3 hours ago, Crankin4Bass said:

I think you're right about inshore rods. Do you prefer them because they have a more moderate taper? I'm starting to not like xf bass rods. What models do you have?

They are Okuma Epixor . I bought one because it had a nice beefy foregrip , thats where I hold the rod . It just feels good , I cast well with them . I have 7 foot mh for spinnerbaits and such . 7 foot hvy for a worm rod .

18 hours ago, waymont said:

Who feels bad about their gear?

Besides guys with Quantum reels?..

17 minutes ago, BassWhole! said:

Besides guys with Quantum reels?..

I don't know about Quantum reels, but I just bought a Quantum Graphex casting rod at Runnings (M/H).  I haven't gotten a chance to use it yet, but I've got it rigged up with a Black Max reel and it casts beautifully and I love the feel of it (and of course it was really cheap).

I had purchased an Ugly Stik Elite online from BPS and I hated it as soon as I took it out of the tube. It felt like it was made of lead.  Luckily the coating came off the tip of the rod and I was able to return it for a refund.

12 minutes ago, billmac said:

I don't know about Quantum reels, but I just bought a Quantum Graphex casting rod at Runnings (M/H).  I haven't gotten a chance to use it yet, but I've got it rigged up with a Black Max reel and it casts beautifully and I love the feel of it (and of course it was really cheap).

I had purchased an Ugly Stik Elite online from BPS and I hated it as soon as I took it out of the tube. It felt like it was made of lead.  Luckily the coating came off the tip of the rod and I was able to return it for a refund.

Most Quantum rods are very good and underrated. I have a couple I use a lot.

2 hours ago, BassWhole! said:

Besides guys with Quantum reels?..

Picking on poor @A-Jay now? Tsk-Tsk

How many variations of this thread do we need?

8 minutes ago, microotter said:

How many variations of this thread do we need?

That’s a calculus-3 level answer.  
 

there’s a version of it on every forum on the internet.  Cooking tools, knives, cars….

1 hour ago, PhishLI said:

Picking on poor @A-Jay now? Tsk-Tsk

I know ~

I am So Hurt right now . . . 

A-Jay

Something not mentioned yet is the warranty a specific rod or reel may have. I’ve damaged some rods over the years and even though they were all past their replacement warranty, after I contacted the supplier and informed them of the problem, they either offered to replace them or attempt to fix them at a reduced cost. A good company with top notch customer service is important to me.

5 hours ago, billmac said:

I don't know about Quantum reels, but I just bought a Quantum Graphex casting rod at Runnings (M/H). 

I have one and had no problems with it . Light weight and I havent broke it .

On 7/3/2021 at 12:46 PM, PhishLI said:

I believe this notion about what people think about other's gear is a navel gazing internet phenomenon that spawns the comments that ensue in threads like the current Megabass topic. In the actual world, I don't believe anyone gives a crap about what someone else fishes with. They care about catching their own fish and could care less about how anyone else does it.

I feel bad about your gear?

My gear is beautiful. Go get lost in Green Acres @PhishLI?

My first big leap was a $99 Citica Bantum CU200 (which I still have) and it retired every low cost reel I had. I would re-tie everything to that rod just so I could fish it. That was the end of inexpensive BC's for me. All my Spinning combo's are lower shelf Diawa's, Pflueger's and Shimano's but they are not considered cheap in my eyes.

I always wonder at reports of broken rods.  I've broken several rods through carelessness over the years, but I can't say I've ever had a rod break when I was actually fishing.

1 hour ago, billmac said:

I always wonder at reports of broken rods.  I've broken several rods through carelessness over the years, but I can't say I've ever had a rod break when I was actually fishing.

Higher end, faster rods are more likely to fail when they are improperly loaded beyond their capacity. High sticking, boat flipping big fish, and bottom snags are usually the aggravating causes, but not always.

here's the math - add up the number of inexpensive combos you would consider combining to swap for a higher-grade combo.  

