I take THEREELTEST extremely seriously, and buy everything he shills.

[ABU is overpriced]

Now that i got your full attention😅, how do you all feel about youtubers (him and others) suggestions? Have you purchased a reel or a rod because of a youtube content creator? If so, who?

 

[PBBrandon]

I really only trust YouTuber opinions if they are not sponsored and are critical of certain things. Some YouTubers are always positive about everything that is put in front of them and while I like those from an informative standpoint, they aren’t always my favorite if I’m trying to decide what to buy.

 

Thereeltest is definitely a Shimano fan and while I do watch his videos, I lean more Daiwa on reels so obviously he hasn’t turned me away from them. 
 

Punchfishing and TackleAdvisors make great in depth videos that do sway my decisions a lot

[J Francho]

Fishing stuff is the last thing I'd watch on YouTube. 

[ABU is overpriced]

21 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Fishing stuff is the last thing I'd watch on YouTube. 

Really? Entertainment is entertainment.

35 minutes ago, PBBrandon said:

I really only trust YouTuber opinions if they are not sponsored and are critical of certain things. Some YouTubers are always positive about everything that is put in front of them and while I like those from an informative standpoint, they aren’t always my favorite if I’m trying to decide what to buy.

 

Thereeltest is definitely a Shimano fan and while I do watch his videos, I lean more Daiwa on reels so obviously he hasn’t turned me away from them. 
 

Punchfishing and TackleAdvisors make great in depth videos that do sway my decisions a lot

sure agree about tackleadvisors. By far the best fishing channel on youtube.

[MediumMouthBass]

Buying something only because someone on youtube promotes it is insane.

Every hand is different, the amount of reels i have that dont fit my hands, or dont fit comfortably is unreal. And theres been a few rods whose handles felt awful as well.

 

And then theres the amount of times i thought i would absolutely love a rod or reel ive bought online just to be underwhelmed when i saw it in person.

 

Is youtube advice good? Absolutely, but take everything with a grain of salt since what that person might love you might not. I just check reviews like its my job, watch a few videos, go here or reddit for further research. But even that isnt a guarantee, ive bought a few things online using this method and have been disappointed with the rod or reel i bought. Even when others claimed they were the worlds best reels, and everybody loved theirs.

 

Going to a store and checking the rod or reel out is the most important thing.

[GrumpyOlPhartte]

Living in western MA, I’ve found very few retailers carrying the major brands of fishing gear so I do rely on various social media “pundits” for advice/recommendations; however, I take all advice with a shaker of salt.

 

First, almost all reviews are of a single sample of the product.  Comparisons are performed similarly - one sample of each comparable product is tested. Given the inconsistency of quality in most products, the results are ambiguous at best.  The only partial solution is to locate as many reviews of a product as possible … at least that’s the best solution I’ve identified.

 

Second, I attempt to consider the reviewing agent’s track record / reputation. This is information that is s-l-o-w-l-y accumulated but, in my opinion, is absolutely necessary.

 

Finally, I take out my credit card, burn incense at the altar of the Bait Monkey, cast my fate to the winds, and hope fearfully that my chosen purchase will arrive in good shape.  So far, the BM has rewarded my fealty with satisfactory results … well, with one exception;  that was before I discovered the necessity of the incense.

[GetFishorDieTryin]

I've seen some his content, and Reel test gets on my nerves, he's arrogant and hypocritical.  Some of his casting battles aren't even because he might use different rods or line.  When someone politely points that out in the comments, the guy who quotes the bible in his videos replies with these heinous remarks about the commenters mother or family.  

Tackle Advisors had great content and was open about his bias if he had any.  I trust his reviews.  I don't know I've bought anything outright just because of his recommendations, but I take them into consideration.  I've run into him a few times over the years during the fall run and he's pretty cool, he likes to talk.  

[ABU is overpriced]

17 minutes ago, GetFishorDieTryin said:

I've seen some his content, and Reel test gets on my nerves, he's arrogant and hypocritical.  Some of his casting battles aren't even because he might use different rods or line.  When someone politely points that out in the comments, the guy who quotes the bible in his videos replies with these heinous remarks about the commenters mother or family.  

