Prices of Surf Bags

[nightfighter]

I finally decided on the AS smal and small tall bags on a belt. Often only need to take one, or the other. Much of the decision was to take any weight and wear off my shoulders. Works for me. They have held up well, and I can move them around to always feel balanced. $400-600 makes me think more than twice, even for a reel, which I consider one of the most critical pieces of equipment. Would not even consider that kind of price tag for a bag....

[Mugz]

Bob,

The high priced bags make everyone THINK your are an experienced and accomplished fisherman....you didn't know this?
Plus, they help you catch WAY more fish.......and you'll look dam good doing it!!!

[PaulS]

Originally Posted by Mike P

There's also something to be said for spending what you have to for quality gear that will stand up to beatings.


There's spending money foolishly, and spending it wisely. Spending big money on a bag that's going to sit on the rocks, or stay slung over your shoulder while you're standing in the wash or along the shore of a bay, isn't spending it wisely IMO. Spending it on a bag that will remain tightly closed while you swim to a rock or skish, and has stitching that will stand up to salt water, and materials that won't tear on rocks, is spending it wisely.

Not according to some of the people here.

Originally Posted by Mugz

Bob,

The high priced bags make everyone THINK your are an experienced and accomplished fisherman....you didn't know this?
Plus, they help you catch WAY more fish.......and you'll look dam good doing it!!!

[Mike P]

It's pretty simple, really: buy the bag that you need, and don't buy more bag than you need.

If you do a lot of deep wading, or swim to rocks, buy the best bag you can afford.

If you fish the Canal or only stand at the surf line, don't buy more bag than you need.

You can insert plugs nose down and hang the tail hook over the top of an insert--and presto--no more hooks getting caught in the drain holes of cheap inserts. Or, don't use tail hooks on swimmers.

[Pete_G]

Originally Posted by Mike P

It's pretty simple, really: buy the bag that you need, and don't buy more bag than you need.

If you do a lot of deep wading, or swim to rocks, buy the best bag you can afford.

If you fish the Canal or only stand at the surf line, don't buy more bag than you need.

You can insert plugs nose down and hang the tail hook over the top of an insert--and presto--no more hooks getting caught in the drain holes of cheap inserts. Or, don't use tail hooks on swimmers.

Logic prevails...

[Mike P]

There's also something to be said for spending what you have to for quality gear that will stand up to beatings.

How many people resist spending $800 for a VS, Saltiga, or ZB, and instead spend $150 on a reel, and burn out the gears after 2-3 seasons? In 10 years you'll spend more than you would have spent by buying the quality reel once.

I tried all last winter to convince my fishing partner to just bite the bullet, and buy a Saltiga for Canal jigging and plugging. He was switching to spinning after 40 years of jigging with conventionals, the last 30 almost exclusively Newells--which he'd also burn out regularly. He went for the $150 Emblem Pro instead, and after 100+ nights of jigging, and 30 mornings throwing 2-3 oz plugs, the gears are already going, and he has another month of fishing ahead of him.

Now he's thinking of replacing it with a Saltist over the winter, so he's already almost halfway to the price of a Saltiga, and no guarantee that the Saltist won't burn up in 2 seasons, after which it'll be another deuce to replace it.

On the other hand, both of us bought the $240 Mojo 10-1/2 footer from St Croix instead of the $450 Legend, and both of us couldn't be more pleased with the Mojo's performance. It was a much better value for the dollar--so the most expensive also isn't necessarily always the best way to spend your money, if you're getting good value for the dollar.

Reels break and wear faster than rods. You can get great service out of a $100 Tica or Tsunami rod. But well built reels with quality metal critical components give you more for the dollar than reels with cast white metal gears.

There's spending money foolishly, and spending it wisely. Spending big money on a bag that's going to sit on the rocks, or stay slung over your shoulder while you're standing in the wash or along the shore of a bay, isn't spending it wisely IMO. Spending it on a bag that will remain tightly closed while you swim to a rock or skish, and has stitching that will stand up to salt water, and materials that won't tear on rocks, is spending it wisely.

If you fish 20 times a year, and toss plugs from the shore or from gentle surf, all you need is the $100 reel. Even if your reels don't go swimming, if you fish 100 nights a year and routinely crank 3, 4 and 5 oz lead against a 4 knot current, that $100 reel isn't long for the world.

[tattoobob]

Agreed Mike, I have not once had a problem with any of my Aqua Skinz bags falling apart, I put my tail hooks in first nose up on the longer needles and Pencils, short plugs hang nicely from the insert. I'm not sure why your hooks are getting hung up in the bag maybe over loading? swimming deep wading and climbing with mine I even feel down a 75 foot cliff with no damage to the bag

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by tattoobob

Agreed Mike, I have not once had a problem with any of my Aqua Skinz bags falling apart, I put my tail hooks in first nose up on the longer needles and Pencils, short plugs hang nicely from the insert. I'm not sure why your hooks are getting hung up in the bag maybe over loading? swimming deep wading and climbing with mine I even feel down a 75 foot cliff with no damage to the bag

Hooks can penetrate the thin plastic walls of cheaply made inserts when you try to remove a plug. Canyon bags are especially noted for this. Same with the BW bags. This can happen whether the plug is nose up or nose down.

Hard plastic inserts, if they're cheap, will crack if the bag smashes against a rock.

With well made inserts, neither will happen. Some have larger drain holes in the bottom that the point of a hook can get through and cause the plug to become stuck in the bag.

The well-designed and well thought out bags have none of these problems. It doesn't mean that you need to spend $300+ for one, but you should look for those features in a bag.

The old Surfcaster Deluxe bag was a hell of a buy for around $130 if you didn't need to carry more than 4 big plugs. The front row of the inserts would only carry 4" or 5" plugs.

[JackK]

My $100 VS single row has performed admirably for me. Plenty of velcro, hooks don't get stuck (unless I cram extra plugs in beside the tubes, then they invariably get stuck in the bottom of the bucktail pouches), and it drains + dries quick. One of the best investments I've made in this hobby.

I'd like a custom bag for sure (six tubes would be ideal, and I like the idea of a white interior to better see plugs at night), but I can't justify spending the loot when I have one that does the trick just fine.

I've heard iffy things about the MAK bags as well. I don't have one, but some people have told me that their quality is mostly from hype, and they don't stand up to the abuse. Take it with a grain of salt, and I'm sure that there are plenty of people that really like theirs, but it makes me think twice before shelling out a bunch of bills.

[Fishoholic]

I think it's pretty funny how one of the best guys in New England uses an old mayo jar full of snakes and out fishes about everyone.

I have a 50$ shimano bag that has treated me very well. I beat the hell out of it and never have any problems. My only complaint is the narrow tubes but I pulled 2 out and replaced with a emerald peanuts plastic jar that fits my biggest pikies.