if you fishing for money h3ll yes it makes a big difference... as far as rod go g loomis glx yes there a lot of money but well worth it i have 18 just depends on your style of fishing ... like for froggin i have a 50 dollar rod and a 50 dollar reel ...for line you need different kinds me for cranking 10 lb for froggin 65 lb braid ... for tubes 10 or 12 ... for swimbaits 12 or 14

 

No fishing for money only recreation/C&R. I use a variety of baits and lures and I really don't want to spend money for something to use for every different bait that I use. Another question I had is do most people use snap swivels or tie the line directly to the lure/hook?

 

No fishing for money only recreation/C&R. I use a variety of baits and lures and I really don't want to spend money for something to use for every different bait that I use. Another question I had is do most people use snap swivels or tie the line directly to the lure/hook?

ill most times use snap swivels, unless im river fishing for smallies or cranking, ill most always use one

 

and as for a higher end tackle, i say it makes a big difference to me, id rather buy a real nice quality rod and reel, take care of it, and not have to replace it for 3 years rather than buy a cheap $30 reel and 20$ rod and have to replace after a hard years of fishing

 

Higher end rods make all of the difference in the world. I fish with nothing but custom built rods, mostly because I make them! LOL There are alot of things that custom builders can do that make rods WAY better than anything you can find in a store- no matter who's name is on the label.

You can occasionally get away with lower end reels that will do well for you (spinning reels). My personal opinion of baitcasters is that (unlike spinning reels) you need to spend a bit more to get a good one.

As far as line, I use alot of Spiderwire braid and Trilene XL mono. Not exactly high end but the work well for me.

jeremy

 

Since I have been out of fishing for a few years I am behind on everything anyways but I never really have knew that much about the different components. Now that I am getting more into fishing than ever from buying a little fishing boat and hitting the river more I am getting more interested in different stuff. At the beginning of the year I bought a cheap baitcasting reel from walmart without really knowing what it was. I got a ton of backlashes and got frusterated and returned it for a $25 Mitchell spincasting reel with a $20 Shimano rod. Now that I got a boat and I have been learning more I am more interested in trying a baitcasting reel again and maybe a higher end spincasting reel. I am also using the cheap 6lb test Stren line.

Is there a pretty big noticable difference between a walmart rod and reel and an expensive one from BPS?

There is a noticeable difference in reels but you don't have to buy an overly expensive model I'd say $75 will buy you a decent baitcaster and you can get a decent rod for that price too

What are the main differences between baitcasting and spincasting reels and which would I get more benefit from?

You will benifit much more from a baitcast reel than a spincast once you get the hang of throwing it. They are built better and the retrieve will be much faster

What differences are there from the cheap line I am using compared to the $25 spool of line that I see and what type/brand would I benefit from?

Stren makes a really good affordable line and the difference between it and a $25 spool of line isn't worth the extra cost. For a baitcaster you will probably want 12 lb test to start with


I have a 12' fishing boat that I use mostly at Hoover Reservoir and Knox Lake targeting bass. I have also been doing some wading at the Olentangy to give a little bit of background on what type of fishing I would be using stuff for.

You may want to buy a spinning outfish for fishing smaller lures in a river situation

 

It only makes a difference in comfort and quality.

Fish with a expensive combo and you'll immediately know the difference when you switch back to a cheap combo. I went from cheap to high end and couldn't really tell the difference til I went from high end to cheap to compare the difference.

 

This could go on and on and on but i'll keep my opinion short. To me there is a huge difference in a cheap rod and reel compared to a higher quality rod and reel. There are tons of factors that goes into what you want out of a rod and reel and what you want it to do for you. Higher quality provides you with better sensitivity, longevity, reliability, a warranty, and for myself it provides more confidence while fishing. I don't fish for money but whenever I go out I feel good about what I am using.

 

The saying you get what you pay for could never be so true. From my experience high end rods and reels play a good portion of it they are more comfortable, last longer and just fish better. Baitcasters are great if your throwing lures time and time again comfortably and they also pick up line faster. Spinning outfits are great for small lures and soft plastics! The list could go on and on...

