Have you ever wondered how T.V. fisherman can land fish after fish all day? Obviously a big part of that is that they know the behavior patterns of their fish like the back of their hand, but most people don't realize how much preparation goes into their gear. T.V. anglers have at least 5 or 6 rods already set up with whatever lures and jig rigs they think they might need for the day. That way if they encounter a change in the weather or if the fish just stop biting whatever they're using, they can switch it up in a second. Think of how much time you've wasted on the water tying knots, assembling rigs and changing lures? Now obviously it's not in the budget to go to the extreme with your bass fishing equipment that the professionals do, but even having just one baitcasting rod and one spincasting at the same time can make a world of difference. Consider this: it's a bright sunny day with very little wind in mid afternoon, therefore you're focusing your efforts in somewhat deeper water where the bass will be to get away from the heat and brightness of the sun. You're trolling a crankbait on a spincast rod and reel with moderate success when the weather suddenly changes. It turns cloudy, the wind picks up and all of the sudden you're not getting any strikes. Instead of spending 15 minutes setting up a Carolina rig to fish the shallows with, you just grab your baitcaster with the rig already set up and go. Say your Carolina rig isn't getting results and you want to try a top water popper, you can just take that crankbait off your spinning rod and throw on the popper. That way you won't create another 10 minute job for yourself next time you want to use the jig rig. It's still there, all set up for whenever you want to use it again.
Now if you're not too concerned with maximizing your time, you can always improve your effectiveness by diversifying your bass fishing equipment. Having a well rounded tackle box allows you to take advantage of different situations. I wont get in to what exactly you should be doing in these situations, I have other published articles about that, but for now I will say that having something you can use in shallow or deep, bright or dark, still or calm conditions will greatly improve your chances. I like to have a couple crankbaits of different colors, a top water lure or two, a jerkbait, some various colored spinners and an assortment of soft plastic worms and jigs. With that you should be covered, providing you know where and when to fish them. And even if you don't, you would at least have more to work with. It also helps to have a good assortment of colors.
Another great piece of bass fishing equipment is a fish finder. While not essential, a fish finder can provide you with invaluable information about water depth, structure and even the fish underneath you. If you're looking for a great item to add to your bass fishing equipment collection, perhaps its time to purchase a fish finder.