Does an upper end Baitcaster make you better? 2024
Buffdaddy54 reply :
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?
roadwarrior reply :
I am not convinced that your rod and reel have a great deal of impact on "catching" fish,
but better equipment makes the "fishing" more enjoyable.
Jig Man reply :
No not in general it won't make you a better fisherman, however, I take my wife's friend's husband from time to time. His idea of equipment is Wally world close outs. At least half of the day he is busy picking out back lashes while I am casting. Decent equipment may not make him better at catching fish but at least it would give him more opportunity to do so. He is already skilled enough at picking out the birds' nests.
NYWayfarer reply :
On 4/18/2018 at 11:36 PM, Buffdaddy54 said: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?
Some of the higher cost baitcasters have features not available on your less expensive ones. After all a cheaper made reel has to sacrifice something to get the cost that low.
For example my Revo has a cast control knob that clicks with every adjustment. My cheap casters don't and it is a feature I am finding it hard to live without. Makes dialing in the fall rate of a bait so much easier and accurate IMO. I have yet to see this feature available on a reel less than $150
Does it make me a better fisherman...maybe. It gives me a certain amount of confidence that what I am doing is correct. I will cast better and accuracy will improve. I would say that makes me a better fisherman.
sully420 reply :
Yes and no, let me unpack this a bit. Once you have quality gear IMO for reels its around 150 bucks give or take and rods 100 bucks i think you can fish at any level. Go below that and you start to have problems that goofball your results. I think its really important to start with cheap stuff and work your way up to better equipment. That way you'll have a lot better idea of what improvements in your equipment you would like to make to have better results on the water. I catch way more fish having 5 setups I can afford then if I just had one set up that was top dollar.
CaptPete reply :
To a degree I think he's correct, specially with casting reels. I know I instantly became way more adept at light lures and longer casts moving from a BPS pro qualifier to a Daiwa Tatula CT. That move made major improvements in casting performance/consistency for me.
I've since purchased higher end reels... and there are diminishing returns there imo...
LionHeart reply :
Is higher priced gear better? I feel safe in saying generally yes, even though the price to quality/performance increase is far from linear after you hit the $150 range for a rod or reel.
Does using better gear make you fish better? I'd have to say again, yep, to a limited point.
But to say you can buy your way out of learning fundamentals would be the same as thinking the new pair of Nike's will add 3 inches to your jump shot. It don't work that way.
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.
Tywithay reply :
There can come a point with a cheaper reel when your skill will exceed the capabilities of the reel. I have a couple older abu silver max reels, and short of turning the brakes off, they are pretty much peaked out on distance. I can take one of my Zillions and achieve similar distance (or further) with very little effort. The technology in that Zillion is far superior to the old abu. It allows me to get better results with less effort.
Jelvas reply :
Better? Hummm... no! Happier? Definetly.
I catch just as many fish with any of my Curados as i catch with my Metanium, but i enjoy fishing my Metanium way more.
Dens228 reply :
I would say to some extent higher quality gear will make you better. Rods more than reels. Being able to feel the bottom, weeds, contours, light strikes will definitely help you. How expensive, not sure but I can tell you that when I switched from $60 rods to rods between $130-160 my catch rate went up.
The rod won't tell me where to fish and when but I can up my ability to fish the area well.
Choporoz reply :
Bait Monkey prevents me from being the least bit objective on this subject.
However....couple of thoughts - notes above about features, easier 'dialing in', better drag, clickers, not to mention less drop off in performance between maintenance...etc....all probably add some incremental improvement; similar thoughts about 'better rods' - getting the power and tip for your style of fishing is probably more important, but things like strike detection and hook-setting can be better with higher end rods.
One thing that I probably neglected more than rods and reels was line; as I got better line (that suited my fishing appropriately) I think there was more than just an incremental difference.
BaitFinesse reply :
On 4/18/2018 at 11:51 PM, NYWayfarer said:Some of the higher cost baitcasters have features not available on your less expensive ones. After all a cheaper made reel has to sacrifice something to get the cost that low.
For example my Revo has a cast control knob that clicks with every adjustment. My cheap casters don't and it is a feature I am finding it hard to live without. Makes dialing in the fall rate of a bait so much easier and accurate IMO. I have yet to see this feature available on a reel less than $150
Does it make me a better fisherman...maybe. It gives me a certain amount of confidence that what I am doing is correct. I will cast better and accuracy will improve. I would say that makes me a better fisherman.
