What Will You Pay For Gear? Why?

[SoFlaBassAddict]

I'm single. I get to buy what I want unlike you married suckers!!

All joking aside, buy what you want to buy. I never will or have looked down on somebody because they use less expensive gear than me. I've got a handful of 300 dollar plus rods. Do I enjoy using them more than my cheaper rods? Yes and no. I enjoy fishing period. I could be using a Cuban hand line spool and be perfectly happy. That being said, I can certainly tell the difference between my higher end gear and my lower end gear. Use what you want to use and what you can afford. Each person is different. That's why there is such a huge range of choices in equipment to buy. Instead of worrying about the price of something, invest in its quality.

To directly answer the question from the thread title, I'll pay whatever I feel comfortable paying for a certain product.

[Hooligan]

Thanks for the replies, just some general things I'd been wondering, and figured a lot of the responses would be pretty close to what they are. In direct response to Lund- I break even at the very least, typically I'll make a pretty reasonable profit; enough that I have to declare it as income on taxes and can then utilize it as tax write offs.

I like Mr. Hooligan, but take exception to his remark "I guess, it makes me wonder why people would go about it half way. In some ways it falls to the mentality of "If you're going to do it, do it right. If you're not going to do it right, don't do it at all."" If I'm going to do a job, then I do the very best I can. Fishing isn't a JOB to me. I fish to relax and enjoy myself. I love catching fish, but If I spend all day on the water without a single bite, I can honestly say I still enjoyed myself. Just not as much as when I catch a lot.

I didn't actually get what I'd intended to across here. It pertains more to tournament angling than anything else, really. Not necessarily just fishing to fish. In some cases it may apply to fun fishing, but it's in pretty specific circumstances. I could honestly see where one might take offense to that statement, I worded it poorly and I apologize for doing so.

Lastly, don't get me wrong, I'm not thrashing anyone or anyone's level of where they are in terms of spending or enjoyment. It's just curious to me that there's such a double standard for spending on one hobby versus another, and how arbitrary those reasons can be. While I'm not really surprised at the responses, I did want to throw it out there, however poorly worded, to see if my thoughts did mesh with what might be said. There's a few things that did throw me for a loop, but then, I guess you'd expect that with a bunch of bass fisherman, wouldn't you?

[Dave P]

If fishing (or any hobby for that matter), gets to be like a job...Quit.

[slonezp]

Tools of the trade. Any quality of tool may work. Some work better than others. For my job, I purchase high end tools. They make my work easier and in turn make me more money. For fishing, I'm at the middle of the road. I used to buy cheap but I'm amazed at the difference between a $40 rod and a $125 rod, or a $50 reel and a $200 reel. I really don't see myself purchasing more expensive equipment because it will not make me a better fisherman. If money was no object, I'd buy a nicer boat. As far as gear, I'll stick with what I've got.

[Ima Bass Ninja]

I don't fish enough or in enough tournaments to justify the cost associated with the high end equipment. I also don't believe it's necessary to be a good fisherman. I do believe that the higher end stuff is priced that way for a reason. The advantages may be slight or great, but the manufacturing may take twice as much to get it that way, therefore the cost would be increased. If that's what helps anyone enjoy the sport more then thats great, it's all about enjoying yourself. Although 1 thing I would like to point out is that those that truly depend on equipment for a living don't necessarily use the best high end equipment. How many of us have seen a $99 veritas rod in the hands of Iconelli and how much has KVD won with his $140 cranking rod or for that matter EE 's pro qualifiers.

[jbsoonerfan]

This thread makes me think.......I just recently joined a tournament trail. My partner and I showed up the first tournament and I was embarassed to say the least. I have a 1998 Champion boat that is 17' long and a 115 Merc. We were the 5 th team to take off and were passed by 15 other boats before we made it to the main body of water. We had the smallest boat with the smallest motor. We had the cheapest graph and smallest TM. I just knew we were about to get our butts handed to us.

At the end of the day we placed second and those guys with $70K + rigs went home with their tails tucked.

Since then we have managed a 3rd and 7th place finish out of about 22 teams and each time we have been the guys fishing with "cheap" stuff.

I have owned Steez rods, Loomis rods, Cumara rods etc......but I don't know that any of them made me a better fisherman than I actually am.

