What tackle "means the most" to you and why....

[SWMIBASSER]

What tackle do you have that means the most to you, and what is the story behind it?

Mine:

My father had a 6'9 Daiwa Musky rod with a Abu 6500c3 on it.

It isn't something that was terribly expensive. I think the rod may have been $100-150 back in the early to mid 90's.

Some of the fish my dad caught on it, and the times we spent fishing together........I can't fish with it. Hard to explain, other than to say it's more than a fishing rod.

It's too bad when your a kid you don't truly value that kind of time like you do when you are older.

[Raul]

My dad wasn 't a fisherman, even though raised in a ranch he was the least outdoorsy kind of guy you can imagine so the last thing he would consider purchasing was any kind of outdoor gear.

Where I got the fishing bug is from one of his friends, he owned a huge ranch that had a small lake stocked with trout and from there I got this "illness" ( and I don 't want to get "cured"    )

The tackle that means the most for me is my first good reel & rod which I purchased with my hard earned first cash money: Abu Garcia Ambassadeur XLT PLus + Berkley Lightning rod ( back then both were anything but cheap ). I still fish with both.

[roadwarrior]

The Senko.

When I "discovered" the Senko in 1997, I became a catcherman.

8-)

[Rebel Angler]

when I graduated high school my grandpa gave me one of his fly rods. It's a G-Loomis 9' rod with a orvis 5/6 reel. This was one of his favorite rods and he took it with him all over the country fishin for trout, steelhead, smallies etc. This rod will always be my most special rod an I'll never sell it.

[Fat-G]

The Senko.

When I "discovered" the Senko in 1997, I became a catcherman.

8-)

Yep, same here.

[0119]

For years it was a Shimano Stradic 1000 on a Loomis GL2 ultra mag rod. My wife bought it for me almost 7 years ago for Christmas. This Christmas day it gets replaced with a 2500 CI 4 Stradic on a 7'2" Cumara rod. That old Stradic is worn out now but holds memories of many good fish including a 36" Snook caught on 6lb mono! Most of all its special because she bought it for me right after a long and difficult seperation.

[steezy]

Rat-L-Traps, the darn things catch fish anytime of the year, spring/summer/fall/winter, they are easy and fun to use and you can fish them on almost any combo.

Plastics (black) would be a very close second.

[Redlinerobert]

My Megabass Diablo Slant Bridge.  Less than 100 made for world wide distribution.  Thought to perhaps even be a mistake from the factory as production ended as abruptly as it started.  I don't use the rod much, but when I do, it's pure magic.

[RoLo]

What tackle "means the most"

My "Lowrance Depth Sounder"

Without it, I may never get to use the other stuff

Roger

[nubasser]

the plastic worm(always have one tied on)roboworm straight tail to be exact

[RobE]

I have an old ABU (pre-Garcia) red 5000 that I remember drooling over when I was 5 or 6. My dad taught me baitcasting on that old reel. Only once did I sneak it out of his shop to practice in the yard and put it back with a birdsnest. My whoopin' put a stop to that! Now, I get to use it whenever I want. Just don't get to fish with Dad much. Maybe my Dad means the most... 

[Bronzefly]

My Megabass Diablo Slant Bridge. Less than 100 made for world wide distribution. Thought to perhaps even be a mistake from the factory as production ended as abruptly as it started. I don't use the rod much, but when I do, it's pure magic.

That is a beautiful rod for sure and my most prized "collectors item" as well!

I would have to say the most "meaningful" items would be a few beautiful old balsa crankbaits my late grandpa gave me.  They were his favorites.

[bigtimfish]

The lure that means the most to me is a Smithwick Devils Horse. It was the first lure I ever casted. It caught fish when I was a little one and it still catches fish today. Now that I look back on it, my dad must have been crazy to let me throw that thing at such a very young age. All those trebles, I am surprised nothing bad ever happened.

[barroncooper]

I never leave the boat house without my watermelon red brush hogs, junebug finesseworms, watermelon red pearl zoom frogs, white buzzbait, any color senko, gold rattletrap, and last but definately not least... yellow magic

[brushhoggin]

i inherited an old 6' lew's speed stick. mounted with a green abu reel from the 70's. a good ole rod. priceless, givin its character, history, and origin.

