If You Could Buy It All Over Again

[Sonik]

Well, first off, I have to say that my rod lockers is full of first gen *** Blacks (which I need to sell), Cabela's Tournament ZX, and Lew's Tournament/Tournament Pro/BB1/BB1-Pro reels and most are spooled with P-Line Floroclear (some don't like it, I do). Just so there is a frame of reference to what I normally fish with. But, I bank fish with 2 cheap combos. I mainly use a 7' MH/F BPS Tourny Special/6.3:1 Tourny Special reel. I do most everything with that. Rarely I will use the 6'6" M/F Tourny Special rod/size 20 Tourny Special spinning reel combo. I spool the baitcaster with 12# Big Game and the spinning setup with 8# Big Game.

 

On Saturday, I cought a 5 ½ pounder off the bank. The night before I caught a bunch of dinks but a couple of 3's were in there. Those cheap combos didn't miss a beat. Had them for a long while too. On Sunday, I took the boat out and the square bill I wanted to use was tied onto my cheap BPS rod so I just threw it in. As soon as the boat was in and off the ramp, I just got lazy and threw the Tourny Special combo instead of retying the crankbait onto my normal BB1 Pro/Tournament ZX crankbait rod. It just tore them up. That poor Square A is chewed up and beat to pieces now.

 

I guess it just dawned on me that I feel like I wasted my money on the more expensive stuff. Granted the Omens and the ZX's aren't Loomis or Megabass stuff and the Lew's reels aren't Chronarchs. But each combo cost me about $70 total before tax. And Big Game in the ¼ pound spool? Pennies. The Square A was maybe $3 after tax. I could have filled the boat with Tourny Special setups and had duplicate rods for stuff for way cheaper. I know I have caught more and bigger fish off the Tourny Specials. Drives me nuts.

 

If I had it to buy all over again, I would have filled my boat with those Tourny Specials. Maybe 12 setups. The reels come in a low 5:1 ratio up to a 7:1. The rods go from medium to heavy power. The have smaller but I could have had 6' up to 7'6" and the 7'6" would telescope to fit my locker. It's just what I should have done in hindsight. I would have had more money for gas, insurance, bigger trolling motor for my Alumacraft with another battery, etc. I guess that cheap stuff just really fits me.

 

Would you have done anything different with the setups or gear in your boat?

[kickerfish1]

Downsize for quality over quantity. Had about 36 outfits. Down to about 25 right now. Working on getting that number to around 20.

[Jrob78]

Yeah, if anything I would do the opposite.  I would have saved a little longer and bought better stuff.   I have nice stuff now but I went through a period where I was worried more about adding rods and reels than adding the best quality rods and reels I could afford.  It cost me more money in the long run.

[tomustang]

Yeah, if anything I would do the opposite.  I would have saved a little longer and bought better stuff.   I have nice stuff now but I went through a period where I was worried more about adding rods and reels than adding the best quality rods and reels I could afford.  It cost me more money in the long run.

What he said.

I went from cheap combos, to moderate combos, to high priced combos. For the most part, higher price comes higher quality components and fun factor.

[rippin-lips]

Yeah, if anything I would do the opposite. I would have saved a little longer and bought better stuff. I have nice stuff now but I went through a period where I was worried more about adding rods and reels than adding the best quality rods and reels I could afford. It cost me more money in the long run.

Pretty much the same here. Used quality gear doesn't sell for hardly anything these days. So now it's either take a big loss, or hold onto it. I'd love to be able to just have 5 really nice combos. Unfortunately Daiwa has more than 5 nice reels and I can't let them go for nothing.

[tbone1993]

I wouldn't have bought my gen 3 revo stx. After my gen 2 broke I had it traded in for a gen 3. This gen 3 still has problems. Should have just bought another lews.

[MIbassyaker]

Yeah, if anything I would do the opposite.  I would have saved a little longer and bought better stuff.   I have nice stuff now but I went through a period where I was worried more about adding rods and reels than adding the best quality rods and reels I could afford.  It cost me more money in the long run.

 

I am at this very moment resisting the urge to buy another cheap combo simply because I can. I think it's just habit. Nothing in my arsenal is technically the best quality I can afford, so the obvious next step is to make one or more major upgrades. But I could have gone right to the next tier or higher for my last couple rod purchases, if only I had taken the time to do enough research to make an informed decision on what to get. 

[John G]

Instead of spending money on G-Loomis rods, I would have researched JDM rods and bought nothing but JDM rods. For reels, I would have bought nothing but JDM reels and I would have also put more thought into what reels to buy. That means that I would have really put some thought into what I wanted to do with each reel instead of just buying reels. A great example of this is that I, at one time,I was the proud owner of 5 Conquest 50's. I am now down to 2 and I could have used that money for different purchases.

