Brand Loyalty

[SDoolittle]

This question is mainly for those of you who are very loyal to your brand of choice. If you were looking for a specifc rod (e.g. length, action, power, handle type, etc), and your favorite company, be it Shimano, Diawa, Falcon, Kistler, or whoever, didn't offer it, would you buy a different brand, or would you settle for the closest thing available from your favorite manufacturer? Example: You want a 6'10" M/XF spinning rod with a split grip EVA foam handle. Your favorite brand, brand X, only makes that rod in 6' 6" and 7', but brand Y makes exactly what you're looking for. Do you stick with your favorite even though it's not exactly what you're looking for, or do you take your business elsewhere?

[livetofish28]

I like my St Croix's but wouldn't hesitate to jump on a rod in an action I was looking for from a different company if the price is right. All rods are designed to catch fish it's really just a confidence thing

Tight lines

Andrew

[SDoolittle]

I like my St Croix's but wouldn't hesitate to jump on a rod in an action I was looking for from a different company if the price is right. All rods are designed to catch fish it's really just a confidence thing

Tight lines

Andrew

For the sake of argument, let's just assume that the price is comparable.

[livetofish28]

For the sake of argument, let's just assume that the price is comparable.

If they had an action that I wanted in a certain length that my company didn't offer for about the same price I would probably get the rod

[tomustang]

I wouldn't be brand loyal if my brand didn't have what I really liked.

[ww2farmer]

I have tried to like other brands of rods and reels, but I keep coming back to St Croix for rods and Shimano's for reels. I was on a little Abu Garcia Kick for the last few months, but I got that out of my system. Thank god I came to my senses and didn't sell the Croixs I was thinking about, they are back in the boat and life is good LOL. I am now in the process of having a custom made St Croix SCIV 7'11" Flipping stick made by the local rod building wiz kid, and will dump the Abu stuff and get more St Croixs and Shimano's. I also tried some Shimano rods this year too..............,meh.....they will get replaced with St Croixs at my earliest convenience.

[bigbill]

I feel really old now. A few years back I had rod breaking curse. I broke rods left and right. My last ROD I broke was my first expensive fly rod. I got it on clearances at kittery trading post in kittery,Maine. The first night I used it with awesome success I closed the power window on it and broke the tip. I was going thru two to three rods a year being in a rush and stupid.

Now I only buy marked down south bend, shakespear rods. I never know when my curse will return. I am very, very careful now. I maybe able to get a better quality rod soon.

But I buy good reels and line. I like the Finor, okuma, viva, quantum

Spinning reels. For baitcasters I have my first Shakespear that cost me $12 and it has adjustable magnetics. I have a mitchell and a few other low priced one's.

[SirSnookalot]

I do own quite a few rods from one company, I really like these rods a lot, they do what I want them to do and the price is right.  However I find their line a bit deficient in a few of areas, 7' rods have a short butt, they do not make 8' rods, and their mh 10/20 rods limit the lure max weights.  I have bought other brands that meet the specs I was looking for, and they are good rods but not like my main brand.

[0119]

I'm not brand loyal per say but there are brands I hate and will never buy.

[thehooligan]

I only use shimano rods. I like the action, there light, splitgrip, clicking handle, and eva. If another company built a rod just like shimanos i wouldnt hesitate to try it.

[clayton86]

I have tried to like other brands of rods and reels, but I keep coming back to St Croix for rods and Shimano's for reels. I was on a little Abu Garcia Kick for the last few months, but I got that out of my system. Thank god I came to my senses and didn't sell the Croixs I was thinking about, they are back in the boat and life is good LOL. I am now in the process of having a custom made St Croix SCIV 7'11" Flipping stick made by the local rod building wiz kid, and will dump the Abu stuff and get more St Croixs and Shimano's. I also tried some Shimano rods this year too..............,meh.....they will get replaced with St Croixs at my earliest convenience.

When your ready to dump the Abu stuff let me know

Just about everyone here knows I'm an Abu guy. Though I was contemplating switching rod company's after my villain broke but AG took care of me.

[Catt]

Reels: Shimano only

Why: solid as an anvil, versatile as a pair of ChannelLocks, dependable as a 30/30

Rods: nothing aggravates me more than breaking a rod cause I'm s picky when it comes to rods. I've fished them all from the first graphite (Fenwick) to G. Loomis & St Croix and have settled on Shinano's Crucial. I'm totally nuts about fishing a Texas Rig and more specifically at night on deep water structure.

Shimano's Crucial CRC-X610MH is my "perfect" rod but they change the handle to a split grip and that foam stuff which I hate.

When this rod break I gonns be one ticked Cajun

[new2BC4bass]

I'm very brand loyal when it comes to rods.  i only own Airrus, Daiwa, Cabela Prodigy, Shimano, F&S, Abu, ***, Berkley, Falcon & Quantum.  EDIT: Need to add custom rods from Batson blanks.

 

Even pickier on my reels....Daiwa, Shimano, Lews, Abu, Pflueger & gold ProLites.

 

Overall favorite reel company: Daiwa

Overall favorite rod company: Daiwa or Falcon

 

However, I have models from other companies that I don't plan on ever selling.  Think I am a *****. 

