How Much is Too Much?

[BigBassin144]

I've been thinking (I know, never a good idea, lol) and when it comes to decreasing stress on an angler with rods and reels, how much is too much.

Let me explain a bit more. Over the past couple years, the trend seems to be the lighter the better with reels. Supposed, it's easier to fish with a 6oz reel all day than it is an 8oz reel. I could see if you have arthritis or something, where a lighter combo would help during a whole day of fishing, but for a normal and healthy person? Is that 2oz really a big difference?

Another example. Spiral wrapped guides on a rod. They're supposed to reduce torque on the rod and the angler's wrist, but I never notice enough torque to make an issue of it, even when I'm pulling the boat over to where my lure is snagged, lol.

So, how much is too much? and when should the angler just suck it up and be a man?

BB

[AUFred]

Those of us who started really bass fishing with a mason jar sized Johnson guide on a Lew's Speed Stick concur. I still have that pistol-gripped combo which is now only used for catfish days. I could not imagine casting & reeling that for 7 or 8 hours now. There seems to be a point of diminishing returns on lighter to me.

[BASSINPHOENIX]

thats why i fish topwater ,deep cranks,jigs for the 4 hours and drop shotting for the rest of the day while holding a cold one on my left hand lol.

[cassidyta]

BB, there is an old military saying that says ounces saves pounds. Meaning that it is not a big deal until they all add up. I would say that 2 oz can make a difference over the course of a day or tourney.
Let's say that in the course of a day you are casting 200 times. In that example you are not saving 2oz, but rather 400 oz which is 25lbs. Most of us can pick up and even toss something 25 lbs, but when you do there is an added strain on your hands and wrists. That strain does not always equal pain, but will result in diminished sensitivity to your hands for a little while. The added sensitivity at the end of the day is where this matters most to me.

[Marty]

Is that 2oz really a big difference?

Doesn't sound like much, but when you talk about 8 oz. or 6 oz., it's either 25% or 33%, which sounds like a lot more.

So, how much is too much? and when should the angler just suck it up and be a man?

I'm having trouble figuring out why putting up with correctable discomfort is manly.

[bamabassman]

Hmmmm........interesting anthony.

[CMorg]

I agree this is interesting. Ive been working out with kettlebells , so slinging the few extra ounces doesnt make a differance to me.

[BigBassin144]

Originally Posted by Marty

I'm having trouble figuring out why putting up with correctable discomfort is manly.

Ok, I guess that didn't come out as I meant it to, lol.

But my point is correcting these "discomforts" comes at a price. You want a feather weight reel, you're gonna have to pay big bucks for it. Now for some, this may not be an issue, but for most of us, it is.

I just think people put too much emphasis on things like the weight of a reel. And companies exploit this and charge big bucks. a great example is the Daiwa Steez. If someone offered me a steez that weighed 5.6(or whatever it weighs) ounces, and one that performs exactly the same that weighs 8oz, I'd definately take the lighter one.

I'd take the lighter one mostly for the reason that it feels better in my hand at the time, not because it is supposedly easier to fish all day than a heavier reel.

I just don't think that a couple of ounces makes that much of a difference, even in a whole day of fishing. I although a 2oz difference over 200 casts adds up to 25lbs, I don't think that affects an angler like lifting a 25lb weight would. Look at KVD. He fished his big ole heavy quantums day in and day out, and all day long during tournaments without any negative results.

Hearing everyone's opinions on this is interesting, so keep giving them.

BB

[WTL]

I think Anthony is right here. There are tradeoffs in everything you do. Want a reel that weighs 6 oz? You might have to put up with one with more plastic and magnesium parts, which have potential issues in durability. Want a lighter rod? Carrot Sticks are among the lightest, but do you no good if they are snapped in two. Those cases are extreme, but what we are talking about here is the value of paying to be on the extreme margins. I think like with cell phones, I am willing to let others prove the new technology while I stay a comfortable 2 years behind the times, picking off the things I like that work and that have been proven to not only be novel, but cost effective. After all, fishing costs gas and time, and the money that I save on equipment goes into other things which allow me more time on the water - and perhaps, more fish.

