I'm looking to buy a new trout rig. Hopefully someone can offer some recommendations. Here are my specs. I fish in So-Cal, usually for trout at Irvine Lake, Green Valley, L. Gregory, Laguna Niguel, etc. I like trout fishing. Usually use 4-8 lb. Fluorocarbon line with a 2lb leader. I usually toss 3/8-1/2 oz sinkers with Pwrbait, Nightcrawlers and spoons. Usually I fish from shore and 50% I'll rent a boat. I have a Cherrywood (6'), Triforce (6') and an UL Ugly Stick (5' 1 piece). I'm looking for a light or ultralight rig to go to the Sierras (mostly lake but some streams) this summer but one that I can still use at my local spots. Preferably 2 pieces. I'd like to stay under $120. Any suggestions are appreciated.

Sounds like you should consider something in the 7'6" range. If you plan on fishing the 3/8-1/2 oz weights, a light action rod is marginal and I would consider something in the medium light category. I don't want to get into a Ford vs Chevy thing here so I will not recommmend a brand. Your best plan would be to go to a major retailer when you have some time to spend and look at what they have available. There are literally dozens of different rods that will suit you and fall into your price range. You can stretch your dollars by purchasing a combo from one of the major retailers like BPS or Cabela's. Don't be afraid of their "house" brands. Tom

my recomendation is to downsize the weight sinkers u use if possible fishing a lake it shouldnt pose a problem i fish anywhere from 1/32 down to 1/64 ounce sinker with floating powerbait tightlining on the bottom in a stream for trout that allows me to fish an ultralite outfit with 2-4 lb test line i use both. like tom said im not going to get into specefic brands but i reccomend going to the store and buying the outfit that feels the best too you but dont scrimp on price buy the best outfit u can afford the associates at the store u shop will be able to help u find what is best for u remember though i think u need to downsize your terminal tackle and that probably improve ur sucess rate

I spend the majority of my fishing time(roughly 75% of it) fishing for trout at either one of the local reservoirs or stream fishing the Sierra Nevada mountains mostly in the local streams, the Tule and Kaweah rivers. I only have two rigs that I normally use and one back up rig. The set up that I use almost exclusively for stream fishing is a 5'6" ultra light power/fast action rod paired with a size 25 Pflueger President reel. I use 4# P-Line floroclear and use it to cast lures from 1/8 ounce and lighter and occasionally use it for heavier lures to 1/4 ounce. The shorter length is a big advantage in the smaller streams where casting distance is not an issue but overhead and side clearance is as there are a lot of brush and trees to watch out for up there. I also use it to fish power bait off the bottom in reservoirs using a 1/8 ounce egg/slip sinker. It performs well for both. My other trout set up is a 6' medium power/moderate fast action rod(Shakespeare Excursion, less than $15.00 @ Wal-Mart and performs much better than the price reflects) paired with a size 30 Shakespeare Dimension reel(no longer available but nearly identical to the Pflueger President). I have it spooled with 6# Floroclear for casting lures from 1/16 to 1/4 and sometimes up to 3/8 ounce. The second spool has 8# line that I use with a 4# to 8# leader and 1/4 ounce egg/slip sinker for floating bait. I have found that I do not need to cast far to catch trout with bait because I seem to catch nearly all of them within about 75 feet from shore. I have caught several within 10 feet from shore. I often found that when I blasted the bait out as far as I could I ended up reeling in quite a ways before I started getting hits, so as other people have pointed out, you might try downsizing your weights to 1/4 ounce and under because you may not need anything any bigger. Heavier weight requires a fairly stout pole, at least when you are talking about the average trout. BTW, my back up is a 5'6" light power/fast action rod and an older Cardinal reel. As somebody else suggested I also suggest you go to a local tackle dealer and look at different rods until you find one that feels good to you and is designed for the line size and lure weights you will be using.
 Good luck.

My suggestion for a longer rod was based on the fact that the shorter end of things was pretty much covered. Not fishing in California I don't know why someone would use a 1/2 oz weight, but a light action rod is really too light for that amount of lead. A 7-7 1/2 foot medium light rod would allow for at least limited bass fishing also. I fully agree with the short rod for casting along a brushy stream bank. Tom

Good point about the rod lengths Pegsguy and I agree that a 1/2 ounce weight seems a little heavy. The heaviest I use for trout in the local reservoirs that are very similar to the SoCal lakes is 1/4 ounce.

Thanks pesguy, sound advice.
Colaiza1965

Thank you, i have been thinking of purchasing a longer setup, b/c as you say I seem to have the smaller end covered. I should say that on the 5' rods I toss 3/8oz sinker and the others 1/2...yeah it's probably still too big. Thanks again
Diego

By the way have you read Jared Smith's book about fishing in the Sierras just by hiking  little short distance trails?? Very good information!

My problem isn't the short trails in the Sierras, it is the loooooonnnngg walk to get there! Tom

Speaking of long walks, I just got back from a Wal-Mart trip the wife dragged me along on. The long walk was back to the far corner of the store where the sporting goods dept is. Couldn't find the line I was looking for but did take a moment to check out the Berkley Cherrrywood rods while I was there. Considering the $23 price, that is one nice rod! I especially liked the fact that they use single foot guides which I feel add sensetivity. Now I just need to find room in my budget for a couple! Tom

I would to buy from Bass Pro Shop or Cabelas when it comes to rods as stores like wal-mart etc as there rods are not in a climate controlled enviroment which being in and out of the cold etc causes dry rot which you will know see until you hook into a big one and then snap. With store like Bass Pro and Cabelas and a few others the rods they recieve are in climate controlled storage as to ward of the dry rot. Not to mention how they are handled. I have seen the way a wal-mart truck is unload and things are actually thrown on to a roller and things thrown on top of other boxes and things being broke as some of the employees have the i don't care atittude as its just a job.

The 6´ Cherrywood I have I got for $8 at Turner´s Outdoor in Signal Hill. This was right after the Fred hall show last year and they needed room. Alex saved it for me and I bought it. It is a great rod and great for trout. I´ve used it at Irvine Lake and caught many. Primarily I use it with a daiwa 1000-5ia and 4 lb line with a 2 lb leader. I usually put my nightcrawlers on this one when I fish from shore. The one drawback is that the guides are very fragile, I had a friend of mine step on it when we were on a boat (I wanted to kill him). But it only bent. its a good workhorse.

A guide bending due to being stepped on hardly makes it fragile! The guides are probably the weakest part of a rod unless you spent the big money for a rod with RECoil Titanium guides. If I could afford it I would put them on all my rods, they are that good! Tom