A 15+ handicap golfer won't all the sudden become a scratch golfer simply because he buys the best clubs available, same can be said for fishing.

I'm not dissing anyone who chooses to use high-end gear (I have been there myself) but don't stick your nose to high in the air. The guy with the Ugly Stick may just put it to you.

[scrutch]

For me it ain't fishing, it's LIVING. When I'm on the lake with my son, it doesn't matter to me if I'm holding an uglystik or an NRX, I'm still LIVING.

For the record, I enjoy fishing with good equipment. Thank the good Lord I have been fortunate enough to be able to buy most anything I want. I CHOOSE to buy the cheapest rod that will do a great job. I have everything from a cheapo Shakespeare Axiom loaner on a Walmart special Abu Garcia Conolon rod to Chronarchs and Revos on Dobyn's rods (some bought new, most bought used). There is a huge difference between my low end stuff and my higher end stuff. I choose not to buy the NRX, Evergreen, Megabass, and Stellas only because I am comfortable with the price point I'm at. I would try some of that stuff if I could find it used at the prices that I'm used to paying for my other gear. I don't see the advantage of going up to the "enthusiast" level of gear. For me it isn't worth the money.

It ain't how much you make, it's how much you KEEP.

[tomustang]

For me, I prefer the middle ground. The intermediate level is good enough to be lighter/sensative/stronger/feels better in your hands than the most of the cheaper end equipment. It's tougher for me though since I have to use different tools to make me more comfortable to fish. It ain't easy being disabled, one heavy or rough feeling setup can wear me out faster holding it and disrupt my focus on what's going on with my line.

I have a cheapo quantum UL rod that I can't use anymore due to the handle bothering me, the contour just doesn't deliver the comfort to hold long in my hand. So every time i go out to look at new gear I have to play with in store more than anyone just so I can enjoy my time on the water better. Some times it feel like the selection gets smaller, for example st croix's new legend tournament handles, they are uncomfortable to me but I'm sure people like them. 

[Bassn Blvd]

I will pay whatever I need to pay to get what I want. If I can't afford what I want at the moment, then I won't settle for something less. I'll save until I have enough.

[shimmy]

This thread makes me think.......I just recently joined a tournament trail. My partner and I showed up the first tournament and I was embarassed to say the least. I have a 1998 Champion boat that is 17' long and a 115 Merc. We were the 5 th team to take off and were passed by 15 other boats before we made it to the main body of water. We had the smallest boat with the smallest motor. We had the cheapest graph and smallest TM. I just knew we were about to get our butts handed to us.

At the end of the day we placed second and those guys with $70K + rigs went home with their tails tucked.

Since then we have managed a 3rd and 7th place finish out of about 22 teams and each time we have been the guys fishing with "cheap" stuff.

I have owned Steez rods, Loomis rods, Cumara rods etc......but I don't know that any of them made me a better fisherman than I actually am.

A 15+ handicap golfer won't all the sudden become a scratch golfer simply because he buys the best clubs available, same can be said for fishing.

I'm not dissing anyone who chooses to use high-end gear (I have been there myself) but don't stick your nose to high in the air. The guy with the Ugly Stick may just put it to you.

This seems to be the common quote from people who do not hold the top end gear. There is always the exclamation "we didn't have the nicer equipment and still overcame the odds!" As a side note and something i have noticed most of the time, anytime there is a really nice boat with top gear and another angler with older gear, it is always the the one with the less expensive equipment that exclaims "we did better and we didn't even have the nicer stuff". This isn't to completely place this whole rebuttal on you jbdaiwafan, but there is this weird tendency to really try and make ourselves feel better by saying these types of things when an angler with nicer equipment isn't thinking ANYTHING of it and not throwing out these judgments. This whole resiliency thing of the angler with cheaper equipment stuff "overcoming the greatest odds to beat the angler with nicer equipment" just gets old. I don't even own any nice equipment and this gets obnoxious. We get it, its fun to get the warm and fuzzies to compliment yourselves with this by saying it but i bet those with nicer equipment who win are not immediately judging you after a win.

If people want nicer equipment then who cares. Just stop patting yourself on the back each time you catch a fish with a $50 dollar rod.

[Bassn Blvd]

I agree Shimmy.

