Super User Sam Posted March 28, 2015 Super User Posted March 28, 2015 Interesting post and opinions offered. Here is what I think: With so much competition and money on the line in the tournaments each rod and reel manufacturer wants their best products on the market. The big companies have put millions into their Research and Development and are trying to produce the best products that they can with no "planned obsolescence" needed for many years. To achieve this goal new materials are being used to replace the old metal gears and rod guides. In fact, selecting rod guides can drive you nuts with all of the new materials out there. What was simple when mhigtx and I grew up is no longer simple. In fact, with all of the engineering going into today's rods and reels you have to do research to figure out what was best. Ah yes, the good old days. When selecting fishing and sporting goods was simple. Basic products from a few manufacturers along with Sears offering their own brand for just about everything. OK, so Sears is a little older than mhigtx but look at an old Sears catalog and you can see what I mean. 2
Super User *Hootie Posted March 28, 2015 Super User Posted March 28, 2015 mhilgtx, I found your original post very interesting. I enjoy looking at the transition in fishing tackle from then until now. I doubt if more than a few of the old timers on here have a bigger collection of old, and antique fishing gear then I do. The improvement in technology, in reels is awesome. Rods are spectacular. If you doubt that, pick up one of my old “whippy” steel rods of the 40’s, then pick up my NRX. Garbage?....“I don’t think so Al.” How about the old “handle spinning, knuckle buster” reels. This is what I fished with as a kid and it worked. Would I want to go back? A resounding...NO!! I love experimenting with the new stuff. I fish, primarily Loomis and Shimano. Yeah, I guess I’m a “Shimano fan boy”. I have also used St.Croix, Falcon, Berkley, BPS, Duckett, and yes, SenkoGuru, “them ol’ Dobyns.”...lol. Reels?...Heddon, Southbend, Langley, Pflueger, Abu Garcia Ambassadeurs, the list goes on and on. The fact that someone would make such a blanket cover all statement calling everything else garbage is absurd. It’s all good, and an enormous lot of fun. If you enjoy, and prefer what you use over what I use, that’s great. But why knock everything that everyone else is using. As we used to say “WHAT’S IT TO YA!”Hootie 11
Bruce424 Posted March 28, 2015 Posted March 28, 2015 The only thing about older equipment I'll say had a benefit is it was easier and cheaper to clean, fix, and get parts for. Look at the garcia Mitchell spinning reels, it has like... 8 parts lol! And you can beat those reels sensless. I use them for catfish But as for technology, it's only gettin better and better. My dad's hookset looks like he's gonna do a back flip because he grew up with whippy 6 ft rods. And that's usually what he uses always. I respect that. But it's not for me or alot of people. Last note I think what turns people off about today's gear is the high price your paying for it and what your getting.
Super User F14A-B Posted March 28, 2015 Super User Posted March 28, 2015 WoW, A thread may get locked that I was not a part of.....I can't have that so I will just say....um,......Hi. EDIT...................Dobyn's still suck's. Uh, nice one.. So do "white carrot stix's"! LOL.. I kid you, I kid.. NOT!! hehe...
Poolshark Posted March 28, 2015 Posted March 28, 2015 Lol. I like this thread. As for me, it makes no difference what others enjoy fishing with. Not gonna knock anyone's preferences. But I will say I can apreciate the design simplicity of some of the older style reels like the old abus and penn z series reels. I have some really old stuff that is still serviceable today. While I own some of them and will always have them, I can't say that I prefer using them over the newer more tech advanced reels out there. It's so much easier tossing a 3/16 ounce lure on a new lews or low pro shimano with a graphite/carbon rod that weighs 3 to 4 ounces. 1
OK Bass Hunter Posted March 28, 2015 Posted March 28, 2015 And while this is going on. We are ignoring the real "reel" tragedy. My Conquest 400 has been stuck in customs for week 2
Super User *Hootie Posted March 28, 2015 Super User Posted March 28, 2015 And while this is going on. We are ignoring the real "reel" tragedy. My Conquest 400 has been stuck in customs for week That's a shame. Bet you can't wait to fish it. Maybe the guys in customs are test driving it for you...lol. Hootie 3
matuka Posted March 28, 2015 Posted March 28, 2015 I'm staying clear of the banter, but I can honestly say that the rods I'm buying now perform better for me than the high end stuff I bought 15 to 20 years ago. And I'm paying much less now. We have so many more brands to choose from the manufacturers could no longer ignore the middle of the road guys. And durability has been taken into account, I've broken a lot of them LOL!
adam32 Posted March 28, 2015 Posted March 28, 2015 Whats that old saying..."Thats why the old lady kissed the cow" Whatever floats your boat. I think todays reels are all garbage. Rods, even worse..... I agree with the reels part. I would take my zillions, curado D's, and Calais over any casting reels available today. I still prefer my ss1300s over most spinning reels.