 

EDIT:  Oops, not allowed to call myself a bad name.  It began with wh

EDIT2:  Luckily I've never tried Powell or St. Croix.  Otherwise I'd need another closet for my rods. 

[ColdSVT]

I'm not brand loyal per say but there are brands I hate and will never buy.

this

 

I have Croix, loomis, and *** rods, reels are shimano and Lews, but I am open to others...there however are two companies I will never choose again lol

[SwampLife]

I have a buddy that has like 20 or more rods and besisdes the 5 custom fiberglass rods, the rest are falcon cara micro guides. On all of his rods he has either a curado or chronarch and 1 core...with majority being the curado super tuned... if it isn't custom, falcon or shimano he isn't buying it..

With that being said... I have a mix and Match stuff.. The only thing I have the same is lews reels haha I rather try differnt stuff and have my stuff look differnt than my last purchase

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

There is something to be said for sticking with what you know is a quality company and product, but there is a lot of good stuff out there so I don't feel the need to compromise too much. As far as over-the-counter rods go, St Croix has one of if not the single most robust product lines and are high quality and good service. As for reels, It's almost impossible to go wrong among the major brands if you're budget is $100>

[roadwarrior]

"Branded products" are built on a foundation of trust and consistency. 

Most of the fishing products I use are made by companies that have

proven themselves over time. There are lots of big names I just don't

like based on past experience with their tackle. 

 

Then there are always exceptions. Although I'm hardcore Shimano, I

have been VERY impressed with Pinnacle rods & reels. They are still

fighting the "entry level" label, but their newer tackle is a far cry from

the blister packs most people associate with the name. I hope Pinnacle

will be successful in reinventing the brand. 

[SudburyBasser]

Shimano guy here and after work tonight I have to go buy a new flipping combo for a tourney this weekend. If Shimano doesn't have what I perceive to need I would go with a competitor. I'd rather not -- I have a good history with Shimano -- but the name of the game is catching fish.

[MarkH024]

Shimano and St. Croix for me.  St. Croix has a perfect rod for any exact match up you're looking for and their customer service is great. I don't see the need to go to another brand.  When I go to a store to look at rods, I always look at other brands and check them out. I've come close to purchasing "Y" brand but I always second guess myself.  I have a few Quantum reels in my mix. When they die the will get replaced by Shimano. They're not bad reels at all...they're just not as good as my Shimanos so that is where my money will go.  

[0119]

St. Croix's new obnoxious colors are one thing but the new inshore in total white?  Its like a Ike gang symbol or something.  A true genius decided to have white handles. Is anyone finding the new style of spinning grips comfortable?  The newer Fuji ones.  Its like holding a tiny tube with 2 bulbous threaded nuts.  I miss pre bling St. Croix.

[CountBassula]

I've only been bass fishing for a year or so, and when switching to baitcasters I picked up 3 shimano rods (2 compre and 1 crucial) and 3 shimano reels (citica, curado, and chronarch). i love them all. i used to fish with hurricane rods and shimano spinning reels before, and also loved the hurricane rods. now i'm thinking about another chronarch/crucial setup, so my brand loyalty comes from good experience with the other 3 i have...

[J Francho]

I'm not loyal at all to any brand.  I have models that I've found that work great, and have acquired more than one.  I guess that makes me model loyal.  And no, that does not mean I go out and blindly buy the next gen Curado, Revo, whatever. 

[kickerfish1]

I am loyal to quality, but not one brand. I enjoy trying new rods and reels and comparing them against favorites. There are some brands of rods and reels that others find quite good that I just can't find the same pleasure in. I wont name any brands or bash them. Just like anything else, sample some and find what works best for you.

Of course if a sponsorship was in the picture It would make becoming brand loyal, much easier.

[Hattrick7]

I typically am. After buying and using a product and being either happy or unhappy with it, it does affect my decision on other purchases. 

 

I don't want to buy something and be "stuck" with it if I don't like it but if the retailer's return policy allows me that option I'm open to trying other brands. 

 

One example is the KVD 1.5 crankbait. It caught me bass And a catfish! I've used others but don't have the same results and I don't know why that is. So now when I'm at the tackle shop I'll be more apt to buy the other colors that model comes in because I know that the other one just works. 

 

Then I buy this Rebel crankbait for $1 at walmart and the thing is horrible. Horrible. But what do I expect for a $1 crankbait. So now I look at Rebel baits as junk/bottom of the barrel lures. Why would I spend $6 for a Rebel crankbait when I can buy another KVD one for the same price? 

[ww2farmer]

St. Croix's new obnoxious colors are one thing but the new inshore in total white?  Its like a Ike gang symbol or something.  A true genius decided to have white handles. Is anyone finding the new style of spinning grips comfortable?  The newer Fuji ones.  Its like holding a tiny tube with 2 bulbous threaded nuts.  I miss pre bling St. Croix.

You and me both, which is why I am having my rods built custom from now on. The  St Croix blanks are great, but I sure do miss the simple, reliable, comfortable, old school Fuji ECS casting reel seats. The SK2 seats on the new legend tournaments are a deal breaker for me, I do not like those seats at all.