Does quality of Rod/Reel matter?

[Largies4Life]

I will say that more expensive equipment does come with advantages. My brother has a baitcasting reel that he got for around $50, and a couple years later, it cannot cast more than 20 feet if you tried. And that's after loosening the tension and braking systems as much or as little as you want. This has obviously put a hinderance on his fishing capabilities, as we do fish a lot of clear water and without being able to make those extra long casts, I would say he is at a disadvantage compared to reels in the $150 range and up as we have not had any issues with those and have had them for years.

[CrankFate]

22 minutes ago, ResoKP said:

I'm not talking about diminishing returns here. Of course there's diminishing returns going up the price point and this obviously applies to every materialistic thing in life. It's redundant to even talk about it because it's implied in these types of conversations. My North Face jacket is $300 and my Mackage parka is $1,200. I didn't buy the expensive jacket because its 4x warmer. NOBODY buys it for that reason. But are there benefits? There's still lots of benefits.

 

What you said about no benefit to going above $300+ on rods is so far from truth it's not even funny. Again, think E6x vs NRX.

Also, difference between Toyota and Lexus is "almost entirely" psychological? Are you trolling?

I have a custom made extremely high end cashmere overcoat that costs more than a very nice bass boat (really) — it’s a little better than my $150 Ralph Lauren overcoat. 

[ResoKP]

As for reels, if you open up a $200 reel and a $500 one, at a quick glance, they look the same.

Where the money goes is in tighter tolerances, better materials for components such as gears, more attention to finer details like paint/finishing/clearcoats, which all typically leads to improved longevity and less failures.

To me haptics are generally improved as well. The gears feels smoother, there's less "play" in the handles/knobs, and overall less "plasticky" feeling which is nice if you're holding on to it for hours.

Majority of cost is really just overpricing and companies squeezing out extra $ from the enthusiasts because enthusiasts are willing to shell out for those bits of improvements.

[Josh Smith]

3 minutes ago, ResoKP said:

As for reels, if you open up a $200 reel and a $500 one, at a quick glance, they look the same.

Where the money goes is in tighter tolerances, better materials for components such as gears, more attention to finer details like paint/finishing/clearcoats, which all typically leads to improved longevity and less failures.

To me haptics are generally improved as well. The gears feels smoother, there's less "play" in the handles/knobs, and overall less "plasticky" feeling which is nice if you're holding on to it for hours.

Majority of cost is really just overpricing and companies squeezing out extra $ from the enthusiasts because enthusiasts are willing to shell out for those bits of improvements.

No reason one can't supertune. That's a lot of what you're paying for.

 

Regards.

[ResoKP]

4 minutes ago, Josh Smith said:

No reason one can't supertune. That's a lot of what you're paying for.

 

Regards.

Can definitely supertune reels to perform better than a stock more expensive one. Get a lot more of your money's worth.

Sometimes that's not a choice though. If you want a magnesium frame, or a more sophisticated DC braking system, gotta be willing to shell out the coins from the get go 

 

[roadwarrior]

I don't think so.  

 

KVD and most professional fishermen fish stuff I would not consider using.

"Better Equipment" is not so much about "catching", but more about enjoying

"fishing".  

 

 

 

 

[Choporoz]

What's the real question?  And which of us is your husband?

[J._Bricker]

Do both ends of the spectrum catch fish @Reprsntdc, absolutely. As mentioned above by other BR members, one end of the price point will get the job done.  As our equipment gradually gets better IMO we as fishermen become better with better equipment. I fish with the best equipment I can afford as most of us do,  in my case I believe it helps me catch a few more fish and further enjoy my time out on the water.

 

A rotary phone and the latest Android or IPhone all can make telephone calls....

[Boomstick]

I am going to say that in some situations it does not matter at all and in some situations, it matters a little bit. If the fish are chasing and biting hard, I don't think anyone of us is going to have a hard time detecting bites on a $20 Berkley Cherrywood rod, and as long as the rod and reel work as intended we can land those fish on cheaper gear.

 

Where it might matter is fishing finicky fish that aren't hitting your baits hard, a more expensive rod will transmit bites better than a cheaper rod. As others have said there are a lot of solid options in the $130-150 price range, going much past that may yield marginally better results at a very high cost, but at that point I'm going to wager the fish count remains about the same.

 

Likewise, if you have a poor reel that is difficult to skip or make certain casts with and spend time pulling out a birds nest, that's time where you could have potentially missed a fish.

 

1 hour ago, ResoKP said:

Also, difference between Toyota and Lexus is "almost entirely" psychological? Are you trolling?

