Fishing Forum

Where do you buy your gear from and why? Mail-order (or internet) or the good 'ol brick-n-mortor shops? Combination if both?

steve
[signature]

i get the bait from a local shop and the occasional hooks and sinkers. But i get the reels and rods from basspro or cabelas or the newly ebay.I test them out and see if i like them at dicks or sport authority then buy them. I wish i had a bass pro store near me would make everything so much easier. seems the price difference makes all the difference for the online stuff
[signature]

Both.

What ever my local shops can't get or don't carry gets ordered through an established business via internet or phone order.
[signature]

All of my current rod/reels (except one) are Cabela's combos... a brand name reel fitted to a Cabelas rod. My bait and tackle is always purchased from a local honest to goodness bait shop. They have an ultra-light rod/reel I'm drooling over that I might just cave into... gonna run me slightly more than Cabelas, but they warranty the products.

steve
[signature]

I haven't purchased much in the line of rods and reels in the past 4 or 5 years. I have acquired alot of stuff though.

I do tackle testing and receive stuff from all over. Different rods, reels, line, hooks, lures, even alternative weights (lead free).

I do buy more of my Bass hooks though. Only because what they send me to test are mostly copies of the fine products that are already out there. Some of what they send me is junk. Some is good.

Either way, I get to keep what I want and give the rest away or trash it.[cool]
[signature]

I buy from my local bait shop. Best bait shop in PA. Appalacian Trails on 422 near lake Arthur. I get all my stuff there because well quality service. He is reasonable on his prices. Some stuff is cheaper than Wal-Mart and better. I got my new fishing pole from him too. I went in and figured they would be well out of my price range. I just wanted to do a bit of drooling. So I asked for a good fishing pole with a closed reel. I know alot of people don't like closed reels but I like them. My reel on my other one broke so I had to get a new one. He pulls out this Johnson Century closed reel which has a cork handle and metal casing for the reel. Most closed reels I have seen are plastic. It is green color on the rod and on the bottom part of the reel. I drooled and he said 40 bucks for the rod and reel and well I had only planned to spend 20 as I am a poor college kid. Just enough to get by but my girlfriend was with me and my birthday was coming up and she said she would pay for half and I got my new pole. Well anyways he picked out exactly what I was looking for and I have been buying all my hooks and bait from the same place ever since. I use to go there up until there was a fire and well I guess the previous owner sold it after that and well the new guy is just great. If you are going to Lake Arthur go to Appalacian Trails on 422 for what you need. He is good for finding good fishing spots. Ask him for what you are after and he can tell you where they are biting at. I have gotten my first small mouth bass and catfish with tips on bait and where to go from him.
[signature]

Welcome aboard and thanks for sharing with us on the boards.

We look forward to seeing your fish reports when you have them and share more with us if you feel comfortable doing so.

Please feel free to browse the many boards that we have here including the Bass board, Recipes and even your own state board.

There is a lot to learn here and a lot to be shared.[cool]
[signature]

Yea Welcome to BFT, Santaaa!

looking forward to talkin' fins with ya!
[signature]

Thanks for the welcome. Any tips on getting crappie. I know my spot has them. I almost got one with a medium fat head. I saw it fall back into the water. I screamed no as I had set out to get crappie. My brother says you normally need a boat to get them as where the trees have fallen you can't get there without a boat and well my spot happens to have a few trees that have fallen in the water and there is enough room for a few people to fish. I tried switching to a larger hook but then I started to get small mouth bass which was a blast. I have to wait until 14th of June to keep them as well they are out of season. I love blue gill. Between my girlfriend and myself we got 47 blue gill in 2 and a half hours no idea what we have got already since summer well over a hundred total. I have 40 still in the freezer my brother told me they would keep for a long time in the freezer so I am saving them for winter when I can't go fishing as I I can't swim so ice fishing is out of the question. I am after the crappie though now that I have achieved catching small mouth bass and catfish. Now I am after crappie. I use live bait as well artificial bait does not work for me. I always fish from shore. I hate boats because they don't slow down and well it pushes my bobber all over the water. Be courteous slow down when you see someone bobber fishing from shore. Anyways I am after crappie what should I use? Any tips? Any one else fish lake Arthur?
[signature]

Around here tube jigs tipped with a small crappie minnow unter slip floats have been the ticket lately on the outside weed edges in 6-9 FOW ... a balanced slip float and smaller minnows hooked behind the dorsal fin on a #6 or #8 hook should do something for you out there in PA I would think.. run the float at different depths to find were they are.
[signature]

We have a good local outfit that now handles alot of Lgmouth Bass items. But before that it was internet and local shops for live baits only. The big boxes here also have a great selection.
[signature]

All right thanks. I will try that next time I get to go fishing. I will let you know if I get any crappie.
[signature]

My buying is in spurts. It really depends on how quickly I need what ever i'm looking for. I only purchase brand name products from respectable organizations like basspro and boatersworld. I've probably purchased more products from boatersworld than anywhere else. Their selection is beyond anyone elses, and they carry nothing but the highest quality products and reasonable shipping costs. I also purchase alot of terminal tackle and such from a couple local tackle stores that I know personally. My rod needs are made custom by Bubbashotrods.com and now that i've tried their product, I wouldn't have it any other way. [cool]
[signature]

[cool] I buy my bait (artificial and live) at my local tackle shop. I usually buy my rods and reels from Cabela's or Bass Pro Shop. We are getting an Academy Sports store here soon and will be ginving it a try.
[signature]

I used to order alot from catalogs and still do for special items, but now I just go local. I never like the shipping costs and I would much rather stand there and stare for hours at all the pretty fishing tackle on the walls. Decisions decisions, so many decisions.
[signature]

I almost forgot![shocked]

The only line that I do purchase, because it is so good, is the Silverthread from Excalibur. It is only available, so far, from Cabelas.[cool]

They are still one of the sponsors of this site. I wish I could pick them up as a sponsor. Then I could look at BPS..... and then ......I guess I'm too involved now[blush]
[signature]

[font "Tempus Sans ITC"][#808000][size 3]Internet 100% for me. We don't have any local shops within a couple hundred miles from where I live. So unless I want a nightcrawler and a cheap Eagle claw baitholder hook that the local gas station sells I am a regular internet orderer. Plus my work hands out Cabelas Bucks on a regular basis so that helps out a little also.[/size][/#808000][/font]
[font "Tempus Sans ITC"][#808000][size 3][/size][/#808000][/font]
[font "Tempus Sans ITC"][#808000][size 3]Later All[/size][/#808000][/font]
[signature]

Cabelas bucks??[shocked]

Let me know if they are hiring over there.[cool]
[signature]