Fish-Hawk.Net

Hi, I want to buy a musky rod and reel combo without breaking the bank. Cabella sells a Penn combo for $129.00. Would appreciate some feedback, or recommendations.

Thanks Berns

a few thoughts:
That Penn combo (if it's the one I think it is) might get you by for a few trips per year. And it's a trolling setup so casting would be limited.
Starter gear for muskie is always a tough nut as the gear is expensive but it needs to weighed against how much time you commit. But bottom line is you want gear that won't fail should you hook into a big one.
I've always pointed friends starting out to the Shimano Sojourn muskie rod. Can't beat the price for an 8ft rod. I have one serving as a backup and a friend uses one as his regular rod. It gets allot of use into the cold fall days and so far has been solid. Another option is the Cableas Predator rod, is on sale now if you can find it. That would be fine. There are others but these two come to mind.
Reels are a bit tougher to find for low price and also ones that server double duty for casting and trolling ( assuming that is what you want). Unless you plan to troll old school two fisted style you need a bait click. The Abu Garcia C3 reels, although not built like they used to be can get through a few light seasons until you get the serious muskie bug and go for $350+ reels. It has a bait click so you can troll as well as cast it.
If you went with a reel under $300 ish I would say keep your lure choices on the smaller side as the big heavy pulling lures can reduce reel life fast. Don't get dragged into the "go big" mentality. I use lots of big lures but I have to say, my Rapala Super Shads have caught allot of skis over the years.
Good luck.