Observations On High-End Equipment

[roadwarrior]

The Ugly Stick thread got me thinking about some specific aspects of

the so-called "high-end". When I review my gear, a couple things stick

out:

If I include a panfish rod, I have a total of ten rigs. Only four of the rods are what I would classify as high-end, the others are just in the "moderate" price range. On the other hand, all of my reels are relatively expensive.

It seems to me that the rod is the most important part of "catching" fish, but the reel is what makes "fishing" more enjoyable. My best rods are used for soft plastics, jigs and live bait. For "moving" lures, good rods, but less expensive equipment is what I have collected. Yet, for moving lures, a strong, smooth reel is particularly important.

I have often thought that I would replace my "all-around" St. Croix Avid AC66MF with a more expensive stick, but over time I have come to realize it is just perfect for topwater and jerkbaits. So, rather than replacing this universal piece of equipment, I have instead bought other moderately priced "technique specific" rods. I have added a Avid AC70MM for small and medium weight crankbaits and a Lamiglas SR705R for heavy treble hook lures and deep divers.

At the top-end, for jigs I fish a G.Loomis GLX MBR844C; for soft plastics a St. Croix Legend Elite ES70MF and for live bait and monster smallmouth, GLX PR844S. I also have a EC70MHF which I use for large spinnerbaits and Mattlures Baby Bass, but I found it during Reed's sale last fall, so the price was right!

The bottomline is this: Whether the rod is moderately priced or high-end, it's still matched up with what I consider the ideal reel for that combination. I am a HUGE fan of high-end reels in every case.

8-)

[Masshole Mike]

i have a friend that just can not understand spending over $30 on a combo for fishing. he has an ugly stik combo he got at walmart that he uses for everything. on the other side, i've got 5 fenwick rods, ranging in price from $60-$200, and 5 reels (a president, a supreme, a revo s, a revo sx, and a shimano sahara) ranging in price from $40-$160. now, i fish a LOT more than my friend does, between 3 and 5 times a week, but even still he can't see how i can spend so much money on rods. i try to explain to him the various reasons but he just doesn't want to listen.

the other day i brought another friend fishing with me, a friend that hasn't bass fished since he was about 10. he just bought a $30 shakespeare combo at walmart and spooled it with 8lb yo-zuri hybrid. he kept complaining that he was getting twists in his line, and that the line sucks and this and that. i told him it most likely wasn't the line, but the reel causing the line twist. i handed him my eagle gt/pflueger president combo and told him to fish that for a little while. he took one cast and started dragging the trick stick across the bottom, and immediately said "wow..... i can't believe how much more you can feel with this rod!". "EXACTLY!" i said. then i handed him my hmg av/supreme combo and had him throw the same trick stick. "man, you can feel even more with this one. like, every weed and rock and stick the worm touches, you can feel it through the rod."

that right there said to me that my other friend just doesn't care to listen, because after one cast with a decent rod and reel i had a newbie detecting subtleties along the bottom of a lake he'd never fished before. that's what i feel is the difference between a cheap setup and a decent setup.

if you're like my one friend and an ugly stik will do it for you, then by all means, fish an ugly stik. i'll stick with my fenwicks though.  8-)

[aggiebassin]

i totally agree.  fishing with upper end stuff is great.  it spoils you.

(i won't say high end b/c i only consider 2 reels of my 6-7 high end, but my other stuff is good stuff)

i have friends that joke and think i'm dumb for spending as much on my stuff as i do.  my combos range from $150-$450 or so.  my friends do not listen when i tell them my reasons for spending as much as i do.

my main reasons are

1) i mostly fish plastics/jigs and want sensitive rods

2)i spend 150-200 on a reel and it lasts me years, they spend 30-50 and get a new one every year b/c something breaks....as much as i fish, low end stuff will not hold up

3)better stuff just makes it more fun and less work

[muskyxl]

I can only speak for myself, but I think my overpriced gear and the dodge dually are to compensate for my "shortcomings" :-[

...but I wouldnt have it anyother way!!

[Alpster]

It seems to come up about every six or eight weeks somewhere on the forums. It's either "Ugly Stick" bashing or "G-Loomis" bashing, but for some reason, there seems to be a fishing gear 'class' war.

I chalk it up to where people are in life. For young folks who are struggling to put gas in their car to get to a part time job while trying to get through school, or a young family getting started, it is indeed foolish to spend big bucks on 'high end gear' for fishing. However for some of us older guys who have already worked through all that stuff and had 30+ years of work time, paid off their house, had years to save and invest, a higher dollar rod or reel is not such a stretch.

I just hope that wherever you are in life, you don't feel like you have to defend yourself. No matter what you fish with, a willow branch or a diamond studded custom, you are welcome on my boat. Just keep on fishing.

Ronnie

[Redlinerobert]

Amen Ronnie.  

I'm a tacklye junkie.  I think many of these pieces I buy are just cool to look at.  I often find myself going out to the garage, hopping int he boat and just diddling with my gear.  ...and no I don't make "boat noises" while in the boat....

Bottom line guys, fish don't care what you spent on your tackle either.  

[wagn]

It seems to come up about every six or eight weeks somewhere on the forums. It's either "Ugly Stick" bashing or "G-Loomis" bashing, but for some reason, there seems to be a fishing gear 'class' war.

I chalk it up to where people are in life. For young folks who are struggling to put gas in their car to get to a part time job while trying to get through school, or a young family getting started, it is indeed foolish to spend big bucks on 'high end gear' for fishing. However for some of us older guys who have already worked through all that stuff and had 30+ years of work time, paid off their house, had years to save and invest, a higher dollar rod or reel is not such a stretch.