Sherlock 60 Posted March 28, 2015 Posted March 28, 2015 Regarding prices for rods and reels, I think that generally speaking we get more bang for our buck than we used to with the mid-range products. 1
Super User Jrob78 Posted March 28, 2015 Super User Posted March 28, 2015 I agree with the reels part. I would take my zillions, curado D's, and Calais over any casting reels available today. I still prefer my ss1300s over most spinning reels. Nice try but I believe Zillions, Curados and Calais' ARE today's reels. lol He thinks you're a Shimano Fanboy too. 1
Super User *Hootie Posted March 28, 2015 Super User Posted March 28, 2015 Nice try but I believe Zillions, Curados and Calais' ARE today's reels. lol He thinks you're a Shimano Fanboy too. You were reading my mind Jrob. Hootie 1
oldschoolbasser Posted March 28, 2015 Posted March 28, 2015 Being and "older" guy who still fishes with his "obsolete" tackle (according to some on this site) I can say with all honesty that my 2 bearing Ambassadeurs have caught more bass than most of you here will ever see. As for rods, the biggest change is in the length of the newer ones versus the older ones. My Oldschool Phenix rods are a Boron Graphite composite with blanks being half the size of most of the newer rods. Progress? Boron is lighter,stronger,and more sensitive than graphite,yet no manufacturers use it in their rods. So by most of the younger guys reasoning, I shouldn't be able to catch fish with my 5'6" pistol grip rod,with my slow 4.7:1 2 bearing reel both over 30 years old because? ( not enough bearings,too short, and too slow) thanks to all you "experts" for pointing this out to me.
IAY Posted March 28, 2015 Posted March 28, 2015 Being and "older" guy who still fishes with his "obsolete" tackle (according to some on this site) I can say with all honesty that my 2 bearing Ambassadeurs have caught more bass than most of you here will ever see. As for rods, the biggest change is in the length of the newer ones versus the older ones. My Oldschool Phenix rods are a Boron Graphite composite with blanks being half the size of most of the newer rods. Progress? Boron is lighter,stronger,and more sensitive than graphite,yet no manufacturers use it in their rods. So by most of the younger guys reasoning, I shouldn't be able to catch fish with my 5'6" pistol grip rod,with my slow 4.7:1 2 bearing reel both over 30 years old because? ( not enough bearings,too short, and too slow) thanks to all you "experts" for pointing this out to me. No one is arguing against effectiveness of the old tackle. I am so surprised how 0119 got so defensive. You have to expect to take some shots, if you make such a blanket statement saying most of people's gear here are crap. 2
Grantman83 Posted March 28, 2015 Posted March 28, 2015 I don't understand the defensiveness from some older anglers. Nobody is arguing that older equipment doesn't work or hasn't caught fish. Not one person has made that statement. Abus, calcuttas, bantams and the orginal Lew's have a massive following for a reason, they work and continue to work. Nobody is arguing that shorter and older rods don't catch fish because they did and continue to. What people are arguing is that a blanket statement saying new gear is junk is wrong. Supporting newer gear does not automatically mean we all think old gear is ineffective or junk. Saying modern reels are smoother doesn't mean older reels aren't tanks. Saying newer rods are lighter and there is a greater availability DOES NOT mean you cannot or didn't catch fish on older rods. 3
Super User F14A-B Posted March 28, 2015 Super User Posted March 28, 2015 Taking a turn now.. Old guys vs Younger Guys Geez, really?
Super User Jrob78 Posted March 28, 2015 Super User Posted March 28, 2015 Being and "older" guy who still fishes with his "obsolete" tackle (according to some on this site) I can say with all honesty that my 2 bearing Ambassadeurs have caught more bass than most of you here will ever see. As for rods, the biggest change is in the length of the newer ones versus the older ones. My Oldschool Phenix rods are a Boron Graphite composite with blanks being half the size of most of the newer rods. Progress? Boron is lighter,stronger,and more sensitive than graphite,yet no manufacturers use it in their rods. So by most of the younger guys reasoning, I shouldn't be able to catch fish with my 5'6" pistol grip rod,with my slow 4.7:1 2 bearing reel both over 30 years old because? ( not enough bearings,too short, and too slow) thanks to all you "experts" for pointing this out to me. Says the guy buying brand new gear from Japan and upgrading all his old reels with brand new components. Give me a freaking break. Nobody said the old gear wasn't good. All of us older than about 20 have fond memories of the gear we grew up using and still use today. But to say that the old stuff is better than the new stuff and the new stuff is "garbage" is plain silly. Gotta have something to complain about though, right? 2
mhilgtx Posted March 28, 2015 Author Posted March 28, 2015 Being and "older" guy who still fishes with his "obsolete" tackle (according to some on this site) I can say with all honesty that my 2 bearing Ambassadeurs have caught more bass than most of you here will ever see. As for rods, the biggest change is in the length of the newer ones versus the older ones. My Oldschool Phenix rods are a Boron Graphite composite with blanks being half the size of most of the newer rods. Progress? Boron is lighter,stronger,and more sensitive than graphite,yet no manufacturers use it in their rods. So by most of the younger guys reasoning, I shouldn't be able to catch fish with my 5'6" pistol grip rod,with my slow 4.7:1 2 bearing reel both over 30 years old because? ( not enough bearings,too short, and too slow) thanks to all you "experts" for pointing this out to me. Of course it still works and works very well, as I can attest due to the fact that when I started back to fishing earlier this year that old stuff is what I was using. It works very well today. However the new stuff I have been exposed too, which are not even close to being top of the market, are much improved. Easier to cast, more power to reel, and much more sensative is just the start. My post was more of a wow look what we have here vs someone that maybe has been fishing all this time and the changes have seemed more incremental and therefore maybe a little less noticable. As far as the other guy talking about a shimano fan boy, well I have purchased to date these rods and reels: Shimano Curado I Diawa Lexa 100 Abu Black Max Pflueger President Spinning Rods Duckett Ghost Mojo Bass Spinning Shimano Compre or something like that it was on sale and d**n good rod too. Diawa Lexa casting rod I like them all and will probably sample a few other brands as I decide which I like the best and will probably stick with it. Certainly not a Shimano Fan boy although I was big Shimano and Abu fan back in the day.
