Marketing Ploys

[SenkoGuru]

So? It makes the reel smoother, which is the marketed purpose. It takes the reel from a connected Daiwa feel to more of a floating Shimano feel. I personally despise that move, but it is successful in completing it's intended purpose. 

 

 Um....I think you missed the point. They do not state it has an extra bearing on the pinion gear, they state that the AIR makes it much smoother, so wouldn't you think this is just a little miss leading? Any way, I don't really care, the reel is priced right and is one of my favorite reels, love the Daiwa Tatula Type-R.

 

 

 EDIT.........I did just think of one ploy I feel for like 15 years ago, I do not even remember the name of the worm but they came out with a plastic worm and when you bought it, it was like five worms rolled up in a pack. The ploy was to just unroll it, rig it up and throw it out and let it sit, it would wiggle and move all on it's own and drive the Bass crazy. One pack of those worms sold for like $12.00 for a pack of five. I was stupid enough to buy three packs.

[S Hovanec]

I think it was BPS that had this more than a few years ago. The stripper guide on spinning rods was instated backwards. Talk about a joke. I didn't fall for it, but I'm sure some did.

[J Francho]

Some "technique specific" rods are built with tons of angler input and research, and aren't all that great at anything else.  Try using a G. Loomis jig and worm rod for jerkbaits - even if it is the same specs as your jerkbait rod - my experience: yuk!  Other companies put an honest effort into helping angler pick a rod that will work for the application.  What I don't get is that they feel the need to label EVERY single rod in the lineup with a specific technique.  Not really necessary.  Others crank me up when they list every technique under the sun for their gen. purpose 7ish foot mh/f rods.  Uh, yeah.

 

So, what ploy have fell victim to?  Aside from a couple of lines totally under performing, most everything I've tried has caught fish.  Rods, reels, lines, baits - all have a time and place.  Only once did I have one of those "magic bait" moments, and that's when Berkley Power Worms first came out.  Compared to what I was using before, the fish really held on longer.  You still had to get bit, though.

[Ratherbfishing]

My friend has an ice fishing rod that vibrates.  You press a button and it actually vibrates!  Wonder what other uses he found for it.

 

The Color-C-Lector has to be one of the gimmickyest gimmicks out there.  A lot of extra weight to have to lug around if you ask me.  You can't learn which colors are most appropriate for water and/or sky conditions?

 

I know there are folks who really like the "self-centering" bails on some (mostly older) spinning reel models but I'm not one of them.  Setting the hook and having the bail spin halfway around and stop with a hard clack is enough to send anyone over the edge (or was it just me?).  Not to mention having to remember to stop reeling when the "trigger" was at the top of the arc-or having to back it back off-if you actually planned to use that "feature."  Okay, if I had limited or no use of one arm, it would be a decent feature but otherwise....no.

[Megastink]

Anyone try one of those Jimmy Houston endorsed aluminum hand bars? It's supposed to remove the fishy smell from your hands.

[The Rooster]

Spiderwire Fusion. One of the first super lines I ever saw. It wasn't braid. Just a strong multi fibered line with a coating wrapped around it. I paid good money for the stuff and the coating on it flaked off and was rough as could be in short order. Not to mention it kinked up if you just looked at it wrong. Must have sucked something awful, you can't find it anywhere now.

To me, any reel that has a gimmicky way to draw in just a few inches of line at a time is another one. The Pinnacle Slyder reel is one, and the Daiwa Viento that had the twitchin' bar is another one. The reel itself might be good, but I don't need a special button or lever to reel in 4 inches of line when I can just pop my rod a tiny bit to do the same thing. I couldn't hold a rod still enough for long enough to think that 4 inches of reel retrieve would make any difference.

Don't forget helicopter lures. I never bought any but I hear tell there are fisherman out there who did that secretly would still like to hunt down Roland Martin and have an old fashioned lynching over those.

