How much do you gain with the better equipment?

[WRB]

I have caught hundreds of DD size bass on tackle that couldn't be sold today unless some collector was looking for it. I still fish with old stuff like hair jigs and pork rind trailers.

My 30 to 35 year old Lamiglas jig rods and Daiwa HTSA reels with 12 lb Big Game line isn't state of the art today, they where in the early 90's when I caught a lot of giant bass. Before that my reels were 4500C's and Fenwick HMG rods with XT line.

My tackle today is up to date, custom ALX custom rods, Daiwa Tatula R reels and Sunline FC line but haven't caught any giant bass over 15 lbs on my new tackle, now 5 years old. The reason is simple, the giant bass are gone from where I fish.

Does this tackle give me an edge? I like fishing with lighter rods and reels but being able to locate bass and detecting strikes is the reason I have had success.

Tom

[Catt]

#1 key to consistently catching bass is between your ears not between the folds of your wallet!

[rangerjockey]

Yep, Today's mid priced stuff is so good I don't think you need any more. Heck ,guys are making a living with average equipment. .I think it's the Indian not the arrow.

[Yudo1]

    I started with shakespeare combos from walmart and gradually went up the ladder to eventually fishing kistler, megabass, NRX and daiwa/shimano for reels.  While fishing with the budget gear, I still enjoyed fishing as much as now.  The term "ignorance is bliss" comes to mind because sometimes I wish I never ventured into the world of high end gear because I'd have a lot more money in my pocket.  On the other hand, fishing is my only real hobby and life is too short.  It's only money.

   For me, better gear enhances the experience.  Higher end rods are lighter, more balanced and more sensitive.  I feel more connected to the river and lake because I feel more of it.  The casts go where I want them to because accuracy is better.  I work the baits better because of the action of the tip.  The reels cast with less effort and less backlashing.  In general, better gear gives me peace of mind and confidence. 

    However, I believe gear in the $100-200 range offers the best value and I'd be perfectly happy with it.

[RichF]

I agree that experienced anglers will notice a big difference in more expensive gear.  I do however think there is a limit.  I don't feel a whole lot of difference between my Legend Extremes and Kistler Heliums (sensitivity-wise) but one is about $150 more.  Once you get past a certain price-point, the differences become awfully subtle.

 

 

[RoLo]

Most would agree that Tanqueray makes a better martini than Seagrams,
but you can get equally intoxicated on either one.

 

Roger

[Flywatersmallie]

It's funny how some of us come full circle. Over the years I started with cheapo stuff like most all of us do, over time, my stuff progressed to increasingly more expensive rods and reels to the point where when I thought I needed a new rod, I had to save or budget for $300+ to get the rod I "needed". Fast forward to present, I am established in my job, home and marriage to the point that I can buy whatever rods I want and I find myself using rods and reels in the $100-150 range. I can tell the difference between say a *** and a St Croix Legend Elite but is it worth 4x the price? It isnt to me anymore. I'd rather spend the money elsewhere. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the rig you are using. If it works for you, you aren't missing anything at all. 

[S. Sass]

Personally there are plenty of good rods in the $100-$150 range and plenty of time proven good reels in the same price range. Sure you can drop $500 on a rod and it might be slightly more sensitive but you will never catch every fish and the difference between a quality mid range rod and the top end rod in #s of fish will most likely be a small % gain if any. 

 

Just don't expect that $50K new boat, $500 dollar rods, $500 reels, or $500 swimbaits to catch more fish just because it's advertized as the greatest, people say on forums you have to have it, or because its new. Case and point is look at what nearly every post on this page is saying in this thread they were there, bought the good stuff, and now that they are older more mature and understand it's not always about the high dollar stuff. You still have to know what you're doing. 

[Further North]

As a long-time shotgun I like to use that subject as a way to describe the incremental improvements that we get for moving up the cost vs. benefit ladder.

 

You can buy a really good, very functional shotgun for less than $300, brand new.  There are millions and millions of Remington 870s, Mossberg 500s, Winchester SXPs, etc....all great guns, all work well, get the job done.

 

They lack refinement, technology, and some other things...but frankly, I'm really impressed by anything that there are that number of that work so well.  That's incredibly impressive.

 

You can add nicer stocks, some engraving...some other stuff...and that $300 gun can get close to $1,000 pretty quickly.

 

Make it a sem-auto...and $1,200...$1,500...even $2,000 isn't impossible to see.

 

Go to an Over/Under...you can get on the boat around $500...again add nice wood, better engraving...stepped ribs, screw in chokes...$1,000 goes by in a hurry, $2,500 is easy to get to and $5,000 isn't unheard of.  Add a custom stock and you can see $7,500 easily...add hand real (not rolled and chased) engraving and tens of thousands of dollars is easy to get to.

 

Same with SxS shotguns...I've seen and shot some guns that'd pay for a couple college educations, a decently equipped car.

 

Where's the sweet spot on the curve?  Where the gun fits you and shoots where you look without you having to conform yourself to the gun.  That's mostly stock work...and you could probably get there with a decent starting gun and custom stock under $2,000.  After that you're mostly paying for either artistry or exclusivity, IMO.

 

Does a custom built shotgun make you a better shot?  Absolutely.  It's not debatable by anyone who is credible.  It it worth the money?  Probably not, IMO, for most shooters.

 

Same thing for fishing equipment...but probably more so...again, IMO.  I own some expensive rods, some mid-priced rods and some cheaper rods.  The cheaper rods...just aren't as nice as the mid priced rods...do they work?  You bet.  Do they catch fish?  Every day.  Are they as sensitive or as effective as the mid-prided rods?  Not for people who have learned to utilize the differences.  Same thing for the jump to the expensive rods...only it's even harder to get the bang for buck out of them.

[blckshirt98]

The main benefit I think is in the angler's confidence.  A good fisherman will catch fish on cheaper gear, but the a bad fisherman will have a tough time catching fish with the best gear.  Sure there's some differences in weight and sensitivity, but nowadays the quality and features in lower priced gear would put top of the line equipment from 20 years ago to shame.

[K_Mac]

On 1/1/2017 at 8:25 PM, iabass8 said:

350% more

 

I think this may be a little high...or low, depending on the fisherman ?.

 

There is a real difference in high-end gear and entry level. The middle level gear has improved so much over the last few years that it is perfectly adequate for all skill levels. My budget doesn't allow for high-end gear and I do quite well without it. That doesn't mean that I don't appreciate the difference. High-end gear is a luxury, and like luxuries the world over, not necessary but nice if you have the means.

[Deleted account]

You apparently CAN have your cake, and eat it too, as long as you pay more for it...

 

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_7VEWTbe5lU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[soflabasser]

On 1/1/2017 at 9:11 PM, crypt said:

amen to the above. most of my reels are at least ten years old. have 4 that are newer but my older ambassadeurs are what I use most. as far as rods go what soflabasser said is perfect.

 

Thank you.I learned a long time ago that expensive rods/reels wasn't what I needed to succeed in bass fishing ,what I really needed was to put my time on the water and apply what I learned to improve my bass fishing. There is a man from Georgia who is known for catching over 1,100 bass over 10 pounds each and his biggest bass was well over 18 pounds,with 6 bass over 15 pounds each. His favorite rod/reel combo was a Ugly Stik/Ambassador 5500C, which he mostly fished buzzbaits with.