Tackle Advisors had great content and was open about his bias if he had any.  I trust his reviews.  I don't know I've bought anything outright just because of his recommendations, but I take them into consideration.  I've run into him a few times over the years during the fall run and he's pretty cool, he likes to talk.  

Next time you see him, tell him to get his ass back making videos.

[redmeansdistortion]

A little backstory.  My daytime employer is going through a rebranding and one of our target audiences is social media influencers, which The Reel Test may be to some degree.  I don't know much about him but I do know he has been laughed off stage on a few forums.  So what is an influencer?  They're nothing more than glorified salesmen who are self employed and get perks from the companies who manufacture the products he or she is pushing.  They either get monetary compensation, free products, a deep discount, or a combination of those.  Social media influencer is one of the fastest growing "careers" (if you wanna call it that) due to services like TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Facebook Reels.  

 

The problem with influencers is they often push a tweaked narrative in order to generate sales.  Their job is to make you build an emotional connection to the product.  People emotionally invested in something are much, much more inclined to purchase it.  At some point it may even become an impulse buy because emotion got the best of you.  As it may be, most of the more recent fishing related YouTube channels are influencers.  

[TnRiver46]

11 hours ago, J Francho said:

Fishing stuff is the last thing I'd watch on YouTube. 

^ “that boy ain’t right “

[A-Jay]

Long before there were any,

I was my own 'influencer'.

It's still that way.

Admittedly, any disappointment realized,

is like a boomerang.

A-Jay

[J Francho]

It's not entertaining to me. I generally get my fishing entertainment from…actually fishing. 

[FrnkNsteen]

I don't buy anything based on what someone says on a video. Most of them are so obviously biased for certain brands and products they are connected to. There's one guy, whose name I won't share that did videos of "5 best rods and reels" where every option was from one manufacturer and imagine that,.... Turns out that brand sponsored him.

 

I am not a fan of TheReelTest either. I watched some of his videos and quickly found that he is the ultimate Shimano fan and in his mind, nothing compared. Plus he seems to think casting distance is the only factor in choosing a reel. Then, as  @GetFishorDieTryin said, his tests aren't set up very up equally and if anyone makes a conflicting comment or question, he gets rude.

 

The one I really liked, and wish he was still making videos was Tackle Advisors. He goes in depth, digs deep, and gives you the positives and negatives that he sees. I HAVE went and checked things out based on his reviews and bought some, rejected others.

 

I will have to check out "Punch fishing" that someone else mentioned.

[DogBone_384]

I bought a Shimano Expride A 6'10" jerkbait rod that Matt Allen of TacticalBassin' touts as the perfect JB rod.  I found it on sale and was curious how it stood up to the Kistler KLX I use.  To answer THAT question, they're nearly identical with the Shimano being a little 'faster'.  I prefer the Kistler's grip so that's my #1.

 

That's the only rod I bought from watching YT influencers.  Baits, however, is a different story.... 

[Mobasser]

I don't get into any of the you tuber videos, and don't watch any. If I want to buy a new rod or reel, I'll go and handle it and make my decision based on my gut feeling about the product.                    Basically, I don't need some you tube clown telling me what reel I need. 

[FryDog62]

When BFS rod/reels started to become more mainstream a lot of the new information was on YouTube.  It did influence the equipment I ordered, although I buy 3-4 at a time to compare weight, balance, action, etc and usually just keep one and return the others. 

[bulldog1935]

I always check take-down (bearing swap, etc) youtubes before delving into a new reel model - identify hints and tools needed beforehand.  

OK, I scroll through them to find what I want to find.  

The only guy who makes sense to me for design and niche evaluations is TackleAdvisors, who intentionall doesn't shill.  His extensive take-down evaluations are 5-star.  

https://www.youtube.com/c/TackleAdvisors

 

As far as buying everything, I don't work that way, e.g., all my Daiwas swap the same spools.  