[Brayberry]

When I think Marketing Gimmicks, I think:

 

Red Hooks

Lures that glow, blink, or light up

Scents, I believe scents works, but every company swears that their scent is the best, and they are all different (Salt, Garlic, Anise, Blood, Oil, Vitamins, Sugar, etc)

[Preytorien]

Anyone try one of those Jimmy Houston endorsed aluminum hand bars? It's supposed to remove the fishy smell from your hands.

 

I don't know if it's materially the same thing, but my mom, aunts, and grandma have some kind of metallic (aluminum or stainless) soap bar that they use to get the smell of onions off of their hands after cooking. It really does work. I've many times had gas smell on my hands tuning up lawn mowers and it somehow knocks it out. Maybe Jimmy Houston's is a similar product?

[RF813]

Walking through Dick's Sporting goods, looking at soft plastics, my Son exclaims:

 

"Let's get these!  It says "Bass Love them!!"   

 

Me: "Yep, now look at these" I show him a different Brand.

 

Him: "It says Bass love them."

 

Me: "Uh huh...and"

 

Him:  "Hey....They ALL say "bass Love them...."

 

Lesson learned at a young age.

[J Francho]

Anyone try one of those Jimmy Houston endorsed aluminum hand bars? It's supposed to remove the fishy smell from your hands.

 

I don't know about aluminum, but stainless steel bars are made by many manus, and they work.

[Megastink]

I don't know about aluminum, but stainless steel bars are made by many manus, and they work.

They actually work!?!?!??? Wow! How 'bout that. Not a marketing ploy at all. That might be the most gimmicky product that actually works...

[Nice_Bass]

I guess its not "gimmicky" per se and I do understand that some folks really enjoy their brands and features, I guess I could liken it to cars or any other collectible.  But some reels are a bit outrageous on price point. 

I own many different brands and doesn't matter which one there is a line where price exceeds functionality. 

[RipSomeLips]

How about the kids fishing rod that fired like a nerf gun...except the bullet opened up and turned into the bobber while the lure dropped out?

[TorqueConverter]

Invisibility.  Fluorocarbon line is great in its own right but 5%-10% less shiny under water wasn't exactly exciting.

 

Tell people that it's nearly INVISIBLE and anglers were all over it.

[Jar11591]

The rocket fishing rod! Not so much a ploy but more of a kids toy. Even so, it's just so corny. They advertise it as being able to "cast 30 feet!" If i wanted my kid to get into fishing, I would never even consider buying that, I'd get him a "reel" set up. (Pun intended)

[K_Mac]

Color selection.  Just take a look at Yamamoto senkos.  A popular online tackle store stocks 74 different colors of this one bait...  C'MON MAN!!!

 

This is a great example that one man's gimmick is another's secret weapon. There are fishermen who swear by each one of those colors and more. A local store not too far from here is a good example. It has more colors of GY baits than I have ever seen, along with a custom Table Rock color that the owner says is made just for him. 

 

Another example is technique specific rods. Some companies go to a lot of time and trouble to develop rods that are exactly what they want in a rod. Many of them also have a loyal fan base that trust when they buy a technique specific rod from their line it will have certain desired characteristics. Sure this is subjective and not for everyone, but GLoomis has made a huge amount of money on their Jig and Worm series for good reason IMO.

 

From the Hydro Wave to self centering bails there is a market for all manner of stuff. I think that is good thing.  

[Blues19]

Spiderwire Fusion. One of the first super lines I ever saw. It wasn't braid. Just a strong multi fibered line with a coating wrapped around it. I paid good money for the stuff and the coating on it flaked off and was rough as could be in short order. Not to mention it kinked up if you just looked at it wrong. Must have sucked something awful, you can't find it anywhere now.

To me, any reel that has a gimmicky way to draw in just a few inches of line at a time is another one. The Pinnacle Slyder reel is one, and the Daiwa Viento that had the twitchin' bar is another one. The reel itself might be good, but I don't need a special button or lever to reel in 4 inches of line when I can just pop my rod a tiny bit to do the same thing. I couldn't hold a rod still enough for long enough to think that 4 inches of reel retrieve would make any difference.