 

Yeah - you've asked some REALLY broad questions. Use the search tool and you will find piles of info.

I buy only custom rods anymore. Buy better gear = be less frustrated.

 

You also have to consider what conditions and how well you are willing to treat stuff. If you are on a boat you can move around in with storage, get the high end stuff, take care of it and it should last. If you just want to set it wherever, climb rocks go all sorts of places by foot and toss it around, go middle of the line. If I had to carry one rod and reel to do whatever with and toss around I have a shimano symetre 2500 class with a 6'6 medium guide series pro select rod, with either suffix elite or yozuri hybrid with 8 or 10 lb test. I am comfortable using this set up for most kinds of fishing. I have had rods I like a lot better and reels I like a lot better, but for an everything that won't break the bank. I do recognize a big difference in a higher end rod and reel, but I want to be able to take it anywhere throw it anywhere, and if it breaks, I won't lose any sleep.

 

Plain and simple you get what you pay for. There are some really good mid line reels out there and work very well and can compare to the higher end stuff but the cheap models forget them not worth it IMO. With spinning reels I say the $50-$80 range is a decent reel for the most part and for bait casters you need to get up to about $100-$150 for a better than average one. Again this is my opinion. Now I only use Revo baitcasters I have Shimano Symetre and Pfleuger President spinning reels love them both but I must say the President spinning reel is a bit smoother and almost half the price.

 

As far as baitcasters go I have found the cheap ones are best to stay away from. My brother went the cheap route and just couldnt do it. He can now but I did kind of help him out and he was using one of mine. It was the lower end ABU garcia. I dont know if you reel left handed with spinning gear but I do and my bait caster reels are left reeling so its not unatural for me and in my brothers case it seemed like he had more control and alot less overrun. I think my reel was only around 60.00. As far as a general question about higher priced gear it realy all depends. Hope this helps with the baitcaster question though.

 

For spinning, I've settled on Shimano Symetre reels, St. Croix Avid rods and Sufix line...the rods are a bit more than medium priced but do have the lifetime warranty. People may find the Premiers more affordable, but the Avid line is a noticeable step up.

 

Ok so as far as line goes, I have been using the regular 6lb test Berkley XL line, the stuff that is usually around $5 per spool. Last night I decided to try braided line so I started to spool in on my reel only to find it spinning. After using google I found out I not only had to begin with mono line but also use leaders. I don't have the patience to tie the different knots as it took me almost an hour just to tie the mono starter line and the braid together. I ripped all of the braid off and went back to my regular Berkley line. Today while fishing from my boat I hooked a pretty big largemouth using a Rapala Glass Shad Rap. It took off a few times while reeling it in and made my drag go crazy. I finally got it up to the boat and the line snapped. It didn't snap at the knot but in the middle of the actual line. Needless to say I cussed a few times.

Now, what line would anyone recommend that is still usable as far as knots goes but will be a bit stronger? In the meantime I spooled my reel with 8lb test but its still the stuff that is $5 at any store so I doubt it is much better. I also invested in a net after that incident and I REALLY want to prevent it from happening again because that would have been the biggest fish I have caught so far by far.

 

You can put a piece of electrical tape around your spool to keep the braid from spinning on the spool. I tie directly to any bait that I use but if you do use a leader you can do a double uni knot which isn't that hard. I suggest putting a long leader if you do that so you can change baits often and not put on too many leaders. Hope this makes sense.

 

Ok so as far as line goes, I have been using the regular 6lb test Berkley XL line, the stuff that is usually around $5 per spool. Last night I decided to try braided line so I started to spool in on my reel only to find it spinning. After using google I found out I not only had to begin with mono line but also use leaders. I don't have the patience to tie the different knots as it took me almost an hour just to tie the mono starter line and the braid together. I ripped all of the braid off and went back to my regular Berkley line. Today while fishing from my boat I hooked a pretty big largemouth using a Rapala Glass Shad Rap. It took off a few times while reeling it in and made my drag go crazy. I finally got it up to the boat and the line snapped. It didn't snap at the knot but in the middle of the actual line. Needless to say I cussed a few times.