[Abbeysdad]

So you get up at the crack of dawn. Yer fishin when it's cold 'n wet 'n windy - making you cold, wet and miserable ...and on top of that, you get discouraged if they're not biting.....

I just don't see where a 2 oz weight difference fits into the equation!

[nofearengineer]

I'm kind of with Abbey on this one. I've done my share of fishing days where I know I made a thousand casts. My shoulder was always my source of pain, not my wrist. I'm pretty sure it was the swinging of my arm, which weighs a heck of a lot more than any fishing rod and reel, which caused my shoulder fatigue.

That being said, I own one of those 6.75 oz reels, and I like it just the same.

[bassboogieman]

There are some really good rods out there for less than $150 that are extremely light, you just need to know where to find them. Light weight contributes to a rod's sensitivity and as I have arthritis, the light rods/reel make a day on the water much easier on my wrists. 1 or 2 ounces may not sound like a lot, but if you have a rod that weighs 4 ounces - 1 ounce is a 25% increase in weight, 2 ounces is a 50% increase and it is noticable in the feel of the rod.
Similiar differences with reels. A light weight Alum reel vs a magnesium may afford another couple ounces difference. I would not add weight to a combo (such as BPS promotes on it's Extreme rods) for any reason. I want to go a light as my budget will allow, and currently thats about 11 - 12 ounces per combo on average.

[zooker]

Originally Posted by Marty

I'm having trouble figuring out why putting up with correctable discomfort is manly.

ask your self this marty you fish how many days a year?? i am bettin less than 50..

you don't really fish long enough to get in casting shape. yes once you start whaling away 3-4 times a week. you gain certain muscles and you learn how to short cut fatique..this do explain why i have forearms like popeye...

Originally Posted by WTL

There are tradeoffs in everything you do. Want a reel that weighs 6 oz? You might have to put up with one with more plastic and magnesium parts, which have potential issues in durability. Want a lighter rod? Carrot Sticks are among the lightest, but do you no good if they are snapped in two. Those cases are extreme, but what we are talking about here is the value of paying to be on the extreme margins

i have to agree with brotha love here.the lighter the gear gets the bigger the pos it tends to be..
if you are going to drop the money it cost for a reel or rod you dam well want your money's worth from it.. if you buy a high end -"light weight"- reel that turns to crap in 2 years. you did not get your moneys worth from it..i have reels in use that are 25 years old for a reason they still work good..yep i have a slew of new reels which i don't like as much as the older heavier -better built- reels..

Originally Posted by Abbeysdad

So you get up at the crack of dawn. Yer fishin when it's cold 'n wet 'n windy - making you cold, wet and miserable ...and on top of that, you get discouraged if they're not biting.....

why we do it is for the love of the sport.. yes the sport we love will end up causing all us to have operations on our wrist, hands, shoulders, lower back, and arms..we all will fight thru obseen amounts of pain to do what we love too..it is what they refure to as "occupational hazzard" or long term repetive motion.WELCOME TO BASS ANGLING you all..in case you missed it while looking at the glizts and glammor bassmaster puts out.

zooker

[nofearengineer]

Originally Posted by zooker

yes the sport we love will end up causing all us to have operations on our wrist, hands, shoulders, lower back, and arms..we all will fight thru obseen amounts of pain to do what we love too..it is what they refure to as "occupational hazzard" or long term repetive motion.WELCOME TO BASS ANGLING you all..in case you missed it while looking at the glizts and glammor bassmaster puts out.

Man...my hands, wrists, arms, and shoulders were pretty much already destroyed from years and years of...you're not gonna believe this...making pizza dough. Trust me, it was not as much fun as bass fishing, and paid only slightly more.

