Would y'all rather have multiple cheaper baitcast combos or one really expensive one if you got to spend 500 bucks on the gear .to me I think multiple is better just in case one breaks or you want to change baits quicker but what are y'alls thoughts

Multiple combos, the expensive equipment won’t make the fish bite any better.

For $500 you could get 5 decent combos, especially if you're new to bass fishing. That's all you need

Multiple combos...figure out what techniques you enjoy fishing or are the most effective for the body of water you will typically fish then (if appropriate) upgrade those technique combos with higher end gear.

--- Multiple ---
Abu Garcia Black Max on an All-Star rod 6-6 MH from Academy
*** GO FISH ***

What $100 combo would you classify as "decent"? I feel like you can get a "decent" combo for about 179.99 each.

My thoughts. ^^^

I’d buy a couple Shimano Curado DCs. Great reels for $250ish each.

Or go to Southwest Service and get some reconditioned high end stuff for 1/2 off.

You might be able to get two higher end combos for $500 in a few months when all the “pro staffers” trade in for next years gear.

I'd def go get 4-5 combos and work from there. Can cover multiple baits/options that way. The carbonlite combo that comes out like twice a year is a good one Or one of the H20 combos from Academy. Cabelas has their fish eagle combo that is nice as well.

I recently bought a Daiwa Fuego CT (6.3-1) because it was supposedly backlash resistant. My older baitcaster reels were hard for me to use without annoying bird nests. Fished for an hour yesterday and didn’t have one backlash (the line is 12 pound Trilene XL). The reel is on a rod I bought at Walmart for $16.95. Some folks may call me cheap, but heck, I’m enjoying this cheapish combo. I wouldn’t mind having a few more combos like this.

As a way to accurately measure my happiness, I suppose I should also buy a $250 reel and a $350 rod, just to see how much better the high dollar gear is.

multiple combos is the way to go
I have a Berkely lightning rod I have had for about 12 years and still use all the time I have only had to replace one eye caught so many fish I think i payed 35.00 buck have a 99.00 reel on it
but there are good ways to maximize your money hard to justify anything over 100 bucks when you get so much value out of the 100.00 or less club and they will last as long and the high end stuff

Identify a price point you are comfortable with and then buy what you feel is the best in that range. Opt for quality over quantity no matter what your price point is as its all relative. Increased bearing count does not always mean a better reel especially if they are using cheap bearings. There are some great reels in the $100-150 range that can handle all you can throw at them. You get in the $150-200 range you can find some incredible reels that will perform great, hold up well and be a pleasure to fish with for many years. Most manufacturers have stepped up their game at all price points these days.

Starting out I went with multiple cheaper for the reasons that you described. Worked fine. Over time, I'd buy a better rod now and then and as a reel started to not work so well, I'd upgrade it with a little better reel. Truth is, most all the cheap Lew's reels that I initially bought are still in use today. While not the most enjoyable to use, they get the job done.

Buy multiple combos for $500. You can get good Daiwa reels for around a $100 or less on ebay. Then find you a $100 rod to go with it. That will get you two to 3 combos that you can fish with. After that start buying 1-2 nice combos a year. $400-$500 price rance each. Those will last youa long time. I still have an abu garcia/all star combo (houston made) that is 15 years old or so that use reguarly. Next thing you konw you will have a solid assortment of quality rods.

My dad told me to buy a gun every year and you will be happy you did. I use this same philosophy on upper mid level fishing gear.

I have been using the Abu Garcia Revo ($99) and Academy Nano rods ($99) for the last 4 years or so. The St Croix Mojo Bass series is also good.

There are hundreds of options on the market is this price range.

As everyone has said, multiple cheaper combos to start. Get an idea using them which you like or don't like, then watch for sales. A couple years ago Academy closed out their made in USA Falcon Bucco rods for 50% off and I upgraded all my rods. I upgraded to Shimano and a couple Lews reels as I found them on sale.