Scratches and Paint Chips on Equipment

[NYWayfarer]

23 hours ago, J Francho said:

In my experience, bank/shore fishing is rough on gear. You’re always setting your gear down and climbing around shore line cover. 

This is true. Most of the damage to my equipment has been on shore excursions.

 

I try to limit the amount of times my gear touches the ground if possible. I have been carrying 3 set-ups lately and 2 of those "Y" shape rod holders you stick in the ground. First thing I do when I get to a spot is plant those in the ground and lean the 2 set-ups I am not using on them. Better than leaving them on the ground to get dirty or stepped on.

 

Now if I can stop tripping and falling...

[redmeansdistortion]

On 9/8/2020 at 10:34 AM, J Francho said:

Take a stroll through the Flea Market to see typical wear on reels.

Or if you're lazy, look at the used reels on eBay.

[MidwestBassAttack]

I prefer to buy brand new gear and the only protection I use is a rod sleeve for at home and on the way to the lake. I learned that my gear is a tool. Do I trash it? Heck no. Do I allow it to get some religion? Heck yes.

 

like golf.....always put your money on the guy in jeans and a beat to heck set of clubs. Shiny equipment tells me your more into tackle than putting bass in the boat.

[evilcatfish]

I’m a stickler when it comes to maintaining and cleaning my equipment. That said, a little wear and tear is inevitable with use, and is kinda something to be proud of. 
 

On the other hand, I see people treat their equipment like crap and it really bothers me. If you are going to spend the money on nice stuff then take care of it. Same goes for homes, vehicles, or whatever else you buy 

[Byang98120]

14 minutes ago, evilcatfish said:

I’m a stickler when it comes to maintaining and cleaning my equipment. That said, a little wear and tear is inevitable with use, and is kinda something to be proud of. 
 

On the other hand, I see people treat their equipment like crap and it really bothers me. If you are going to spend the money on nice stuff then take care of it. Same goes for homes, vehicles, or whatever else you buy 

Agreed!

[JustJames]

As long as you take good measure to protect you reels. It just like everything else in life “s h i t happens” the first scratch would be hard to digest, after awhile you will get use to it. I don’t buy reels just to make them a shelf queen. If you buy a reel and don’t use them, it is only half of enjoyment.

Imagine, seeing your friend drop your brand new reel on a drive way, s h i t happens.

Another reason I don’t take a lot of setups with me when bank fishing, or have alternative reels for kayak and float tube.

[Tizi]

I try to keep my reels from getting rash by using covers when traveling and for the rods, sleeves.  Seems to work well, all of my stuff looks new.

[Marius]

Hi everyone! I used to have OCD on my fishing gear, and due to circumstances and life and whatever, I even had rods that never saw the water, they were brand new and sitting on the rod rack! 

Upon closer inspection, when I checked the rods this season, I realized that some of them make clicking noise around the guides when I flex them! Go figure!

 

Having said that, took my curado 200k out of the box, and in the first outing i smashed the cement with it, of course, the paint chips away lol. 

The ONLY valid reason to keep your gear scratch free is for resale value, but lets be honest, the value you get in return from resale is not justified for how much you need to baby this gear!

So instead I now have a strong and different opinion, and that is, to get a scratch on every single piece of equipment, the faster I do it, the better! Think of scratches as marks of hunting excellence! The more you get, the more memories you have! Etc.

Just enjoy and remember, this is gear that gets exposed to elements anyway, nothing to worry about! 

Good luck and I hope that you find peace with it!

~ Marius!

[garroyo130]

30 minutes ago, Marius said:

Hi everyone! I used to have OCD on my fishing gear, and due to circumstances and life and whatever, I even had rods that never saw the water, they were brand new and sitting on the rod rack! 

Upon closer inspection, when I checked the rods this season, I realized that some of them make clicking noise around the guides when I flex them! Go figure!

 

Having said that, took my curado 200k out of the box, and in the first outing i smashed the cement with it, of course, the paint chips away lol. 

The ONLY valid reason to keep your gear scratch free is for resale value, but lets be honest, the value you get in return from resale is not justified for how much you need to baby this gear!

So instead I now have a strong and different opinion, and that is, to get a scratch on every single piece of equipment, the faster I do it, the better! Think of scratches as marks of hunting excellence! The more you get, the more memories you have! Etc.

Just enjoy and remember, this is gear that gets exposed to elements anyway, nothing to worry about! 

Good luck and I hope that you find peace with it!

~ Marius!