A cc knob clicker is a cheap item. They are sub $60 reels with this feature.
Yudo1 reply :
I think it depends on how cheap of gear you're talking about. As long as the gear doesn't hinder your fishing due to malfunction, constant overruns and poor casting distance then you're fine. Higher end gear allows me to focus on fishing. My buddy goes the cheaper route and he spends more time picking out overruns and I consistently outcast him, but I'm not sure I catch more fish than him.
OCdockskipper reply :
Not only does it make you a better fisherman, it defines you as a better person. Just like the guy driving $100K Tesla with the "Impeach Him Now" bumper sticker who cut me off today, buying more expensive things shows that you are a better person. Smarter, better looking, less suseptive to marketing plans & advertising gimmicks, just an overall higher quality person.
A side benefit of buying the most expensive products available is that you no longer have to have respect for others or follow societies rules of etiquette. That is for all those other slubs...
NYWayfarer reply :
On 4/19/2018 at 12:52 AM, BaitFinesse said:A cc knob clicker is a cheap item. They are sub $60 reels with this feature.
Can you give me an example of a sub $60 reel with this feature?
I have a lot of BC reels that cost $100 and under from Daiwa, Pflueger, Quantum, Abu Garcia, Kastking and *** and none of them come with a cast control, spool tension knob that has a clickable adjustment.
Mobasser reply :
I still have and use some older round ABU casting reels. # 4600c is my fave. These are good reels, but are outdated my many new low profile models.I can fish as good as most guys I fish with, some better, who have the best gear. For me, I don't think it matters.
Buffdaddy54 reply :
I think I need to clarify something here. I am not talking about using junk or substandard equipment, not even talking entry level stuff. I'm just a firm believer that if I start off with decent stuff upgrading to "better stuff" right away is foolish on my part. Learn the basics first. Yes I do believe there are features that can help shorten the learning curve but there is nothing like good old fashion "putting in the time"
Glaucus reply :
On 4/18/2018 at 11:48 PM, Jig Man said:No not in general it won't make you a better fisherman, however, I take my wife's friend's husband from time to time. His idea of equipment is Wally world close outs. At least half of the day he is busy picking out back lashes while I am casting. Decent equipment may not make him better at catching fish but at least it would give him more opportunity to do so. He is already skilled enough at picking out the birds' nests.
At Wally World, it's usually Abu Garcia _____ Max reels. Those aren't causing him to backlash. He's causing him to backlash. Unless he's getting something else that's completely horrible.
evilcatfish reply :
I have baitcasters costing $30 to $500, and they all catch fish just the same. Practice will make you better, then once you've honed your skills a little more, splurge on that fancy new reel. I'm no expert, just my thoughts....
NYWayfarer reply :
On 4/19/2018 at 2:06 AM, Buffdaddy54 said:Yes I do believe there are features that can help shorten the learning curve but there is nothing like good old fashion "putting in the time"
Methinks you answered your own question.
TNReb reply :
On 4/18/2018 at 11:48 PM, Jig Man said:No not in general it won't make you a better fisherman, however, I take my wife's friend's husband from time to time. His idea of equipment is Wally world close outs. At least half of the day he is busy picking out back lashes while I am casting. Decent equipment may not make him better at catching fish but at least it would give him more opportunity to do so. He is already skilled enough at picking out the birds' nests.
My neighbor bought a bass boat last year. We fished the heck out of that thing all summer/fall.
After duck season, he was ready to get back to fishing. I talked him in to trying crappie one day. He only had bass rods (nice ones too). I said don't worry - I have some light spinning rods we can use.
Well, he goes to WalMart instead and buys two $20 combos. He didn't even bother changing the line on them.
That line had so much memory, he was constantly tangled in knots. He had a big mess and said "as soon as I get this knot undone I'm going to chunk this piece of junk right in the water".
A couple minutes later he gets the tangles out and reels in his line.
Next thing I know he chucks that rod like a spear straight across the lake.
I about died laughing. 
Before our next attempt, he went to Bass Pro and bought two nicer rod & reels. One of them snapped 10 minutes in to our fishing trip!! (nobody's fault.. I think the rod was already cracked or something)
BassWhole! reply :
No.
grub_man reply :
On 4/18/2018 at 11:36 PM, Buffdaddy54 said: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.
