Your Dream Combo

[Raul]

The combo that I want right now is the Megabass F2.1/2-64X4 Hedgehog and I want to pair it up with the Megabass Hedgehog Customs Alphas that Japan Tackle has right now.

I am just having hard time justifying an $1100.00 finesse bank fishing rig.

 

If you have the money why the hell not ?

 

I save many times for months to purchase me nice stuff, hell I work worse than a slave to make my hard earned cash I deserve at least some gratification, nice fishing stuff is affordable, other things are not.

[Bass Junkie]

Many people, especially those from older generations, have a hard time justifying spending such an amount of money on tackle. My grandfather grew up during the great depression, and has a much different view on money than myself. To him fishing was a way to put food on the table, he didn't even intentionally target largemouth until I got him into it. To him there's no point in purchasing a $1000 combo when a $70 one will catch fish. Is he wrong? Absolutely not, if you are happy with that it's great! To me though, a $1000 rig is infinitly better. Why? Well, for one, it fishes better. But it's also an investment, something that will last years when properly maintained, and something that will carry its value much better. But more than that, it's art. I enjoy the beauty of the reel, the attention to detail and the way it comes alive in your hands. I enjoy the lore of the JDM models, and then passion and enthusiasm that goes into making them. I love the rarity of a KTF Airy Red Pixy or a TDZ A.O.I. To me money shouldn't be a master. That seems like a very depressing way to live life. Instead, it should be a liberator. You have to work hard for what you get, and you can't take it with you when you're gone.

[Arv]

Golly. It's just a fun question. Like what's your dream car. No one is asking for justification and money spending philosophies. Just, if you could have any combo, what would it be?

I know there's a lot of JDM stuff that I don't know the first thing about, and it's probably a good thing for my wallet. I'd like an nrx and a steez one day though.

[DelcoSol]

I have part of it right now. Just bought a Daiwa SS SV, and I have a blank still in the tube, wating for time to build it. Phenix K2, 6'8" ML-F, 1/16 - 5/8oz lure weight, 4-12lb line weight.

The rod blank weighs just 1.23oz. I have a set of Recoils, a carbon fiber MVT reel seat, and some 6lb foam to turn into grips. 6lb foam is lighter, and tougher than cork. I'll be going for a minimalist build, everything I need and nothing more, hoping to get a finished rod not much over 2oz. 2.25oz is a very real possibilty. 2oz is pushing it.

Put that together with a 5.3oz reel, and I'll have a bait finesse combo lighter than a lot of reels.

I have been looking at that reel. Doesnt seem too bad of a price for a Daiwa. How would you compare it to an Alphas?

 

I would like to try an NRX eventually. As far as a dream reel.. Maybe that new LTD red and black Steez just because it looks badass lol

[flyfisher]

As far as conventional gear goes i haven't found that super awesome combo i would like to have but for fly fishing i would love to have a Lamson Vanquish paired up with a Sage One rod.

[bass raider]

shimano exsence or metanium paired with a megabass ororchi x4 would be my dream combo.

[Smallmouth Hunter]

201e or ch101d7 or core 51

And

Not sure on the rod, but probably an NRX or NFC. High end croixs are nice too.

Yawn

[EvanT123]

If I spent upwards of a $1000, then caught fish that on average that don't run more than a few pounds I'd be both disappointed and depressed. It's all about the fish for me, gear is secondary.

Snook is that your philosophy on all aspects of life?i could eat plain chicken white rice and green beans everyday and live just fine but sometimes I want a steak and lobster.

[FishTank]

G Loomis NRX853C and a Metanium.

[Daniel Lin]

To me, the greatest thing about bass fishing (without a personally owned boat) is how cheap everything is compared to other "outdoors" hobbies. Let's say I wanted to build an AR-15 for about $1200 (which realistically is probably on the lower end of full builds with solid optics). For that money, I could have bought all 4 of my bass rods, a pretty solid chunk of my tackle shop and even a nice little john boat w/trailer found used locally. Only reason I haven't bought a little boat yet is that I don't have any towing capabilities and I'm not comfortable with strapping a kayak to the roof of my car. A good range day's worth of ammo is almost certainly less than a full day of fishing's worth of gas for boat and truck. 