[tomustang]

This seems to be the common quote from people who do not hold the top end gear. There is always the exclamation "we didn't have the nicer equipment and still overcame the odds!" As a side note and something i have noticed most of the time, anytime there is a really nice boat with top gear and another angler with older gear, it is always the the one with the less expensive equipment that exclaims "we did better and we didn't even have the nicer stuff". This isn't to completely place this whole rebuttal on you jbdaiwafan, but there is this weird tendency to really try and make ourselves feel better by saying these types of things when an angler with nicer equipment isn't thinking ANYTHING of it and not throwing out these judgments.

The door swings both ways, for every guy with lower end gear that says that, there's a guy with higher end gear that things less about the other guys.

[grimlin]

This seems to be the common quote from people who do not hold the top end gear. There is always the exclamation "we didn't have the nicer equipment and still overcame the odds!" As a side note and something i have noticed most of the time, anytime there is a really nice boat with top gear and another angler with older gear, it is always the the one with the less expensive equipment that exclaims "we did better and we didn't even have the nicer stuff". This isn't to completely place this whole rebuttal on you jbdaiwafan, but there is this weird tendency to really try and make ourselves feel better by saying these types of things when an angler with nicer equipment isn't thinking ANYTHING of it and not throwing out these judgments. This whole resiliency thing of the angler with cheaper equipment stuff "overcoming the greatest odds to beat the angler with nicer equipment" just gets old. I don't even own any nice equipment and this gets obnoxious. We get it, its fun to get the warm and fuzzies to compliment yourselves with this by saying it but i bet those with nicer equipment who win are not immediately judging you after a win.

If people want nicer equipment then who cares. Just stop patting yourself on the back each time you catch a fish with a $50 dollar rod.

I don't entirely agree with you. jbdaiwafan is just saying it's the angler not the equipment that catches fish. I don't see it as he is mocking the guys who can afford all those fancy equipment.

I'll take the knowledge over gear any day of the week.

I've always said,buy what you can afford and have fun with it.

The door swings both ways, for every guy with lower end gear that says that, there's a guy with higher end gear that things less about the other guys.

EXACTLY!

[Michael DiNardo]

Shimmy, did you read the original post? It was said that if we can't afford the best most expensive equipment why bother? And you get mad when people with lesser equipment are happy when they win? I don't get it. If you can afford 10 Core /NRX combos and that is what you choose to fish with, that is great. More power to you. But please don't try and tell me I am wasting my time if I choose "only" to use a Curado that I bought on clearance with an Avid rod. I see the same thing with friends who golf. They stink, but instead of practicing they buy a new/better club that is going to put them on Tour. To paraphrase a famous saying, Amateurs talk equipment, pros talk tactics. I am happy for everyone that can afford the best and most expensive equipment, but don't make it seem like the people that are satisfied at a certain level of equipment don't belong on the same water.

Mike

[shimmy]

Shimmy, did you read the original post? It was said that if we can't afford the best most expensive equipment why bother? And you get mad when people with lesser equipment are happy when they win? I don't get it. If you can afford 10 Core /NRX combos and that is what you choose to fish with, that is great. More power to you. But please don't try and tell me I am wasting my time if I choose "only" to use a Curado that I bought on clearance with an Avid rod. I see the same thing with friends who golf. They stink, but instead of practicing they buy a new/better club that is going to put them on Tour. To paraphrase a famous saying, Amateurs talk equipment, pros talk tactics. I am happy for everyone that can afford the best and most expensive equipment, but don't make it seem like the people that are satisfied at a certain level of equipment don't belong on the same water.

Mike

It was written poorly by Hooligan and that is not what he meant and if you kept reading he later clarifies it was miswritten. Otherwise, yes i would completely be against what he said as well. The issue wasn't someone shouldn't be happy about catching a fish with less expensive equipment. The point was people throw too much judgment around and love to subtly compliment themselves by this David and Goliath comparison. Gets old.

[NorcalBassin]

Interesting topic... mine just sways based on what I "need" at the time and how much recent OT I've worked (that's my spending money). I've had times where I drew the line at a Lightning Rod, Mojo, Lamiglas Excel, and Veritas, and then I've had other times that I've bought NRX's, GLX's, Legend Elites, and Dobyns DX's. Now that my collection is just about complete, I do wish I had a rewind button where I could have made myself a little more patient and just waited until I could get the rod I wanted as opposed to what I could afford and be satisfied with at the moment. Do I need NRX's to catch fish... no ... but man they sure are nice to fish with.