It depends on which Lexus. Some of the models are made on an entirely unique platform and offer handling and stability that is not offered from a Toyota. Some of the models are simply rebranded Toyotas with a Lexus badge on it at a much higher premium at the end of the day yet the owners still pass you in the breakdown lanes and refer to you as "peasant" or "common folk" because all you can afford is the same 1981 Buick Electra that you bought in 1985 and have driven ever since. A better reference may have been Lincoln, as at one point every single Lincoln model was just a Ford with a Lincoln badge, but I think they may have a few unique models now.

[5by3]

No, quality of gear does not put more fish in the boat. The guys with top of the line rods, reels, electronics, and boats are often not the ones winning tournaments on my local bodies of water.

 

That being said, higher quality gear means more comfort and less hassles on the water. I personally fish a lot of gear in the $150-200 range and have no complaints. It’s what I can afford and what works for me.

[Deleted account]

Fish don't know how much your tackle costs. As long as it's functional, it will catch as well as "higher end" gear.

[MAN]

No in my opinion it does not matter.  But having said that I am happy to see so many responses saying "yes". That for me... is job security ?

[Shimano_1]

I dont believe anyone needs high end gear. I used to catch plenty on very cheap gear. However,  I feel that the rod sensitivity,  casting distance and smoothness of a reel, quality of line etc. All equate to more fish in some form or fashion.  I refuse to spend hundreds on a single rod or reel. I could afford to do so but I dont see that a 400 reel would perform well enough to justify the price when there are so many less than 200 that are good quality.  I usually spend about 200 bucks on a combo and I'm happy with my gear. My thoughts are also that I'd rather be able to buy 3 combos for 600 bucks than 1. I'm also of the belief that most people just tend to be more confident and feel better when they have what they consider quality gear! Pretty comical tho to hear someone act like warranty doesnt matter.  What made Loomis so popular?  I've always believed it was the whole buy a rod and have it for life. I fished cabelas rods for years but now that theyve done away with their lifetime warranty I'll be looking elsewhere when I need new ones.

[Smalls]

Higher end gear doesn’t put you on the fish. 

 

But you also can’t be on the fish if you’re at home with a broken reel. I’m a firm believer in not buying “budget” gear, because I’d rather spend $150 on a reel once than spend $60 twice. 

[soflabasser]

Too bad you can not buy skill, that you have to earn with experience and hard work which many people are not willing to do. As for having expensive gear I say go for it if it makes you happy just do not expect to out fish your buddy who fishes harder than you do with his ''cheap to moderately priced gear'' that he knows how to use very well.

7 hours ago, CrankFate said:

The quality of gear is not directly related to the price. The difference is Toyota and Lexus. Almost entirely psychological.

 

The only thing worse than buying something because of the price, is buying it for a good warranty. I always get a good laugh when people justify a high price because of the great experience they had when they had to use the warranty.

 

Once you you can buy any fishing rod you want—the fact that high end is not better starts to become more real.

 I have seen more Lexus on the side of the road having car problems and rarely see Toyotas on the side of the road. More people drive Toyotas where I live so it is surprising to see so many Lexus having problems. Maybe those Lexus owners do not take care of their car or it is not such a reliable car to begin with? 

[CrankFate]

57 minutes ago, soflabasser said:

Too bad you can not buy skill, that you have to earn with experience and hard work which many people are not willing to do. As for having expensive gear I say go for it if it makes you happy just do not expect to out fish your buddy who fishes harder than you do with his ''cheap to moderately priced gear'' that he knows how to use very well.

 I have seen more Lexus on the side of the road having car problems and rarely see Toyotas on the side of the road. More people drive Toyotas where I live so it is surprising to see so many Lexus having problems. Maybe those Lexus owners do not take care of their car or it is not such a reliable car to begin with? 

I drive a Toyota. Never had a problem with it.

 

There were only three times in my life I’ve resorted to a warranty. One was a laptop, one was a Nintendo-both were mishandled by my kids about 10 months after getting them. The other was my one year old Mitsubishi in 2002, when the O2 sensor broke, one week after I put a K&N air filter in it. Other than that, I’ve never used a warranty on anything. I take it back, I did get a defective BocaBearing that was replaced—so four times. That was the only thing I ever got that just didn’t work right (kept snapping back on the cast or spinning erratically on the first use).

 

I could add in my wife’s Dyson vacuum. She breaks every vacuum every year or two from excessive OCD vacuuming, so we trade it in and pay for a new warranty every time it wears out. (We don’t even have carpets)

 

when it comes to fishing, I have gear and decent skill—but there’s no fish here ?

