Notaro, just some advice
 

Hey man, I have no right to tell you this but if you are spending a ton of $ on fishing stuff, your waisting your money. A cheap surf bag with a few swimmers, a few bucktail jigs, a few poppers and a few leaders and hooks rigged for eels is all you need. That’s it.
Guys have been catching trophy bass for a 100yrs without Aquaskins, Habs needles, Tatoo spooks, Van Staals and $250 waders.

No matter what passion or hobby you have, people focus too much on the gear and not the skill. People say “I’m going to take up running” then buy $200 shoes when $60 would suffice.
The guys on this site drop tons of cash on gear and that’s great if that makes them happy or their fishing more enjoyable. It does not mean they catch more fish nor does it mean they are more dedicated. Focus on the fish, not the gear. Don't put yourself in debt for no reason.

Amen...

Yeah, and stop making fun of my Walmart rods!:D

Wow, thank you for telling me that, RJimmy. I know. I'm going to stick with what I have now. I will do plastic baits and plugs. I am lucky to have some dead eels. I know that I need more practice on my plugs. But at the same time, I feel like when I need something for the stufss, right gear... it is hard to pass up or to resist it.

RM, when did I make fun of your wal-mart rods?:p

Re: Notaro, just some advice
 

And some use plugs that have been handed down 1 or 2 generations and are probably older than most people on this board that just keep working season after season. ;)

Collectors items if they weren't beaten by fish and repainted :D

Re: Notaro, just some advice
 

Man, you sound like my wife! :laughs:

Re: Re: Notaro, just some advice
 

Thank you, Im not the only one.

Remember when I posted the picture of my first fish of the year? It was a wicked dink. Well I was holding my 9' blue runner and you made some comment like "isn't that a Walmart Quantum?" It definitely was a Quantum (impressed with your eye for cheap stuff) but I didn't think it was exclusively sold at Walmart. Anyway, my brother got it for me a few years ago, and even though I have much nicer rods, it has become my lucky river rod. That thing has landed me every fish I have caught this year, and it won't go back into the cellar until I start going to the ocean every weekend. Anyway, I think people shouldn't care what type of equipment people use, cheap or expensive. The point, is Notaro can buy what he wants, when he wants, from who ever he wants. If he goes into debt, that doesn't concern anyone but him. Thats my 2 cents. Now go get some fish!

In the words of blitzinBlues " fish don't know what kind of rod am using."

Sound advice, RIJIMMY !

I wish some one told me that 25 yrs ago. :(


Ok, who wants to buy my junk?! ;)

Thank you. I just buy what I really need for specific reasons. Mikey, my bad for that remark a few months ago.

Remember...The more you're in debt, the more you have to work to pay it off......and the less time you'll have to fish.

If you have $1500 worth of gear I think your all set for awhile and should focus on mastering what you have. Then over time figure out what you need to supplement your Preferences.

an additional $.02
 

Remember, most fishing gear is designed to catch fishermen (and women) first, and then catch fish next.
Lastly, if you can afford to buy the gear you want, do so. When my family gives me that "you bought another rod, I always say that whatever I buy WILL BE USED, so it won't just sit and collect dust.

Notaro, tried to PM you. My posting was in reponse to your post below.

NOTARO: I am starting to realize about myself. I could put into time for myself. Now, I'm totally broke, I owe a debt of 1,500 to my credit company. Dad said that I better stop buying things now. And the gas prices have increased.

You just seemed influenced by a lot of guys out here and I think that you may be getting the wrong impression.
WHat I stated about what you need to catch fish is exactly what my Dad told me. He has outfished anyone I have ever meet and has 3 bass over 50lbs, he used cheap rubber waders, Penn reels, and cheap swimmers like Cotton Cordel redfins and Rebels, bucktails. He caugt tons of fish becasue he fished hard, often and learned from observing.

Sorry If I made you uncomfortable or was out of line.

No apology necessary for me buddy. I took it all in good fun. Hey, I promise me and the Rickman will get you in one of our boats for a Gloucester trip this year.

That's okay, Jimmy. You made a good point. I have a lot of cheap stuffs I used last year, but they were torn and useless. Plus, I'm looking for a big trophy bass. Hence the money. :smash:



RM, thats okay. I was hoping for the Race Point in Fall...

Big trophy bass don't bite expensive plugs. They bite well placed, well worked and well timed offerings.
The worlds record bass was caught on a rebel that can be bought at any Walmart.
I'll shut up now.

Whatever dude. Although I got my largest fish of the year out of Gloucester last year. Believe it or not August was my best month off of Race Point last year. I sucked a$$ in Sept and Oct. :confused:
RIJIMMY- Rebels are awesome! Thats the only plug the guy who taught me how to surfcast fished. That guy was my daddy. I love you daddy where ever you are!

This topic has made me laugh.

Frankly speaking, I don't think Notaro is alone. I think a lot more of us are going into the red than we care to admit, what with our addiction and the quest for the elusive one, the "Cow" of our lives on a pole and reel.

And Notaro is young, I think he's just learning the hard way that eventually, what you get is what you're going to have to pay for at some point, considering he's not even legal yet.

:laughs:

Anyway, been there, done that. At least Notaro is trying to find extra odd jobs to work off the debt, and I'm sure he won't be makign the same mistake twice. Hopefully, at least!

RM, really? Hmm, we will see then,okay?

My bad, Notaro just IM'd me and told me he was 21, legally. And Here I was, thinking he was just turning 19 the other day.

My bad.

Most of my big bass have been caught while live lining scup and such off the back of a boat on a pleasant summer evening in random harbors around Buzzards Bay.

hook/shock leader/balloon/clothespin.

not exactly rocket science or $20 handmade wooden plugs ;)

Do you know waht they say? You pay for what you get.

I don't know if you golf Notaro...but you can spend $2000 on a set of clubs but......You ain't gotta thing if you ain't gotta swing.


and I'm pretty sure that if you put a $200 set of El Cheapo clubs in Tiger's Bag he can still break 80.....

"The gear does not make the fisherman."

However, the gear makes him or her look cool, but he or she cant fish.
TDF, i will buy those stuffs to impress and kiss my boss and his clientees' asses and to help me to promote myself into different levels.

I think you missed the point...I'm saying that no matter what equipment they put in your hands...If you don't know how to use it they'll never work

i retracted my previous post. youare right. but i do know how to use the fishing gears. so it doesnt matter if the stuff is expensive or cheap, its about know how to use it. i remembered that one from BM's seminar at the MSBA expo when aguy asked him a stupid question.

If you wanted to be a better fisherman for $1500, you'd be WAY better of spending $500 on a rod, reel, waders, line, and some plugs and using the remaining $1000 for gas money getting to and from fishing.

yeah, u re right.