brand loyalty

[tfisherman]

Loyal Companies:

1)Bill Lewis "Traps" I just can't catch fish on any other rattler!

2)Berkly Big Game line pound for pound the best for the money

3)VMC Vanadium hooks

4)Rapala DT's are the best

5)Shimano Cardiff reels are awsome!

6)Xcalibur Baits IMO smokes Lucky Craft!!

7) Slug-o still love'm

8)I'm sure there's more??

Companies I have a problem with:

1)Gamakatsu I had some issue with their worm hooks but they're slowly winning me back

2)Zoom again use to love'm but now another over priced plastic!

3)Abu Garcia my original loyal company from day #1. till I found out the new 4600's were plastic junk made to sell fast and cheap at Wal-mart

4)I'm sure there's more??

[Bud]

Signature line says it all

[MALTESE FALCON]

About the only brand I can say I'm loyal to is Abu Garcia. The biggest reason for that is quality and service. Twenty-five years ago I got a 5500 C series reel that I'm still using today, and other than cleaning and lubing regularly, it's never needed service. I own seven other Abu baitcasters and only one has ever needed service.

The only time I needed Abu Garcia service was last year. After using my D5 for fourteen months it started binding, I sent the reel to them on Tuesday evening and on Friday UPS delivered a brand new D5 reel, no questions asked.

I must admit, there is one more brand that I've become loyal to in the last six months. ***, for the same reasons, quality and service. Brent has a wonderful product and sends it to you in a heartbeat. Thank you Brent and Amy.

Falcon

[Tin]

But I think if I were to be completely loyal to any brand it would prevent me from trying new brands and products that may or may not be more productive for me.

My thoughts as well. The only companies I'am truely loyal to are Abu Garcia because of their reels durability and there customer service and Triple Fish mono, best line for the price. I prefer certain things over others but if I like it, I will buy it. The only company I refuse to buy any more products from is St.Croix for reasons I won't get into.

[tfisherman]

MALTESE FALCON...

I'm glad you're having luck with your Abu Garcia's. I have a lot of the C3 4600's from the early 90's and love them. But when I went to buy some new ones  last year a Abu dealer showed me how the quality had drastically went down. I sent one of mine to be fixed and was charged $20 my buddy was charged $60 and it was a new reel and only used once!!

I've disowned them and went to Shimano Cardiff cast like a wet dream!!

[Jake.]

Abu Garcia Reels.

St Croix Rods.

Suffix Line.

Lucky Craft Hardbaits.

Gamakatsu Hooks.

I've never had a bad expierience with any of these products, so I stick with them.

[roadwarrior]

Brand loyalty:

Overall value, consistancy, reliability, reputation, innovation and customer service. Companies with original ideas that develope products to addresss the needs of anglers by improving and expanding their lines. A reputation for quality products and reliable service, developed over a long period of time, is the type of business I admire.

Some of our sponsors are very good examples of what I look for in companies I do business with.

8-)

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

About the only brand I can say I'm loyal to is Abu Garcia. The biggest reason for that is quality and service. Twenty-five years ago I got a 5500 C series reel that I'm still using today, and other than cleaning and lubing regularly, it's never needed service.

That's awesome.  I'm looking to do this with my rods now.  Buy 4-6 customs and pack them full of karma over the next 30,40,50 yrs

I think that connection to your gear is a big part of why fishing is so cool to me.  After 20 yrs, grabbing that rod out of the corner as you leave for the lake is like high fiving your best friend when you are teamed up in a tournament and you just landed a 7.

Fishing is memories and nothing can bring back a memory like a faithful friend.

[Guest avid]

while I'm truly humbled by catt and lbh "loyal only to me" posts,  :-?

I have to respectfully disagree.  

Brand loyalty goes beyond, quality, components, and the other variables discussed so far.

Brand loyalty matters to me because of consistency.

As has been often posted here, you can't really know a rod untill you fish with it a few times.  This is true, however if one sticks with one brand then one can make a much more accurate assessment prior to the purchase.

for example the Loomis rods have power ratings from 1 to 5 in the mag bass series.  the consistency is so good from year to year and rod to rod, that I can buy via the internet and just by looking at the rods model number know with a high degree of confidence exactly what that rod will feel like and how it will perform.   I can do pretty much the same thing with St. croix rods, and daiwa reels.

Consitancy, uniformity, and no surprises.   =  brand loyalty.

