Best catch on your cheapest combo?

[jrfuda]

I was at a Scout camp and we only had one rod/reel combo - which itself was a telescoping spincast job we probably spent $40 on. I made another rod out of a piece of PVC we found at our campsite using a little line from the telescoping combo, a bobber, split shot, and a hook. I gave this to one of the Scouts that used it for 5 minutes and decided he would check a real rod and reel out from the quartermaster because my PVC pipe would never work. I took the pipe and started fishing. No sooner was the scout on the bridge returning him to the side of the lake where the equipment shed was than I caught a fish - decent size rainbow trout (hatchery trout, dumb as a rock). He came running back and proceeded to catch two more over the next 20 minutes or so.

[kayaking_kev]

I caught multiple 3 lb. river smallies my first year of fishing, with a $10 Zebco 202 Combo, 5'6 ML - 2 pc. using a $1.50 Ozark Trail Minnow Lure. I still have it and it bombs light lures, but I tend to use my Conquest, Xtasy, or Custom X-Rays now, ?.

[CrankFate]

Several 20-25lb striped bass on a $20 ugly stick Shakespeare rod/reel combo, prespooled with red Cajun line on it.

[NYWayfarer]

I caught one of my biggest largemouth Bass on a Mitchell Avocet reel paired with an Ugly Stick. It was back when I bought 99% of my fishing gear from Walmart.

[lo-fi-hi-fi]

?

[Jaderose]

I was fishing a small pool at the bottom of a spillway with a cheap Shakespeare combo years ago and hooked a big ol' carp.  Me and her battled for probably .5 hour before I was finally able to get her up on shore.  She had to be 15-20lbs.  My most epic battle!  For all I know, she's still in there.

[Cravin]

I've got a lot of smiles out of these posts, It's times like these that have pushed us to upgrades and the best equipment money can buy. You can say "what's money got to do with fishing?" well nothing ...But Fishing has definitely got something to do with my money and I don't regret it!

[bulldog1935]

actually, most of the pushing that gets done on this forum is when people ask about high-grade tackle and platitude posting ensues.  The psychology of that result isn't real pretty.  

The topics of most threads are clean and simple.  Projecting is what messes them up.  At some point, everybody cares about how their gear functions, and what may improve the function - if not, I guess be proud of frugality blinders, and keep them on topic.    

 

On topic, a nice bass sight-fished on $70 ebay venerable Phillipson glass from the early '70s.  

ok, make that two.  

These guys were tricky.  They would not hit a fly dragging in the current - had to high-stick and drift.  

 

[TnRiver46]

I don’t guess it counts as a combo but I’ve tied line and hook to dock posts, tree limbs, and Powerade bottles many times and caught fish 

[Cravin]

On 6/28/2021 at 2:00 PM, bulldog1935 said:

actually, most of the pushing that gets done on this forum is when people ask about high-grade tackle and platitude posting ensues.  The psychology of that result isn't real pretty.  

The topics of most threads are clean and simple.  Projecting is what messes them up.  At some point, everybody cares about how their gear functions, and what may improve the function - if not, I guess be proud of frugality blinders, and keep them on topic.    

 

On topic, a nice bass sight-fished on $70 ebay venerable Phillipson glass from the early '70s.  

ok, make that two.  

These guys were tricky.  They would not hit a fly dragging in the current - had to high-stick and drift.  

 

An old Phillipson Fly rod eh? They were touted as the best back in the day, I know a little bout um! It's a great history ... Here is mine, It's a ultralight Phillipson Spin Fox.

[bulldog1935]

@Cravin

How about that same Phillipson patent seat matched with ball bearing Hardy Exalta?  

The rod is the last Phillipson ES65-R.  I've caught a few bass on this.  

I gave a Fly Fox FF66 to my friend Josh for his first glass fly rod.  

[Cravin]

Those are awesome. They look to be in excellent shape also. I take it out once in a while. My son get a kick out of fishing it. He is twenty-one and enjoys my old rods so they will eventually be his.  

[bulldog1935]

@Cravin 

Backing up, your combo is a beauty - keep fishing it.  

My white bass rod is a Phillipson E80 - uncatalogued just before Bill sold the company to 3M over his  health.  While most Phillipson 8' are 7-wts, this one is a true 6-wt, and a rocketship with a T130 sinking line.  

 

These are all 2-y-o males.  I released everything else, and caught the last 4 for my limit while I was letting my buddies fillet from my stringer.  

White bass are why I bought my first fly rod at 16 - 2nd purchase from my part-time job as a tire mechanic.  

I've given a talk on white bass fishing TX hill country reservoirs a few times.  

[WRB]

Old reels and rods today doesn’t mean they were cheap when new. 

My 1st reel was a Langley 340 Target followed by a 330 Lure Cast that cost under $20 new. The rod was a tubular light weight Conolon Live Fiber casting rod before Garcia bought them. $30* combo in the mid 50’s wasn’t cheep. My largest bass on this combo was 11 lb Lake Havasu Record in 1957.       

Tom

*$30 in 1955 today is over $900 today, would be my most expensive combo.   

[moguy1973]

Caught a 5lb flathead on a Barbie pole last summer.

[TheBasslayer]

I’m pretty sure I caught a 2-3 pound Bass on my 1st combo, which was a zebco 33 rod. It snapped my rod, but I still some how got it in! Don’t have a picture unfortunately.

[bulldog1935]

When we began snapping up great glass fly rods on ebay, they were as cheap as $15.  

Can I help it if I made a lot of money turning great old tackle that is still too good not to fish today?   Actually, all that went back into more great tackle, and no pontificating needed.  

 

I had a Heddon 236 spinning combo at 12-y-o that caught a 3-1/2-lb smallmouth in Lake of the Ozarks.  Could turn up that photo at my mom's house.  Sweeping that same family vacation trip west into Wyoming, it caught rainbows.  Horrible reel with hammer bail closure, but a great outfit to learn casting.  I wouldn't wish my first fly reel on anyone, but when they turn up on FFR with fans, I keep my lip zipped.  

 

Here's one of those $15 ebay snags.  First time I sold this 7' Heddon 8381, it was for $45, and to Cameron Mortensen (Fiberglass Manifesto) - it became his first glass rod.  If you had one to sell today, with its internet fame, it would sell for about $225.  One of the most perfect Appalachian blue line rods.  

 

[Run2jeepn]

Son Caught a Black Tip in Florida with an Old Daiwi Spinning Reel on an Old Ugly Stick. With a Flounder rig tied on. 

 

Mine would properly the short 4'8 Ugly Stick UL. Picked it up on sale. I use it all the time to throw Small Roster tails and flies. Caught a few Bass over 4lbs on it. Then 100s of Crappie and White Bass. It's great for bank fishing around a lot of trees.

 

 

[MN Fisher]

On 6/25/2021 at 11:44 AM, PaulVE64 said:

Indeed, anything caught on a pocket fisherman earns you  double bonus points 

Relive the good old days for only $30

https://www.amazon.com/Ronco-Pocket-Fisherman/dp/B094RTCYJ6