How realistic baits have gotten...the lightness of rods and reels...the outboard motors sip oil and gas...the reduction in stress cracks in every corner of the boat...LOL the only negative is the price has gone through the roof for everything !

The single biggest advancement in fishing is the internet and the readily available information and tackle. The second biggest advancement is in electronics. I still have my first "fish finder". What a joke. Haha. Nothing even CLOSE to an HDS. Third biggest advancement has to be with rods. At first, you bought an "indistructable" rod with a cool pistol grip, added a "President II" reel and some 20lb mono. Now days, you have a rod that is specific to each technic, with a reel optimized for the speed and line.

So yeh, it went from a digital tachometer looking fish finder and a single favorite rod/reel to $15,000 worth of electronics and at LEAST 20 rod/reel combos that cost at a minimum of $600 each to be competitive.

I won my first bass tourney in the late 70's. Had about $4000 invested. INCLUDING MY BOAT!!!

Now days, $100,000 isn't out of the question for boat, electronics, and gear for the average tournament fishing dude.

So. The biggest advancements are also the biggest set backs.

I don't remember any of the 80's graphite rods I've held feeling as light, sensitive, or capable as modern rods.... just because it existed doesn't mean it was perfected. A Model T came with an internal combustion 4 cycle engine just like a brand new car does, doesn't mean it's anything remotely close to what it is now.

honestly a modern graphite rod and reel in the $1-200 range with some good fluorocarbon or braid, and tungsten weight on the end against an old rod/reel, mono, lead rig... it isn't even a fair comparison. That's comparing apples to pineapples because they both have apple in their name.

With modern gear I bet a blind fella could read brail off the bottom in 50' of water with a 15mph wind. It's absurd how well it telegraphs feel to you as the angler.

No argument here friend. I love my 7 ft graphites and a great improvement was getting rid of the pistol grip. I just simply didn't want the younger anglers to think that graphites just came on the scene. But, now that you mention it I may go dig out my old pistol grip rods and compare them to my other rods.

The hook sharpness nowadays is one of the biggest differences IMHO.

Where do you start? EVERYTHING has changed!!

hell since the 80's the fish have changed even... that's a lot of generations of new genetics and bred in Florida strain, yeah?