Now, what line would anyone recommend that is still usable as far as knots goes but will be a bit stronger? In the meantime I spooled my reel with 8lb test but its still the stuff that is $5 at any store so I doubt it is much better. I also invested in a net after that incident and I REALLY want to prevent it from happening again because that would have been the biggest fish I have caught so far by far.

Practice your arbor knot, and you will get faster at it. You really only need to tie it occasionally.

I like using a nylon mono backing because it is cheaper than braid. That way, I get more spools out of the braid too. You don't really need to use a leader with braid...at least in my opinion.

If you really don't want to use braid, Yo-Zuri hybrid is very strong. 6 lb line breaks at 11.9 lbs. The 8lb breaks at 12.0 lbs. It is fairly inexpensive. Good luck finding #6 in a local store. It is a bit stiff on spinning reels tho - be warned.

 

I'd say it's all a matter of preference to the individual as far as rods n reels are concerned.I do just fine on my $70-80 spinning combos & do just fine with my $100 baitcasting outfits.As far as line goes I use braid most of the time & have no problem with it.I like it for the fact that you can get a high line rating with a relatively small diameter.I agree with a previous post about the mono backing,you get more outta your spool of braided line.I've also found the with braided line I get a more overall consistent line as compared with some monos.

 

Been doing some more looking around and I think in the spring I may try to get a baitcasting rod and reel. I use mostly soft plastics, spinnerbaits, and rapala type crank baits, are these type of lures what using a baitcasting reel would benefit me?

Also a question about line. When using fluorocarbon line, do you need to use a mono leader and backing as with the braid or does it work just like mono just with a few different properties?

 

Fluro is stiffer than mono so dont fill the spool up all the way. No you don't need backing or leader. It will almost dissapear under water due to its properties.

Yes you can do everything you want with a baitcaster with the baits mentioned. I don't use spinning rods for bass fishing at all.

 

trail_boss2,

Rods & reels are tools, nor more or no less than that. Each tool has a specific purpose designed to help do the work of an angler. You can force a nail down with a tool, such as the butt end of a screwdriver or you can use a well crafted hammer designed for quickly and properly driving nails into wood. With the screwdriver the job gets done. However, it takes much longer and you may find that you’ll miss the nail a lot more than you would with a hammer. See a correlation yet?

Not to say that with out dumping untold sums of money into your fishing gear you won’t catch any fish. $35,000 boat and 30 different rod combos is nice but, little Timmy down the road just may catch the next world record with his Mickey Mouse spincast reel? Ultimately the fish do not decide to bite on your lure based off of the model and brand you’re using. However, once a fish has committed to a bite, your chosen tools of choice (a.e. your rod & reel combo) help to increase your chances of hooking up with the fish. That is why the market is flooded with aisle of options for rod & reels. Each was designed for a specific fishing application, in an effort to increase the chances of a catch with the best tools available.

A hand made cane pole made from a tree branch is a tool used for fishing. This is the screwdriver. It works to catch fish. Yet it has distinct disadvantages compared to a Gloomis rod paired w/whatever top of the line reel of your choice. This is the hammer, an obviously better tool. With a cane pole it will take a lot longer to catch fish and you will find that you’ll miss hooking a fish much more frequently than you would with a Gloomis. This is an extreme example but, often times extremes are the best way to get a point across. Compare this example with your original question:

How much difference does a higher end rod, reel, and line make?

. . . and if I did my job right, you should have a clear answer.

Those that have taken fishing up as their passion and have chosen to become anglers are on a continued quest of discovery and knowledge about the sport we love. I see that you are on this path!

Since I have been out of fishing for a few years. BTW: Welcome Back to the sport of Fishing! Now that I am getting more into fishing than ever from buying a little fishing boat and hitting the river more I am getting more interested in different stuff. Now that I got a boat and I have been learning more I am more interested in trying a baitcasting reel again and maybe a higher end spincasting reel.

There are some good opinions in this thread, apply the ones that fit your fishing style and try not to get lost in the mass of info. Remember what brought us to the water’s edge in the first place. I tried to keep it simple, not short and add a little perspective. I hope that helps someone out there?

Good luck on the water.

P.S. Great Thread