Is expensive gear really needed for estuary fishing?

[Fab1]

Hi raiders,

Iv,e been using the same shimano fishing gear i bought 15 years ago from the large retailers for less than $100 a combo and apart from washing my gear down religously and greasing/oiling the outfits and drags they still perform almost like the day i bought them.

In that time i have caught plenty of the usual estuary species that i have targeted often out fishing other people with the greatest and latest gear.

Are we being influenced by fishing shows/magazines etc?

Thanks.Fabian.

[Jewhunter]

Hi raiders,

Iv,e been using the same shimano fishing gear i bought 15 years ago from the large retailers for less than $100 a combo and apart from washing my gear down religously and greasing/oiling the outfits and drags they still perform almost like the day i bought them.

In that time i have caught plenty of the usual estuary species that i have targeted often out fishing other people with the greatest and latest gear.

Are we being influenced by fishing shows/magazines etc?

Thanks.Fabian.

Some people like to drive Ferrari's & some like Toyotas & others Hyundai's.

They all do the same thing.

It's whatever floats your boat.

Cheers,

Grant.

[rockfisherman]

Some people like to drive Ferrari's & some like Toyotas & others Hyundai's.

They all do the same thing.

It's whatever floats your boat.

Cheers,

Grant.

This is a good analogy, but I'd also like to add that fishing tackle has come a long long way in 15 years, next time you pull in to the tackle shop ask to have a feel of a $100 reel, it will be lighter and smaller than what they produced 15 years ago. The rods are constructed of much better materials, even some thing like a shimano catana is great for the price.

Unless your taking food off the table, treat yourself.

Fishingphase

[mrsswordfisherman]

Good thread this one

I have often asked the same question. I am of the opinion that it is the skill of the angler and the amount of time and casts he/she makes.

A poor workman always blames his tools

Having said that I am continually amazed by the gullibility of most fishos. I often remark to my female friends that they are just as bad with buying and shopping for tackle as any woman.

Keep going Fabian and look forward to your reports on your catches

[cjchen]

what i personally believe in is that yes expensive gear does help you catch more fish.

light gear helps with wrist fatigue and allows you to work the lure much better, eg 270g outfit gloomis and a ci4 1000 , when i dropped it, it was that light that it floated on top of the water

from a kayak you can't really use your body weight or arms and mainly rely on wrists.

sensitivity helps with striking and good rods help you cast further.

you can feel everything since i got a GLX.

bait fishing on the other hand i don't believe it matters.

[Yowie]

Hi raiders,

Iv,e been using the same shimano fishing gear i bought 15 years ago from the large retailers for less than $100 a combo and apart from washing my gear down religously and greasing/oiling the outfits and drags they still perform almost like the day i bought them.

In that time i have caught plenty of the usual estuary species that i have targeted often out fishing other people with the greatest and latest gear.

Are we being influenced by fishing shows/magazines etc?

Thanks.Fabian.

You don't need to spend up big, so long as you buy a reasonable quality rod, reed, line. Never spent over $100 on any outfit for estuary/beach fishing, and still use handlines sometimes when fishing Port Hacking from my boat. Fished for over 50 years.

Just remember that you may be fishing for bream or whiting, and you end up hooking a big flattie or salmon, or fishing the deeper water for tailor and reddies, and hook up a fair sized jewie or kingie. Take your time and you will have a good chance of landing the bigger fish, even on the not so expensive tackle.

[Day's Fishin]

Hi Fabian, after going with 3 other blokes on my boat fishing from South head to Bondi and up to 3k out Ron was using a hand line while the rest of us where using the latest come in spinner gear. He out fished us easily. Now it's how did you go with all your expensive gear whenever we see him, we don't ask him how he went in case he tells us and give him more ammo for the BBQ get togethers:wub: . Regards Jeff

[PM79]

It's needed but it depends on the situation.