 

[Mike L]

12 hours ago, J Francho said:

Fishing stuff is the last thing I'd watch on YouTube. 

Ditto x10

 

No interest in watching some guy hawk products or tape himself to expand a channel for his own personal benefit

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[J Francho]

I just watched five minutes of a "shootout" from the thread title channel.  While I couldn't watch any more than that (I wanted to stab my eardrums with chopsticks, then watch paint dry while also keeping an eye on water boiling), I found the comments HIGHLY entertaining.  One of my favorites referred to the sensitivity of the reel for feeling bites.  I can't make this stuff up.

[Catt]

12 hours ago, J Francho said:

Fishing stuff is the last thing I'd watch on YouTube. 

 

7 minutes ago, Mike L said:

Ditto x10

 

No interest in watching some guy hawk products or tape himself to expand a channel for his own personal benefit

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

 

I pay more attention to Bassresource members 

[bulldog1935]

I'm a life-long fly fisherman, and most of that time on the BOD of the largest Trout Unlimited chapter that's also its own state council (3rd largest business unit in TU).  I don't go to video nights, though like idea of general meetings in brew pubs.  

I run Trout in the Classroom for Texas, and yesterday completed my most stressful chore of the year, delivering 10,000 live trout eggs to 32 schools - with help.  

 

Of course the teachers and students are the best thing about this, but 2nd best, busy overlap gives me a bye from serving on committees for Troutfest annual expo.  I may make a guest appearance at the expo to see friends, but generally, I hate being monopolized with boorish amateur entomology.  

 

The one youtube fishing I like is my friend Glenn, because he's most manly fisherman I know.  

 

[Tennessee Boy]

I like this channel better.  😆

 

 

[msgf91]

Tackle Advisors will always be my main channel to watch. But after he stopped putting out videos as often , I had to find 10 other channels to get my reel porn fix. Thereeltest was one of them. But I kind of stopped listening to him and just watch the videos for the reel porn. I don't care how much he shills for the Aldebaran,  I like the SS Air more. (I have both).  I should make my own channel and call it thereelpornfix. No talking, no shilling, just the closeup shots you're looking for so you can make your own decisions if you want to buy the reel. 

 

Edit: i went and created a Gmail and YouTube account with that name 

[ABU is overpriced]

I hope nobody in here got influenced by googan squad, and bought their rods🤡

[Brian11719]

I like watching fishing stuff on youtube and actually found my way here from Glenn's channel. I've also plenty of videos on other channels like the rod bending videos that Omnia does to be informative and while I don't always agree with everything Tactical Bassin says or promotes as the best rod for <fill in the blank> they have posted a good amount of stuff on their channel that I've found useful. Even some channels that seem silly have tought me something at some point or have at least been entertaining. I've checked out a few of THEREELTEST's video and agree the whole channel does kind of seem like one big Shimano commercial. I also personally don't click the videos to get a bible quote thrown at me right away, but I have found a couple of them useful since they do go over specs and such. That said if I am looking for that sort of thing (Shimano specs) I'd probably start with JP DeRose's channel. He clearly points out he's sponsored by Shimano (and the other brands he works with) on his site and IMHO his channel is a little more professional in terms of going over the features / benefits of those products without trying to make it seem like he's just some impartial fisherman and just promoting one of them because it's the best (or saying negative things about competitors).

Also, in terms of using youtube videos to make gear decisions I'd take anything on there with a grain of salt (or several if the creator clearly has some sort of relationship with the manufacturer). Truth be told there are a ton of people getting paid to 'shill' and youtube is just one of many ways they can do that. I'm also not personally against doing that as long as you aren't trying to hide the fact that you are getting paid to promote a certain product / brand. If I'm considering something new I generally look for as much content as I can find about online whether it be here, youtube, or review articles. Then if I do decide to try it out I've found it's best to just try out one rather than going all in and ending up with a bunch of stuff that you thought would be awesome but ended up not turning out to be that great.