Brand disloyalty

[you]

Y'all ever stop using a brand of lure/tackle for reasons other than its ability to catch fish?

 

I recently replaced my Kalins grubs--couldn't stand the sharp chemical smell anymore. Lot's of baits smell like some industrial slurry, but these were too much, even though I loved the action and caught plenty of bass with them.

[Tennessee Boy]

There are typically at least a dozen options for any fishing product I buy.  I usually choose based on factors like where it’s made and does the company on the label actually make the product.  For example I’ve only bought Cashion rods for the last few years.  They work great and I like the company’s values.

[webertime]

For me it's the company business practices and talking heads that turn me off from baits.  There's a lot of alternatives on the market.

[Choporoz]

No.

 

But, I'd forgotten about Kalins.  I had considered them sort of the gold standard for grubs.  Though I haven't used them in years.  I just took a look at the parent co. site, ACME Tackle, and I really like the portfolio.   Aside from Kalins, they apparently acquired Uncle Josh and brought them back; they have Little Cleo and Kasmaster...

  Maybe scooping up small mfrs....or maybe allowing some to survive.

 

  I just might have to get some Kalins grubs.  Thanks

[gim]

Durability for me is a bit of a turn off sometimes.  Yamamoto is notorious for having minimal durability with their plastics.  They work and I use them, but I find myself looking for alternatives at times.

 

Hardbaits can generally be upgraded with better components, or you can just pay more for a higher quality version.

[Mobasser]

I shop for good deals, sales, etc.Im not brand loyal to any particular baits. I still use Creme Scoundrel worms, and they have a faint chemical smell. I just give them a shot of Baitmate and cast away.

[WRB]

I do have loyalty to the original small company that developed the lures. Very few small businesses are still in making their lures becoming a brand of a large company.

Disloyal to brands and loyal to originals,

Tom

 

 

[PaulVE64]

I quit buing GY soft plastics because they fall apart.

 

[Bankc]

Not yet.  

 

I've had a few brands that have turned me off, mostly from putting forth inferior products, but sometimes from business practices that I can't get behind.  But with fishing lures and stuff, I haven't really had an issue with poor quality (unless it was super cheap and I knew going into it, it would be poor quality).  And I don't really follow the industry side of things enough to know about any particularly bad business practices.  Ignorance is bliss, I suppose.  

[GrumpyOlPhartte]

I quit using a well-regarded brand primarily because the only thing I found worse than the quality of the one reel I bought was the quality of the service.  While I can accept that a clunker occasionally makes it to the retail outlet, I can’t tolerate poor service. But, hey! My profile name explains a lot.

[rgasr63]

I am brand loyal based on fishing experiences. I bought some Rage Tail products and I caught fish with them very well so anything they make I would try out no questions asked. I bought a couple of 6th sense jerkbaits based on @Bluebasser86's recommendation and I have had a great time catching with them so I have ordered some more from them. I have used Shimano bait cast reels they have never given me any negative experience and that's what it is all about.

[Woody B]

I haven't "boycotted" any fishing tackle companies but I'll quit using a product in a heartbeat for political reasons.  Attach the 2nd Amendment and a company won't get another penny from me.   I never bought much from Dicks Sporting Goods but I wouldn't even consider anything from them now.  

[FishTank]

I decided to stop buying any of the brands that are owned by Pure Fishing and Rather Outdoors.  These two have checked all the bad boxes.... not treating employees and pro staff well, giving false pretenses about their products, copying original JDM baits, product monopolizing to family owned bait shops, etc. 

[FishTax]

I generally don't shop at Dick's for political reasons. I don't buy googan baits and I forgot why 🤣. I prefer to buy from small guys like Seibert but also love a good deal so I have a pretty diverse brand selection in my tackle box. Also don't buy Ozark at Walmart for psychological reasons, I'm convinced they can't catch fish. I know that's incorrect, but it's a personal mental block the bait monkey has convinced me of. 

[king fisher]

I don't buy Megabass for the same reason I don't take recreational drugs.  I don't want to be living on the street begging for money.

[Aaron_H]

Duckett is about the only brand I actively try to avoid. I've got one of their BD Shad swimbaits, but I found it on the bank so I excuse it.

 

I'm not the biggest fan of Johnny Morris's practices, either, but I do religiously use the BPS Stik-O as my Yamamoto alternative.

[Reel]

I try to be positive and and try to buy brands that do something for the environnement like use recycled paper for their packaging.  

[MediumMouthBass]

I used to shop at DSG a ton, we had 2 locations nearby 1 a regular Dicks Sporting Goods and the other one had a Field and Stream in it. The Field and Stream one had a huge selection of hunting and 2A stuff, along with a massive taxidermy display with animals from all over the world, similar to the ones Cabelas has. Huge selection of fishing, about 2 of my local tackle shops was the size of it. They had rods and reels that werent even on the DSG website or at other stores, very big fly fishing and fly tying selection aswell. And had very good deals throughout the year. Got an Old Town 120 kayak for 50% off, Shimano SLX reel for 60% off, as well as many baits and lures were usually on really good sales too. Well someone from corporate came down and decided that they should get rid of all the hunting/2A stuff, (they had around $250k worth of items), got rid of the animal display (probably under or over 100k, there were some really exotic animals there), got rid of the boating and fly fishing stuff as well. So they lost tons of money from the customers that will no longer go there to get certain things, closed the store down for several months (losing even more money) to ready for it? Spend a quarter million dollars redoing the whole store just to put a free instore walking trail and a rock climbing wall. They fired alot of the nice and knowledgeable older people working there as well who always went above and beyond to help out customers, and the departments they got rid of used to be packed with customers all the time. So i refuse to shop at any DSG (until after my remaining gift card from them is down to $0 of course).

But also their business practices are a joke, say they have a $4 bait or lure, they put it for sale at $8 take a dollar off and call it a sale....

[Bird]

Can't say I'm brand loyal but do have favorites, like Shimano reels, Cashion and Dobyns rods.

As far as baits? Never really a complaint other than the extra care needed for handling Elaztech but the stuff is crazy durable.

[Skunkmaster-k]

Zoom is going to have to do something really bad for me to bail. Strike King better watch it though. 

[Mbirdsley]

I agree with DSG.  I won’t give them a dime. 

 

Phluegar is another one that i refuse to buy any more.  I still have 2 president spining reels which, i’ll keep untill they die.  one of which, recently came back online after fixing a part in the bail ( waited on the part for 1.5 yrs) . I’ve  had 2 phuelgar reels that have had catastrophic terminal failures.  I know phuegar doesn’t make reels any more but, I’ve had other Doyo made reels and they are fine. 

 

I’ve only been hard core into bass since 2017.  i’m sure give it time more will be added to the list. 

[Columbia Craw]

Companies must earn my business.  

[Jweller]

Sadly I don’t think I’ll ever buy another St. Croix. 

[A-Jay]

16 minutes ago, Jweller said:

Sadly I don’t think I’ll ever buy another St. Croix. 

I just bought 3.

I like them.

A-Jay

[MN Fisher]

Googan is one I stay far away from

Pflueger is starting to get on my bad list - and I was a fan-boy for decades

 

Daiwa, Shimano and St. Croix are at the top of my 'YES' list

Like @Skunkmaster-k - Zoom would really have to screw up to make me avoid them.

Pure Fishing in general - not too shabby, but Berkley and Plano are the only brands I buy things from.