Collecting gear is my hobby which I do not consider expensive. This is especially true today after

years of building my assortments. Everything I buy is an add-on, a want, not a need. My newest

project is adding a few custom rods over the next several years.

 

 

 

For you guys/gals that are newer to bass fishing, I want to give you a little input.

 

You absolutely do not need to have the best fishing equipment on the market to catch a bass.

 

Instead of spending beyond your means, just get the best that you can afford.

 

Most of the equipment made nowdays is pretty decent so you will be just fine.

 

 

JT Bagwell

@BagwellFishing

I followed this advice right up til the time I stopped fishing 15 years ago.  Now that I've taken up the sport again, my gear is still fully functional and ready to use.

Being on a bass forum isn't any different than a trout,stripper of smb forum, many of those members feel they have the toughest most battling fish to contend with, best gear is a must.  Some people try to be "pc" no wanting to hurt some one's feeling.   Seeing  post of a 2# bass with declaration of it hiitting like a freight train in my neck of the woods is laughable, then sayiing it REQUIRED an $800 oufit to find it, then land it just adds to the non sense of it all. Collecting is fine but more fun? Any fish I catch even a 10 pound ain't no big deal if standing in one spot not having to run it down on foot 100yds or more.......that's fun!  That fish can easily be handled on a $50 reel ans sub $100 rod, done that many times, actually that's what I"M looking to catch.

 

I not only fish for bass ( I do enjoy it) but many other species too, as my friends do.  I get confused with the problems catching bass, my saltwater fishing mates don't discuss problems, mainly because our junk handles what fish we catch, knots other than the FG hold just fine, lines don't break, nor do hooks get straightened out.

 

Locating fish and  landing them are  a result of expertise, not better rods and reel, the real fun is catching fish.  I personally measure my succsess by how much fun I"m having, not by the size.

This is a fun topic to talk about because everyone loves new gear and all that. My rods and reels are probably worth more than the boat they are strapped to. Ive got combos worth 400+ dollars and last weekend I caught the biggest smallmouth of my life on a quantum 1310 and one of those free gander mountain rods. My bro laughed at me when I pulled it out but that thing casts a mile and the rod walks a spook like its on autopilot. New gear and everything is fun but when it comes down to if you really had to you could probably do 90% of your fishing with an walmart special spinning rod combo. 

True, its more about how you look than what gear you are throwing... I mean if your not wearing a jersey you probably aren't catching any fish. Don't leave the jersey at home guys.

 

That was hilarious. It really made me laugh.

Some really good comments on this thread.

 

I agree with what several people said about some of the super cheap stuff being a pain in the butt.

 

For conversation sake, I would say $100-$200 is a good entry level combo and $200+ would be what I

would start calling higher end gear. Most of mine retail for around $300 each. Prices now days can obviously

way higher than that.

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

  ^^^^  This^^^

That was hilarious. It really made me laugh.

Thanks, I really do appreciate your post. It is completely ridiculous what some people think they need spend to have more confidence. Especially beginners. 3ea. Curados/Tatulas > 1ea. Chronarch/Aldebaran/Steez any day of the week.

A word often used in discussions is confidence.  If I catch nice fish with an xyz lure or this rod and reel combo, what I have is a coincidence.  The timing of casting in the right spot at the right time just lined up perfectly.  Why do we not catch a 10# bass every time we go, the 1 pounder just got to the lure faster.   If using a $20 lure with a $400 rod, then another 300 bucks for reel( don't forget some super duper line, which is a must of course) was a guarantee of better quality fish, based on that thinking one should break their personal best every time they go fishing.