Where do you spend the money?

RMCatchNrelease · Post by **RMCatchNrelease** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 2:56 am

I was curious as to where everyone spends the most money when it comes to equipment. I have always been a reel man. Even when I could or should not have, I bought the best reels I could. The rod, line, and lures were always on the low to mid tier.

I have expensive JDM Shimano spinners on a Clarus rods. I have a custom Ito AI on a Falcon Buccoo. I load them with original stren I buy at Walmart.

Recently I have been buying some high end rods, floro, and I am not sure what I am gaining. Sure they are a little more sensitive and the sinking floro is nice for bottom baits, but I am not sure is is worth it. Perhaps this is the wrong place to discuss want vs need, but what are your thoughts? I feel that a mid level rod will perform well, where a mid level reel will let you down more than not. Especially if we are talking a spin reel.

My reel $ to rod $ is at least 2:1 more like 3:1

John Puckett · Post by **John Puckett** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 6:42 am

I also fall into the reel is more important category. My most fished combo is a Chronarch 101B (with Boca OS 7's & Carbontex drag) on a Clarus (older full cork) 7' MH spooled with 50# PP. I'll add a fluoro leader between 15 to 20# depending on what I'm planning to use the set up for that trip but the vast majority of the time I just fish straight braid to the lure. I feel that braid is a great "equalizer" so to speak in terms of sensitivity with rods.

Not that braid will turn a Clarus into a GLX but certainly you should be able to discern a bite from a rock or weed with it's help. Sensitivity is only one aspect of what a rod does though and braid can't help them all, case in point, casting. Braid can't help a rod "load and shoot" your lure. Usually the higher end the rod the better it is at this. This is really the one thing I miss from my higher end rods, the casting capabilities, not the sensitivity. Even the most "super tuned reels can't make up for this because no matter how far they cast on the lower end rods they will always cast farther on the higher end sticks, those are just facts.

Still in the end I'm all about the reels, I can't help myself. I've always been this way. Even though I have a few good rods and really love them I very rarely see a new high end rod that gets me really excited but it seems almost constantly I'm finding new reels I want.

uljersey · Post by **uljersey** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 9:33 am

I spread it out pretty evenly. Most of my gear is what would be considered (on this site at least) mid level at best, but it consists of many proven names and models.

For example - Falcon rods. I absolutely love them and apparently so do many others. They don't get the love and adoration, which is fine, but based on my experience with them they are a fine stick. 13 Fishing, St. Croix and Fenwick round out the rest of rod lineup - all of them more than suitable for what I ask of them.

My reel fleet is just about all Daiwa now - Tournament SS for the spinners and my trusty Sol (love that little orange reel to death)

My plastics and hard baits are fairly mundane - I culled all of the unproductive stuff out of my bag last winter and basically throw 4" Zoom finesse worms, Super Flukes and a generic 4" ribbed tube I get in bulk from an online supplier. That no-name tube alone has probably put more fish in my yak and flat bottom than all of the rest combined. I'm getting ready to order another 100

I will spend top dollar for critical things like line (Sufix is my line of choice), hooks and custom jig heads. I like being able to customize a jig head that I can't find elsewhere and it's actually much cheaper to go custom in bulk - you just have to be sure they're "the one"

Hogsticker2 · Post by **Hogsticker2** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 1:24 pm

I pretty much just told myself my max spending on any rod/reel was 250 bucks and have stuck to it. This doesn't include reel upgrades though. I will spend top dollar on the right line though. With my max budget things like magnesium reels and titanium guides are generally not obtainable, but I've grown okay with that. In my experience, once you reach a certain point things like sensitivity, etc. are so minor it doesn't matter all that much.

jeb · Post by **jeb** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 9:25 pm

If I had to choose, it would be the rod for sure. Sensitivity is what catches fish for me as I fish mostly bottom contact baits and often in 20+ feet of water. What feels vague and muddy on a mid-range rod feels crisp and clear on my NRX's. A high end reel adds nothing to sensitivity, IMO, but I have a bunch anyway. Except for the castability of my Calais DC's, I don't see any reason to spend more than the Core level of reels, though. I have Steez, MGX, Calcutta's, etc, but they don't help me catch anymore fish than my Core 50's and Gen2 Revo Premiers do. And the Core's and Revo's are easier to live with, in my experience.

