Things I’ve Dismissed in the Past and Wished I Hadn’t

I don’t live with any regrets, but I do wish I had a different perspective and opinion of some fishing related concepts and products long before I was convinced on them.

As an angler who is set in his own ways, systems, and processes, it usually requires a lot of convincing, observation, and successful user experience in order for me to acclimate a new fishing strategy or product into my fishing repertoire.

A few months ago, I had been struggling to come up with new article topics for this 2024 writing year. Good customer/buddy, Barry sent me this inquiry, and implanted these thoughts into my mind.

Here are things I’ve dismissed in the past, and wished I hadn’t.

Mercury Marine

At one time, Outboard Motor Company (OMC) was the industry leader in outboard manufacturing, producing the Evinrude and Johnson brands from Sturtevant, WI. For my entire life, I was exclusively an Evinrude outboard owner. My dad and grandpa were the same too. This tradition was passed down to me.

Just recently, I had owned 4 Evinrude outboards before necessity and industry requirements led me to repower my Ranger with a Mercury 115 ProXS 4-stroke.

Growing up, Mercury Marine had a very spotty record, and a reputation and quality factor that was a hit or a miss. Insights and stories from Mercury owners at that time led me to discredit Mercury Marine for the most part until the mid-2010’s when I began noticing a vastly improved Mercury Marine product with its 4-strokes, Verado, and newly-released ProXS. At this time also, they were taking over the market share. Today, Mercury Marine is the industry standard.

Oppositely for Evinrude, we all know what happened to OMC in the early 2000’s, when they bankrupted, and what then happened as recently as 2020, when BRP ceased production for good, citing covid as an excuse when in reality they never conformed to 4-stroke standards.

During that very sad announcement, BRP was guaranteeing Evinrude owners that parts would still be made, and easily accessible. In recent years, this has been far from accurate, as my local shops have had issues getting parts for my Evinrudes. Look around on the re-sale marketplaces where you will find Evinrudes are now obsolete.

At the time (2013-15) when I was boat shopping for my Ranger, my requirement for the hull was a pairing with either Evinrude or Yamaha. They seemed far more durable and reliable than Mercury. I settled on my hull with a 115 Evinrude Intruder. For the first 5 years running it, I got every penny and my money’s worth out of that motor. However, recent repairs, high gas bills, and upkeep since 2020 grew to the point that it was no longer worth pouring money into. Regretfully, I wish I saved up a little more money to buy a boat that came with a 4-stroke, but the Ranger hull was more important to me than the motor it came with. After the 2022 fishing season ended, we made the order for a 115 Mercury ProXS.

Costly, this repower has been a damn good purchase and business expense.

While my current older Evinrudes have treated me exceptionally well and are fail-proof, I am now angling to eventually sell them, and repower my other two boats (or sell them entirely), to get a new boat with another Mercury 4-Stroke. Whatever is decided, I am taking a loss no matter what. Shame on Evinrude.

I wish this realization of Mercury 4-strokes did not take me so long to make. But had Evinrude still existed, I could also envision having an Evinrude 130 G2 which was my original plan for re-power.

I am really happy with my Mercury ProXS.

Ned Rigs

It took me a really long time to accept the Ned Rig. I wish I hadn’t waited until 2018, because by not using it until then we left so many fish on the table.

I previously discredited the Ned rig, bashed it, and called it the dumbest little lure for how effortless and automatic it seemed. I actually refused to fish it, and never really needed to with the tube and other jig worm plastics working well.

Just looking at a 2.75” Z-Man TRD, it looks so dumb. Yet its incredible how smallmouths and many other fish fall victim to it, and never condition in the process.

The ned rig is a do-nothing bait, and most anglers who have grasped the concept of bottom fishing and jigging can succeed with it. There is no wrong way of fishing one.

While guiding my customers in summer 2018, we had eye-opening experiences during our first-time use. Nowadays, we keep a few tied on at all times. It’s a numbers presentation, but it’s one that also targets some of the largest bass living in the most pressured lake systems. It’s also the bait to use when smallmouth don’t show interest in tubes, plastics, or other jigging methods, and even in adverse conditions. Ned rigs are also trip savers on coldfront days.

Braided Fishing Line

Over 25 years ago, I remember when the new Berkley Fireline lit the industry on fire with its first legitimate introduction of braided superline. Back then, it was the next big thing. Today, braided line is now the industry standard, and first line recommendation of most anglers.

Growing up, braided line was in its infancy for bass fishing. The only braided line that ever seemed to get wide consideration was heavy dacron and spectra lines for big game and musky fishing. In the 25 years since, braided line use and its manufacturing processes has grown and advanced by leaps and bounds.  

I did not use braided line on any serious level (for other than my musky and pike setups) until 2010. Prior to then, I was exclusive to monofilaments and copolymers for all bass fishing. Looking back, I have to wonder how I ever survived on this dependency for all of my fishing, especially jigging.

The first spool of braided line I ever bought was Spiderwire Braid, spooled to a spinning reel. That spool of line was absolute junk, with nothing but stiffness and messy green dye residue. I remember burning it. It was a very bad experience, and a turn-off on ever wanting to use braid ever again.

The next braided lines I turned to was Cortland’s Masterbraid. They’ve been a longtime helper and good friend of mine. Before they began prioritizing braid, they were heavily invested in monofilaments. This hookup since 2011 is now history, and I don’t foresee ever having to use any another braided line in this lifetime.

