Many of today’s younger anglers probably have no idea how lucky they are to be able to fish with the quality tackle available today.
While electronic technology often gets most of the credit for making anglers better, today’s tackle has played an equally big role.
I can say that because I fished professionally in the 1990s when we thought our tackle was pretty good. It was, but today’s gear is remarkably better.
I remember purchasing my first baitcaster — an Abu Garcia Ambassdeur 5000 — when I was 11 years old. It was considered then to be state of the art and was the greatest reel I owned at that time. I’m sure other veteran anglers remember it as well.
It cost me $39 — which was a lot of money at that time — and I did chores for my grandfather to earn that money.
It remained the gold standard in baitcasters for quite a while, but modern-day improvements and technological advancements make that reel obsolete.
There are so many reels now that are superior and make baitcasting better and easier. They are lighter, fit your hands better and you can limit backlashes by making simple adjustments.
For example, I did a social media post recently about the Lew’s Custom Pro Reel and the ParaMag Braking system and how it enables me to cast the Shad Rap without backlashing. The Shad Rap is a great cold-water bait, but its lightweight body often required casting with spinning tackle, especially when fishing into the wind.
Not anymore.
We’ve also seen great improvements in rods that are built with lighter and more sensitive graphite or composite materials. Back in my early days, rods were rarely over 6 feet, 6 inches, were stiff and would break often. Now you can find a technique-specific rod in various sizes for just about any bass fishing technique.
What’s often overlooked but equally impressive about today’s rods and reels is there is some very good tackle available in the price range of the recreational angler who isn’t trying to be a pro angler.
In many cases, features that were initially available in premium, high-dollar equipment are now offered in mid and lower price points. The top of the line may be better, but you can buy a darn good reel for $150 and a rod for around $100, or lower if you take advantage of sale prices.
Of course, the quality doesn’t end with rods and reels. Today’s hooks are so much better, plus we have a variety of fishing lines to match techniques and lifelike lures built with better components.
All of today’s tackle not only makes you a more efficient angler, but it certainly improves your chances of hooking and landing that 10-pound bass better than the gear we used in the 1990s.