And you can take that to the bank...  

[NBR]

Many years ago I had a fair degree of brand loyalty but that flaw in my make up disappeared long ago. I have Berkley, Shimano, Lews, BPS, Daiwa and other rods. Pflueger, Shimano, Browning, Daiwa, Quantum, BPS and probably some other reels both bait casters and spinning. All of these do the job for me just fine. I once was very loyal to Berkley lines but even that has faded over the years.

Now I buy rods and reels based on the use I intend for them and the best price.

Back in the depths of my mind there is a thought that Yamamoto soft plastics are a bit better than the run of the mill so I always have Senkos, Ikas and Hula Grubs and use them if the bite gets tough but I probably go through more knock offs in the course of a year.

[Sam]

Yes, not only loyal but superstitious.

It goes back to when I played sports in high school. I would only wear specific brands of protective equipment and my shoes had to be the same brand I always wore.

Then, I went with Bass shoes when I hit college.

Now I like only Shimano reels, Kister, G. Loomis and St. Croix rods for bass; Ugly Sticks for fun fishing and catfish; so far Trileen and AN-40 and Vanish for line (but will try the Yo-Zuri band this year).

I always buy the same brand of coffee (Community Coffee); the same soft drink (Barq's, although I am trying to go with Coke Zero to be thin and happy); and I like GY Senkos and Zoom plastics; Bandit cranks; Rico and Pop-R poppers; Gulp!; JJ's Magic; and Chatterbaits.

Owner hooks are super although I do have some Gamakatsu and Eagle Claws.

According to a study by Exxon Corporation many, many years ago, when I was in college and the world was all water, people will stay away from a brand for up to nine (9) years if they do not believe it is satisfactory or if they have a problem with the product or service.

So if you purchase a Bass Pro Shop Johnny Morris baitcaster and it blows up on you when you take it out for your first fishing trip with it, it can take you up to nine (9) years to go back and consider another BPS Johnny Morris baitcaster. (Gee, that sounds like me)

Even today I still purchase the same athletic protective gear brand.  For what reason, who knows as I do not go to the gym to lift weights that often. But that is what I have always purchased and will continue to do so.

Interesting psychological situation with brand names as the manufacturers use color, packaging and advertising to keep their brands in our minds at all times so we will just walk into the store and automatically purchase their products.

[Davis]

Plastics: ***

Hooks: Owner

[jasone]

I guess I am kind of brand loyal.  I like St. Croix rods and Daiwa or Abu reels.  

With that being said, anyone who does not try new things is really cheating themselves.  I don't always practice that to the letter.  I fought the chatterbait thing like the devil and eventually succumbed.  But if I had remained only loyal to St. Croix I would never have tried a Kistler.  

I've been fishing with guys that swore they only used this brand or that.  That works for a little while until something else starts working.

I guess my point is, brand loyalty is nice up to point but why limit yourself forever?

J

[JayW]

A lot of us do it seems. I have nothing but Calcutta's. Why, because I like them! I also like Abu's. I had a Morum that I used for years. My biggest complaint about it was the handle as the paddles would tend to pop off on a hook set every now and then... other than that... a darn good reel! I like Calcutta's and Morums because they are solid aluminum round reels and I hate low profile graphite bodied reels. I had one snap off one time at the base where it goes into the reel seat.        

I like Zoom worms. Mostly because they are soft, salted, and skinny!

I build my won rods and have for 10+ years because I could never find exactly what I wanted. Even with building my own... I prefer the St Croix blanks because they are strong, sensitive, straight and fair priced IMO.

Like the old saying goes... you say Shakespeare I say Shimano...  

[fishfordollars]

Confidence in anything that will help me locate and catch fish whether it is name brand or a knockoff. I am partial to a few:

Hummingbird

Minn-kota

AbuGarcia

Allstar

Falcon

American Rodsmith

Mercury

Zoom

Gene Larew

Bill Lewis

Academy

Bass Pro Shops

[Fish Man]

hooks- eagle claw lazer sharp

reels- shimano and abu

line- sufix seige

rods- st croix

[ww2farmer]

Gamakatsu hooks. Never had one fail me. It's the only hook brand I buy.

[BaitMS]

Reels- Abu Garcia and Quantum

Rods- St. Croix (because they're made in the USA)

Lures- Rapala

Line- Berkley Trilene and P-line

Hooks- Owner

Disclaimer- All of this is made possible by the Bait Monkey.