Thank you everybody, I'm really enjoying the conversation!

Didn't read.

 

But a good spool/braking system will help you skip efficiently...leading to better lure placement.  Or just buy a spinning reel.

5 hours ago, Andy007 said:

 

Would you prefer to be a mediocre fisherman with fancy gear or a good fisherman with mediocre gear?

 

I would prefer to be a good fisherman with fancy gear.

On 4/18/2018 at 10:36 AM, Buffdaddy54 said:

Bare with me here, I'm home sick from work and bored out of my mind. I recently had a conversation with a coworker regarding the argument that a "better/more expensive" baitcaster will make me a better angler. I took the side that that is not always the case. I was a golf professional for 20+ years and gave 1000's of lessons and I can tell you from experience that the equipment used rarely made a person a better golfer. I wish I had a dollar for every time someone showed up for a lesson with a $500 driver and a $10 swing to go with it. My mantra was always "if your swing produces a certain type of ball flight I don't care what you have in your hand your going to produce that ball flight." Having a $500 driver just allows you to hit a $500 slice! Now on to baitcasters. My coworker wants me to believe that if I invest in an upper end Shimano, Lews,Daiwa,***, whatever, that my skills will get better. I don't buy it! I'm a firm believer in fundamentals, learning skills, practicing those skills, mastering those skills, then and only then do you upgrade equipment. Right now my casting skills are at a novice level, pitching and skipping skills are non existent. So how is a $250 to $300 baitcaster going to make that better?

What say you? 

Here's an example where it'll make you better:

 

When I got back into fishing, one of the first reels I bought was a Shimano Calais DC.

 

The Calais DC will absolutely help you eliminate backlash, and help you build the muscle memory you need to cast.  You will build accuracy, distance and even get better at close-up work.

 

Over time, you'll reduce the "help" you get from the reel, until, in the not terribly distant future, you'll pick up some non-DC reel...and find out your skills move right over to the new reel pretty darned well.

 

An expensive rod can have the same impact, but in a different way: it's probably gonna be lighter, better balanced, more sensitive, and more accurate, but that's another discussion.

 

Lighter and better balance translate to easier fishing...so you'll do it more often, and for longer periods of time...so you'll get better faster...

 

The increased sensitivity will have you feeling fish you'd never know about on a less sensitive rod.

 

...so, like the DC reel...one day, you pick up a less expensive rod...and the stuff you learned comes with you again and you're better for the dollars you spent.

 

Anyting that moves us faster along the learning curve benefits us.

On 4/18/2018 at 11:26 AM, LionHeart said:

For this reason, I would never recommend someone new to fishing to buy the cheapest setup possible.   Cheaper gear truly doesn't fish as well as gear at or above $100. Just like anything else,  start with lower -mid range gear.

One place I'd say this really made a difference was with fly fishing...$79 specials are truly awful, and you'll have a hard time developing a useful casting stroke with them...you'll fight the rod, you'll fight the line, the leader and the tippet will suck...

 

I'm not saying a beginner should go out and buy a full Orvis set-up for $1300...but if you want to learn the basics with any speed, cough up the bucks for a mid range rod, reel and line.

it makes you worse because they dont backlash as much

 

id recommend spending $100 or more on a Shimano or Daiwa for beginners. If the beginner knows that hes in for the long haul and money is not tight, a $300 JDM Shimano is my recommendation. I do not think a $300 reel will make the beginner better over the $100 reel but the smile will be bigger.

 

if the beginner spends $50 on a BC reel and ends up fishing for years into the future, that $50 will end up wasted when the reel collects dust after that person has upgraded. you will get more out of a $50 spinning reel IMO.

 

 

Depends on how cheap.  Real crap sucks, no matter how good you are.  I am a mid range guy. 

 

High-end reels & high-end rods aint gonna make you a better angler but they aint gonna hurt ya either!

 

To become a "better" angler we have to admit what kind of angler we are.

 

Ask yourself these questions 

Do you catch everytime you go out?

Of those how often do you limit out?

 

If ya aint catching it doesn't matter what tackle ya buy!

 

Y'all want to become a better angler?

 

Learn how to fish structure, with today's down scan/side imaging it's almost like cheating!

Location is most important.  However, IMHO the closer to the fish you get, the more important quality becomes.  Hook, lure, line, rod, reel, in that order. It baffles me sometimes that someone would use an inferior hook or cheap, stiff line on good gear.

Finding fish is far more important that getting them to the boat. I believe the rod has more impact once on fish.  The guys that cash checks are on fish more often and extra money should go to electronics.  That said, when not on fish, it is more fun to cast quality gear if you can effort it.

Some of the new reels can all but eliminate backlashes and casting is more fun that pulling out a birds nest. But.......once you spend an hr on a back

as, you will spend more time on your technique 

I've been fishing BPS Pro qualifier for 6-7 years.  They are the right combination of quality and price, especially during the spring classic for $79.  I wasn't' sure how deep I would get into fishing and/or how clumsy I would be about them going overboard so they fit the bill.  I clean, oil and grease every winter and do maintenance oil/grease every few weeks.  They serve me well and can do anything higher end reels can do.  I've also witnessed guys with $30 walmart rod/reel combos catch bigger fish than me so price means nothing.  Having said that I treated myself to a cleaning from @Delaware Valley Tackle this winter.  I was half tired of cleaning them and half wanting to find out how a professionally cleaned reel performed.  I was completely blow away by their performance and kicking myself for not doing it years ago.  I can't afford to have them professionally cleaned every season but I can do maintenance and get them done every other season.  So what's the benefit?  Yes they cast farther but that's not it.  The main benefit is they cast smooth as butter which improves my accuracy.  Being able to nail a target within 12-24" nets you so many more fish.  And it makes casting effortless b/c you use far less energy/strength all day. You can back off the brakes, cast smooth and nail targets.  Accuracy and less fatigue are the deal. They can both be achieved by professionally cleaning a 'budget reel'.

I don't think it makes fish jump in your boat, however there are small things that a higher end reel or different technology that would make it "easier" for you to to fish.  Like a certain reel maybe able to make it easier to skip, pitch, bomb a crankbait, bottom contact, moving baits...etc.  Definitely makes it more enjoyable to fish all day.  I have reels from BPS PQs all the way up to a Conquest.  One specific time last year where I was like, hrm I don't think I can fish lower end reels any longer.  This was a day I had my Chronarch MGL out with me and I had my Citica with me.  Although the Citica performed to what I needed it to do, the Chronarch was just easier to fish and less effort on the cast/retrieve.  I was also able to reach targets much easier than my Citica and literally had the urge to pick up my Chronarch MGL setup.  

We have all seen it before... 99% of the time its the archer, not the arrow. With that being said, it certainly does help people "enjoy" certain aspects of it more. My decision making process when buying equipment is where the threshold lies for equipment that will stand the  test of time. That's why I feel I get the best ROI on Calcuttas and Curados.

no it doesn't...............but if it's what makes You feel better about your style of fishing,then get whatever you want.