[Basswhippa]

I would have just bought Shimano Chronarch 100a's.    With a few replacement parts, you could use a lot of those for decades, and never be "out reeled" by todays modern equipment.  They cast as far, and are as smooth or smoother than anything available today.   And they are very reliable.

 

If I were telling a teenager or 20 something what to do today, I would recommend Citica and Curado I's for the same reason.   If you buy 10 of them,  you'll have them for decades.   Even if parts become obsolete, you can always use one or two for a parts reel and run for a very long time.

[new2BC4bass]

Yeah, if anything I would do the opposite.  I would have saved a little longer and bought better stuff.   I have nice stuff now but I went through a period where I was worried more about adding rods and reels than adding the best quality rods and reels I could afford.  It cost me more money in the long run.

 

Same here.  I have a hard time passing up a good deal....even tho I don't need it.  I could have bought 10 really good outfits for what I have sitting in the basement in lower cost outfits.  However, I do have some nice ones I wouldn't get rid of even tho they aren't Loomis, St. Croix, Megabass, Dobyns, etc..   I think the more expensive rods would be wasted on me.  Would like to downsize by at least 10, but have a hard time letting anything go. 

[WIGuide]

If I could do it all over again, I would have bought higher end stuff sooner. 

[Preytorien]

I pared my collection down and have just 4 very good quality combos. 

 

An ultra-finesse spinning combo, standard spinning combo, a mult-purpose casting combo, and a frogging/flipping casting combo

 

All seem to cover the bases perfectly, and since I sold a lot off and got good quality stuff, I don't really see myself doing any upgrades for a while now. I'd have to get a raise at work....that and a new baby is on the way

[thehooligan]

Yeah, if anything I would do the opposite. I would have saved a little longer and bought better stuff. I have nice stuff now but I went through a period where I was worried more about adding rods and reels than adding the best quality rods and reels I could afford. It cost me more money in the long run.

X2

The whole technique specific rod thing really made me think I needed 6+ combos at all times. I also have a hard time passing up a good deal...

Ive spent more money then I'd care to admit these past few years on combos that I really didn't need. After 5+ years of heavy fishing I've found my niche. I like jdm bfs gear. I only need a few finesse rods, mainly tinker with reels now.

[Jaw1]

Guilty of being a tackle junky so I have30 plus combos and use 5 on a regular basis. It's hard to let some of your stuff go but I'm trying lately. If I was to do it over I would research more and probably pick one rod company and one reel company and try it that way, but there are limitations to this as well

[poisonokie]

I wouldn't have any spinning outfits save 1 for trout in winter.

[bassbassontherange]

What he said.

I went from cheap combos, to moderate combos, to high priced combos. For the most part, higher price comes higher quality components and fun factor.

 

Everyone is saying what they'd do, qualifying WHY with logic. We're all justifying by saying "too good of a deal to pass up" or "this will work forever" or "I could have gotten by with cheaper stuff".

 

Okay, I get it, but... to me, fishing is fun, it's relaxing, and it just makes me FEEL GREAT. I love getting on the water, away from almost everything, and enjoying life. 

 

The reason I buy what I buy is based on how it makes me feel when I fish it, not on whether it makes absolute sense logically or financially. Fishing is an escape for me.

 

Do I think my Chronarch Ci4 will catch me more fish? Maybe 1 or 2 over the course of a year compared to my oooold POS Shimano Lexica I bought when I was 10. But the Ci4 sure feels great in my hands and I love how it casts.

Do I think my Curado I's have more power to reel in the hawgs when I finally hook into one than my old 200b's? No, I know they don't, but I love how smooth they are letting out drag and on the retrieve. 

 

To me, it's about enjoying the experience, not just whether fishing with "x" rod and reel makes sense or not. If you start with whether it makes sense, some will be satisfied with that, but most of us may not necessarily enjoy the experience. 

 

I love going home, thinking, "Jeez, that was fun! I can't wait to do it again!", rather than, "I caught some fish, I wonder if I really needed to spend that much to do it and I'm not completely satisfied until someone else agrees with me about it."

 

I just want to go home with a smile on my face as often as I can.

-If that means I love fishing with the cheapest I can get away with and that makes me happy, I'd do that.

-If that means I save until I can afford what I really want, that puts a smile on my face every time that I make that perfect cast and just makes me feel great, then THAT's what I'd do.

 

More often I'm in that second camp.

[buzzed bait]

i wouldn't have bought every lure and plastic available....  and likely would have gone with all rods from the same manufacturer... that might help me with just dialing in the power and action.  otherwise i would have said the same as above, save up and get the nicer stuff rather than middle of the road.

[Evan K]

I really like bassbassontherange's answer. That's something I've kind of discovered about equipment too- fishing with a smooth, solid, obviously high quality rod and reel is just a pleasure in itself, regardless of whether fish are caught.

 

I'm in the process of "doing it right" I hope. For years I only had sub-$40 Walmart stuff, and I beat it up and broke it and it didn't work well after a year or two. Now I've moved to mid-range (Lews/***/low end St. Croix) and the difference is amazing. I doubt I will ever drop more than $150 on a rod or reel but who knows?

