Did I Pick The Right Stuff?

[astaf]

thanks for the advice everyone, i used the setup today and ended up catching 2 decent size bass 2-3lbs i guesstimate.

[Raider Nation Fisher]

C'mon boys.

I have been "collecting" gear for 14 years (1997). I don't fish anything I bought those

first 5, but I will fish stuff I have accumulated for the last 10 years for the rest of

my life. I wish someone had given me some straight forward advice in those early years.

Buying better equipment saves thousands, maybe tens of thousand of dollars over time.

Asking for advice after he fact is like being "just a little bit pregnant". The poster

responded positively, he took no offense, why would a few of you? I hope everyone, new

or experienced, would seek advice before making a "major purchase" whatever that dollar

price means to you.

Wish someone had told me this when I first started fishing. Would have saved me a small fortune over the past four years. Yet you live and learn.

You know I kind of wish I had discovered Calcuttas before last year. That in and of itself would have saved me a fortune. Instead of having fourteen medium to high end reels, I could have just bought fourteen of them and been done with it. Now I'm having to scrimp and sale stuff off, to make that happen. Oh well as long as I'm catching em, I can't complain to much.

[hatrix]

I have 5 junky spinning reels I got from a flea market that I got for dirt cheap and I use them all the time. I have been hard up since since my gear was stolen this year so I just gotta make due. The fish don't seem to care how good or much my set up cost. The line I put on them costs more then I even paid for it but they keep catching fish so i'm in no rush to upgrade at the moment.

[Avid Angler FL]

thanks for the honesty, i guess I am just gonna have to use what i got and make it work

Hey don't let folks getcha down! We've all gotta start somewhere, right? If it seems like a good setup right now then it's good! As long as you're comfortable with it and it meets your personal expectations then it's a good choice! You can always upgrade later on, and if you ever need advice on baits, presentations, techniques, or anything else related to bass fishing, or fishing in general, don't hesitate to ask!

[Grey Wolf]

You only feel this way, because you make the same rude remarks all the time. You however have a little more wiggle room since you are not a MOD of the site. Bad form on RW's post.

You are going to fall off of that box some day .

[K_Mac]

I'm all in favor of giving your honest opinions of a product that you've actually used, however there are many here who insist on talking trash about gear they have NO experience with and belittling new forum users when they ask for opinions. That's what I have a problem with.

To tell a new forum user that his question regarding his new gear is "absurd" is downright rude and in extremely poor form, especially when it comes from site staff.

I completely agree. Being civil and honest are not at odds.

RW is absolutely right when he says that doing the research to buy good quality the first time will save money in the long term. There are many opinions of what "good quality" means though. I think a BPS Pro Qualifier baitcast reel bought on sale for $80 is a very good value. RW would disagree. My point is we each have to figure out what works best at a price we are willing to pay. I would rather have 10 outfits worth $200-250 each, than 2 or 3 high end combos. A compelling case could be made that the 2 or 3 would be money better spent. Thank goodness for the choices.

astaf welcome to the Forum. It is a great place to learn about bass fishing and spend some time.

[slonezp]

Practice with it and if it catches fish it works for you. No it may not last ten years but most of us upgrade rods and reels often. As you get more into the sport and gain more knowledge you can upgrade again. If you went with the board recommendations we would all be fishing Shimano . Just practice as someone else stated

The rod/reel combo is a tool. Nothing more, nothing less. A Milwaukee drill and a Ryobi drill are both tools that do the same thing. They both drill holes. The Milwaukee is made better, it costs more but it will last longer, and make work easier.

Same thing with fishing gear. I've used cheap gear, average gear, and expensive gear. They all catch fish(DEPENDING ON THE FISHERMAN ) but are not all created the same.

[Diablos]

I still have my Mitchell Copperhead combo from like 18 years ago. At the time I felt I had a great combo that gave me confidence and all for $39. My 6 year old uses it today and loves it.

I don't post that much because I am a more diehard saltwater fisherman and any knowledge of freshwater I leave to those who know more. One of the reasons I do enjoy reading this site is it seems to be a hell of a lot less corrupted by internet arrogance than other hobbyist forums. We should try and keep it that way.

For many people a hobby shouldnt be like a crack addict chasing a better high. Not everyone needs the best of the best of the best to enjoy themselves.

[SirSnookalot]

I think there is a difference between being an elitist and and a enthusiast, the former honestly believes the highest priced gear improves the quality of fishing and enhances the experience, pure non sense. An enthusiast likes to keep up with technology, so for me I do not want a reel to last me a lifetime. Like Diablos I'm more of a saltwater fisherman, I can easily stay up with technology spending no more than $200 for a very decent saltwater reel, but buying stellas at 900 a pop I can't do that ( I'm also not out of mind either )