That being said there is a point where all you're getting is an increase in price for little to no benefit, it's like owning that Ferrari and driving it around the city and suburbs.

As previously stated fishing tackle has come a long way in the last fifteen years, you don't see people driving steam engine cars to work.

Edited December 17, 2012 by reLapse

[rockfisherman]

Another factor is what your perception of expensive is?

Fishingphase

[Catchin Jack]

Good thread this one

I have often asked the same question. I am of the opinion that it is the skill of the angler and the amount of time and casts he/she makes.

A poor workman always blames his tools

Having said that I am continually amazed by the gullibility of most fishos. I often remark to my female friends that they are just as bad with buying and shopping for tackle as any woman.

Keep going Fabian and look forward to your reports on your catches

Agreed 100% Mrs Swordie, there's something on TV that has been using cheap combo to catch fish and it catches the same fish as top dollar rigs and I catch same amount of fish on my cheap gear as I do expensive so what you're saying is true imo, easier to blame the tools than the person using them.

[PM79]

Another factor is what your perception of expensive is?

I remember when I was much younger I thought $300-$600 for a set up was expensive but that's now reasonable to me.

[rjc123]

It really comes down to personal preference. I like to have confidence in my gear. Knowing that if i hook a 10kg Jewfish on my 3-5lb rob, 1000 reel and 4lb braid, that my rod and reel are capable of landing it gives me peace at mind. I would agree that using better gear "helps" catch more fish but its really up to the fisherman whether they catch fish or not. I often try and get value for money. Sure I have a few expensive outfits , but i've got plenty of cheaper and medium range outfits that also perform well. The Jewell 2-4kg rod ($100) and Shimano Saros 2500 F ($170) has done plenty of damage for me over the past few years.

The moral of the story is that if your after kings and bream, spend the money on kings. They'll make short work of any sub-standard tackle, while the majority of bream won't.

Cheers, Tom

Edited December 18, 2012 by mulloway man

[Fab1]

Hi raiders,

heres another example of expensive versus not so expensive for anyone who plays or has given golf a go.

Im now 38 years old and took up playing golf 3 years ago with a set of clubs that were given to me by my father inlaw which are 50years old.

When he gave them to me he took me to the driving range and showed me the basics such as grip,stance posture etc,at first i couldn,t hit the ball to save myself,i was lucky if i managed to make contact with the ball to hit it 50 meters on the fly and got many strange looks when i turned up with my old clubs by the gorilla chested guys with their thousands of dollars worth of clubs/golf lessons and all their fancy golf clothes,shoes etc.

Now to be honest i was a little intimidated and felt extremely out of place,but my father inlaw not being one to hold back words said dont worry about those idiots the way their hitting the balls they may aswell be using a broomstick.He said i want you to listen to me fab(he calls me fab)im not a spring chicken anymore but golf like many things in life are about knowledge,practice,persistance,patience and technique if you have all those i believe you can accomplish any thing.

Now don,t worry about those twits and when you come out to the range remember what i told you.

I could go on for ever, but to cut the story short i have a handicap of 2 now never having had a golf lesson in my life by a professional and the same gorillas at the range when i turn up take a seat and watch me practice with my 50 year old clubs and my lowes polo shirt and pants.

Now some of these guys have golf sets worth 2,3,4 or more thousand dollars and have spent thousands on golf lessons,training aids etc.

Iv,e been offered up to $20,000 for my golf clubs by several people but the offer has always and will always be declined.

Now you tell me is expensive,hi tech,latest and greatest any better?

Im sticking for now with knowledge,practice,persistance,patience and technique.

Thanks for the replies guys,id love to hear some more thoughts.

Fabian.

[rockfisherman]

Fabian

I agree with you totally, as the moral of the story is expensive gear will not make you any better at what you do, weather it be golf, fishing or cooking cup cakes.