[Cgrinder]

Couple things. I would have stayed out of BFS casting and probably bought an OG Zillion and '13 Met earlier. Also should have tried a TD Ito by now. Probably should have stayed out of serious mods and dress parts. Definitely should have purchased an Orochi XX sooner (and multiple. Flat Side's loney!). Not certain that I need new Conquests and an Antares but they're kinda sweet.

 

We'll see what happens over the winter. This thread has me thinkin'.

[Raul]

If I could start purchasing all over again some few things would have changed:

 

1. Instead of purchasing 3 2005 Limited Edition Daiwa Pixy Airy Red I should have purchased only one
2. I should have purchased the TD-Itö when I had the chance but noooo, I purchased 2 more Red Airy Pixies ..... DUHHHHH !
3. Maybe I should have waited when I purchased the Scorpion 1000 Mg, but who would have known that several years later Shimano was going to launch it in the form of the Chronarch 50 Mg ? 
4. Should have ordered that TDZ 103 Custom when I had the chance, missed the first opportunity to order and let go the second opportunity when Daiwa reopened the production. Still kicking myself on the butt for that one.
5. Should have purchased another Alphas Itö when Ichibantackle had them on clearance.

Well that´s pretty much about it when t comes to reels, I have nothing to say about rods, I´m pleased with the ones I got ..... ok, as for the rods: should have never purchased those Kistler Magnesium TS, but since everybody talked so highly about them ........

[A-Jay]

If I Could Buy It All Over Again​ ~

 

I wouldn't change anything.

 

The decisions & purchases I've made in the past are what lead me to the decisions & purchases I make today.

 

 Although some of the earlier experiences didn't turn out as I had expected or even hoped, there were several very valuable lessons along the way which enable me to make some better choices now.

 

Well, at least most of the time . . . .

 

 

A-Jay

[Senko lover]

Bank fishing, I keep it simple, so I'm slowly upgrading instead of buying new combos.

 

If I had to do it over again, I'd buy three combos, any more than that and I'm severely limiting my ability to move around easily.

 

I'd buy rods in the $150-$200 range used, you can find them for $100 or even under. There's a Powell Max rod (I believe it retails for 190 dollars) for sale in just about new condition for $80 shipped in the Flea Bay. Unbelievable deal.

 

I'd buy reels anywhere from $140 up used or on sale. I love my Tournament MG to death, but I haven't tried anything else.

 

 

Bottom line: you can buy nice stuff used without paying a ton. If you're patient and wait, you can find some fantastic deals on Flea Bay.

 

And OP, I can't stand Tourney Special Rods. They feel so terrible in-hand and fish even worse. If I had to get another cheap rod, I'd get a Berkley Lighting or one of the Abu Garcia Vengeances. I've have both and they knock the TS out of the water. It might just be me, but I wouldn't buy one.

[desmobob]

It's surprises me when I think about it, but I don't think there's much I would change.  I started with some lower-end stuff and added better stuff as I went along.  Now, I'm replacing some of the lower end rods with rods I know I like.  (I know I need to keep my paws off any top-end rods, or I'll want to replace all my rods again!) 

 

Luckily, I started off buying good reels and haven't had any reason to upgrade any of them so far.  I went crazy buying lots of baits when I first started, so I have a good selection and variety.  Now, I only need to replace things I've lost or plastic baits I've used up.  And I've found out what my preferences are for brands/colors/styles, so my future purchases should be more useful.

 

No regrets,

Bob

[the reel ess]

I always bought the best my wallet and conscience would allow. So I have one great BC combo that, had I bought it new, would have cost $260 and a couple $120 BC combos. I have $70 and an $80 spinning combos that work just fine.

 

A $200 St Croix is not necessary to cast and retrieve a Rat L Trap or Spook. I've caught my best fish this season on my cheaper combos.

 

Whenever I wear one out it'll be replaced by the best I can afford. If I buy another that's not intended to replace one of these it too wll be the best I can afford.

[NathanW]

5 years ago I might have agreed with this concept. The problem is the better I get at finding and catching big fish the more I need equipment that performs and rods that have lightweight yet powerful blanks. My rod lineup of 5 years ago consisted of almost entirely sub-100 dollar rods with forgiving action and medium to medium light power. They were easier to cast and friendly to smaller lures.

 

You look at my rod section today and you are talking mostly MH to Heavy Action and true fast tips. A true fast tip is not something you find often in most rods under 100.00, but there are a few out there. Low budget rods with MH or H power are usually well on the heavy side.

 

Regarding reels every sub 100 dollar reel I bought stopped working eventually and the opposite is true for reels over MSRP 100.00. I have Curado D's that are 8 years old and still in the boat and BPS Pro Qualifiers that are three years old sold AS-IS on Ebay.