Don't forget helicopter lures. I never bought any but I hear tell there are fisherman out there who did that secretly would still like to hunt down Roland Martin and have an old fashioned lynching over those.

hahaha, I was about to say the twitch bar too!

[Hooligan]

 The new Daiwa Tatula with it's air rotation, they claim it makes the reel smoother. Now don't get me wrong, I really like the reel, Have a type-R and it is great but the air rotation they are marketing is nothing more than an extra bearing to support the pinion gear.

So, an extra bearing supporting the pinion gear is a gimmick?  I call that structural integrity and engineering.  It leads to better, faster, and smoother spool rotation, and more consistent spool behavior.  Gimmick?

 

I will probably ruffle a few feathers with this one, but I think this rod sensitivity thing is overblown.

Not saying it isn't real, just that in many cases, it doesn't matter or have any real effect on a lot of us. Keep in mind I am talking about bottom contact baits. I know it makes little to no difference with reaction baits. But when you pay upwards of four to five hundred dollars for a SENSITIVE rod, and your hands are as sensitive as a knot on a log, and you have the focus and attention span of a moth, it isn't going to make much of a difference. I think a big part of the sensitivity thing working at all, is "CONCENTRATION". That's why my buddy can outfish me time and time again with his $40.00 BPS graphite series rods . His concentration ability is downright "spooky".

Sometimes when I am fishing with him, I feel like I might as well be fishing alone. So, yes, I am sure it's real, but if it doesn't help, why waste the money.......my 2 cents.

Hootie

I don't envision rod sensitivity as overblown, really.  Some people will never benefit from the more sensitive rods, yes, but it isn't overblown.  To you it might be a waste of money, to me it can be making money.

 

IMOO I think the $400.00 HydroWave "ignite a feeding frenzy" is one of the biggest marketing ploys of recent history. These devices have been produced on and off over the past 30 years yet they have never been proven to work. 

Ever used the hydrowave?  Ever seen what it will do with negative fish?  Ever seen what it will do with neutral fish?  Not a gimmick at all.  The HydroWave is an entirely different product than the others in the past.  I used to think the same until having spent enough time with it to see the difference.

 

Invisibility.  Fluorocarbon line is great in its own right but 5%-10% less shiny under water wasn't exactly exciting.

 

Tell people that it's nearly INVISIBLE and anglers were all over it.

5-10% less shiny?  How do you figure?  It's almost the exact refractory index of water, it's far more than less shiny in water. 

 

I don't look at most of these as gimmicks.  Most of these are real factors in the behaviour of a certain product, or in a group of products.  Some will never see the benefit of it, some are incapable of feeling the benefit of it, and some don't understand the way it works and therefore judge it to be a gimmick.  Gimmicks to me are the magic bullets, flying lures, banjo, that kind of thing.  Even the Livingston, to a degree, has some value on the basis of function.  I don't think that it increases catch rates that dramatically when used in the same base.  Another gimmick, or magic bullet?  Running out to buy the "classic Winning Lure"...  Those are gimmicks, the magic bullet sort of things.

[roadwarrior]

Well now...

 

 

   

[TorqueConverter]

Re

 

5-10% less shiny?  How do you figure?  It's almost the exact refractory index of water, it's far more than less shiny in water. 

 

I don't look at most of these as gimmicks.  Most of these are real factors in the behaviour of a certain product, or in a group of products.  Some will never see the benefit of it, some are incapable of feeling the benefit of it, and some don't understand the way it works and therefore judge it to be a gimmick.  Gimmicks to me are the magic bullets, flying lures, banjo, that kind of thing.  Even the Livingston, to a degree, has some value on the basis of function.  I don't think that it increases catch rates that dramatically when used in the same base.  Another gimmick, or magic bullet?  Running out to buy the "classic Winning Lure"...  Those are gimmicks, the magic bullet sort of things.