The fundamentals of just about any sport, craft, or hobby are far more important than the equipment used as long as it is adequate. After you learn the fundamentals, and frankly starting off with an old round Ambassadeur or Millionaire is a great way to do it. You get 2 centrifugal brakes and a cast control knob or two. Use those reels to educate your thumb and then move on to the creature comforts of a modern low profile reel. That's where I started, and let me tell you, it took a while to become confident throwing an 1/8 oz. ball head with a grub.
Whatever you have, learn the fundamentals of various casting techniques using a weight that your reel can handle well. Then learn to push the lower limits for weight. Once you get there, you will have a strong enough background to have a feel for what you might want in your next reel.
I am sure I could set up a reel that would be nearly impossible to backlash, but it sure won't cast too far.
I took on a role this spring as an assistant MS lacrosse coach (a sport I've never played in my life), and I can honestly say that there is nothing I could spend on a lacrosse stick that will make me a better lacrosse player until I master the fundamentals of throwing, catching, and shooting. It has been a ton of fun to learn, but I am a true novice.
Boomstick reply :
A good reel with a good braking system will help keep you casting, which will help catch more fish. But you don't have to break the bank here. Around $135 buys a Daiwa Tatula SV on eBay or a Pflueger Supreme XT. If that's too expensive, try a Daiwa CT.
But hell, I've caught fish on an Abu Garcia Black Max which cost $30!
Darren. reply :
I'm with @roadwarrior on this. Better fisherman, as in catch
more and better bass, no, but def. makes more enjoyable.
The car you drive doesn't make you a better driver, but it can
sure make the journey to the destination more fun, comfy, etc.
Although I will say this about casting reels. I had a miserable
time with a $50 BPS combo early on. The Lexa, and Chronarchs
were an order of magnitude better, and in that sense made me
a much better *caster* of stuff, but did not improve my ability
to catch fish, per say.
BaitFinesse reply :
On 4/19/2018 at 1:59 AM, NYWayfarer said:Can you give me an example of a sub $60 reel with this feature?
I have a lot of BC reels that cost $100 and under from Daiwa, Pflueger, Quantum, Abu Garcia, Kastking and *** and none of them come with a cast control, spool tension knob that has a clickable adjustment.
This one is confirmed to have a clicking cc knob in a The Reel Test video.
https://m.aliexpress.com/item/32856589666.html?pid=808_0000_0109&spm=a2g0n.search-amp.list.32856589666
MickD reply :
50 people will define this question in 50 different ways. To me the issue is will more expensive equipment perform better than cheaper equipment, cheaper equipment defined as equipment that an expert could get along fairly well with. The answer to my question is yes, the more expensive equipment will let those of us who are less skilled be more effective fishermen by allowing us to cast longer, more accurately, with fewer backlashes, and with less time out for repairs. But fishing reels are a lot like just about everything else in that the advantages are not linear to price. With each added $25 in price, the incremental improvement is less, but it's still there. When you get up into the many hundreds of dollars, there is little practical advantage in spending more. To me the sweet spot is in the $200 range with Daiwa. Maybe a little higher. But for $200 one can get a really good, easy to use, durable casting reel.
nd1225 reply :
I would say overall no. I have seen plenty of guys win our local tournaments without "high end gear". Experience and knowledge do a long way. Now, does fishing with my steez and NRX make it more enjoyable, absolutely. I would say I feel more bites with my NRX or Z bone than I do with my other rods, and I RARELY have backlashes with my steez or SV 103's, so that definitely helps. But in regards to technique, presentation, lure selection depending on conditions, etc. high end gear doesn't do squat.
Hulkster reply :
I would totally argue that it makes you a better fisherman.
With better gear you:
-can cast much farther (to cover more water and therefore get more strikes)
-detect bites you might otherwise miss (with less sensitive rods)
-get a better hookset when you do get a fish on
-have much less casting fatigue with lighter and better balanced setups.
How is this not making you a better fisherman??
It totally is.
lo n slo reply :
On 4/19/2018 at 2:45 AM, reason said:No.
what he said
Dtrombly reply :
With just having gotten into the higher end side of things in the past 2 years or so.. I wouldn't say that it's made me a better angler, but it has made my time spent on the water much more enjoyable. And that's worth it to me
Tywithay reply :
On 4/19/2018 at 1:59 AM, NYWayfarer said:Can you give me an example of a sub $60 reel with this feature?
I have a lot of BC reels that cost $100 and under from Daiwa, Pflueger, Quantum, Abu Garcia, Kastking and *** and none of them come with a cast control, spool tension knob that has a clickable adjustment.
Revo X has the clickies for $99 retail. Can be found for around $70.