[Manly Studson]

I think the answer is ‘yes.’ If all things are equal, better gear makes for better fishing. But, in my opinion, the gear should be much better in order to notice a difference. For example, I can’t tell a difference between some expensive house-brand rods and a Berkley Lightening Rod. But I can feel how much more sensitive a St. Croix Avid X is than a Lightening Rod. I also agree with others who have said that fishing quality gear is more enjoyable.

 

[the reel ess]

9 hours ago, redmeansdistortion said:

I've had two graphite frames fail on me, but I was float fishing for kings which fight much harder than bass.  The foot snapped off of both of them.  One was a Pflueger President baitcaster and the other an Abu Revo X baitcaster.  Outside of myself using them to bite off more than they could chew, they were fine reels for other smaller less fighty fish.

I hear you. Mine both got loose on the frames to the point the gears wouldn't always engage when you started reeling. The cheap frame just didn't keep it all aligned.

2 hours ago, soflabasser said:

Too bad you can not buy skill, that you have to earn with experience and hard work which many people are not willing to do. As for having expensive gear I say go for it if it makes you happy just do not expect to out fish your buddy who fishes harder than you do with his ''cheap to moderately priced gear'' that he knows how to use very well.

 I have seen more Lexus on the side of the road having car problems and rarely see Toyotas on the side of the road. More people drive Toyotas where I live so it is surprising to see so many Lexus having problems. Maybe those Lexus owners do not take care of their car or it is not such a reliable car to begin with? 

Lexus is Toyota

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10

3 hours ago, Shimano_1 said:

I dont believe anyone needs high end gear. I used to catch plenty on very cheap gear. However,  I feel that the rod sensitivity,  casting distance and smoothness of a reel, quality of line etc. All equate to more fish in some form or fashion.  I refuse to spend hundreds on a single rod or reel. I could afford to do so but I dont see that a 400 reel would perform well enough to justify the price when there are so many less than 200 that are good quality.  I usually spend about 200 bucks on a combo and I'm happy with my gear. My thoughts are also that I'd rather be able to buy 3 combos for 600 bucks than 1. I'm also of the belief that most people just tend to be more confident and feel better when they have what they consider quality gear! Pretty comical tho to hear someone act like warranty doesnt matter.  What made Loomis so popular?  I've always believed it was the whole buy a rod and have it for life. I fished cabelas rods for years but now that theyve done away with their lifetime warranty I'll be looking elsewhere when I need new ones.

They also don't have a $100 rod anymore. As expected, BPS has turned Cabela's into the WalMart of outfitters.

[GreenPig]

Fished with a guy for four hours the other night and 4 out of 10 cast he had to sit down and fight his over runs. His equipment is bargain combos and seem to perform as priced. 40 % of his cast were wasted.

[soflabasser]

12 hours ago, GreenPig said:

Fished with a guy for four hours the other night and 4 out of 10 cast he had to sit down and fight his over runs. 

Sounds like he is fishing with baitcasting gear which is well known for line tangles. That is why I prefer fishing with spinning gear. I rather focus my efforts on catching lots of fish than deal with bass baitcasters. 

[deadadrift89]

Regarding rods that I use for Texas rigs/Jigs. There's a huge difference in the way my GLX and Zillions transmit feel compared to a lower end rod

[Yumeya]

I started with a Ugly stick when I was a kid, they are good rods, very durable but lack sensitivity, then 

I got a fenwick, St Croix and eventually Gloomis and IMO it totally helps and sensitivity is a major 

contributor.

 

Action also helps, my crankbait rod is glass and it helps keep fished pinned.

 

   

[KP Duty]

The pros can win with any rod or reel, but they also keep a bunch of spares.

[Maxximus Redneckus]

I caught more fish in my childhood then i have in my adulthood.....from 4 yrs old till i was 16 or 17 all i had was a zebco  some plastics later i got a abu spinning reel and rod..nothing fancy but thing was i caught fish i had so much time and so many places to fish i set my own records back then some days 200 bass/bluegill/catfish/perch this was for about 12 yrs solid then i found out girls had a inny i was more interested in that after about 18 yrs old ....in general if u have the time and places to fish dont matter what u use all day fishing with a zebco on a good pond .u will.outdo someone looking traveling all.day to fish 1 hr 

[diversity210]

People that own expensive gear will justify it and those that only buy cheaper gear will justify it.  The point is that you can make and argument for or against anything.  You have to find what you are most comfortable with.  Dont just assume you have to spend a ton of money on gear, but dont just buy gear because its cheap either.  Dont listen to all the fanboys recommending expensive gear because they heard some pro angler sponsored by the company say they love it.  Trust me when I say a lot of people touting expensive gear do not own it themselves.  They just think expensive is where its at.  Find your balance where the performance and quality of the gear balances well with how much you spent on it.  That might be different for everyone.