1 hour ago, bulldog1935 said:

here's the math - add up the number of inexpensive combos you would consider combining to swap for a higher-grade combo.  

Can't divide by 0...  

 

I remember not even a decade ago, I felt very uneasy about potentially spending more than $100 for a rod or reel.  Like many here, I'm a man of modest income and when I see something I really want, I squirrel away a little money here and there until I have enough to get it.  I've had other more expensive hobbies than fishing, like high performance cars, PC gaming, and hifi stereo, all of which make fishing an outright bargain, even when buying higher end gear.  The fact of the matter is, any hobby can be a money pit if you so choose, you have the choice.  It doesn't matter what it is, if you're overly enthusiastic, you're probably going to spend money or test your patience waiting for a nice deal to come up on whatever it is you've been longing for. 

 

There's no sense in belittling those that make the choice to spend their money on higher end gear or more budget friendly gear.  We all earn our money and make our decisions.  Some of the most proficient fishermen I know never cared to buy anything more than Ugly Stiks and blister pack reels that are found at the big box stores.  Do they criticize my affinity for beautifully crafted gear?  Never.  We go out and fish, and much of the time they are catching more than myself.  Bottom line, we are all having fun no matter what, and that's what fishing is all about.

I buy high-end gear because it makes fishing more enjoyable.  For bottom-contact baits the sensitivity is much, much better and I feel it results in me catching more fish which makes the overall outing more enjoyable.  I also enjoy the smoothness of my high-end reels and the casting distance they provide.  I know I could be just as successful with gear half the price of what I use for some presentations but the bottom line is that I like fancy reels and light, sensitive rods.  

 

 

On 7/3/2021 at 9:17 AM, MN Fisher said:

I'm still waffling over upgrading my two remaining Aird-X rods - they perform well and my Furys don't seem that much better to justify the $65 difference.

Strictly from a "how it fishes" point of view, I like the Aird-X better than the Fury head to head irrespective to price. I saw the "Inshore rod thread" earlier, and to me the Furies remind me of an inshore rod, overbuilt, and a deep bend down the blank, not a bad thing for a lot of situations.

Back in the day, I used battery operated drills. They were nice. They were expensive. At some point, I realized that my arm hurt, there was no torque and the battery died. Today, I use a plug in electric drill. I rarely drill anything outside. There’s no problem with a cord. The torque is at least 10x more powerful. The battery never dies. I’m not leaning my whole body into it to get a screw in the wall. And it cost 10x less. Having the right tool for the job is more important than how fancy it is or what special technology it has. The cheap electric drill is a much better tool. I know that in most cases it’s the same with fishing gear. 

I'm mostly a Dobyns rods and Lews reels nut. If I lost them all today, I wouldn't have a single problem with replacing them with Aird-X rods and Black Max casting and Trion spinning reels, nor would I miss a beat.

Not manufacturer, not guide, not bass pro, not forum member is going to tell me where my limits are.  

If I start with a Black Max, by the time I'm done, it will contain the parts that will optimize its performance in the niche I put it into.  

OK, I guess you gotta stick with manufacturer's rod ratings.  

Buy once cry once. Snap on tools last much longer than kobalt even though kobalt are decent. I guess it's a matter of how much you use your equipment that equates to it's longevity. If I died tomorrow my daughter would get some really good gear. When she is older she'll hopefully realize how much awesome equipment she has that will still be working.

21 hours ago, waymont said:

Go get lost in Green Acres

I'd rather dance in the middle of the Southern State, thank you.

I'd estimate I burn through north of $1000 worth consumables (baits, line, terminal tackle etc..) per season which is only about 4 months here. That's not even getting into gas and money for boat related stuff.  Fishing's a pretty expensive hobby. When looked at like that, high quality, high end rods and reels that will last for years and can be sold for decent money after years of use it doesn't seem as crazy.