Hi all,

This group seems to get the better posters, so thought I'd ask here.
Been away from fishing (except rarely in sal****er, but not my own
gear) for some 30 years, and want to get back. Call it a mid-aged
crisis! I am sure fish are laughing everywhere... none are old enough
to remember when I was the terror of fish everywhere ;-)

I am hoping for brook trout and bass fishing, wanted to have something
I could use for both a bit. I was planning to use lures and artificial
baits. Advise away please...

I played with a bunch of stuff, then left with what I thought was a
pretty decent combination.. a Berkley rod (lightning rod 6'6', says
Medium Light 4-10) and a Mitchell spinning reel. When I was a kid
Mitchell spinners were the best, so that's what I got - though not the
expensive one, just a 308x. It felt well matched to the pole. The
setup sank me 78.00 total. Anyway when I snapped them togehter in the
store they seemed to have a good feel. Is this just junk? Should I
spend my 78.00 elsewhere, and do a bit better, especially for somebody
who hasn't fished for many years? The kid in me was saying a trout
would fear this setup in the hands of a pro. The rod seemed to be
pretty strong, with a supple top on it. Finding a salesman at Sport's
Authority was impossible, so your advise is a appreciated.

One of the things most suprising to me was the fishing line. The stuff
is tiny now. Anyhow, I was a bit surprised when I got home, with 8 lb
and 6 lb "stren" to read that the reel will only do 6 lb. I think
(especially having not fished for years) that I would do better with
the 8 lb line for starters, I would rather take the chance of not
hooking the fish, than hooking it and breaking the line through my
inexperience. Advice?

Looking on line there is another Mitchell reel, the 300x, which will
take the 8 lb test, but it looks heavier too. Am I making a mountain
out of a molehill?

Thanks for any help, and I would appreciate any advice on a better and
more knowledgeable way to do this. I have to admit, a lot of the
purchase was the kid in me going "Wow, nice rig dad!"

Mike C.