adam32 Posted March 28, 2015 Posted March 28, 2015 Nice try but I believe Zillions, Curados and Calais' ARE today's reels. lol He thinks you're a Shimano Fanboy too. Can you buy any of those reels today? No. I'm definitely NOT a shimano fan! I haven't liked any shimanos since the chronarch d's,curado d's and Calais. Wasn't impressed at all with the e series reels.
Super User F14A-B Posted March 28, 2015 Super User Posted March 28, 2015 Next we will be hearing my bass is bigger than your bass! Lol.. Oh wait, that's right, he's a saltwater guy...
Super User Jrob78 Posted March 28, 2015 Super User Posted March 28, 2015 Can you buy any of those reels today? No. I'm definitely NOT a shimano fan! I haven't liked any shimanos since the chronarch d's,curado d's and Calais. Wasn't impressed at all with the e series reels. I was being tongue in cheek. My point was that all the reels you mentioned were modern reels, whether or not they are currently being produced isn't relevant to this ridiculous conversation. 1
Matthew2000 Posted March 29, 2015 Posted March 29, 2015 Says the guy buying brand new gear from Japan and upgrading all his old reels with brand new components. Give me a freaking break. Nobody said the old gear wasn't good. All of us older than about 20 have fond memories of the gear we grew up using and still use today. But to say that the old stuff is better than the new stuff and the new stuff is "garbage" is plain silly. Gotta have something to complain about though, right? He is customizing his reels to his liking. Just like tons of the people on here take half of their brand new reel and replace it with higher end parts. That's like yelling at someone for putting a new exhaust pipe on a muscle car. Shimano fanboys love to put another 200 dollars into an already 400 dollar reel and go on and on about how all other brands are in-superior. If you put an old lews with revamped parts against a new lews with original parts they are going to be quite equal. So has anyone come to a real conclusion about why people are arguing about this? There was junk then and there is junk now there is great products now and there was great products 20 years ago. People pay 10 times retail on some old baits or 2 times the price on old rods and reels. Why ? Because it's their money and they are free to do whatever the heck they want with it. I don't agree that all rods and reels today are junk. Just like not all rods and reels then were junk. So quit making stupid comments about your personal preference that wasn't even part of the OP's statement. Quit being fanboys of one brand or time period or whatever you want to be a fan of, or at least quit arguing over all of it. 1
fishangdood Posted March 29, 2015 Posted March 29, 2015 At 7 years old, I can remember my dad buying my first reel at a flea market- it was a 2 maybe 3000 size ryobi spinner. It worked, I caught fish, and it survived my time of possession. Fast forward 10 years, I grab hold of my first baitcast reel, an Ambassadeur 4500. It was a two hour break in period before I got the gist of casting it. It was a memorable experience comparable to learning to drive manual. That reel survived until it got ran over- long story. Finally you go back to the future, 32, I'm a full fledged tackle junkie. I'm an Abu guy, but I can truly appreciate all brands as I've become the unofficial reel maintenance go to guy among my fishing group. My best are in the low high end: revo3 inshore, premier, stx, and sx. All of them have been changed into IVCB-VI brakes and premier spools, yet I still believe dual brakes are tad bit more effective. Anyhow, I enjoy the reel tech of today, but also enjoy the simplicity under the hood of the old school reels. Obviously new tech builds upon the old. However, it's funny because this past winter I've invested into three Ambassadeur 2500c model reels and I like them so much that they are probably going to share half the workload this season. Long-story-short, preference is preference and quality is subjective. 1
Super User FishTank Posted March 29, 2015 Super User Posted March 29, 2015 I enjoy using the newer tackle that is available today (in the last 15 years or newer) because it increases the fun factor of fishing. I have to confess, I like getting new toys. One great thing about todays tackle is how competitive the market has become. The low end priced reels are getting closer to higher priced reels in quality and over all feel, which i think is great for every fisherman. The reels from most manufactures you can get at the $100 and below price point, have come a long way. I hope this upward trend continues. 1
bootytrain Posted March 29, 2015 Posted March 29, 2015 Shimano fanboys love to put another 200 dollars into an already 400 dollar reel and go on and on about how all other brands are in-superior. Is this a new word that Shimano haters created? lol Shimano users aren't the only ones who spend a lot of money on aftermarket parts for their reels.
Recommended Posts