Teal101 · Post by **Teal101** » Tue Aug 12, 2014 1:29 am

Generally equally. I have Megabass XX"s, Black Jungle, and Dobyns Champs and have TD-Z, TD-Ito, Steez, and Zillion Type-R plus Pflueger Patriarch Spinners on them. I do have some lower tier combos, but for the most part I spend about even on rod and reel, maybe leaning towards reel a bit more. As for lures, line, etc, I buy what catches my eye and what works for me. I know theres cheaper baits than a Senko, but it works for me.

africanbass · Post by **africanbass** » Tue Aug 12, 2014 2:22 am

On the reel for sure

Gladly fish with a $150 rod matched to a $600 reel .There are now plenty sub $200 rods that offer top performance.

njbasscat · Post by **njbasscat** » Tue Aug 12, 2014 9:30 am

My reels were usually more expensive but I've developed a MB rod habit the last couple of years and I've been selling off my Dobyns DX rods to make room. I have spent a small fortune on line in the past 8 years but have finally settled on mostly Suline Sniper for casting reels and Tatsu for spinning reels. But by far, my 2006 Bass Cat Puma gets the most money poured into it. The saying is true, a boat is a hole in the water that you pour money into. It brings me great joy so I guess its worth it.

SteveSchmelzle · Post by **SteveSchmelzle** » Tue Aug 12, 2014 9:56 am

for me it's rods.

I have a large number of curado's, with only 2 calais and 2 calcutta's.

rods wise, when 'bass' fishing, just about every rod I own is an NRX.

i've used some high end reels, and find they are just a pain in the butt.....

its true. once you use an NRX, all other rods seem like a sponge.

however, for me, a Curado will do just fine reel wise.

falcon · Post by **falcon** » Tue Aug 12, 2014 10:19 am

Rods>reels mostly
Line fluoro I found just waste my funds
But the boat trumps everything

zodiak311 · Post by **zodiak311** » Tue Aug 12, 2014 10:43 am

Rods, reels, lures > food, clothes, water

Something is wrong here...

IlliniDawg01 · Post by **IlliniDawg01** » Tue Aug 12, 2014 11:32 am

All the rods I own that I actually like had an MSRP between $100-$250 when new (Daiwa L&T Crankin, Cabelas XMLTi, 13 Omen, Fenwick Methods Travel, Cabelas MagTouch, Cabelas Tourney ZX Shakey Head, and a few customs I threw together). I didn't pay near regular price for any of them. Everything goes on sale within a year, so I just stay patient. I'm sure more expensive rods would be lighter and more sensitive, but I have a lot of success with these and don't feel ashamed about how much I spent on them.

As for reels, the baitcasters I like and use often all retailed for over $200 when new (TDS, Zillion, TDZ, T3 Ballistic, Viento, Lexa 300). I didn't pay near retail for any of these either and a couple were over 50% off brand new. I've never spent more than $60 on a spinning reel.

I guess I just look for value when I buy something. If I don't feel like I'm getting a great deal on it, I probably won't buy it.

If I were to decide to splurge it would be on a high end blank to build a custom rod for about $300 or for a super high end reel like a Megabass Lin 10 or Zillion Type-R with a PE Long Cast Spool. Spending $500+ for a rod just doesn't interest me. Fishing spinner baits on a whippy fiber-glass blank is plenty fun. If I were poor I would get an ugly stick lite pro, a used lower end aluminum Daiwa and throw beat up Terminator T1's and assorted clearance plastics all day and be perfectly happy.

In the end, having balance is the key to life. I feel like maybe I learned that from watching Karate Kid when I was about 10.

DaveJ

MaxZmus · Post by **MaxZmus** » Tue Aug 12, 2014 11:36 pm

I spend on the reels. There's just so much that can happen to a rod. A guide insert can pop out, slammed between doorways, getting stepped on, or even just breaking on hooksets. The action of the rod should match the size and weight of the bait and that's all that matters. A reel on the other hand will stand the test of time. You can drop it, step on it, or even ware out some parts but they can usually be replaced, but if the tip of your favorite $500 rod snaps its just not the same even when you have a new tip put on it.

Dexter · Post by **Dexter** » Wed Aug 13, 2014 12:41 am

I've got 3 in college.

Mnbasser · Post by **Mnbasser** » Wed Aug 13, 2014 5:19 am

Hogsticker2 wrote:I pretty much just told myself my max spending on any rod/reel was 250 bucks and have stuck to it. This doesn't include reel upgrades though. I will spend top dollar on the right line though. With my max budget things like magnesium reels and titanium guides are generally not obtainable, but I've grown okay with that. In my experience, once you reach a certain point things like sensitivity, etc. are so minor it doesn't matter all that much.

Pretty much this to a T for me. I've broken that rule of thumb with a couple of rods (NRX) when sensitivity is paramount but other than that I've stayed in that budget and plan on sticking to it.

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