Cheap Tackle 2024

ABLE2DISABLE1 reply :

11 Dollar Rod 20 dollar reel; Trout 23 inches RedFish 28 inches and 6lb Talapia All 3 were caught on 4 pound test line. Pics to come.

kikstand454 reply :

true.

i have an uglystick ultra light that has a tiny little reel on it and i was fishing for bait with it and got into some puppy reds.. and then i picked up a 19" on it.

4lb line.

ultralight is fun!!

Blue Streak reply :

Aw c'mon you guys everybody knows you have to have a Chronarch and a Loomis rod to catch fish like that. And you will do even better if your baits are over 20 bucks.

;D ;D

bennybass reply :

ya i never spend alot of money on my fishing gear and always do well

b.Lee reply :

it is funny because I have 5 GLX rods and 3 2010 Revo SX and 2 Shimano Calcutta, and Carbonlite with a Stradic CI4 on it. But I always catch fish on my 20 dollar quantum spinning combo from kmart i bought 5 years ago.

Go figure huh

Blue Streak reply :

Expensive equipment is nice, but you just don't have to have it to catch fish and have fun. My buddy can buy anything he wants and he loves those Ugly Sticks and catches plenty of fish with them. He may be the best fisherman I have ever shared a boat with.

Rio Maverick reply :

Fish don't seem to care if you spend a little or a lot $.

bassman018 reply :

Same here, My dad bought a quantum UL the other day for 20 bucks, And spent 3.50 on some trilene mono 6 pound test and was cathing fish left and right, I am starting to steal it every now and again.

Grey Wolf reply :

The rod and reel does not define a fisherman , no matter its cost.

J. M. Richardson reply :

One of my favorite rods is an ugly stick. Use it mostly for panfishing since it is so flexible and light. But every now and then it's fun to throw a bass bait (weightless senkos or splishotted powerbait minnows on them) and catch a few.

For the longest time, I had a cheap 20 quantum snapshot combo that caught me a ton of fish. It worked great until I hooked into a northern and it destroyed my drag

Bassin_Fin@tic reply :

You guys must all be horrible fisherman if you don't show up to the lake with a couple thousand dollars worth of equipment. :

weekendfisherman reply :

I "invested" in some very nice rods/reels in the last few years, but caught just as many fish on my old Ugly Sticks! In fact, my wife uses them now and sometimes out-fishes me...I used them the other day because I already had them rigged for her and had a blast!

Even with lures I have noticed the same thing. I have a lot of Lucky Craft, etc, but I have caught more fish on spinner baits than all other lures combined - Including the $15 ones. lol. I think some of that is not being afraid to through the cheaper stuff into thicker cover. I don't mind loosing a spinner bait that cost a few bucks, but it ruins my day to lose a Pointer, or Sammy! Lol!

burleytog reply :

Is it that time of the month again?

Always love these threads.

Blue Streak reply :

Quote
Is it that time of the month again?
Always love these threads.

So what do you use Burley? ;D

weekendfisherman reply :

Don't get me wrong...I would never go back to the cheap rods/reels! Anyone who fishes for more than a few hours knows the difference just from weight alone - Much less sensitivity, etc. I love my nice rods! Can you catch fish on cheap equipment? Absolutely!

You can also get to work on a bicycle, but it sure is easier to ride in a comfortable car! ;D

kikstand454 reply :

pfffft.

i still use 4 or 5 ugly sticks in saltwater. they work awesome and are plenty sensitive enough. if i can catch a sheepshead on an ugly stick... i can catch a bass. lol. i have the old plastic shimano curados on them and its a blast to fish.

whats funny is... my "expensive" rig- 7.0 quantum te on a 7'6" chimano crucial...... is not even CLOSE to what some of the people on here consider an expensive rig, and i think that it is ridiculously nice. so.... really... its all relative.

Beastie Bass reply :

I now own several Revo/Avid combos, but for years all I could afford were lightning rods. I still dont go fishin' without at least one cheap combo. You never know when you might get into the pond grenel The bass have never complained that they were not caught on quality equipment!

Same goes for spinning gear, I never failed to land a fish because I was 4 ball bearings short! I did have an old Daiwa Cygnus reel seat snap when I was hooksetting a 2#er on a jig! I still landed the fish with the rod under my arm and the reel in both hands! ;D Good Times! That lil reel only caught a few hundred bass at least, so i guess I got my $50 worth!

timothy_spain reply :

I agree. I just need something sturdy and powerful enough to haul in what I need.

roadwarrior reply :

Quote
Is it that time of the month again?
Always love these threads.

mrbassky reply :

There is alot more to quality gear than catching fish.

