03-24-2009, 06:27 PM
I've always been a believer in premium fishing equipment, as my dad always taught me to be, but lately I've been reconsidering this stance, since taking up fishing from a tube. Now more than ever, I find my rods and reels are getting wet, submerged etc. I keep things clean and lubed, but Im beginning to notice some sloppiness and roughness in my reels. In particular I've had this one Shimano Sustain for about 9 or 10 years, and just lately Im getting a feeling the end is nigh for that one.
And the places Im prone to fishing these days tend to be a little more off the beaten path, thus my rods in particular take a beating while Im bushwacking and carrying a bunch of gear.
So here's the dilemma I guess:
Do I sacrifice some of that nice sensitivity and smoothness I get when fishing a loomis or a st. croix, for some durability and a little less pain when the things finally fail? I was looking at some of these Ugly Stik Lite combos that Cabela's and Basspro have right now, and I was thinking of buying a 6' ML, a 6'6'' M, and 7' MH combo specifically for fishing from the tube. Has anyone else taken this approach? Cheapened down a bit on your gear so you're less worried about screwing it up? Did you miss using some of the nicer stuff? Do you catch fewer or more fish?
Also, do you take things into consideration, such as the rod handle material when considering it might spend some significant time wet? Do foam handles hold up any better than cork? Any particular reel brands you would avoid because they corrode quickly?
I could use some advice on tube-specific rod and reel combos.
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And the places Im prone to fishing these days tend to be a little more off the beaten path, thus my rods in particular take a beating while Im bushwacking and carrying a bunch of gear.
So here's the dilemma I guess:
Do I sacrifice some of that nice sensitivity and smoothness I get when fishing a loomis or a st. croix, for some durability and a little less pain when the things finally fail? I was looking at some of these Ugly Stik Lite combos that Cabela's and Basspro have right now, and I was thinking of buying a 6' ML, a 6'6'' M, and 7' MH combo specifically for fishing from the tube. Has anyone else taken this approach? Cheapened down a bit on your gear so you're less worried about screwing it up? Did you miss using some of the nicer stuff? Do you catch fewer or more fish?
Also, do you take things into consideration, such as the rod handle material when considering it might spend some significant time wet? Do foam handles hold up any better than cork? Any particular reel brands you would avoid because they corrode quickly?
I could use some advice on tube-specific rod and reel combos.
[signature]