Your "turning Point" Purchase 2024
Fat-G reply :
Mods, forgive me if this isn't the right section.
What single purchase (fishing equip, not a boat) changed the way you fished forever?
It can be a type of line, lure, reel, rod, anything as long as it's tackle related.
I would have to say mine would be braided line or Rage Tail products. Braid showed me that you actually CAN set the hook from 45 yards away, and land the fish. As for the Rage Tails, yeah. They just catch fish.
TouchTooMuch reply :
Mine was probably the Spro Bronzeeye Frog Jr. I never was into bass fishing, I always liked catfishing at night and blue gill fishing because it was so high paced. But one of my buddies told me I would like bass fishing and let me use his frog. I loved it so much that I went and bought one myself. That frog got me so hooked I went to the bait store and bought some stuff, and now I almost have a full tackle box and wonder why I didn't get into bass fishing earlier!
flippin and pitchin reply :
My first flippin stick. It was a Fenwick HMG Dee Thomas model. No trigger, straight metal reel seat. I still have it. This was in the day when stubby pistol grips were the norm. I taught myself to pitch before it had a name. I watched the video ( real VHS mind you ) called Flippin with Dee Thomas. I went right out to my local back water slough and flipped my brains out and caught my first flippin fish, a 15 incher. At the time, that was neatest fish I had stuck to date. My old 1972 Terry Basser, 55 HP Evinrude and 36 lb thrust MinnKota was the deal. A black 3/8 ounce Arkie jig and a black #11 Uncle Josh pork frog. That was some seriously good times.
Catt reply :
Mine wasn't equipment 
1974: Joined two bass clubs in Hemphill, Texas whose members included John Torian, John Hall, John Dean, Villis P "Bo" Dowden SR, Harold Allen, Larry Nixon, Tommy Martin, & Zell Roland
1976: Attended a 4 day seminar in Houston Texas that totally changed my outlook on bass fishing. The man putting on that seminar was Elwood L. " Buck" Perry, not only did I buy his books but I became a devout student of his teachings.
Still paying off
K_Mac reply :
Two items: a black 1/4 oz arkie jig and a bottle of black #11 Uncle Josh's pork. Went night fishing on Bull Shoals and caught fish on off-shore structure. A complete game changer.
Avalonjohn44 reply :
Mine was a move from a spinning reel to a baitcaster.
jwfflipper reply :
1981 after watching Bill Dance using Daiwa rod and reels went out and bought me some and haven't looked back!
Jeff
deep reply :
#1. GY senkos. Had no confidence in plastics before that. Texas rigs led to jigs (I fish them pretty much the same way). And now I use jigs and swim jigs 80% of the time.
#2. A dedicated swimbait set-up. It hasn't quite borne fruit yet. But I'm having fun with it, and learning new things on every swimbait trip.
SausageFingers reply :
My inflatable and trolling motor.
I can get on bigger water and off the bank.
OHIO reply :
On 7/10/2011 at 10:53 PM, Avalonjohn44 said:Mine was a move from a spinning reel to a baitcaster.
Same for me. Baitcasting opened up a lot of new baits and techniques for me.
Jigfishn10 reply :
I was a fly fisherman and the ponds and lakes I fished at were way too seasonal, so I purchased a spincaster and a Zell Rowland signature Pop'R and caught my first bass. I fished it it few more times with success and purchased my first baitcaster. Haven't looked back...
Good thread!
grimlin reply :
I can't say purchase...My turning point in everything i own,is because I caught my first smallmouth bass here in Michigan.I became devoted to catching them in turn I try/buy everything I can in quality now...It makes a big,big difference.It makes it even more enjoyable too(for me at least).My cheap combo I caught that first smallmouth I was even lucky to land it to be honest.Cheap line,cheap rod and reel.
basscrusher reply :
This is a great question, and I've been thinking but I keep coming back to the same answer...for me, my most pivotal purchase was probably my first really high end rod. While I was in grad school I worked at a sporting goods/tackle store and I could get 60% off St Croix rods. Before working there, my best rod was a St Croix Premier. Once I worked at the store long enough I got 2 Legend Elite rods at the discounted rates. The sensitivity in those rods opened up new worlds for me. since I fish plastics about 75% of the time anyway, the effect of being able to feel bottom composition -- and tell the difference between cover and a bite -- has been immeasurable. I absolutely became a more successful angler with the better equipment. Sure, I caught lots of fish before the high end equipment...but how many did I miss because I couldn't feel those subtle bites? I still miss plenty of fish, but not because I couldn't feel the bite (usually).
Runners-up: braided line, first Curado B(could not use a baitcaster until I got a quality one), Senkos.
dulouz reply :
1. My first custom rod paired with a good reel.
2. Switching to Braid.
3. My recently purchased boat.
PondBoss reply :
I had always heard about how jigs were great to use, so I bought a handful in different colors after one trip I was hooked and always have one rigged up. The second would be Big Bite Baits, they just produce!
