13 Fishing brand of reels...good to go?

[NavyVet1204]

I’m an Abu guy at heart with a lews or two floating around, but I am seeing and hearing a lot of good things about these reels. If they are well known at this point and I’m just unaware then I’ll claim fault and say I have been living under a rock. I need another rod and reel setup like I need another hole in my head lol so I was wondering if you guys think this brand is good to go? I’m thinking a good crank bait setup or dedicated shakey head/T -Rig.

[kayaking_kev]

I've had two their reels and two of their rods. Concept Z & Fate Black Reel. Defy Black & Fate Black Rod. I thought one of each was decent and the other one was junk.

 

I liked the Concept Z and the bright orange reel for the $70 I paid for on sale, but wouldn't of ever paid $200 for it, and I even passed on it at $100. But, for $70 I had no problems with it besides being blinded in the bright sun, but I kinda liked the look of it paired with my Dobyns Extreme HP.

 

The Fate Black reel was pure garbage and the worst reel I've owned. I bought it for $50 on sale and loved the look of it, but that was it. It got a scuff on it just from taking it out of the plastic packaging it came in and then before I even took it out for the first time I noticed it got a small crack in the side plate and I have no idea from what because it was just sitting on a shelf. Besides the durability, it didn't cast very good either.

 

The Defy Black composite crankbait rod I had was pretty good, but right after I sold it the person broke it.

 

The Fate Black rods I thought were junk, and I only paid $40 each for two of them, but quickly sold them. 

 

I don't think I'll ever buy anything 13 Fishing again, there's just better stuff available for the same price. 

[NavyVet1204]

I need to go in store at academy and handle them and see what I can get a feel for.

[new2BC4bass]

There is at least one member on here with several of the original Concept A reels.  I have one.  I was surprised at how good it felt when I mounted it on my RX7 Rainshadow.  Normally I don't notice stuff like that.  It did take me a bit longer than normal to get dialed in.  Straight from box.  The gentleman I am thinking of cleaned his before using and said he had no problem quickly dialing his in.

 

Another member mentioned that the Gen 2 reels are an improvement over the originals.  You should try a search.

 

I get pretty good distance now that mine is dialed in.  Maybe it would improve with a good cleaning.  The original has a long handle.  Has larger than normal cork knobs, but it didn't take me long to get used to (and like) them.

[onenutinthewater]

Tried the concept C a few years ago and after sending it back once then having shims sent to me I sold it dirt cheap. Loved the look and feel but was not smooth. Also tried their Creed spinning reel- It was complete junk and after one outing was returned.

I hate to say it but the big 2 is all i will ever waste my time/$ on.

[ThatZX14Fella]

I enjoyed the Concept A I had until it got stolen. It was smooth and casted well. I've heard too many variances in reviews to justify buying one again. It seems that their quality control is pretty shotty.

[walleyecrazy]

The only reel I’ve tried from them was the *** spinning reel, and I came away less than impressed. The overall feel of the reel was just unrefined compared to the similarly priced Daiwa and Shimano models. 

[rtwvumtneer6]

 

2 minutes ago, rtwvumtneer6 said:

Before buying my first reel over $100 I did a lot a homework on the Concept A/C/Z vs the Curado K.  $175-230 was a lot to spend on one reel at the time, and admittedly I can be frugal.  For me it came down to feel, and I chose Shimano.  When I handled a 13 (Z, C or A) I just wasn't confident that it would last as long, and there wasn't as much evidence out there to convince me otherwise.  Actually the Z felt like plastic.

But, are the reels any good?  Probably.  Most of them are today.  But I feel the money can be spent better elsewhere.  

 

As far as the rods, I have a Fate Chrome and it's the best sub-$100 rod I've ever used.  I also have the Gen 2 Fate Black (green rod) and I have tried and tried to find a place for it, and cannot.  Not sure if the sample size is enough, but I want consistency in a brand across power/action.

 

*Please note they are or have rolled out new generations of their rods and reels and I have no experience with the newer stuff.  That should tell you all you need to know.

 

 

[PhishLI]

My brother has the Z and the Z3. He really likes them, and he has everything under the sun. No quirks or QC issues at all. They're quite good casters. He does add a drop of oil to the spool bushings occasionally. A few of my buds have had As and Cs for several seasons. No issues at all, and I'm the one they turn to if there are reel issues. They share an interesting compact frame. For no reason in particular I own no 13 reels. I do have a nice pile of 13 OB2s including 3 of the 7'1" MHF 2 piece rods for travel. Due to where and how I fish they've all been abused. Not one issue. No lost inserts, guide wrap quirks, loose reel seats, or any other problems, and I've caught a ton of fish with them.

[EzyEric]

I have the Inception and it's casts and reels extremely well. The finish is not very good though as it has a bunch of scratches already.  

 

I feel like they can't get a good line of res going. Almost all the reels say Concept and don't stay around for long. 

[Shimano_1]

I've had several of the concept a reels and a cple of the inceptions. Was pleasantly surprised by both of these reels. I personally think there are better options at each price point but sometimes you can find the concept a reels for 80-90 on fleabay. Their rods have actually been quite nice for me. I still have 2 of the bright green fate black rods and like them alot. Nice actions and lightweight.  Paid 50 a piece and they've surpassed expectations.  One of my fishing buddies uses all 13 rods and loves em.  Id probably stay away from their 100 and under reels and you'll likely be pleased with em. Tried the concept z as well and honestly couldn't stand it. Felt loose and clunky. Seems some people really like em. Go check some out and see what "you" think.

[RichF]

I bought an Origin TX a couple years ago because I dig the the seafoam green color. Used it for a a couple hours and it felt like the internals disintegrated. Grinding, sqealing, screaching, etc. Returned it. Then I got a Concept Z (again bc the color was cool) and the fact that it was on sale for $90.  It definitely does not feel refined and there is no way I would have ever spent $200 on it.  But at $80-$90, it's a great buy. It's a great casting reel and the drag is stout.  I found that it starts to sqeal a bit if the bushings aren't lubed fairly regularly. All in all, I actually enjoy fishing this reel. Nowhere near the quality of a Curado but where are you going to find one of those for $80??

[NYWayfarer]

Stay away from their spinning reels. I have 2 of the Creeds and both suffer from the same problem. Line gets under the spool after awhile. Only reels I own that have that issue.

 

I like the Defy Black series of rods. At $60 they are a good value rod. I like the old version with the cork handles. The new version is all Foam.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

They’re just another contracted import reel. Nothing special or horrible either way. They tend to be priced higher than comparable competitors offerings. 

[fishwizzard]

I have a Concept A, it’s an excellent caster and has survived some monstrous abuse.  It got demoted to hazard duty due to an unforgivable flaw, namely a hard ridge right on top of the non-handle sideplate.  It digs into my palm like crazy and it’s really distracting.   

[NavyVet1204]

It seems like the general consensus is that I should pass and I think I will. Thanks guys!