Rods-When you pay more for rods you get several things. Sensitivity-even cheap rods are pretty sensitive these days but occasionally you will feel a fish you wouldnt on a cheaper rod especially when the bite is off. weight-more expensive rods are lighter and better balanced, it plays into being more sensitive as some but its mostly a comfort deal and you can tell the difference when you fish several long days in a row. Warranty-most quality rods have lifetime warranties fewer cheaper rods do, I have bad luck breaking rods so I dont buy one anymore without a warranty.

Reels-Pretty much all reels wear down. The difference cheap reels wear down quicker. And you can cast alot better with quality baitcasting reels. With spinning reels I get by fine with cheaper ones not cheap but cheaper.

Lures-cost is a direct correlation with the money it costs to build a bait. If a bait is really good you gotta pay to use it. Simple as that. Plenty of crankbaits under $5 catch fish but they are not as consistent and your more likely to get a lemon with cheaper baits. And more expensive baits tend to cast better due to internal weights which is a nice bonus. And they have quality hooks and hardware out of the box that wont rust in 1 year. And I dont mind paying for some quality baits because I want what little time I have to spend on the water to be as good as possible. Quality hard baits also last longer usually if they arent wooden. As far as soft plastics I wont pay more than whan yamamoto baits cost unless they are swimbaits which last longer and catch real quality fish.

Can you catch fish on cheap stuff. Heck yeah. But I plan on fishing a long time and quality stuff lasts longer in my experiance.

John B reply :

One advantage of cheaper equipment is if you do a lot of bank fishing / wading, it seems (at least in my case) like I am always doing something stupid when walking that breaks a rod. You tend to cry a lot less when it is a broken $30 rod vs. a $150 rod.

J Francho reply :

Quote
You tend to cry a lot less when it is a broken $30 rod vs. a $150 rod.

Seems easier just to be a little more careful with your gear, irrespective of price.

tnbassfisher reply :

Will more expensive rods and reels catch you more fish? Probably not.

But in the long scheme of things will they show better quality over time? For sure.

bigfruits reply :

you can catch fish with line wrapped around a hand spool. when i was a kid, i caught a sunfish with a bent needle. took about 50 worms but i finally got one.

you dont need expensive gear to fish. i dont think there was ever a doubt. i know i catch more fish than i did 5 yrs ago with my less sensitive rods. alot more fish? no.

i dont get to fish everyday. when i do i like nice toys that make the experience more fun for me.

if youre satisfied fishing cheaper rigs, more power to you. i wish i was attracted to big girls, but im not, so i cant clean up the bar at last call like some of my friends that will settle for that.

to each his own!

Nicky Greece reply :

Ill keep it simple... UGLYSTICK...

Hell... I still use bamboo poles for crappie and bluegill.

Nicky Greece reply :

Quote

if youre satisfied fishing cheaper rigs, more power to you. i wish i was attracted to big girls, but im not, so i cant clean up the bar at last call like some of my friends that will settle for that.

to each his own!

They appreciate it more... Im just sayin'... 8-)

grimlin reply :

Quote
if youre satisfied fishing cheaper rigs, more power to you. i wish i was attracted to big girls, but im not, so i cant clean up the bar at last call like some of my friends that will settle for that.
to each his own!

I love this quote.....

ChrisAW reply :

Quote

Quote
You tend to cry a lot less when it is a broken $30 rod vs. a $150 rod.

Seems easier just to be a little more careful with your gear, irrespective of price.

Things like that are called accidents for a reason. Unless you bubble wrap your rods when you want to move and take a couple seconds to check your footing every step you take, you will probably never avoid it happening at least once.

J Francho reply :

Prowl the ditches around here for chromers with a 13' centrepin rig, and it becomes second nature.

Blue Streak reply :

I am just wondering. Has anyone here ever broke an ugly stick?

Nicky Greece reply :

Quote
I am just wondering. Has anyone here ever broke an ugly stick?

27 years and not a one...

I Love BassResource reply :

Quote
I am just wondering. Has anyone here ever broke an ugly stick?

You ever really picked one up? They weigh 22lbs and typically feel like they have steel beams in the core of the blank. I've seen a few bolted to truck bumpers as whip antennas...

Blue Streak reply :

Sure have picked them up, fished for several years with a couple of them. I don't think mine was quite that heavy. No one that I know has ever broke one.

My point is they are tough, a lot tougher than graphite for sure. Sensitive? Not exactly.

Primus reply :

I'm not trying to be a tackle snob, but I like my chances if I'm fishing a drop shot in 30' of water with florocarbon line and a sensitive graphite rod as opposed to the guy fishing mono with an ugly stick. No doubt he'll catch some fish, but I think in this example and other situations I'm going to land more fish with quality equipment assuming we fish similiar water at a similiar skill level.

That said there is point a point of diminishing returns where there is price point that if exceeded will usually result in minimal gains in performance, an example would be you can find a good sensiive graphite rod in the 100$ range that will likely depending on the brand be a great improvement over some 25$ rod with cheap guides. However, you will find rods in the $ 200 range that would only be a slight upgrade to the 100$ rods in terms of performance. Some of us are willing to pay that extra for that little edge.

