Rod and/or Reel Bias?

[NOC 1]

9 hours ago, Brett's_daddy said:

This thought just occurred to me out of the blue...not really sure why but it would make for an interesting online social experiment . How many of you are biased to the point where you'd never think about putting brand "x" reel on a brand "y" rod? For example, I am not biased towards a particular brand, I own Shimano, Daiwa, Lews, 13 Fishing and Abu Garcia rods and reels but for some odd reason there is no way I'd put a Shimano reel on a Daiwa rod and vice versa. Now, here's where it gets weird...I totally wouldn't mind putting a Lews reel on a Shimano or Daiwa rod or a Shimano or Daiwa reel on a Lews rod. I know it sounds strange but how many of you out there think similarly?

Not me, I have Daiwa, Shimano, ABU, and Pflueger reels and I put them on what seems to be most suitable to me. That said, I don't have any Shimano rods and only a few Daiwa rods. I have mostly Megabass and ABU rods, and am removing the ABU's from service as I replace them with Kistlers and Custom North Fork Builds.

9 hours ago, Mike L said:

This is like some folks who make it a priority to match the color of the reel with the rod!

Or those who refuse to buy a rod or reel just because of what color it is!

 

Sorry, I just don’t get it

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

Well, I prefer that they match so they look pleasing, and that is pretty easy when I build my own. Otherwise a few color coordinated bling bits helps. Then there are a few cases that they just aren't going to match appearance well...but so be it...

[waymont]

I will buy whatever I want. I buy items made in any country on the planet.

 

 

[walleyecrazy]

Daiwa reel on a Shimano rod, Shimano reel on a Daiwa rod?! Thats like wearing a Yankees hat while also wearing a Red Sox shirt.... Oh the horror! In all seriousness though I really don't pay too much attention to aesthetics or manufacturer when pairing things up, though I do enjoy pretty much every Daiwa product I have ever owned, and do have a preference towards them if they make something that fits my intended use.

[papajoe222]

Although I have a majority of Daiwa baitcasters, they aren't the only ones and none of them are paired to a Daiwa rod as I don't even own one.  Most of the rods I use regularly, I've built myself, but I grew up using St.Croix rods and still do, but haven't purchased one in quite a while.

[Bankbeater]

Once I have a reel on a rod, and it feels right, that reel stays on that rod.  The brands make no difference to me.

[CrankFate]

Yes, I’m a brand ***** to some degree. I don’t like to buy very expensive things because they are expensive. But I don’t like brands that aren’t somewhat designer in nature.

[Oldskool67]

I’m the same way and I can’t explain why. Daiwa on Daiwa, Shimano on Shimano. But I will put either on all my other rods. Good to know I’m not the only weirdo.

[Catt]

35+ years all I used was Shimano's Calcutta on whatever rod felt right.

 

Arthritis, bursitis, ruptured disc, nerve damage, calcium deposits & the likes changed my reel choices. I've switched to Lew's smaller lighter reels.

 

Diawia, Shimano, & Garcia doesn't feel right ergonomically!

 

Rods: Powell, Diawia, Lews, Castaway, AllStar, & Falcon 

 

Color coordinating...yeah...NO!

[David Austin]

I have mostly Daiwa reels and have a few that are older than time and still work perfectly.  With rods I'm not as strict and have several manufacturers.  I do really like my Dobyns rods though.  

[Choporoz]

My bias is towards form, fit and function.  Matching combos for any other reason, especially aesthetics, or to match manufacturer names doesn't ever enter my thought process.

 

  How many manufacturers, other than maybe Lews or Wright McGill even consider the  possibility that enough people care?  (And those two, I imagine just do it to sell combos)

[Brett's_daddy]

This is interesting! I never really thought about the color matching much although I must admit there are some reel colors that look better on my Fury's then others (that Tequila Sunrise orange Concept Z would clash horribly with the green accents on the Fury...lol). Luckily most of my rods are either black or white with just colored accents.

17 hours ago, WRB said:

I have a strong bias against anything made in China.

Looking at a new spinning rod my local shop had Shimano Zodias rods and liked the feel, balance then noticed stamp on the handle was made in China. 

Tom

 

Wow, what do you fish with...a tree branch and some line . Seriously, finding something that isn't made in China is getting to be incredibly difficult. I admire your thought process but phew, that really limits your selection in todays world!