RoLo reply :
An interesting question
Three pivot points pop into my mind:
1....About 60 years ago, I graduated from baitcasting gear and got my first spinning outfit (blue conolon rod <> Mitchell-300 cap)
2....In 1975, Al Lindner and his brother Ron launched the In-Fisherman Magazine (their first issues were a high-tech encyclopedia)
3....In 2005, I finally graduated from monofilament line to superline braid (a godsend).
Roger
Sam reply :
My turning point purchase was an engagement ring.
Cost a lot, too, Hayden!!!!! 
Red reply :
Mine would have to be purchasing an Internet plan, without it I would never found BassResource.com. It has certainly been a game changer for me.
Switching to braided line was a big one too.
tomustang reply :
I'd have to say it was when I called shimano service up and asked them what a better rod was since theirs broke on me and the guy said "try a different brand, I don't know"
That led me in the hands of St Croix
Gangley reply :
ZOOM Horny Toad: Caught my first bass with it that wasnt a random occurance. I learned to fisht aht lure every way possible which taught me how to be more versatile with other lures. Basically, it got me hooked on bass fishing and taught me there is "more than one way to skin a cat/catch a bass".
Bait Casters: Goodness gracious, don't even know where to begin.
Drop Shot: Never caught a bass deeper than 10 feet until fishing a drop shot on Lake Fork 2 weeks ago.
J Francho reply :
QuoteWhat single purchase (fishing equip, not a boat) changed the way you fished forever?
Texas rigged Culprit worm.
basskitty reply :
ZOOM 6 inch lizards this spring single handedly got me so addicted to bass fishing... I wanna throw plastics all day everyday thanks to those lizzy's ...
TimJ reply :
In the mid 70s, I was about 15 and used hula poppers and jitterbugs. We used to go to nascar at MIS and I was about to fish the campsite lake. An older gentleman (whose name escapes me) hooked me up with rebel ringworms and taught me how to texas rig a worm. We caught the only bass on the lake that day. THAT was my turning point. I went home and bought a worm kit and off I went.
Over time, I started to like taking unskilled anglers out in the boat and putting them on fish. Very satisfying to hear them talk to their friends about how much fun they had and the fish they caught.
I guess it went full circle.
tholmes reply :
There were a couple.
My first good baitcaster, an Ambassadeur 5000 in 1968.
Mann's Jelly Worm.
Tom
BassThumb reply :
Interesting topic.
Back in my teens, my summers practically revolved around river wade fishing for smallmouth bass. My "turning point" purchase around age 15 was a 7' 6" custom long-handle G. Loomis GL3 spinning rod. It allowed me to cover a lot more water than I had previously with mid-6' rods and it could handle the lighter lines with ease. I could toss light lures like 1/16 - 1/8 oz tube jigs, flukes, and mini 1/8 oz buzzbaits a mile. Instantly, I was catching more fish than I ever had previously, and my confidence in bass fishing grew immensely.
Shad_Master reply :
For me it was Power Pro line - my first fishing reel (when I was 10 years old) was a Mitchel round bait caster with nylon line already spooled on. I spent hours each day learning to cast without getting backlashed and finally got the hang of it. I then moved on to Zebco spincast tackle and spinning reels until I was grown. I then decided to go back to a bait caster because that was what all the Big Boys used. But I could never get the hang of casting with Monofilament and Flourocarbon line. I tried the early versions of Fireline and Spider Wire, but they didn't help. Then one day while in Wal-Mart, I noticed the Power Pro - "that looks familiar" - I put it on and found that my old form started comming back. And when I did experience a "professional overrun" it was easier to pick out without kinking the line and I was eventually able to add in the other types of line.
Wisconsin Heat. reply :
hmm, wow it has to be subscriptions to bass fishing magazines.
BASSclary reply :
My first crankbait fish, not too long ago. I can't put them down. They're alot of fun to fish.
roadwarrior reply :
1997 GYCB Senko
Siebert Outdoors reply :
My first jig mold. It gave me the ability to make my own jigs how I wanted them cheaper then any store bought one. This led into almost strictly fishing jigs and getting pretty good at it.
SirSnookalot reply :
Can't think of anything.....caught a lot of fish 50 years ago and I'm still doing it. I just go with the flow.
rubba bubba reply :
Many years back my brother-in-law explained to me what's needed to do a Texas rig. Had never heard of it before and so I wrote down what I needed. I then did extended research on what it was and how to fish it, tested it out and it actually worked (had never fished plastics before). After that I was all-in.
Canadian Kid reply :
My first spinnerbait bass.. was absolutely hooked after that.
Scorcher214 reply :
My kayak. Fishing from a kayak near the same areas i shore fished gave me a whole new perspective.
Gone_Phishin reply :
On 7/12/2011 at 2:29 AM, J Francho said:Texas rigged Culprit worm.
Yes sir. Although, for me, it was a 7" Power Worm. A high modulus graphite rod comes in second.
As a kid it was the Fuzzy Grub.
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