Cak920 reply :
It won’t necessarily make you a better fisherman but for me I can say 100% going from a $50 dollar casting reel my first times trying them to a $140 dollar reel made a HUGE difference. It made it so much easy. Casted farther with no backlashes compared to frequent backlashes which ultimately means much more time on the water and more fun during that time.
WRB reply :
Will a poor quality baitcasting reel make you a better angler? the answer is more obvious, no. Will a good quality baitcasting reel make you a better angler? the answer should be obvious, yes.
If you are constantly fighting the reel performance, getting backlashes because the spool doesn't spin freely or gears jam and makes noises your concentration isn't on fishing.
Have you ever gotten more then you paid for, not often, more then likely you get less.
So the question is how much to pay for good reliable quality? Where to start looking?
The answer is simple; between $100 to $200 for a standard size baitcasting reel. Look no further then the top 2 best selling reel manufactures today; Diawa and Shimano.
Good quality reels, with annual maintenance, will perform a lifetime.
Tom
tstraub reply :
On 4/19/2018 at 1:59 AM, NYWayfarer said:Can you give me an example of a sub $60 reel with this feature?
I have a lot of BC reels that cost $100 and under from Daiwa, Pflueger, Quantum, Abu Garcia, Kastking and *** and none of them come with a cast control, spool tension knob that has a clickable adjustment.
I have an eagle claw/ W&M Brent Chapman combo that retails for $60 for the rod and reel. The tension knob does click. It's far from a high end reel just an example of a cheep usable reel with a clicker.
I also have a BPS extream from a few years ago it's discontinued now but I think it retailed for around 60. I think I gave about 40 for it on clearance.
Columbia Craw reply :
I'm convinced there is a point in which poor performing equipment can be a liability but the stuff is not what makes you a better angler. It's what's between your ears. You don't have to spend a bunch of money to get the gear that will allow you to be efficient on the water.
Bass_Fishing_Socal reply :
Let see here, I got to fish top of the line shimano (in the past) a few days back, they are conquest 50 and scorpion Antares pair with Tenryu rods. Would it make me a better angler? NO becuz I got skunked big time. BUT for sure they make my fishing more enjoyable and also perform better for specific techniques.
I still don't understand why ppl have to worry about what other use. Some, money is no object, some best bang for buck and some just wanna fish and don't care about equipment. To be a better fisherman or not only YOU who can answer it. Whatever their pick, kudos to them as long as fishing involved.
Buy what you like as long as you enjoy using it or just plain looking at it.
islandbass reply :
On 4/18/2018 at 11:42 PM, roadwarrior said:I am not convinced that your rod and reel have a great deal of impact on "catching" fish,
but better equipment makes the "fishing" more enjoyable.
This says it all.
To the op, I agree with you about your golf analogy.
Better equipment might not make you a better angler but it should make the fishing experience more enjoyable.
Same thing with gear for just about any hobby. Lance Armstrong could out cycle me with a huffy, even if I had the lightest carbon fiber bike with campagnolo record or Shimano dura ace components. It ain’t the bike ... it’s the engine.
Put a steez casting reel on a Loomis nrx and I can still show you I’d get just as skunked from the bank with my first rod and reel, which I dubbed my $20 “Walmart Special”.
The extra money for the higher end reels gives you refinement from with the enjoyment factor is kicked up another notch.
Fair warning. Once you go try the next class of reel up, you might find it harder to go backward. Something about the dark side they say. ????
fortunately for me, I am disciplined enough to know for my needs and purposes, I need not go higher than the curado class of reels and its counterparts.
As a bank angler, I know there will be days I just won’t be able to get to the fish and as a result, it won’t matter whether I use a high end or low end rig.
swimmingjig reply :
Just stay around 150-200 price range . Nothing lower than these. You don’t really need super high end like anteras dc or Steez sv tw to become a better fisherman,but the mid range like curado or tatula will make fishing day easier. I rather pick up a comestic worn but funtional used over the unknown brand baitcaster .
Bluebasser86 reply :
Will it? No. Can it? Yes.
puddlepuncher reply :
I had a fishing buddy tell me he was jealous of some of my setups, I told him I was jealous of his discipline.
Catt reply :
ROTFLMAO ????
Better: improve on or surpass (an existing or previous level or achievement).
If ya can't locate & catch bass before ya bought that Shimano Antares...ya aint gonna be able to locate & catch em afterwards!
