As a companion to the mono thread.....someone asked me last week what I felt was the single most important tackle improvement in my angling lifetime. I responded, "Braided line, unquestionably." I say this because its (braid) the one item that's allowed me to reach places such as far off structure, deep water etc.. and has helped me catch more fish in many situations. I cannot say this for any other piece of fishing tackle I own, and much of it is so called "high performance." This includes reels,rods, hooks, plugs, you name it. None of the aformentioned things besides braided line have provided much more than marginal benefits over what I fished with 20 years ago.

Lets's hear some takes on this subject...What has REALLY improved the last 20 or so years?

Entering my 4th season, I am still upgrading every aspect of my equiptment. But even though it isn't tackle, the biggest help for me has been Google Earth. I found a couple spots, out of the way roads, to fish places I didn't even know existed.

The one thing I find really helpful...Information is much more available.

Small reels with lots of drag.

VSs! :smokin:


...which finally brought huge mono. capacities in a spinning/ plugging reel...

... without it being as heavy as an anchor while affixed to your rod! :love:

Entering my 49th season, dam I'm getting old, I seen a lot of improvements but these would be the main ones:

Penn Spinfish 700 spinning reel moving to the Z series.

Ceramic guides, almost picked this as number one.

Super Strike plastic plugs.

Breakaway clips

Breathable waders and braid
I do love those breakaways

I agree that braided line is the #1 improvement during my fishing years. I also agree that Breakaway clips and breathable waders have been huge improvements. A few others might be.

Handheld GPS for finding holes/structure on the beach at night that were located during the day (beats putting that washed up lobster pot buoy on the beach to mark the spot). :)

Very realistic sand eel imitations (and other realistic plastics such as Storm Wild-Eyes).

Fluorocarbon line.

Butterfly jigging (though that's a boat gig). :musc:

Sit on Top (SOT) kayaks rigged for fishing. :topic:

Other than braid, I'd go with graphite rods, a huge help where I fish. Another is the improvements in ruggedness of spinning reels.

Ahhh ... I'll go with digital fishfinders for $300. Alex.:bounce: Not quite what you asked though. Tackle wise I'd say my Van Staals, bulletproof and no issues, of course filled with braid.

I bought my 1st graphite rod 37 years ago in 1972, it was a 4-1/2 ul Fenwick HMG (High Modulous Graphite), my 1st graphite surf spinning rod was a GLB1081M for tossing eels on night tides in the canal at the mudflats in 77'. That was the first breakthru for my little gang.

In 1978 #^&#^&#^&#^& Pleska of #^&#^&#^&#^&'s Wholesale Tackle in Worcester started supplying Cortland Micron to Tony C. at his BassRun Tackle Shop in N.Eastham after Tony got some from the Cortland company and put two and two together. He was the first person I knew that started using what we now know as "braid" on his conventionals and spinning rods. Unlike "Squidding lines it had no stretch and smaller diameter for the lb test ratings.

The skirted spool reel was introduced about the same time by Daiwa in the form of the SS7000c with a red knock on the reel stem that flipped the bail instead of a bail spring and we all went to them and then Daiwa introduced the BG series and we all put them on our graphite rods. We used Ande Green IGFA rated lines.

Though they were around for more than 20 years the graphite rod and skirted spool reels were big advances. Other than Tony C. who had the foresight, it took another 20 years before the rest of us caught up with the use of braids.

Breathable waders,they've saved my back.Greylites were "bombproof" but in the morning I had to practically crawl to the buggy!

Braided line by far.For instance..I can't imagine what it would be like to jig the canal without it.I know I would not reach a few holes that make up my favorite locales without it.
Breakaways are nice..i don't think the difference from my 706 Penn's and my 300 Van Stahls are as great as the difference between both of them reels and My Saltiga..That thing is a marvel in engineering..I also agree with the breathable waders.anyone who has made some good amrches in the rubber,canvas or neopreme know's what I'm talking about.It's like fishing in your PJ's..
There certainly is a greater variety of things surf related.It used to be you had to be creative and make things if you wanted to customize your gear.Now you can pretty much buy whatever you need.Never mind the choices in hooks and plugs.
I have not seen any storm type shads on the list...I call em idiot baits.I was a big rubber guy,I still am one..They went and made it easy for those who had no clue..