I just hope that wherever you are in life, you don't feel like you have to defend yourself. No matter what you fish with, a willow branch or a diamond studded custom, you are welcome on my boat. Just keep on fishing.

Ronnie

x2

great post.

I'm the only income in my family w/ a 10 month old son. Fishing is a priority for me, and i try to get the best gear that i can. with that said i have some real nice stuff, some decent stuff, and still a couple of lightning rods. I use the best gear I can. not because i need to, but because i like it.  However i'll still fish with the cheap stuff for some applications because i can't afford right now to spend as much as i'd like to

[.ghoti.]

Thanks, Redline. I just got a nice chuckle from the image of you sitting in your boat, playing with your gear, and making boat noises.

Priceless! ;D ;D ;D

[FishTank]

I sort of look at this way, I would rather invest $200 in a rod I can depend on, that is more sensitive and has a nice lifetime warranty than a rod that is $40 that I might be second guessing.  

To compare two rods from the same company, there is the St. Croix Triumph and the St. Croix Avid.  The Triumph retails for around $40-$60 and the Avid for about $160.  The Triumph I had was junk and the Avids I have are a quality, middle of the road, rod.  Sometimes the old adage is true, you get what you pay for.

Also, I have mentioned this before when I here people talk about highend/expensive equipment but here it is again.>  On average most people spend about $1000 on a computer and $20 a month on internet service.  If you can't afford to spend the cash on a quality rod and reel then what is the thought process on a computer and internet service.  If I had to choose, the computer and internet service take a back stage to my fishing.  

[Micro]

Equipment is what you make of it.

[Jake P]

Amen Ronnie.  

I'm a tacklye junkie.  I think many of these pieces I buy are just cool to look at.  I often find myself going out to the garage, hopping int he boat and just diddling with my gear.  ...and no I don't make "boat noises" while in the boat....

Bottom line guys, fish don't care what you spent on your tackle either.  

I am the exact same way.Il get up and open up all my tackle n rods n reels and just mess with them for about 30 minutes or so and then im good. I do this about every 2 days. If i walk past a rod i always pick it up and make a few air casts for fun also.

          I agree with what Ronnie said, whats good for YOU is what you can afford and what helps you reach your goal of catching fish. Dont buy something because someone else has it, buy it because you want it.

[Catt]

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

[tkite16]

It seems to come up about every six or eight weeks somewhere on the forums. It's either "Ugly Stick" bashing or "G-Loomis" bashing, but for some reason, there seems to be a fishing gear 'class' war.

I chalk it up to where people are in life. For young folks who are struggling to put gas in their car to get to a part time job while trying to get through school, or a young family getting started, it is indeed foolish to spend big bucks on 'high end gear' for fishing. However for some of us older guys who have already worked through all that stuff and had 30+ years of work time, paid off their house, had years to save and invest, a higher dollar rod or reel is not such a stretch.

I just hope that wherever you are in life, you don't feel like you have to defend yourself. No matter what you fish with, a willow branch or a diamond studded custom, you are welcome on my boat. Just keep on fishing.

Ronnie

 

   That is very well said Alpster ,and remember folks Abu Garcia makes reels from $50-250.   :) ;D

[skillet]

I just want to know........ WHAT'S WRONG WITH MAKING BOAT NOISES?!?!? ;D...

                             As Ever,

                              skillet

[Micro]

I just want to know........ WHAT'S WRONG WITH MAKING BOAT NOISES?!?!? ;D...

                             As Ever,

                              skillet

Nothing - as long as you make them with your mouth.

[hawgchaser]

My wife thinks I'm crazy bc I sit on the couch every Sunday night, watching fishing shows and cleaning my gear. I organize my tackle e dry Sunday bc I am pretty sloppy when I fish.

[bass wrangler569]

I fish with the best stuff I can afford. I have $120 BPS extreme combos and I have $450 loomis/quantum tour combos.  I don't care what set up people are using or how much it costs. The only thing that bugs me is when people are like "Your wasting your money" and "That $200 dollar rod doesn't work any better than my $50 rod." Nobody should have to defend or rationalizes their equipment purchases to anybody else, it doesn't matter if it cost $20 or $600. The important thing is what it is worth to you.

[Tin]

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

X2 on that and what Micro said. Who would win, KVD with a $30 Shakespeare combo or a guy off the street with a Steez set-up?

[burleytog]

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

X2 on that and what Micro said. Who would win, KVD with a $30 Shakespeare combo or a guy off the street with a Steez set-up?

The answer is me in a dinkfest.

[Bass XL]

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

I nominate this for quote of the day.

[South FLA]

There is a point of diminishing returns, is a $250 rod  4x better than a $60 rod?   I don't think so, but its all in the eye of the beholder.  

When I first started bassing I was using lower end stuff, now I use higher end stuff some of it is much better, but I don't think it is so superior that it is can outfish the low end stuff.  

Simply put its what you make of it.  The bass on the other end of the line is what matters.  So enjoy your Ugly's or  your Loomis and catch a BERTHA!

[Captain Chaos II]

For me, I'm a casual-for fun-fisherman and don't do tourneys much.  I'm in it for the journey and high end stuff makes the total fishing experience more enjoyable even when you ain't catchin em' . in my opinion.  I grew up with crappy equipment and now being almost 40, I can treat myself with some nice gear(as referenced by Alpster).  Plus I plan on keeping the good stuff until I die so should get plenty of mileage out of them.maybe I'll get a matching gun metal Steez casket with TiSic Handles Comes in at 6 lbs. not trying to start any casket wars or anything ..  

RW is da man