In y'all's understanding if KDV switched from those lower end Quantum products to upper end Daiwa or Shimano products he would become a better angler!
NHBull reply :
^^^^
MickD reply :
Substitute the word effective in place of "better." Same answer? I don't know how one can argue that better equipment, within reason, does not make one a more effective fisherman. More so for less skilled fishermen than highly skilled fishermen, but always true. For example, even highly skilled fishermen cannot make a less durable reel more durable, and if it fails, that's time off the water.
optimator reply :
If my gear is good it's one less variable. If I don't have to worry about it I'll concentrate better and have more fun. So yeah, it helps.
ohboyitsrobby reply :
No it doesn't make you a better fisherman. Namely because you'll still be the same guy fishing the same places with the same lures regardless of what reel you have. Learning what to throw, when to throw it and where are what make you a better angler. I'm of the belief that rods are WAY more important than reels.
WRB reply :
Highly skilled golfers, trap & skeet shooters wouldn't think of competing with low end clubs or guns, balance and fit affects performance. Fishing isn't any different, skilled anglers rely on rods and reels that are balanced and fit their needs. Could a champion trap shooter hit 25 straight with a model 870? yes. A pro golfer can shoot par with 3 clubs, would they compete against other skilled golfer or shooters without their balanced and tuned equipment? no, because they are better with their high end equipment.
Agree high end equipment will not make a low skilled angler more knowledgeable or more skilled caster, only practice will improve casting mechanics and observation and study can improve knowledge. Today you don't need to spend over $100-$200 for high performance reels or rods.
The $200 model 870 shoots straight, the & $1,500 Peruzzi O/U shoots straight, the $30 discount reel casts good, the $200 Shimano casts good, the higher end will perform for decades.
Tom
Catt reply :
If you were mediocre before ya bought high end gear you will be mediocre after ya buy high end gear!
new2BC4bass reply :
On 4/20/2018 at 1:28 AM, Catt said:If you were mediocre before ya bought high end gear you will be mediocre after ya buy high end gear!
Yeah, but I enjoy fishing more. 
Bent reply :
On 4/19/2018 at 4:36 AM, Hulkster said:I would totally argue that it makes you a better fisherman.
With better gear you:
-can cast much farther (to cover more water and therefore get more strikes)
-detect bites you might otherwise miss (with less sensitive rods)
-get a better hookset when you do get a fish on
-have much less casting fatigue with lighter and better balanced setups.
How is this not making you a better fisherman??
It totally is.
I agree with all of these points, but the degree of improvement is worth discussing. Better equipment results in marginal improvements, and there are diminishing returns for every extra dollar spent. The difference between a $200 combo and a $1,000 combo is immaterial when compared to the differences introduced by other variables - location and presentation determine success.
Andy007 reply :
On 4/20/2018 at 1:28 AM, Catt said:If you were mediocre before ya bought high end gear you will be mediocre after ya buy high end gear!
On 4/20/2018 at 3:20 AM, new2BC4bass said:Yeah, but I enjoy fishing more.
Would you prefer to be a mediocre fisherman with fancy gear or a good fisherman with mediocre gear?
Better gear might make you a bit more efficient(cast a few feet further or get an extra cast or two in) which might mean you could catch more fish?
Give KVD a zebco 202 combo and he'll still catch fish or you can give a fisherman that fishes the wrong place with the wrong bait at the wrong time a $1000 combo and he still won't hook fish!
Catt reply :
On 4/20/2018 at 4:31 AM, Andy007 said:Better gear might make you a bit more efficient (cast a few feet further or get an extra cast or two in) which might mean you could catch more fish?
If that's what y'all are counting on to beat me you're in trouble ????
I'll what will make y'all a better Fishermen, today electronics!
Buffdaddy54 reply :
Thank you everybody, I'm really enjoying the conversation!
Montanaro reply :
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.
new2BC4bass reply :
On 4/20/2018 at 4:31 AM, 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.
Further North reply :
On 4/18/2018 at 11:36 PM, 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 4/19/2018 at 12:26 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.
bigfruits reply :
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.
thinkingredneck reply :
Depends on how cheap. Real crap sucks, no matter how good you are. I am a mid range guy.
Catt reply :
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!
thinkingredneck reply :
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.
NHBull reply :
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
ClackerBuzz reply :
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'.
lmbfisherman reply :
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.
RB 77 reply :
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.
crypt reply :
no it doesn't...............but if it's what makes You feel better about your style of fishing,then get whatever you want.
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