Familiarity Breeds Success

On those rare days when you aren’t bass fishing, have you ever watched the tournament golfers – with their matched sets of golf clubs. While they’re all somewhat different, each club has a similar “feel” to the golf pro.

The same applies to fishing tackle. If you have an XYZ 6’6” rod and a PDQ 6’6” rod, they usually have a different “feel” to them. Similar reels from different manufacturers DO feel different in size, shape, and mechanical “feel.” The best way to maintain consistency is to find a rod and reel manufacturer and stick with them, purchasing specific outfits as the need arises (and finances allow).

If you look in the rod locker of my Ranger 518DVX, you will find two brands: CastAway Graphite Rods and Quantum Energy reels. Having tried several different brands of rods and reels, I have found that these work the best for me. But, the important thing is that they have a similar “feel.” When I pick up my trigger-handled spinnerbait outfit there isn’t any noticeable difference on how it feels in my hand, or whether it has a more “mechanical” feeling than any other outfit in my rod locker.

So if you find a brand of rods and reels that work for you, work on building a set of them. If you haven’t found any specific brands check out CastAway Graphite Rods (www.castawayrods.com) and Quantum (www.quantumfishing.com), you’ll be glad you did.

There are so many variables in bass fishing already… minimizing the mechanical feel of your equipment will put you farther ahead of the game.

-Jeff Morton

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