 

Refractory index of water: 1.33

 

Refractory index of fluorocarbon: 1.4

 

Refractory index of "mono filament" fishing lines: 1.5 - 1.6

 

Explain how it is far more than less shiny under water.  Explain to me what it would mean if a fishing line had an identical refractory index as water (1.3).  Explain how this makes the line invisible.  Explain refractory index.

 

Refraction is, when oversimplified, shininess.  A line with an identical refractory index of water would not be shiny underwater.  Not shiny underwater =/= invisible underwater.  The percentage differences between flurocarbon and mono in their refractive indexes are so small that I would be hard pressed to believe that they could be accurately measured in a laboratory environment by some of the finest underwater optics in the world and be anything other than identical. 

[bflp3]

Re

 

 

Refractory index of water: 1.33

 

Refractory index of fluorocarbon: 1.4

 

Refractory index of "mono filament" fishing lines: 1.5 - 1.6

 

Explain how it is far more than less shiny under water.  Explain to me what it would mean if a fishing line had an identical refractory index as water (1.3).  Explain how this makes the line invisible.  Explain refractory index.

 

Refraction is, when oversimplified, shininess.  A line with an identical refractory index of water would not be shiny underwater.  Not shiny underwater =/= invisible underwater.  The percentage differences between flurocarbon and mono in their refractive indexes are so small that I would be hard pressed to believe that they could be accurately measured in a laboratory environment by some of the finest underwater optics in the world and be anything other than identical.

You just gave the refraction values and they are different, so clearly the difference is measurable.

Also, refraction is not shininess, I believe you are thinking of reFLECtion. Big difference.

[TorqueConverter]

You just gave the refraction values and they are different, so clearly the difference is measurable.

Also, refraction is not shininess, I believe you are thinking of reFLECtion. Big difference.

 

The refractory indexes are for fluorocarbon as a material.  It wouldn't be wise to assume that flurocarbon as a fishing line and mono-filament fishing lines tested in a real world scenario are going to display the same 1.4 and 1.5-1.6 refractory indexes. The difference between the two is so small that it would certainly be very difficult for optical equipment to tell them apart, let alone fish.  Being invisible to fish because of refractory index is exactly what the flurocarbon invisibility myth is centered around.

 

Refraction and reflection are much the same here.  It difficult to speak about refraction of light in layperson terms.  Reflection, while technically incorrect, makes things easier to understand.

 

A line that was at the refractory index of water would, when submerged in water, refract light the same as water.  This means that the sunlight would be bent through the line much the same way it is in water.  This does not make the line suddenly vanish.  A line that was at the refractory index of water would be, in strong sunlight and clear water, less glowy or shiny for a lack of a better word.

 

Fluorocarbon fishing line is not at the refractory index of water.  Another way to express refractory indexes is as the speed of light through that material.  Light travels though mono filaments at around 63% of the speed of light were fluorocarbon does it at around 70%.

 

Tiny differences.   

[coak]

Ummm question: I was out yesterday and saw the new Live Target "Bait Ball" cranks, @least I think that's what they're called. Would this lure be an innovation or a hyped crank? Just wondering because I could see two silhouettes and have trouble visualizing how it would appear to be more than a couple of bait fish?

[ClearCreek]

Interesting topic.

I think most fishing lures are designed to catch fishermen, not fish. And, they work great!!!

ClearCreek

[The Rooster]

Ummm question: I was out yesterday and saw the new Live Target "Bait Ball" cranks, @least I think that's what they're called. Would this lure be an innovation or a hyped crank? Just wondering because I could see two silhouettes and have trouble visualizing how it would appear to be more than a couple of bait fish?

To me, this is a complete gimmick. I doubt any fish can see so well it could pick up those patterns of "multiple" bait fish on a single bait as the lure goes by fairly quickly. But besides this, it's too expensive for just one bait as well.