 

An $1100 finesse bank fishing setup doesn't seem so bad to me when my dream rifle at the moment, a Springfield M21 Tactical with the Douglas barrel is about $2800 MSRP without optics and I'd maybe get to shoot a box of ammo at most once a week. I should also pretty reliably be able to buy my dream car at the moment, a late-model NA Miata for just a little bit more. But a fishing rod, I can use pretty much every day for an hour or two or more. Insane compared to even a $300 "high end" setup, yes, but I think one would definitely feel much more rewarded for the money spent compared to many other hobbies.

 

Now, buying a bass boat (and an accompanying truck), especially with my current income? That's kinda out of the question at the moment.

[Mike2841]

I would like a st croix legend elite with a conquest on it, however I may give rod building a shot over the winter.

Also, am I the only one that has a separate bank account dedicated to fishing equipment?

[John G]

An $1100 finesse bank fishing setup doesn't seem so bad to me when my dream rifle at the moment, a Springfield M21 Tactical with the Douglas barrel is about $2800 MSRP without optics and I'd maybe get to shoot a box of ammo at most once a week

Yeah just about everything with guns is expensive! Years ago, gotta be over 8 years ago, I paid $1200.00 for a Bushmaster Gas Piston Upper for my AR. I'll bet that I haven't shot 50 rounds through it since I bought it. Speaking of Springfield Armory, I do regret selling my M1A Scout Squad years ago. I sold all of my AK's except one and my Scout Squad because IIRC, mil surplus ammo was drying up and ammo in general was getting very expensive. I did keep a Bulgarian 5.45 parts kit build because I do have a sizable stash of 5.45.

[starweldpro16]

Cool thread. I always love these discussions. I can't honestly answer it though. You see,I'm coming off a long bass fishing hiatus. About 25 years I guess. MAN! There are about a million new top shelf rods and reels now. I'm gonna need a couple years just to catch up.

 

I'm the type that can appreciate fine equipment. I'm also an equipment junkie. Fishing is right up my alley. While I was on "hold" from bass fishing,I was still pounding the streams for trout and steelhead. I have boxes and boxes of flies lying around. 3 different fully stocked vests. Waders for special occasions. some Orvis and Ross hanging around. You get the picture.

 

Along the way though something changed. I became a father of two lovely girls. Now approaching college age. I still love the pics of these new fangled top shelf reels. Friggin beautiful! But like someone mentioned earlier,"If you have the money,get it."  Right now I don't. I am however planning for my retirement. Not just a 401K. A fishing retirement,so this sort of question has come up in my head a couple times. 

 

Here is where I come down on the whole thing right now in today's budget. Bearing in mind I'm very uneducated in the upper tier equipment of late. 

One TBC711HMF StCroix rod with a Tatula Type-R mounted on her. Pair that with a TBS610MLXF rod and a 2500 Stradic Ci4+ swinging under it and I'm done. Bring on the bass and the paycheck in the mailbox. Either or (or preferably both) of these would make me happier than a hog in a wallow. Expensive? Not really. But for me they represent my ultimate doable combos. For now anyway.

[.ghoti.]

I have been looking at that reel. Doesnt seem too bad of a price for a Daiwa. How would you compare it to an Alphas?

 

I would like to try an NRX eventually. As far as a dream reel.. Maybe that new LTD red and black Steez just because it looks badass lol

I wish I could give you a detailed review on the SS SV, but I've only done some "backyard" fishing with it. Been to busy to get out on the water.

I am very familiar with the Alphas platform; I have five of them, so I have a few observations.

First impressions; it's lighter than an Alphas, but not really enough to be noticeable when mounted on a rod; a little greater line capacity, which is irrelevant; drag is about the same strength, but is a bit smoother; 7.1:1 gears vs 6.8:1 or 5.8:1, and the SS SV is noticeably smoother out of the box than a stock Alphas.

The biggest difference is the spool. I haven't put it on a scale, but with both empty spools in hand, the S spool is lighter than the Alphas spool. I was casting a bare 1/8oz jighead with it, but I can do that with a Alphas. The spool braking system is a different version of Magforce. I'll need some more time with ti to be able to say, with any credibility, if it's an improvement.

SO, is it better than the Alphas? I don't know yet. It might be.

This reel is being touted as the replacement for the legendary, discontinued TD-Z, and thus, should be compared to it. I have two of those, so I can offer a few observations on that subject.

