poles

[Letha_Face]

Are any of those poles you get at dunhams any better than wal mart ones? I havent even looked at the brands they have yet just wondering if you need to order a good one from the net or what.

[Lobes]

HT rods are pretty good, St. Croix, Thorne Bro.'s. Not sure what they carry at Dunhams but they must have some pretty good graphite set ups. I don't necessarily look for name brands. I look for cork handles, eye spacing and alignment, straight blanks, then I'll pull down on the tip to see how even the bend is and what the power zone looks like near the handle. After checking out a few you will get a feel for what you want to look for. A good quality reel is really what will make or break your set up. I usually figure on spending $25.00 and up for something with at least 4 ball bearings in a spinning reel.

[yooperdave]

you really need to make sure your pole is heavy enough for what you are fishing gor, but a good quality reel is just as important.

[FullTmeDad]

You also want to be sure the eyes are large enough to keep from freezing. I have a beautiful St Croix but the eyes are so small that I can only use it inside the shanty (heated) or if it's above freezing outside.
FTD

[yooperdave]

HT rods have always done a good job for me.