If you work hard tyin your knots and know how to work the drag, your insincts will take over.

I don't know, maybe Varivas leader material - it's saved some nice fish in some pretty bony spots for me, and I keep wanting to think it improved my catch rates under normal circumstances...

Man, I miss that stuff - I'm on the hunt for it again, found 50# spools at a store in Japan may order some...works out to $1+ per leader but I've spent more on less -

Outside of that I guess I'm a creature of habit - same Penns, same mono, same hooks - it didn't seem like it was broke, so I didn't feel I had to fix it, I guess - :huh:

Okay, maybe I oughta toss in Advil liqui-gels, too - my current drug of choice on any night out - :doh:

Even without the experience of those guys who have been doing this forever ( and I certainly mean no disrespect when I say that ), I can think of a couple good developments.

LED flashlights are nice. They can clip onto your hat or be built into it, by golly :)

Rods that weight less than what my father used to fish with are a real bonus too. The more recent forms of light weight graphite rods is just fantastic. :happy:

Braid is awesome, and has advantages beyond being "no stretch".
:bgi:

I don't know, maybe Varivas leader material - it's saved some nice fish in some pretty bony spots for me, and I keep wanting to think it improved my catch rates under normal circumstances...

Man, I miss that stuff - I'm on the hunt for it again, found 50# spools at a store in Japan may order some...works out to $1+ per leader but I've spent more on less -

Outside of that I guess I'm a creature of habit - same Penns, same mono, same hooks - it didn't seem like it was broke, so I didn't feel I had to fix it, I guess - :huh:

Okay, maybe I oughta toss in Advil liqui-gels, too - my current drug of choice on any night out - :doh:



I am a big fan of fluorocarbon leader material.IMO it is much better when it comes to abrasion resistance.I buy hundred yd spools of triple fish from one of the big mail order stores.They go around 27 bucks depending on the lb test.i use 40-50 and 60.One of the only things I shop from them.
I have to say the Advil's are up there on the list also.Along with some kind of Purrell...
That fish handling stuff scares the NIB.My hands can get pretty messed up at times digging in the maw of a good fish.It's amazing how bad them little scratches can get..
BTW I don't get bass thumb.It's something I never understood.I started fishing some with gloves last year.I know Zeno does it.
It's so much a PITA for me not sure it's worth it.I certainly don't want to get any infections.I try to be more mindful of what I am doing..

LED flashlights are nice. They can clip onto your hat or be built into it, by golly :)



Thats a good one. I love mine.

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Breathable waders - I had two pairs of neoprene over a couple of years and I can't imagine going back. Looking back those warm nights and tons of walking. should have just went in the water w/o them.

all of it fishin gear advanced like a wave ,everyone played keep up.alot came from the west coast and from japan.. in 1960 i fished from the hunington beach pier calif w/ a penn long beach w/ 25 lb squid line and a 6ft glass rod casting under hand, you would swing the 4oz weight out 25 to50 yrs -- now its lami super surf w/ 30 braid reel is a dawia emblem casting 100 to 150 yds. or a 11ft arra w/ a jazzed up 7000c w/ tec line ,but w/ braid it changed fishing style on the canal in 2-3 yrs.more any other thing..... ie. rubber shad . plastis plugs stink bait. we had it in the 60s.... but rods n reels tec is a close 2 ......i use braid and mono where needed... although ,i wish i had braid when i was comm. cod fishing for the feel at 250ft..........dave

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I AGREE!!!

Without the internet we would not be able to read the reviews on tackle and gear and all these new fishing gadgets would take forever to spread to all fisherman.

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agree #1 ... without the Internet I may have never fished Cutty Hunk, BI ,, the Elizabeths ,,Nomans ..with friends I made in plug building and such . I probably still be carving the occaisional popper from a broom handle and jigging macks and chunking . No CS , Numby , Flap, Peter. My little world became huge.. Everything I know about gear ,,rods ,, Ditch Jigger and Big Dave ,,, hot rodding reels .. No Plugfest and plugfest gang .. No hanging at M&D's .. No Cutty Gang . No Gibby's .. A world without NIB is a sad world indeed .. No NIBism's... Last but not least ,, and saddess of all No Ditch Trolls .. The world is a better place thanks to you bastageds and all buds not mentioned .