The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: Swamp Yankee on July 21, 2013, 11:42:28 AM
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Well went fishing for some Salmon yesterday. Spent $300 on poles, lures, waders, and licenses for the wife and I the day before. Low tide was at a round noon so got to Bird Creek around 12:00 found a good spot on the bank not too crowded and started fishing. I lost a few lures around seven. Lost a big Sockeye about an hour in. Pole snapped in half after getting snagged on the rocks. Started trading on and off with the wife's pole then her reel broke. Swapped it out with my reel and soldiered on. I ended up catching a limit of Silver ( Coho ) Salmon. A total of eight hours fishing. So after all my calculations they should be some good eating fish at a cost of $100 a pound. I need to fish some more to get the cost down so I can continue with this new habit.
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A bad day fishing is better than a good day at work as the saying goes!
Enjoy your new habit SY, I've been "hooked" for about 50 years now... Three hundred bucks is what a decent rod and reel costs these days. You can also spend a grand or more if you want! You get what you pay for and I've found St. Croix to be both a great rod and good value. Made in WI by American craftsman as well.
Reels, I have tried most mid level and keep coming back to Shimano for spinning and Abu Garcia for casting. Neither domestically produced unfortunately. Don't bother with anything in a bubble pack wrapping...
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Eating is a new habit?
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My dad always said that with his skiff he could save money by not having to pay for fish. Of course the first one cost $35 K, but after that they're all free. ;D Are you fly fishing or spin fishing? There are some good deals on rods out there.
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Was using a cheap spinning combo from Wally World. I have good poles and reels but they are in storage in PA. The Wife did pick me up a good fly rod but I have not found a good reel in the local stores that I like . So I will have to order one on line to get what I want ( Pfleuger ) in an 8 weight. When the Bass Pro Shop opens I will get some better poles and spinning reels. Till then I will continue on till the other pole breaks.
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Was using a cheap spinning combo from Wally World. I have good poles and reels but they are in storage in PA. The Wife did pick me up a good fly rod but I have not found a good reel in the local stores that I like . So I will have to order one on line to get what I want ( Pfleuger ) in an 8 weight. When the Bass Pro Shop opens I will get some better poles and spinning reels. Till then I will continue on till the other pole breaks.
If you're looking for a great spin combo Bass Pro has Penn Battle combos for $119. That's only twenty bucks more than the reel alone, and the Penn Battle is one the best (in terms of durability and price) reels going. I asked my reel repair guy what buy/avoid before I purchased and this topped his list, as he said that he almost never saw one.
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PS As far as a fly reel, look at an Orvis Battenkill. You can find one for about a hundred bucks and they are great. I have three, ranging from four weight to 10 weight and they are indestructible in fresh water or salt. I've had these things for going on twenty years and they just won't quit. The drags are nice and they haven't gummed up in sand salt or mud.That said I have a couple of Pfleugers too and they are still going strong. If you go that route I'd recommend getting one with the exposed spool so you have some drag control.
Here's one on ebay. I don't know these folks so caveat emptor, but it looks pretty good.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Trade-Up-Orvis-Battenkill-8-9-Disc-Fly-Reel-in-Good-Condition-/181165729329?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a2e51a631