The S is a little lighter, the spool is a little lighter, the drag is better, the retrieve is smoother, it casts a bit better, and the difference in braking systems is up for debate. But, I'm comparing a new reel to reels at least ten years old. The two TD-Zs I have have are still fine reels. Will I be able to say that about the SS SV ten years from now? Who knows, but I do believe Daiwa may have a worthy successor to the TD-Z, and it's about time.

[new2BC4bass]

 You see,I'm coming off a long bass fishing hiatus. About 25 years I guess. MAN! There are about a million new top shelf rods and reels now. I'm gonna need a couple years just to catch up.

 

You must be able to catch up faster than I can.  I had a 23 year hiatus from not fishing at all.  Got back into fishing in '09.  I still haven't caught up. 

 

Here is where I come down on the whole thing right now in today's budget. Bearing in mind I'm very uneducated in the upper tier equipment of late. 

One TBC711HMF StCroix rod with a Tatula Type-R mounted on her. Pair that with a TBS610MLXF rod and a 2500 Stradic Ci4+ swinging under it and I'm done. Bring on the bass and the paycheck in the mailbox. Either or (or preferably both) of these would make me happier than a hog in a wallow. Expensive? Not really. But for me they represent my ultimate doable combos. For now anyway.

 

 

I am glad you said "For now anyway." because I seriously doubt you will stop there.

[starweldpro16]

I hear ya new2BC4bass! It's just been sensory overload this summer. Bought a new boat,and started stocking up on lures and such. Every aspect of the game is different. I've been you tubing the FLW and BASS tours. I remember when Roland Martin was one of my heroes .Now it's Scott. Good to see Rick Clunn is still kickin. Can't figure how these guys got older and I didn't,lol. Some old techniques have new names.Some new techniques. The lure industry has exploded. Soft baits don't stop with Creme and Manns now. I'm still currently using the Bantam Black Mag I bought new in the mid 80s. A Bass Pro Shops Spiral Graphite 5'6" Heavy pistol grip rod. Bought it for yanking bass from laydowns and timber on spinner baits and T-rigs. When I bought the Bantam,my buddy bought an old Abu Garcia Ambassadeur "Thumb Bar" reel. We were amazed. I guess this winter I'll be re-educating myself with all the new improvements in tackle.

 

Oh I know it's all a "For now" experience. Been there done that,lol. It's a sickness,this tackle-itis.  You and I should sit down over a pile of wings and a beverage. We surely have some of the same stories.

 

Where do you fish over that way?  My home lakes are pretty much Keystone and Mahoning. I like to hit Glendale and Arthur occasionally too. I'm looking forward to Presque Isle bay Smallies in the spring. My b-in-law has them dialed in and has been dogging me to tag along. I can't wait to give them a go. He's been hammering the Walleye as well now that he has a more suitable boat. 

 

I guess we have our work cut out for us my friend. Like kids in a candy store. Gotta love all this new gear to check out.

[CWB]

In response to the title question, Jessica Alba and Scarlett Johansson.

[OK Bass Hunter]

In the process of putting it together right now.

Shimano Calcutta Conquest 250 TE DC

Megabass Black Jungle Super Red Demon

http://www.***.com/Megabass_Destroyer_Black_Jungle_Casting_Rods/descpage-MDBJ.html

[starweldpro16]

In the process of putting it together right now.

Shimano Calcutta Conquest 250 TE DC

Megabass Black Jungle Super Red Demon

http://www.***.com/Megabass_Destroyer_Black_Jungle_Casting_Rods/descpage-MDBJ.html

Sweet! 

[thehooligan]

I would like a st croix legend elite with a conquest on it, however I may give rod building a shot over the winter.

Also, am I the only one that has a separate bank account dedicated to fishing equipment?

 

Haha, thats what my paypal accounts for 

[5fishlimit]

Also, am I the only one that has a separate bank account dedicated to fishing equipment?

Nope. My company uses direct deposit and I have $50 from each pay go into my "fishing fun money" account. It's actually named that, too.

[hatrix]

As of right now mine would have to be a Diawa Pluton for the reel and a crazy custom rod.

[WIGuide]

Mine would have to be a St. Croix Legend Xtreme paired up with a Abu Garcia MGXtreme.

[J Francho]

My dream combo would do everything that all my other combos do, but better.

[RSM789]

In response to the title question, Jessica Alba and Scarlett Johansson.

 

I apparently am a little older than you because my answer was Sofia Vergara & Salma Hayek.  Too bad my Spanish is so crappy...