[SWMIBASSER]

The other combo I wish I had was the one I caught my first fish on an artificial on.

It was a grey colored pistol grip rod with a rubber grip and no fore grip.

Had a Daiwa spin cast reel on it....

I was fishing with a small renowski perch colored minnow swimbait thing that had a willow type blade on it. Like a rooster tail but with a small soft plastic perch colored minnow body.

I even remember the lake and where at I caught it. It was a little 12" bass. I must have been about 8.

I wonder if others remember their first artificial catch.

[RobE]

i inherited an old 6' lew's speed stick. mounted with a green abu reel from the 70's. a good ole rod. priceless, givin its character, history, and origin.

brushhoggin - that's what my ol' 5000 is mounted on! A #4-16HSML to be exact. Oh the memories.

[westpalmfrogpunk]

I have an Team Daiwa S top water rod that my Mom bought me for my birthday more then 10 years ago. Its still in my arsenal and I have a two zara spook zell roland autograph editions that my dad bought for me on trip one time.  I take one out for few cast every now and then and I always catch fish on them. I really wish I could find a few these . I loved to just hold onto and put the ones my dad got in a nice display. 

[brushhoggin]

i inherited an old 6' lew's speed stick. mounted with a green abu reel from the 70's. a good ole rod. priceless, givin its character, history, and origin.

brushhoggin - that's what my ol' 5000 is mounted on! A #4-16HSML to be exact. Oh the memories.

aw man thats great. never fished with mine, i'm sure my grandfather has great memories of it. i'm keeping it put up in my display case

[Rangerjoe]

My Dad bought me a Shakespeare bait caster called a 1969 Super Sport. I still have that reel, in the original box.

my dad passed away a long time ago.

[guitarkid]

Probably my crankin' rod, It is an old Quantum heat. It came from my great grandfather who was a big time fisherman and reel mechanic in Missouri.

   -gk

[K_Mac]

For me it's a jig. The first one was a 1/4 oz black Arkie and a black #11 Uncle Josh Pork Frog. I didn't know beans from buckshot, but I had read that the pros used that jig and pig combo hopping it on the bottom near wood and rocks. Fortunately the fish did not know that I was clueless and bit the thing anyway. That was the beginning of my love affair with bass fishing. I don't reckon I'm going to get over it at this point, nor do I want to.

[SirSnookalot]

1/4 oz jig head hanging from an old fishing hat, caught my first big tarpon on it.

[DADto4]

The other combo I wish I had was the one I caught my first fish on an artificial on.

It was a grey colored pistol grip rod with a rubber grip and no fore grip.

Had a Daiwa spin cast reel on it....

I was fishing with a small renowski perch colored minnow swimbait thing that had a willow type blade on it. Like a rooster tail but with a small soft plastic perch colored minnow body.

I even remember the lake and where at I caught it. It was a little 12" bass. I must have been about 8.

I wonder if others remember their first artificial catch.

I do,

The Heddon torpedo was light blue on the head and clear on the tail, matched with a Zebco combo with a pistol grip rod. And yes I still have both as a reminder of how things used to be a whole lot simpler!

[Incheon Basser]

The other combo I wish I had was the one I caught my first fish on an artificial on.

It was a grey colored pistol grip rod with a rubber grip and no fore grip.

Had a Daiwa spin cast reel on it....

I was fishing with a small renowski perch colored minnow swimbait thing that had a willow type blade on it. Like a rooster tail but with a small soft plastic perch colored minnow body.

I even remember the lake and where at I caught it. It was a little 12" bass. I must have been about 8.

I wonder if others remember their first artificial catch.

I do,

The Heddon torpedo was light blue on the head and clear on the tail, matched with a Zebco combo with a pistol grip rod. And yes I still have both as a reminder of how things used to be a whole lot simpler!

I was five years old at digger O'dells at the lake of the Ozarks with my dad... i was jigging a white crappie jig off a rail road tie sea wall and caught a little pumpkin-seed sunfish and have been hooked ever since