As far as the guys doing well with entry level equipment... I will always admire that but I cannot explain how much nicer it is throwing a Ci4 for hours on end instead of an FX or Sienna level reel like I used to use.

[msolorio]

ive fished high end loomis, dobyns, st. croix, and others. ive also fished powell, irod, abu, berkely, shimano, you name it, ive tried it.... and sold it. i honestly, honestly didnt feel that an nrx, champion, champion extreme, legend, etc. were any more sensitive or strong than a powell max, endurance, irod, or other in that price range. were they lighter, a little bit but that was really all i really noticed. i put them all through the gauntlet so it wasnt just a quick test. i stick with middle of the road ($100-$200ish) gear because it works for me. its all really sensitive, light, and powerful. i love my gear and imo its everybit as good as everything else. thats the probelm i have with bass fishing. people get judged a ton based off of what rod, reel, and line one uses and its ridiculous. that shouldnt happen. just because someone can afford a 450 dollar rod and a 300 dollar reel doesnt make them gods gift to bass fishing, theyre simply a person who can afford high end gear, woopdy doo! im by no means knockin anyone, just want to throw that out there. idk, i feel if a low to middle end rod and reel work for someone, by all means stick with it, nothin wrong with that. i think at times a lot of bass anglers really place too much emphasis on what rods and reels they use and forget about how fun and great this sport is.

[new2BC4bass]

I didn't actually get what I'd intended to across here.

I can totally relate to that. It is why my posts are usually pretty long. Hard to say what I really mean in just a few words. Always afraid I am not getting my true meaning across.

It pertains more to tournament angling than anything else, really. Not necessarily just fishing to fish. In some cases it may apply to fun fishing, but it's in pretty specific circumstances. I could honestly see where one might take offense to that statement, I worded it poorly and I apologize for doing so.

Lastly, don't get me wrong, I'm not thrashing anyone or anyone's level of where they are in terms of spending or enjoyment.

I felt like you were telling me I shouldn't be on the water because I can't afford the best. Glad to know that wasn't so. I've always enjoyed reading your posts.

My "bass boat" is a 12'6" Porta-Bote. Would I like a regular bass boat? Darn tootin' I would!!!! It isn't in the cards, tho. Don't have any kind of fish finder either. Have considered getting one, but if I did it definitely wouldn't be the latest greatest. Where would I mount it? Would have to be removed before folding the boat. Might be more trouble than it is worth in my case.

Fishing is pretty much like any hobby. Way too easy to spend more on than you should. Always more you would love to have.

I admit to not being much of a fisherman. Get little time on the water, and don't approach it scientifically when I do. I am one of those guys who does a lot of casting and hopes for the best. Sure, I try to keep my eyes open, but I don't try to map the bottom of the lake by dragging something like a Carolina rig along the bottom. However, I wouldn't mind having a contour map of my lake.

I love to fish, and love to catch fish, but guess I am just not a serious enough fisherman. The simple act of casting a decent outfit is enough to bring me pleasure and a smile to my face. Being able to do that with my daughter, grandsons, or another relative or friend is icing on the cake.

[hatrix]

I think every one would buy the absolute best gear possible if they could afford it. But at a point it sort of becomes diminishing returns for buying the next level up. For example is a Curado twice as good as a $75 BPS reel? Probably so. But is a Core twice as good as the Curado? Probably not IMO. Some people might disagree but once you reach a certain level you don't really gain as much as you did from the previous levels of equipment. I look at it like would you rather have 1 really really good combo for $1,000 or would you rather have 3 really good combos for the same price? I think most people would choose the 3 over the 1. Some things you can't skimp on and have to buy the best but for the most part you can get a really quality product at a good price and not be selling your self short by buying cheaper. In a way its like electronics. You never buy the T.V. that came out last week for twice the price of the one that came out 2 months ago. Maybe some of you do but its just silly and you don't gain as much as you put into it.