Fishingphase

[big Neil]

Hi Fabian, horses for courses really. Skill and knowledge definitely account for much success but the tools need to be appropriate to the targeted species and technique. A classic example would be the advent of specific rods, reels and lines for casting soft plastics all day long. The newest gear is made to help the angler catch the targeted species. Outside of that we all have to live within budgets and that's where the fun comes in...seeing what is affordable that will suit our needs. There's definitely a lot of hype out there but most people can catch fish with basic gear.However I wouldn't try catching kingies with an el cheapo rod and reel...some fish warrant better quality gear that can last the distance. Cheers, Neil.

[abecedarian]

Fabian

expensive gear will not make you any better at what you do, weather it be golf, fishing or cooking cup cakes.

Fishingphase

Not true at all with regard to golf. New technology in all clubs make it possible for an average player to hit their irons, woods and drivers straighter and further than previously possible. Give an ordinary person a driver from 15-20 years ago, even from 10 years ago to compare with a current driver of the same class and he/she will play miles better with the new club. Fabian, if you play off 2 then you must be a good player but if you were to invest in a new custom fit set you may find you're a scratch player, or even better.

But it's not so much the case with fishing, where the expensive gear has less impact on numbers of fish landed compared to knowledge and experience (AKA "skill"). The expensive gear just makes fishing more comfortable and may have advantages with drag (smoothness), line management and casting.

I have an old shimano taipan surf rod that is a great rod, and cost less than $100 when I got it. But now, even though I catch no more fish with it in reality, I exclusively use my nitro surf assassin. The reason? It weighs about a third of the taipan and casts better, so I can fish for hours with about half the effort. Makes a big difference when lure fishing, and for me fishing with the expensive gear means I keep casting much longer before I give up and go home...

Basically, anyone telling you that expensive gear is no better than cheap gear is talking crap! And anyone telling you that you won't catch fish without expensive gear is talking just as much crap! Get what you can afford and what you're comfortable with then just go fishing.

Edited December 18, 2012 by abecedarian

[PM79]

Skill only takes you so far in any arena.

[bharris]

Try flicking a 1/32 jighead on a old firberglass rod with thick mono and say you can cast it good luck feeling or seeing the tics in the line.bait fishing you can use anything but lures good luck

Sent from my GT-I9100T using Tapatalk 2

Edited December 18, 2012 by kingfisher84

[foolforjesus]

Thought I would chuck in my two cents worth lol...

Up until a year or so ago, I had been using the same fly fishing rods & fly reels which I bought some 20 years ago, plus gear handed down from my Dad.

I've also been using the same pretty cheap combo type spin gear that you would get at a mall shop, in the fishing section.

I've caught plenty of fish on both, with no worries what so ever. (Fishing for Trout)

So about a year ago I upgraded my spin rod, reel, fly rod & reel to some good next level, but fairly low on the range gear.

I have to say its been great to use, with catching plenty of fish still.

Have I caught more fish...No. Have I become a better Fisherman...No.

The only thing I have gained, which is quite a lot really, is casting distance (Talking spin gear here).

I got a Freams 2000 reel, after much thought, and suggestions from fellow Raiders.

Great reel! However, I have'nt caught more fish with it, its just been a joy to fish with.

In the sense that I've been able to cast further, using lighter line, a better more suitable rod, yes I believe I have caught more fish.

So, to answer the million dollar question, is it necessary to buy the latest fandangle fishing gear...

In my opinion, it is important to use suitable quality gear for certain species, such as King fish, but you certainly dont have to go out and spend top dollar.

I believe entry level in the King fish sized catogery gear will work, however will it last over a 10 year period.

As a good friend of mine says, as with King fishing, if you spend $1,000 on a reel, you know it WILL perform every time you hook up, for most likely 10 years, if looked after.

If you buy a similar sized reel for $100, the chances are you will need to replace that reel every year, that is if it doesn't fail on that first big fish.

So yes, you will have confidence with quality gear.

