quality vs cost

Being new to this game,it is overwhelming with the equipment choices out there to pick from. My question is,for the average recreational fisherman (non tournament type guy),how much does cost reflect quality? Im currently using the Pflueger Trion and Shimano Sienna reels on Shakespeare Micro Series 7' light action rods. May make the upgrade to something "better" in the future,but what is your guys opinions on where cost and quality are reflected in each other? Namebrands,certain types of equipment,etc. where does the price really start to make the difference?

I know its a pretty subjective question just wanting to know what to look for or not to look for in the future on equipment.Hope my question makes sense.

Its hard to beat Pflueger , Shakespeare for the money. You can spend a lot more for not much more.

I can tell the difference between an Ugly Stik and a GLoomis.

That being said, both will catch fish.

cane pole works fine. No reel required.

I have been using very inexpensive Quantum rods and reels for the past 15 or 20 years and to me, they are the best bang for the buck. I usually spend less than $60 for a rod and reel combo and they last 5 - 10 years, with lots of use. I fish hard 7 months a year and have virtually no problems with my inexpensive rigs. I honestly don't know when the last time I had to purchase a new one was. I know it's been at least 8 years and they are still going strong.

ALL MY RODS AND REELS ARE INEXPENSIVE BUT STILL HAVE A GOOD FEEL AND LIGHT,YOU HAVE TO GET AWAY FROM THE AMERICAN MENTALITY OF GOT TO HAVE THE BEST AND MOST EXPENSIVE .I GOT MANY CHEERYWOODS AT LESS THAN 20 BUCKS AND THEY DO A GOOD JOB CASTING AND SHOOTING,SOMETIMES WE THINK TO BUY THE PRO'S ROD WILL MAKE US A PRO,THE REAL KEY TO FISHING IS JUST GOOD STUFF AND THE MOST IMPORTANT IS MASTERING YOUR EQUIPMENT,RODS JIGS AND DEPTHFINDERS,NOT MUCH SHORT CUTS TO ANY OF THESE,TIME ON WATER WITH GOOD CONCETRATION

In terms of fishing equipment.. IE rods and reels, I think it really boils down to what YOU like. You go to a store, you pick it up, you play with it, you compare it to others, and make a decision based on YOUR feel. Sometimes the price will surprise you (good and bad). I've seen plenty of over the top (money wise) stuff that I wouldn't let someone pay me to use. On the flip side, I have several great quality reels for a little bit of coin. Rods are more important to me than reels but... you can get a really good rod with great feel for a lot less than you would think. I build my own rods so I'm fortunate.

You can look at rods like this... You drive a Pinto wagon and think it is the best car in the world... it gets you from point A to point B. You have never been in anything else so you really have no comparison. You get the opportunity to drive/own a corvette (insert favorite car) and realize that there really is no comparision. Same with rods.

As for certain Pro's... IF you look closely in their boats, they do not fish with what they have their face or name on.................

Bottom line... fish with what is comfortable for YOU and don't be swayed by what other people tell you is great. Check them out for yourself. I see a lot of information passed around about fishing rods that I wouldn't give 2 dollars for that most guys think are great. The FEEL is everything... As in the FEEL for YOU!!!

I have learned (for my use & from experience) to stay away from most store brands. Always a bad choice for what I expect the quality to be. Also... back before Shimano thought their reels were made of pure gold, I bought 3 Shimano Bantam 100 reels. That was in 1977. I still use all 3. In that time I've worn out 3 boats but the reels keep working like the day I spooled them up. I used to tournament fish for bass. I have some $70 reels that took that kind of punishment just like the $300 reels. Find something that you like for a price that you like. If it proves itself to you, you have found your comfort zone.

you have good enough equipment in my mid for what you are planning to do . there are some great rods out there that cost under 50 dollars for crappie .....
and a good reel can be had for the same general numbers as well for the typical fisher person .
i could take what you currently have and spank the fire right out of them quite easily .

Nothing wrong with what you have!! Buddy on another board is using the micro series rods and loves them. If they're working and you're getting fish why put out more money.

I have ALWAYS used this buying rule - If it's got some pro's name on it or he says he use's something all the time = it won't ever be in my tackle box or bag. I'm not paying extra just because their name is on it!!!

If you have a favorite reel or one that's really working well for you and you want a new rod - take it with you to try it on different rods. I take mine in with the spool off, check it with customer service and then go try them on rods - I've done it at Wally World and Cabelas.

For me PERSONALLY their is no reel other than Shimano - I have them from the 1980's all the way up to the present and NEVER a problem with them, but that's me not you!!

I always used cheap $40 baitcasters while bass fishing. Would wear at least one a year out if not 2. Buddy of mine talked me into buying an expensive rod and reel (Abu Garcia Revo on a Falcon low-rider rod). The reel was just under $200 i believe. That was 8 years ago and that same rod and reel is just as smooth as the day I bought it! So.....$40/cheap reel every year (at minimum) X 8 years is.....$320. Thats almost enuf to buy 2 of the expensive reels! And I have been fishing with top of the line gear for the last 8 years. In my eyes...."It only cost a lil bit more to go first class in the short run... and in the long run its cheaper cuz you bought EXACTLY what you wanted the first time and didn't have to re-buy." So if ya dont have the money just yet... save it til ya do. I CAN tell a difference in fishing with high quality.

Sounds like good equipment to me....I have some Trion reels and really like them.

It's not what the equipment cost.Its what it cost to replace it. What will it cost you to replace what you have? "its not the equipment. it's how you use the equipment.Rod and Reel. Buy what you can afford and learn to use it.

