Brand Bashing

[Mobasser]

I stopped in at a tackle shop Saturday afternoon. I looked around, but didn't buy much. As I was leaving, I passed by some young guys who were teasing and laughing at another kid. I overheard them, and they were teasing this kid because he bought a new Qauntum casting reel. I turned and walked away. I've developed a no tolerance policy towards folks that bash other fisherman for their tackle choices. I've known some very good fisherman who used older tackle, and not always the latest or best and caught plenty of bass. I seriously doubt that guys who poke fun or bash others have even fished with some of the items they complain about. These days, there are so many nice rods/ reels out there it's hard to go wrong with any brand. An old buddy who is gone now, said it well. We had entered a club tournament together, and Frank showed up with 2 rods/reels. He took second place that day, fishing a spinnerbait, and a plastic worm. One young guy approached him afterward, and questioned how he could do this well , with only two rods. He said: Son, this ain't no tackle show! This is a fishin tournament. Use what works best for you!  I hope that guy learned something there. I know I did. Every major tackle company makes some very good quality gear these days, so it makes no sense to bash any one brand. The mid grade tackle that's available now is way better than top end stuff from 10yrs ago. I'll never judge any fisherman for what they fish with. It's simply wrong! Do you like a 6cyl or a V8? Well, I like a V8. But I would never be critical of those that like 6cyl. If you think on it, bass fishing is really an individual sport. You can learn much from other experienced fisherman, books, videos, etc, but after all is said and done, your the one who makes the cast, hooks the fish, and lands the fish. No one does that for you. It's an unproductive waste of time bashing others for what tackle they use. Use what works best for you. I'll have no part of it. Just my own zero tolerance policy.I hope others agree.

[GeekOutdoors]

Fish and ride what you can afford !

That being said brand war is pretty common on almost everything, sadly

[Yumeya]

I only make fun of people who use Favorite brand and Googan fishing stuff LOL.

[Glaucus]

10 minutes ago, Yumeya said:

I only make fun of people who use Favorite brand and Googan fishing stuff LOL.

Googan plastics are good.

[CrankFate]

A lot of people are selling themselves short by not fishing what works best for them. Just doing what everyone says helps to a point, but you need to figure out your style and what gear gets you the most fish for how you fish. 

 

 I seriously doubt that guys who poke fun or bash others have even fished with some of the items they complain about.

 

+1

 

And I suspect a lot of guys praise items they never fished, too.

 

[new2BC4bass]

My brother-in-law fishes only spinning.  His favorite rod is what he calls a surf rod he picked up in a yard sale.  I'm guessing a 7 footer.  I doubt he has any idea of the rod's power, action, lure range, etc.  Probably doesn't even know the brand. He takes 2 rods as a rule....3 if feeling adventurous although the 3rd seldom ever sees any use.  His reels have 40# Original PowerPro.  Doesn't know what a leader is.  His primary weapon is a 10 or 10-1/2 inch ribbontail in Junebug...always unweighted.  The 2nd rod has an original F-11 Floating Rapala tied on.

 

He always catches bass.  We got out for a few hours twice over the last 2 weeks.  I got skunked both times although I was often casting that same ribbontail.  He landed several bass both days using the worm 99.99% of the time.  He did make a few casts with the Rapala on the second day.

 

Least you think from my above comments that he doesn't have much on the ball, let me tell you he is the smartest person I know.

[Manly Studson]

While on vacation I fished from the bank of a lake I’d never fished before. Each morning I was out there alongside the same old timer. I, with my St. Croix rod and Shimano reel, got out-fished by him, with his Zebco 33 combo. I don’t think he could tell (nor did he seem to care) that my setup was expensive. I was embarrassed for myself.

[ike8120]

I buy what I can afford, The fish don't know if it is a $500 set up or $5 set you got at a yard sale, as long as it works for you.

[j bab]

2 hours ago, Mobasser said:

Son, this ain't no tackle show! This is a fishin tournament.

Great advice. Sadly (for my wallet) I'm a gear head when it comes to my bass gear. Using high end stuff has ruined entry/mid-level gear for me. That being said, I don't bash people for using it  

[greentrout]

kastking makes quality rods and reels ... i never bad mouth other brands and call what another fisherman uses junk ... i own a quantum too which i like very much ...

 

good fishing ...

 

[jtharris3]

Fender or Gibson? Oh wait! Never mind! ?

[GReb]

Marketing matters. 

[fin]

Brand isn’t the most important thing. Getting a good selfie is the most important thing. I mean like, why even go fishing in the first place if you’re not going to get a good picture of yourself to post on social media? It’s like you never even went fishing!

 

I’m joking of course, but kids are a little different today. Brand has always been, and always will be important to people, but it’s more important to today’s kids than it ever has been. Catching a fish is not the highest thing on the priority list.