I believe my Freams 2000, which I use to catch Trout on mostly, will perform and catch equally as many fish as the latest Exist or Certate will.

At the end of the day, fish with what you know will work and land the fish your after on a budget that you CAN afford.

Its nice to have top quality gear, but don't chase after the latest fandangle gear just because its the latest.

Aim for quality gear, but maybe get entry level on the next step up gear, similar as I did with my Freams reel.

[jkm1667]

Gyday fabian

I think you hit the nail on the head by washing my gear down religously and greasing/oiling the outfits and drags they still perform almost like the day i bought them.

Like anything if you look after it,it will look after you.

Me on the other hand,well i just use alveys.

Ive seen some golfers with all the good gear that cant find the fairway.

Edited December 18, 2012 by mcgoo

[rockfisherman]

Gyday fabian

I think you hit the nail on the head by washing my gear down religously and greasing/oiling the outfits and drags they still perform almost like the day i bought them.

Like anything if you look after it,it will look after you.

Me on the other hand,well i just use alveys.

Ive seen some golfers with all the good gear that cant find the fairway.

I love this thread...

And I love alveys. Is it normal to feel love for some thing made of plastic and metal? I'd say no, but it's just how I feel.

Fishingphase

[Paul]

IMO, expensive fishing gear isn't required but it can add to and enhance the experience depending on what experience you're actually after.

I think the following are more important:

1) Going to the right places or going at the right time. No point fishing if the fish aren't about. You can try berleying but that's as far as you can go really without changing places which could take up alot of time.

2) Having the right gear for the right conditions, eg no point using a deep diver if the water is very shallow or the hooks and sinkers are too big/heavy for the required location or species.

3) Knowing the correct techniques, retrieves, rigs & knots, jigging, trolling etc

4) Preparation - having a few rods with different rigs/lures already setup saves alot of time especially when the fish are on the bite. Having one rod and switching different lures at a time sucks. Much like having a golf set available.

Expensive gear comes in to play when you want more casts per session, you need to cover more distance per cast, you're after something more comfortable or guarantee of quality/durability.

I've caught just as many fish on cheap gear as I have expensive gear. It's just that the gear used was right for the conditions at the time.

[The Iceman]

[quote name='abecedarian'

Basically, anyone telling you that expensive gear is no better than cheap gear is talking crap! And anyone telling you that you won't catch fish without expensive gear is talking just as much crap! Get what you can afford and what you're comfortable with then just go fishing.

[Catchin Jack]

As an example, just got back from Nth Queensland and took gear with me, wanted something cheap but reliable and went with 2 Pflueger Salt reels and 2 Abu Garcia Muscle Tip rods. Fished plastics and targeted GT's mainly. I could've taken my top end gear costing a hell of a lot more but chose to go out and get cheaper stuff. Well both rod and reel choice held up to the challenge and had no issues with either, was no loss in casting distance, could feel lures working and the smallest taps. The rod was only a 8-12kg, 6ft 6in and the reel a 60 series in the salt with 50lb fireline. It aint the big dollar gear that catches them, its the person fishing and the technique used imo. I reckon I would've got same amount on expensive setup as I did cheap setup.

[tentonner]

My dad has been fishing lake eucumbene for 30 years, generally he 'll fish with old glass rods and mono and catch plenty of fish. Recently I lent him my 1-2kg nitro vapour and 1000 Stradic with 4lb braid. When using this combo he caught an 8lb brown trolling, the biggest fish he'd caught in years. The expensive rod and reel certainly didn't help him hook the fish trolling, but the overwhelming theme of the story when he was recounting the fight was how amazing it was that he could feel every kick, head shake and movement and how much fun it was reeling this fish in on such a lightweight, sensitive yet strong outfit. Moral of the story is that using his old glass rods and mono line would have caught the fish, but using the new gear gave him a far greater appreciation of the fight and the sporting aspect of fishing.

That's why I like buying good gear, doesn't catch more fish but I have more fun using it.