Sticker Shock

[BarryBobPosthole]

Went to an outdoor and fishing tackle show down in Tulsa this afternoon. It pisses me off how these types of shows used to be popular and you could count on a full afternoon of entertainment and actually find some deals where now its just bullshit. Still. I go. Cabin fever ya know.

I found the rod I need for Len to figure out how to build me for a hunnerd bucks or so. GLoomis 6'10" NRX Dropshot model. Without even looking at what it was I picked one up off of a rack and started flexing on the end of it and whipping it back and forth to test the back bone. Then I looked at the price, $525, and gently put it back on the rack. Whew. I'm telling ya, a damned fishing rig costs you as much as a deer rifle these days. Re-friggin-diculous. Still, that rod sure felt sweet. You know you'd have to put a top of the line reel on a rod like that or it'd be like putting spinner hubcaps on a VW.
Before you know it you're at $800 and still haven't bought line. Sufix 832 braid is like $30 a spool.

This is getting to be a rich man's game. I blame it on the tournament anglers. Easy targets. Plus they dress funny. Tell a big lie, they award you a patch to wear.

I got out of there for less than $50. Found some old original Lazy Ikes in their original boxes for $3 a piece. Found some Senkos in some otherwordly color for $3 a pack. Everything at that place must've been $3. Bought a Tee shirt that says 'Fat Quack Outdoors" cause there was a gal wearing one with titties out to here and they were only $15. Found some old original Small Okie Bug spinner baits (SOB's for us insiders). That company went out of business over ten years ago. Was based in tulsa and they made a quality spinner bait. These were a dollar apiece and I bought six of them. Man, those were the days. Okie Bug used to be the largest tackle store in Oklahoma and they'd set up at boat shows and outdoor shows and you could find some bargains. I had a buddythey sponsored and I'd buy a Falcon rod from him every year at the Tulsa Boat show at the Okie Bug booth. He passed away about four years ago and it made me smile to see those Okie Bug lures. So yeah, I'm a sucker. The rattle snake exhibit gives me the big time willies. You can hear those things from 50 feet away. they had a big old water moccasin in an aquarium and he was the genuine article. Those snakes are brutes.

Anyway, ramblin on about nothing special! Len, get to work on that rod for me.

BKB

[HideHunter]

You're so right Barry - and it's like that with so much stuff. Most of your major clothing manufacturers close out their camo clothing yearly so they can sell you the "latest". If I needed camo I'd wait ad buy it for half price or better. Looked at a bunch of stuff the other day 50% off and most of it was still 200 bucks. Did score on a really nice Orvis rain jacket. Was 200 bucks for $25.

[BarryBobPosthole]

I'm a sucker for rain stuff.
BKB

[Buckrub]

What?

No fancy hat lights?

[Buckrub]

You need to stop all that fancy schmancy b/s hoitie toitie fishing stuff..........and grow up. Fish like an old man for crappie. Get a straw hat.

My rods cost about $50 max. That's for the 11 or 12 footers. My reels are Mitchell 310xe's.........less than $50.00.

That's absurd to spend for a crappie pole...........and I have about ....... um....... well, I dunno how many I have. Several. But it's not $525.00.

[BarryBobPosthole]

To each their own Bucky. I don't have a $525 rod, that was my whole dang point.

Sheesh.

I don't say nuthin' about your West Memphis looking rifles do I?



BKB

[Buckrub]

HAHAHA

I don't remember. You probably did. You probably drooled over 'em, if you did, like you drool over fancy rods and stuff. You just wish you were like me, admit it.

OK, well if I can't harass you, then I'm going to go listen to some announcer get really loud in hopes of making me excited about watching snowdogging on oak sticks while twirling batons and singing Ole Man River......or whatever it is they do. Then I'm going to go to bed, take my cheapo (I THOUGHT they were expensive!!) fishing stuff, and go stick them into the water tomorrow. No reason, I won't catch nuthin'........just going cause I can.