I'm a mixture of what's already been said. have a couple of Shimano Curado's and they aren't top of the line but not cheap either. They just don't wear out, stay smooth as when they were new. I also have some Quantum Octane reels that are just as smooth and half the weight and half the price. Understanding that I came from Ambassadeur reels, both of these are far and away easier to use all day, but the Ambassadeur's are still going too, speaking for their quality. All these are Baitcasting reels, but I have first hand experience with them.
Spinning reels are a little different. I have never spent over$60 on any spinner for any purpose, with one exception. That was a big Penn spinner for Tarpon and sold it for most of what I paid for it. Point there is that most quality equipment holds it's value should you change your mind. I found a Diawa Capricorn 2000 series spinner used for $25 that was $85 when new. It does one thing that no other reel has ever done, including another identical to this one, and that is to turn over by nothing more than the weight of the handle. Absolutely THE smoothest reel I have ever held. Spooled with 4lb and riding a 6'6" Lightning Rod that is out of production it is my absolute favorite. The rod was a gift and I wondered if I would like it or it would ride the rack when I got it. Little did I know. I also have many spinners that cost lots less and refuse to give up. Shimano Slade reels that were $10 used when I bought them 12 years ago are still doing the job. Also have a couple of Presidents that are very nice, but I'm basically cheap and won't spend what the new ones bring.
I have a pair of the Micro Lite rods that you speak of and would buy another 2 or 3 just to have because I feel they are a good tool for a great price. Most of the long rods I have were bought on recommendations from many others. I am also with Fatman in that balance is very important. Taking the reel of choice with you and strapping it to the rod is a big deal for me. If I'm going to spend the day with this in my hand, it has to work well and not tire the forearm. I hear folks ask about rods for shooting docks. I tend to use whatever is in my hand when the shot arises. Broken a few this way too but they weren't high on my list of likes either.
Finding a good rod can take lots of homework or happen by accident. If you see a rod in another's arsenal, ask to give it a spin. You may like it from a distance but hate it in your hand. I have an expensive(to me) rod in mind to go with one of my Presidents and may one day bring it home, but til then I'm happy with what I have and learn something new that I can do with them all the time.

No matter the size of your wallet, you cannot buy success - in fishing or life.

I have three pfleugers and they are my favorites. I have a president fly reel, a president bait caster and a trion spin. I really want a St Croix spinning rod, lightweight. I mostly use an Abu Garcia vendetta combo and use a fenwick with the trion. Love both.

Any rod will catch fish, and you can enjoy yourself and your time on the water. But if its in the budget, nothing compares to a Loomis.

For light and ultra light rods ......used for casting.....I have owned just about any sold in the USA ranging from 19 dollars through 250 dollars. At the top end of that have been the Phenix trout rods.....the Loomis trout rods. I no longer own any of them.....they have all been given away to my sons and or to charitable organizations that needed equipment for kids to fish with. In no way do I recommend anyone to purchase Japanese Domestic Market rods and reels......as I have done. It is a bad habit to get into.....if you break one of those rods you are going to cry like a baby......as I'm sure I will when I break one of mine. The high end is expensive.....the medium end is expensive. But from
the medium up to the high end JDM rods will blow a Loomis out of the water. There is no comparison......if one ever uses a JDM rod there will be no turning back. They are that good. The reels that are made in Japan......are finely machined.....nothing like them here. As has already been said.....you don't need expensive gear to catch fish. But for those that do want high end gear Japan is the place to buy it from.

Regards


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Shimano and pflueger reels / Okuma rods . I usually give one away to a nephew to justify a new one . lol :twocents

I float cast with Berkely cherry wood rods. I jig fish with Duck Commander rods (the ones on closeout). And when I buy a new rod my toughest choice is which size Shimano Sienna to pair it with. I troll with Pinnacle 15$ rods & 15$ mini bucks. The only problem I have ran across is when running cranks that much line is tough to reel in with out it getting behind the spool. And I am gonna fix that this fall. I believe there are guys out there that can spank me with cane poles and there are guys out there that I can keep up with the GLoomis type stuff.

There's a well-known fly fishing author named John Gierach. He likes bamboo fly rods, which tend to be expensive. You can easily spend $2,000 - $3,000 on a rod from a good builder.

In one book, Gierach joked that his friends couldn't understand how he could afford these expensive rods, yet he drove an old, beaten up truck. He thought that made perfect sense. ;)

Moral of the story? Spend your money on what's important to you.

I use high end reels on rods that I build with MHX blanks from Mudhole.

I have seen just about every type of rod, reel combo catch Crappie, Cane pole to muskie rod/reels. If crappie were your only species of fish, buy what you like. If you plan on fishing for other species of fish, buy something that will work for both. I hate to spend money twice. My current preferred rod reel combo is Shimano reels, Sedona or Sahara and I prefer St. Criox rods. St. Croix has two factories, Mexico and Wisconsin. I buy rods made at the Wisconsin plant, Premier series. Last week I was in Canada and caught Northern Pike and Small-mouth bass on the same rod/reels combos, Shimano/St. Croix. I also only use mono line. Lost one northern, we couldn't get it in the net. My net was too small, it finally snapped the line and disappeared into the deep blue...

I have about $200 in my rod/reel combos. I have two ultra-lite set ups for pan fish, and two medium weight wet-ups for mid sized game, walleye, northern, bass, catfish etc. Maybe one day I will have a couple for larger game fish, like muskie...

I don't fish for money, I fish for food, we average one fishing day a week so the gear I bought needs to be up to the challenge, that being said, I didn't need the best that money could buy just the best that I could afford.