Going from mono to braid was a strange acclimation, but one that I wished I had done sooner in life. Nowadays, nearly all of my setups are spooled with Masterbraid.

Glass Fishing Rods

This is another user-preference, and one that could be another strange feeling.

Growing up, glass rods were either stiff or wimpy, providing the angler zero casting control. This is now an issue of yesterday.

Glass rods are an acquired feel. It took me a while getting used to the S-glass construction of St. Croix’s Mojo Bass Glass and Legend Glass rods. Nowadays, the feel is second-nature. These rods are now my every-day chatterbait and cranking rods.

The Legend Glass is designed specifically for fishing crankbaits and other reaction baits. Featuring lightweight, super premium 100% linear S-Glass blanks, they offer the precise moderate actions you need to cushion the strike and keep fish pinned with moving baits. St. Croix’s lightweight linear S-Glass blanks deliver a much lighter and more responsive glass rod than previous generation fiberglass technology ever allowed.

To help detect strikes, their construction is masterful in the craft. It is constructed from linear S-glass with IPC mandrel technology, and several other high-end components aiding the angler in casting and handling.

Glass rods are not going to be a rod for everyone. These aren’t sticks you can just pick up, match with any reel and line, tie on a bait and proceed with casually. This will be a specialized tool that takes careful consideration and time to grow into. It will launch baits a good distance, and aid in the hookset if you’re using a low stretch line like braid or fluorocarbon.

Uncle Josh Pork Products

When I was a kid, Uncle Josh pork products were highly sought after, and a favorite of bass anglers worldwide.

I never personally had success with pork products as bait. Consequently, I sold the glass jars of baits that I did have.

Uncle Josh was going strong until the early 2010’s, when a pork shortage ceased the production of pork rind products. Allegedly, pigs were being brought to slaughter too young, and so the backstrap fat used for making pork trailers was unsuitable to make durable jig trailers with.

Nowadays, I regret selling my old jars. The new pork trailers simply do not compare to the pork trailers of old.

If you’d like to find a retro jar of unused, unopened Uncle Josh Pork frogs and chunks, you’re looking at $20-30 a jar on eBay. These are now coveted.

While I have had some success with the 2021 reboot of Uncle Josh, today’s pork trailers are imported from China, are smaller in size, and far less durable than the pork trailers of yesterday. Also, they are sold in flimsy plastic jars that leak.

At least we have pork fishing products again.

Quantum PT

This is a real sad industry story, and one I wish never happened.

Somewhere, someplace, somehow, one of the last American fishing reel brands met its demise.

My entire life, I had been a user of Quantum fishing reels. My influence on them was the old In-Fisherman Magazine staff, KVD himself, and my dad.

Growing up in the 1990’s, the company’s overseas manufacturing was based in Japan and Korea. In that era, Quantum made damn good reels from these locations, with the old Energy spinning and casting reels their flagship models.

Then shortly after 2000, manufacturing went to China. The production of their next and future reels was quite good still, with excellent replacement parts purchasing availability. This lasted until 2016. Quantum was quite innovative to be the first reel manufacturer to utilize a magnetic bail system, ceramic drags, and titanium (ti-mag) bail systems.

Sometime after 2016, the products turned to junk. Then several pro staff members left the company, including KVD and others by 2019. Additionally, the previous marketing department and employees either retired or left the Zebco brands company entirely. And in 2020 the company was sold to Rather Outdoors, who owns Strike King and Lew’s.

Since that acquisition, Quantum is a mere shadow of its former self. Rather Outdoors has done absolutely nothing to bring the brand back to life. Not a single new reel has come to new market introduction either. Additionally, you can no longer buy replacement parts for any of the old reels unless you get lucky on eBay. Most reel repair centers also refuse to accept Quantum products.

Whatever happened to the Quantum brand is an American fishing tragedy. I wished I hadn’t invested so heavily into this brand when I did, because right now I am stuck with 50+ reels that are relics. So, when they break, they will be done for good.

Other than Shimano and Daiwa, reels today are built to break. When they’re done they’re done.

Moving forward, we will be with the SEVIIN Reels brand, by St. Croix Rods.

Forward Facing Sonars

I finally caved in and bought one this winter, because I hate them so much. I also hate seeing how newcomers to my lakes quickly pick apart a lake with these in hours whereas it has taken me several years of technology-free fishing to do.

Whether you love them or hate them, these devils are here to stay unfortunately.

I do not regret dismissing these technologies and all the backlash and smack talk I’ve delivered. It’s warranted. I should have hated the player before hating on the game. I will eat my words this summer once I conclude how awesome the screen watching is.

Instead of banning the use of these things, all entities must come together and come to senses that bag limits and harvest rules must be drastically reduced, and further resource protection must now be implemented as a result of this Pandora’s box. The current playing field, and the productivity of our current fisheries are unsustainable for these technologies.

In the future, remind me to update this list. There will be more dismissals like these to come, probably.

Andrew Ragas splits time between the Chicago area and Wisconsin’s Northwoods. Based in Minocqua, WI, he specializes in trophy bass fishing and offers guided trips from May thru October. While big bass is the passion, he dabbles in multi-species as well. He may be visited online at www.northwoodsbass.com