[jbsoonerfan]

This seems to be the common quote from people who do not hold the top end gear. There is always the exclamation "we didn't have the nicer equipment and still overcame the odds!" As a side note and something i have noticed most of the time, anytime there is a really nice boat with top gear and another angler with older gear, it is always the the one with the less expensive equipment that exclaims "we did better and we didn't even have the nicer stuff". This isn't to completely place this whole rebuttal on you jbdaiwafan, but there is this weird tendency to really try and make ourselves feel better by saying these types of things when an angler with nicer equipment isn't thinking ANYTHING of it and not throwing out these judgments. This whole resiliency thing of the angler with cheaper equipment stuff "overcoming the greatest odds to beat the angler with nicer equipment" just gets old. I don't even own any nice equipment and this gets obnoxious. We get it, its fun to get the warm and fuzzies to compliment yourselves with this by saying it but i bet those with nicer equipment who win are not immediately judging you after a win.

If people want nicer equipment then who cares. Just stop patting yourself on the back each time you catch a fish with a $50 dollar rod.

Sorry, but I wasn't patting myself on the back at all. I use Cores, Curados, and CIticas on Crucials, Falcons and Daimikis. I don't use cheap stuff at all. I think the weird tendency is people thinking they are better than others simply because they buy expensive gear. And if you or anyone else thinks that there aren't those types of fishermen out there, then you are blind. Never once did I claim to be better than ALL anglers who spend good money on high end gear. Just saying that doesn't always equate to catching fish.

Trust me, I have had my butt handed to me plenty of times on the golf course by guys swinging sticks made 15 years ago while I was hitting the "latest and greatest"

My point was, having nice "expensive" gear is great, but it doesn't always make you a better angler.

I apologize if my post somehow seemed as though I was trying to pat myself on the back. I certainly don't get my jollys off on an internet forum trying to brag on myself.

[WookieeJedi]

I tend to fish with whatever suits my technique. You bet I'm using Ugly Sticks when I'm throwing that A-rig or targeting stipers. I have seen those fish splinter too many high-dollar graphite rods to risk my good stuff on them. For my graphite rods, I still like the Lightning Rod. I have been using them since they came out, I just spend less for them now, and they are better than the originals. Also, fishing from a kayak like I do can be rough on rods. I'm less likely to teach my son colorful language when I break a LR as opposed to a nice Duckett, so I mostly use stuff like the LR. I do own some really nice stuff, but I'll tell you right now, I did not pay retail for any of it. I buy stuff at pawn shops, I started doing it in college when money was tight. Go pawn-shopping somettime, you will be shocked at what is in there and how cheaply it can be had. The economy in decline has made for excellent pawn-shopping for high-end tackle.

["BRB"]

I went from the low end to the middle ground and could tell a huge difference. And I know the higher end rods and reels will probably be the same. But the way I look at it is I pay $150 on a good rod rather then 250+ I can take that $100 and put it in gas for my boat or truck and spend more time on the water. I think time on the water more valuable then the rod.

[marinetech]

I read all the posts and was not going to respond but then I couldn't resist. All my tools at the boatyard are snap-on , I think I'm part owner of the company now. I learned fast that no other tool manufacturer came close to the qaulity. When u step on to a million dollar plus yacht you better be ready. I do not think the same way towards fishing gear. I have spent some good money on gear and now have what I am very happy with from BPS to high end Qauntum. When I go to Cabelas and see those steez rods for $500. plus I laugh to myself. I suppose if money where not a problem I would try one but no one can convince me that rod is going to catch me 1 more fish than my JM sig series or veritas rods , sorry !

[Bassn Blvd]

I went from the low end to the middle ground and could tell a huge difference. And I know the higher end rods and reels will probably be the same. But the way I look at it is I pay $150 on a good rod rather then 250+ I can take that $100 and put it in gas for my boat or truck and spend more time on the water. I think time on the water more valuable then the rod.

Then why did you go from low end to medium range? You could have saved even more for gas.

[Bassn Blvd]

I buy what I considere to be expensive equipment beacause I can, not because I think it will catch me more fish. I don't knock the less fortunate ones who can't afford expensive gear and don't judge those who can afford more expensive gear than me. It's all relative. What I considere expensive may or may not be considered expensive to others.

These type of conversations should not be . IMO, they only cause hate.

Will a Loomis rod give you an edge over a generic WalMart rod? To some people, absolutely. Can I go out and win touraments with "inexpensive," "inferior" equipment? Heck yes I can. I'll catch bass and excell at bass fishing no matter what kind of rod/reel you give me. But as long as I'm able to afford "expensive" gear, then I'm going to buy "expensive" gear and if someone has a problem with that then they can kiss my