My advice would be to save up a few more quid and buy yourself something that is going to last a bit longer than 1 season of sea fishing.

Go for named brands like Daiwa, Penn, Abu these brands have pedigree where as Chinese cheap Cr*p hasn't. And look for where it is made as some of these companies have gone there as well.

I hope this helps.

Its just my opinion.

[tommy a]

Go for it mate - thats my opinion !!

I brought a cheap Fladen plus reel last year for a total of £ 45. 00 new off e bay - I still have both now and Ive caught plenty of cod in between !!

Like Smoothie says - its all personal preference but you have to start somewhere and that means having the rod and reel so you can get out and enjoy. Investing £ 60. 00 for a season or probably two, depending on how often you get out, seems like good sense to me.

I fish most weeks and would now consider getting a better rod and reel but so far I aint bothered - a lot of time its down to luck in my opinion so just get a rod and get out there...........................then you can make a decision in another years time !

Just a personal thought.

[pingu]

I had that combination, it does do what it says on the tin , its a good solid rod and the reel is fine ,but for me i found the reel seat position quite low to the butt end so i couldnt straighten my arm after casting,and i'm only 5'10 ish but at the price its a good bit of kit
exmouth tackle also have some good shakespeare deals
exeter do the ron thompson , can be worth going too see them and feel the rod as well to find one that feels good for you(then hunt the net )

[Mule]

I have the G-Force combo. It was one of the first rods I bought when I started sea fishing about three years ago. It has now been relegated to backup/pier/rock use by better quality rods I later bought, along with a move over to multiplier reels.

I agree that it is a solid outfit that does what it says on the tin. I particularly like the Okuma reel, which is robust, smooth and has been faultless in use so far. It also comes with a very useful spare spool. I found the rod blank to be quite good, but the low price shows itself in small ways such as lesser quality fittings - In my case, the steel tip ring started to rust after only the second outing and the line made an annoying groaning sound when passing through it on being winched up the side of a pier/wall etc. - For less than a fiver though, I recently put on a Fuji tip ring which I have yet to try out so can't comment. On the reel fitting, I found it possibly a bit too far up the Butt and I'm only 5'9"! So I guess it's horses for courses on that and would recommend you try and work out what is comfortable for you. FYI, the distance from the middle of the reel seat to the butt is about 27 inches.

As a new buy, I think you will be hard pushed to find a better deal at the price.

Second hand - Well if I had about £100 to spend on a fixed spool combo and was looking for a single all round outfit, I'd go for the same reel, new, and look on ebay for a v.good condition used F/S Daiwa Supercast, available as either a 12 or 13 footer, in power match version, but hey, that's just my opinion.

Good luck in your search.

[Ben]

festive season soon mate, i would say you are better off spending more, even if you are getting something 2nd hand off somewhere like ebay, but it depends on how much you will use it and how much abuse you give it
by the way, i think i had that reel for a while and it does the job although i didnt use it much

[MRG2000]

I`m with Smoothy,"penny wise ,pound foolish" .You`ve done it the right way by stickin with the little rod till you knew you liked it..!! Personally i`d save a few more pennies and go for something a bit more in the better quality range...ABu,Daiwa,Penn. RT gear is ok for what it is,"cheap tackle".I see hundreds of anglers on the boat and all sorts of tackle ,and when the going gets tough the tough gets going,its always the guy with the "mickey mouse rod and cheap reel hooks into the biggie,and seldom boats it cause the reel gives up or the rod snaps under pressure.Quality rods and reels pay off in the long run,and there are some bargins to be had on the net......Good condition second hand is miles better than new RT gear.....

[staps]

What about the Daiwa Longbeam? A budget rod but with Daiwa quality. I know where you can pick up a 12 footer for £25 brand new.

[BaggieRich]

Thanks for all the replies guys.

I'm in two minds now. Hmmmmm.

I like to know more about the longbeam Staps. Is it really quality gear, even for that kind of money, or is it still just a made in China rod with a decent brand name? Also, where can you get one for £25? Most places I see they are about £45-£50.

Flippin heck, I'm surprising myself with all this research. I just know that I'll gather all the information, reject those rods that don't seem right, draw a shortlist of the combos that will do the job, and then just pop down the tackle shop and buy the first one that I see, just so I can pop down the beach with my new toy! Quick, someone distract the missus.