We have to keep in mind everyone has different criteria of what constitutes successful fishing, the number one thing of course is did you and your companions have a good time. The key thing is participation and I'm glad that there is entry level equipment that will be more than adequate for most to have an enjoyable fishing expierience and let's face it these folks can land some very impressive fish with this type of equipment. An anglers skill & luck will supersede his equipment, that said a skillful angler with good equipment will have an advantage over a similiar skilled angler over a season of fishing if he fished with medioce equipment.

We all have various economic resources and no one should be looked down upon as angler if he chooses or can only afford entry level equipment and we should never make the assumption that he/she is not a good fisherman.

However don't criticize the guy who chooses to invest in high performance equipment or is continually refining his tackle because he's looking for any edge that he can get or because he find's fishing with this type of tackle more enjoyable.

I consider myself in between both extremes.I don't buy 150$ swimbaits or purchase 600$ reels, but I'm fortuneate enough to stock up with some quality tackle that translates into a lot of fun fishing which I'm sure is a passion we all share.

Blue Streak reply :

Well said Primus I agree. Sooner or later a fisherman will move on to more expensive equipment just beacuse he can.

bwell reply :

Quote

Quote
I am just wondering. Has anyone here ever broke an ugly stick?

You ever really picked one up? They weigh 22lbs and typically feel like they have steel beams in the core of the blank. I've seen a few bolted to truck bumpers as whip antennas...

Hm... That's what all that my older rods use to be, and haven't broken one yet. I still use one as my crankbait and spinner rod, and I think it is a decent rod, its the pro light. If you get tired of fishing because you think an uglystik is heavy then you shouldn't be out on the water instead you should be in the gym...

bigfruits reply :

Quote
Well said Primus I agree. Sooner or later a fisherman will move on to more expensive equipment just beacuse he can.

thats how it was for me.

my progression through the sickness:

early highschool - "why would anyone spend $50 on a rod when they have $50 rod/reel combos for sale?"

late highschool - "wow these $100 combos are really nice"

college - had a bit of money so i stepped it up to $75-$90 rods (falcon, fenwick, shimano) and sahara and symetre reels. wow what a difference!

then i found bassresource.com and got my first avid. shortly afterwards came glx.

run away. leave me here and save yourself.

I.rar reply :

lol @ ugly sticks.

thats all i used to buy when i was younger just because they were cheap and i could beat the hell out of em and not worry about it. that being said , the extra $25-30 i spent on my clarus got me a 100x better rod.

my 5' ugly stick lite UL rod weighs more than my 6' M/F compre , 6'6 L/F clarus and probably just as much as my 6'6 MH/F eagle gt and is no where near as sensitive.

Red Bear reply :

i got a cheap shakespeare combo with a spincast on a 6'6 MH rod that i absolutely love. not the reel so much but the rod. ive caught some nice fish on it too. had it 3-4 years now. picked it up at walmart one weekend when i was out of town and the opportunity to fish came up.

Carrington reply :

ugly sticks will not break, just last week i pulled a 7 foot shark with a 7 foot tiger lite ugly stick and not a problem, but then again i let the shark run alot. still i have yet to have one break and those are the only rods i will use for salt water fishing.

Primus reply :

Quote

Quote
Well said Primus I agree. Sooner or later a fisherman will move on to more expensive equipment just beacuse he can.

thats how it was for me.

my progression through the sickness:

early highschool - "why would anyone spend $50 on a rod when they have $50 rod/reel combos for sale?"

late highschool - "wow these $100 combos are really nice"

college - had a bit of money so i stepped it up to $75-$90 rods (falcon, fenwick, shimano) and sahara and symetre reels. wow what a difference!

then i found bassresource.com and got my first avid. shortly afterwards came glx.

run away. leave me here and save yourself.

That's the way it was for me, soon as I started using Loomis rods, Curado reels & Pointer jerkbaits it changed my perspective on what I was willing to spend on certain types of fishing equipment.

Bass Tracker 20 reply :

this is funny ;D

kikstand454 reply :

Quote
ugly sticks will not break, just last week i pulled a 7 foot shark with a 7 foot tiger lite ugly stick and not a problem, but then again i let the shark run alot. still i have yet to have one break and those are the only rods i will use for salt water fishing.

x2.

and i hate to sound like an ugly stick "advocate" or whatever... beacuse honestly for bass i prefer shimano rods....

but im kinda frustrated because i think most people identify "ugly stick" as those eva foam originals that they sell at walmart for 30 bucks. they have other models you know. there are lighter and more sensitive ugly sticks that are really great rods for the money.

such as...

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_22372_100002000_100000000_100002000_100-2-0

and these new ones that have split grips (though in foam )...

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=58283&familyName=Shakespeare+Ugly+Stik+Inshore+Select+Rods

just sayin.........

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