Rods, reels, etc.

So much equipment, so little time . . . . It seems like one could spend a lifetime sifting through all the options of fishing equipment and never find the right combination of line, lure, rod, and reel. Though this might be a marketing ploy it is also an opportunity for anglers to fine tune their preferences. As such, one could easily write one's "biography" as an angler on the basis of the gear he/she has used through the years. My own are: a 5'0" Shakespeare combo, probably best used as a trout rod. Caught my first largemouth on it three years ago, on a texas rigged worm on some kind of light line (it came pre-rigged); after that came another Shakepeare, Ugly Stik, 6'0" medium action spinning rod with a Shimano rear drag reel (both of which I recently e-bayed); a Daiwa 5'6" light action spinning combo, which I still fish unweighted plastics on--this combo is still a favorite, great overall action and has caught me more fish than any other; another Daiwa 6'6" baitaster (paired with a Megaforce reel--see my earlier post for comments on the reel); a Shimano 6'6" medium action spinning rod with a Daiwa reel--"free" gift from NAFC--not a bad combo, contrary to my earlier opinions; and a BPS Tourney Special Baitcasting rod with a Pro Qualifier reel, my current favorite. The reason I mention all this is that it seems a good measure of one's involvement with fishing. Like many, when I was a kid I had the cheapest, least reliable gear and fished it only seldomly and without any problems. I took up fishing three years ago and went back to that kind of equipment and immediately saw the problems; everything I'd read about "getting what you pay for" was true. And just this year I've found that if you are really interested in a sport it is to your benefit to make an investment that will last you 3+ years, keeping costs in mind. That, to me, is one of the great things about fishing: it can be done very cheaply or more intensely, with expense being less of a concern. And there's also a great deal of play in between those areas. As such, I've enjoyed my few experiments with fishing equipment and can make a few recommendations. First, assess your needs as an angler. If you plan on fishing only when your time allows, which may be 10 or fewer times per fishing season, then don't consider any combination of rod and reel over $50. Second, if you are more interested in fishing more than that, do yourself the favor of learning about the sport before making a major purchase. That may seem easier said than done, but there are a number of very good internet resources available. That said, some of them are in the business, it seems, of being slightly vague about techniques and equipment. However, many of them are reliable even when they are trying to sell a product. (Cabelas has a number of very informative buyer's guides.) Third, whenever possible try equipment out before making a purchase. This means fishing with someone who has a lot of gear; no in-store experience is going to be a good substitute. This applies to both rods and reels, though it is most valuable with reels--there is no way of telling how line will come off a spool unless you cast it yourself. All told, this sport, like many, probably benefits most from its social aspect. Without it the sport would be far less advanced, a whole lot less fun, and less worth doing.