Honestly, I groan and moan as much as the next guy when I'm tired and sore from fishing, but like Zooker said...it's a labor of love. Heck, I've been to the doctor twice this year for fishing injuries. I always get the "rolling of the eyes" from the doctors, who are most likely non-fishermen. They're gonna have to lock me up to keep me from fishing.

[Baron49]

Maybe explaining what I have done will help. Been fishing over 4 decades with Abu Garcia and Quantum reels. Both of which are very good companies, but until recently their reels weighted in at 10 oz or more and were quite bulky. Same thing with rods, used Fenwick and Allstar rods for years and they were also heavy averaging 6 oz or more.

Had the opportunity to use an American Rodsmiths 7' H Kicker Stick with a Revo S reel for a day. Rod weighted in a 4.5oz and the reel at around 8 oz. It was like the difference between night and day. I used the outfit all day without getting as tired or the normal sore and painful wrists. Plus the sensitivity increased dramatically. This translated out that I was able to fish and concentrate with a higher level of efficiency and less fatigue over the course of a tournament or a long day on the water.

Since then I have converted all my tackle to lighter weight St. Croix and American Rodsmiths rods and all the old reels have been replaced with the Revo line of reels including the Premier that weights in at 6.3oz. After using these for the past few years I find I can fish longer with better concentration and no where near the fatigue that I had with the heavier tackle.

[Baron49]

Originally Posted by BigBassin144

So, how much is too much? and when should the angler just suck it up and be a man?

To answer this question you need to look at it this way.

If you are fishing for fun......buy what you can afford that fits you the best.

If you are fishing for money.....using lighter tackle allows to you be able to spend more time concentrating on fishing and less on sore muscles.

[rambler1141]

If you're pulling in bass, what's the 2oz going to do for or against you. I think some people are worried about foolish details because they can't catch fish. The arthritis pain, in my hands, is bad tonight. Not because of the weight of the tackle but because I had a good day catching.

[bamabassman]

Baron makes an exallent point. BUT...........after using the lighter rods and reels for say...another 5 years. you will adjust to the weight of those and seek something even lighter? so the question remains. right?

[Baron49]

Originally Posted by rambler1141

I think some people are worried about foolish details because they can't catch fish.

Being aware of all the details makes the difference between someone who might catch fish and someone who catches fish on a regular basis. Fishing can be a hobby for some people and ignoring details probably hurts their fishing but for a hobby it is not a big deal. A professional fisherman cannot afford to ignore any details as his lively hood depends on how well he manages each and every detail. When you make a living from fishing there are no foolish details.

[Baron49]

Originally Posted by bamabassman

Baron makes an exallent point. BUT...........after using the lighter rods and reels for say...another 5 years. you will adjust to the weight of those and seek something even lighter? so the question remains. right?

If using lighter equipment helps now and they come out with better and lighter equipment down the road? I am sure most professionals will go to the newer lighter rods and reels just like most professionals are doing now.

[S4il]

This is why i fish all The same reels and all the same rods.

[bamabassman]

Baron i agree that they will comeout with something lighter and stronger. But just how much lighter can you get? And so this why i said that the question remains. There HAS to be a stopping point......SOMEWHERE.

[keithdog]

Gonna chime in here. I think they are pretty close to getting as light as they are going to get. I think the emphasis soon will be switching to better features, faster retrieves, stronger build and so on. Obviously thats going on now, but I think there will be less talk about weight and more about the other soon. I love my newer light weight tackle that I have now. However, as Zooker said earlier, I wouldn't trade off with some of my older heavier gear that I have which I know is strong and dependable.

[BigBassin144]

I would have rather have a heavier reel if it had some distinction in performance over a lighter reel.

My Johnny Morris Signature is a heavy reel, and doesn't have anything special to separate it from other, lighter reels. Especially now that Pflueger has incorporated the dual brakes into more reels, and Abu has picked up on the them.

Keith, you make a good point about switching emphasis from weight to feature. Look at the 50th anniv. Zillion. It's not the lightest reel on the market, but it IS the fastest.

BB