[BarryBobPosthole]

I'm not sure we have enough open water here to fish. Its too windy to get out on big water.

Hopefully here in a week or so maybe.

BKB

[LJ3]

We can do it MUCH cheaper! I just started my first one this weekend. It's pretty easy so far but I just did the spine marks and handle assembly. It was damn near therapy, truth be told. We'll know the real deal when I get to wrapping the guides soon.

[LJ3]

And Bucky... I've never deliberately caught a crappie but I would imagine the more sensitive they are, the better off you'll be. Oh wait, you use a float

Seriously though... with my loomis rod & shimano stradic reel, the difference in what I can feel is significant. When much of my fishing is bumping tubes and other plastics on the bottom of rivers, sensitivity really does matter. That being said, I ain't got no $525 rod and the high end stuff I do have was free money from company rewards for my awesomeness.

[Thumper]

Crap ... I'll pick up a Blue Light Special at K-Mart and out-fish every one o'youse yuppie-assed dufes! (with one hand tied behind my back!)

[HideHunter]

Len - I can't emphasize enough on the wrapping.. Practice - practice - practice.. An old fishing rod - an arrow - a pencil if you have to. Once you "git" it you "got" it. Put some finish on those practice wraps, too.

Oh - and I have a couple of those long rods and I very seldom use a float. Biggest problem with putting too much money in those long ones is - they tend to get broken. I used to use B&Ms exclusively - they were cheap to start with and then you could buy replacement tips cheaper. See Barry's post above on "sticker shock".

And I do have one Loomis rod and a Stradic reel. If Thump saw them at a yard sale - he'd walk away. But they are easily the best equipment I own. Reel is going to have to go back to the factory. it's acting up a bit - I guess after close to 20 years - it's allowed.

And Bucky - Have two of those little Mitchell reels. I will buy more.

[Penguin]

Man... $525 for a fishing rod. Truth be told I don't like fishing enough to pay that for a rod.

There are a lot of places to fish up here and I decided to dig up my old rod when I was home for Christmas. I'd had it since I started grad school and it had sat in my room of my parent's house since I graduated. A pretty nice graphite rod and a Quantum bait casting reel. Not too much use on it either. No idea what the thing cost, can't remember.

But I'd sell it cheap for $525 if anyone is interested.

Will

[BarryBobPosthole]

Not a lot of folks know this, but GLoomis the company was sold to Shimano in (I think) 2009. They're still made in America as far as I know and as far as I'm concerned they're still just as good or better as they were when Gary Loomis owned the company.

BKB

[LJ3]

Yeah... there was a big lawsuit with Gary Loomis and shimano. They went after him when he used what shimano said was too close to their brand, and god forbid, using his name He has since started his own company that makes very high quality blanks and other components. This is where I think I'll get my rod blank when I'm qualified to build the rig of all rigs, the king rig, the rig to end all other rigs.

http://www.northforkcomposites.com/

Unless of course, Gene the rod machine can point me to a better quality source.

[BarryBobPosthole]

I keep looking at those Shimano Crucial rods. They're made in China though. Bummer.

BKB

[LJ3]

They do look nice... I drooled a little.

[Chicken Dinner]

Yeah... there was a big lawsuit with Gary Loomis and shimano. They went after him when he used what shimano said was too close to their brand, and god forbid, using his name He has since started his own company that makes very high quality blanks and other components. This is where I think I'll get my rod blank when I'm qualified to build the rig of all rigs, the king rig, the rig to end all other rigs. http://www.northforkcomposites.com/ Unless of course, Gene the rod machine can point me to a better quality source.

The one Rig to rule all rigs?

[LJ3]

That is correct. Rig Ruler, as it were.

[Niner]

Dang! And here I thought I was splurging spending $25 on a new Berkley ultra light rod.

That wouldn't even cover the tax on one of those high brow rods.

[BarryBobPosthole]

I had a Berkley Lightning rod for years and finally broke the tip off of it. Its one of those deals where I may or may not repair it ever, but I'm too cheap to throw it away.

BKB