 

[TBAG]

I don't bash but it sure is annoying when someone on here, not going to mention any names but in EVERY single post they try to push a certain brand who IMO is junk............

[livin2fish]

"One man's junk is another man's treasure"

[TOXIC]

Been many a fish caught with a Shakespeare Ugly Stick combo from WalMart.  At last check Ugly Stick was the #1 selling rod.

 

In many cases the most expensive gear satisfies a need in the individual more than the fish.  We all are more serious about fishing and enjoy our gear or we wouldn't be on a fishing site.  Truth be told that if functionality were the only consideration, we would have a lot different looking tackle.  I have a lot of rods/reels that many would snicker at.  For example, I have some old Bass Pro Shops Pro-Qualifer spinning reels that have to be 15 years old.  They have what was new at the time, called Wide Spool Technology that was developed especially for braid.  The wide spool carries the braid better and because of the bigger barrel, doesn't wind it so tight on the spool.  I love them and use them often.  When I used to fish a tournament put on by Classic winner Woo Daves for all of his sponsors and to support a local charity cause, he would routinely use push button reels for a type of fishing he made famous....slop fishing and he used them to "shoot" baits up under docks.  One year I took the wife of the CEO of Georgia Boot (one of his sponsors) and he gave her one of his push button combos to use out of his personal tackle.  I put her on fish with that setup and we took second.  Her goal was to beat her husband, which we did.  I got a few pairs of shoes out of that deal!!  

 

As for brand bashing, to me that's just a sign of insecurity. 

[NittyGrittyBoy]

Everybody is brand loyal to a degree. 

 

You use what works best for you. But 'bashing' other brands, well I've been guilty but there is times when junk is junk.

 

But humiliating someone for their choice in gear, doesn't promote the sport of Bass fishing or help your image either. 

[MrFrost]

To this day, one of my favorite combo's is this one right here...

 

Shakespeare Cirrus Spinning Reel and Fishing Rod Combo

 

Sure, it's a Shakespeare, and only $23, but I went on vacation and didn't have room for any gear, so I ran into Walmart, grabbed a cheap combo and some tackle, and had a blast fishing ponds near our vacation home in Wisconsin.  My best three days ever fishing actually.  

 

Marketing tells you, you need "X" amount of ball bearings or this or that, this was a two bearing reel, don't even know the gear ratio, but I loved finesse fishing with it.  Rod had good feel and allowed me to feel my bites, and they were LIGHT bites, I was catching largemouth that weighed less than a pound, lol.  

 

But, I gave that combo to my Brother-In-Law, so that he could take his son fishing, and start making memories.  I replaced it with a more expensive 2-piece combo, but part of me wants to go buy another just like it, lol.

[Tennessee Boy]

I use brand X rods.  You use brand Y rods.  We can consider ourselves brothers because both are made in the same Chinese factory.

[NYWayfarer]

1 hour ago, TBAG said:

I don't bash but it sure is annoying when someone on here, not going to mention any names but in EVERY single post they try to push a certain brand who IMO is junk............

No more annoying than folks that call anything other than their favorite brand junk.

 

How much "junk" is really out there? If we are talking about a sub $20 combo from Walmart or K-Mart with plastic gears then I might agree. When you get to the $40 or higher price points on spinning reels, bit higher on baitcasters, most companies offer decent reels that will service most weekend anglers for a few seasons.

 

People with a true love of the sport that fish several times a week are going to naturally look for a better quality item from brands they have come to know and trust. A few exceptions will still get by even then with their ugly stick and Shakespeare reel.

 

 

[PaFrogThrower9]

Fish what you can afford or like regardless of what other people say or think. You know what the saying about opinions is....... When I started out fishing I could afford crap. Had zebco combos and could outfish tons of people using a simple ribbon tail worm. Now I can afford nicer stuff and more of it but to some people I still use lesser gear. I like it and it works for me. 

[Mobasser]

2 minutes ago, Tennessee Boy said:

I uses brand X rods.  You use brand Y rods.  We can consider ourselves brothers because both are made in the same Chinese factory.

That's right brother!

[Largies4Life]

11 hours ago, Yumeya said:

I only make fun of people who use Favorite brand and Googan fishing stuff LOL.

This, to me, screams what the OP was just saying. Why make fun of people using this gear? Just because they're all seen as overrated by many people? The Googan baits are nearly identical to the Rage series so you may as well make fun of people using Strike King now, too.

[Deleted account]

People who use Quantum reels shouldn't be made fun of, they should be pitied...  

Just kidding, anyone can use whatever they want. Of course if my kid came home wanting a Quantum reel I'd beat him with the belt...

[Nathan.bass.canada]

You buy what makes you happy and fits your budget. Thats the inly thing that counts. But be critical and buy something that not trying to pretend its something else.