I fish alot and have soem fine fisheries within a 15 to 20 minute drive of my hoem at Beale AFB, CA. Like the others have said, know your local waters well and you wil be surprised about what you will catch (if they are decent fisheries). Most important factor to me is reading the water properly and knowing the habits of your quarry. A skilled tactician with modest equipment can beat the pants off the Orvis catalog guy!!