There seems to be a never ending parade of fishing shows on television these days. Most are hosted by “good ole boys” from somewhere down south. For the most part they are seeking largemouth bass in numerous lakes and rivers and trying to make the whole show interesting enough to keep the viewer’s attention while pushing their sponsors products. There’s nothing wrong with this type of program but they are a bit misleading in the way they portray the sport of largemouth bass fishing.

These guys seem to use the most expensive fishing equipment on the market. The reels chosen are finely made mechanical wonders of the most well known brands. This goes for the rods, tackle, bass boat, and even the fishing attire. This is no accident of course, they make money from all of the sponsors of the particular equipment used on the show. But it tends to make some largemouth bass anglers think they can’t go for the “big ones” unless they first spend a pile of money on the best fishing accoutrements.

I can understand using these top-of-the-line bass fishing products if you are a bass tournament angler, but let’s face it, there’s not enough room in those contests for all of us. Don’t get me wrong, if you can afford the high end products by all means use them. But the old saying “you get what you pay for” doesn’t mean what it used to. Modern technology has made it easier, and therefore cheaper, to produce the ball bearings and other precision parts of fishing reels which make the inexpensive brands better than ever. Not saying you can't get a good deal on merchandise at Bass Pro Shop or Cabelo's, but sometimes Wal Mart or Target is more conveniently located.

The same can be said for bass fishing rods. Fiberglass, graphite, boron, or whatever type bass rod you want to use, there’s a lesser brand on the market. When was the last time you saw a largemouth bass break the rod? Not saying it don’t happen, but this is one of the least worries when you go bass fishing. In my experience most bass rods get broken by stepping on them in the boat or by getting the truck door closed on them. It is especially helpful for the rookie bass angler if he or she starts out with a less expensive bass rod until they’ve broken a few before buying the top brand. And a bass fisherman will accidentally break a rod if they fish long enough.

There are so many kinds of fishing line on the market it’s hard to make a choice. Some are so strong that when you get snagged it’s hard to get the loose without cutting the line with a knife. This is another way to break a rod too. I can understand not wanting the fish to get away by breaking your line but this seems like overkill if you know what I mean. A good midrange priced line will do just fine if you set the drag on your reel correctly. Some of the limp type line will not work well with certain reels in my experience, nor will too stiff a line. Ask a veteran bass fisherman to help you choose which kind you need to use for your type of reel.

As for largemouth bass lures and tackle, you can catch a trophy fish on a cheap plastic worm as easily as on those “special TV show” products. Good hooks are inexpensive and so are lead weights and swivels. Top water plugs for largemouth bass can cost a few bucks but these too can be found in lesser known brands for quite a savings. Some largemouth bass anglers like to make their own worms and plugs for the added thrill it gives them when they land a big one. It’s fun to experiment with different shapes and colors for that “one of a kind” bass fishing lure.

Let the bass boat be your most carefully examined piece of fishing equipment. There’s a popular saying that goes “ the two happiest days owning a bass boat are the day you buy it and the day you sell it.” This is usually said by someone who rushed out and paid a fortune for a bass boat without looking around first. You can pick up a bargain by buying a boat from the people who have made this mistake. Their loss, your gain. Have it checked out by a qualified boat dealership first though.

The bottom line is, you don’t have to go into debt to enjoy fishing for largemouth bass. This wonderful sport can be enjoyed by almost anyone without a great deal of money being spent on equipment. I have caught bass weighing over ten pounds on a rod and reel combo costing me less than $25.00. Check out the eight pounder in the accompanying photo. It was caught on a rig costing $28.00. Cool huh?