Are you loyal to a brand?

[crankbait]

My wife had the nerve to tell me I fuse over tackle like a girl does over makeup.....She's got nerve....Now pass that Spike-it so I can do my hair...

[Nick_Barr]

strike king and zoom are my all time favorites because they are consistent on the water

[RoLo]

Rods:

Daiwa (also st croix, bobby morris, fenwick)

Reels:

Shimano (also penn)

Plugs:

Rapala (also lucky craft, bomber, bill lewis)

Spoon:

Johnson Weedless Spoon (also hopkins)

Spinnerbait:

Lazer Eye Single Colorado (also booyah single colorado)

Soft Plastics

Yum Tubes (Mega Flash & Vibra King)

Yum Dinger (Yum's Stick Worm)

Yum Ribbon-Tail Worm (true killers)

There's no blind loyality, and all brands are subject to change but do tend to persist.

[dodgeguy]

reels = pflueger

rods = presently johnny morris signature series

line = power pro or cajun red cast

spinnerbaits = booyah

buzzbaits = booyah

soft plastics = yum and some zoom and senkos

scent = smelly jelly

lipless cranks = rapala

hooks = gamakatsu and jobee pro hooks

[Rattlinrogue]

I like and use the following brands a lot:Abu Garcia,Quantum,Berkley,Yo-Zuri,Strike King,Smithwick,Rapala,Zoom,Yamaha,Rebel,and Excaliber.

[KenDammit28]

Zoom and strike king are my most consistent money winners (they win my money because I can't stop buying, lol).  I'm open minded though...I'll use whatever brand has what I need or want.  I always like Zooms plastics, however I have plastics from tons of different brands.

[KU_Bassmaster.]

This past summer I fell in love with YUM plastics (I think I had every single thing they made), but I do fish a lot of other plastices. I used nothing but Gamakatsu hooks, but I fished with a guy in the late fall that fished Oner(sp)? hooks. I might have to try those. They are mean looking. Always Shimano reels. All-Star Rods.

Thought I would update mine:

Reels: Still nothing but SHIMANO

Rods: I used to be All-Star, but then switched to Shimano, and now if I had the money I would switch out to all Custom G-Blanks. I just got my first one last week and so far I am in love

Line: Yo-Zuri on all reels except two and they are both Power Pro

Soft Palstics: Still mostly YUM, but I do use some GYCB, and ZOOM products

Crankbaits: This is the place I am not brand loyal what so ever. I use them all.

Jigs: Mainly Strike King, but I will use anything

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

I'm more loyal to value,...which certain brands can embody.

Terminator, rocky ledge jigs

North Face gore-tex and technical Clothing.

Pflueger President Spinning reels

***- $10/50 senkos

Zig zag

Kershaw Knives

Heineken

Sears die hard batteries (T/M)

*************************************

SALTWATER

Penn reels

Jen-Kai flourocarbon

SPRO swivels

[Ben]

Loyal to a brand, NO.

I do only buy Shimano and Ambassador reels, simply because they have served me well for many years and feel with them, you get the best reel for the money.  Not saying they are any better than anyone elses, just they have always met my needs and have had no reason to change.

On most other products I usually buy the original and not the rip offs.  I buy GYCB Senko's, not those wanna be's etc.  I buy cranks for size, color, sound/or lack of it and action, but again, I buy the name brands, not the cheap copies.   Spinner baits, I've got a half dozen or so different brands I buy,  depending what action I want and how I'm gonna be fishing it.

Plastics, I throw a lot of GYCB's, Zoom's, Culprit's and Creme's, with a few other specialty baits mixed in.   Again, just depends on what I looking for in the bait.

[Guest the_muddy_man]

Rods Fenwick  Reels Pfluger  Hardbaits Rapala Plastics Zoom and Manns Jelly Worms and Storm Finesse minnows and thats all I carry now 1 tackle bag 3 rod and reels (Probablly could get that down to 2 ) keepin it simple havin success abd LUVIN IT

[5bass]

Zig zag

LOL!  ;D  I aint too proud to use a zig zag!

[Bankbeater]

I like Zoom Plastics just because they have a large assortment, and I can usually find what I need without looking all over.  For small jigs, I like the Strike King Bitsy Bug.

[Grey Wolf]

I always keep an open mind when looking to buy anything. I still have my favorites but that doesn't stop me from exploring new items.

[Upnorth]

Reels: Shimano

Rods: build my own

Line: Seaguar flourocarbon, P-Line mono, and Power Pro braid

Baits: Use them all, but really like Reaction Innovations, Zoom, Bandit, Lucky Craft, All Terrrain, Nichols

[Guest avid]

I'm forever experimenting untill I find something that I'm just so pleased with that I stop looking.  So far that includes:

Reels - Daiwa TD-Z

Rods - GLoomis - St. Croix

Braid - Power Pro

mono leader - Trilene XL

suspending jerkbait - Lucky craft pointer

Floatin Jerk bait - megabass ito vision

popper - Lonbina Rico

Big Popper - Megabass pop max

soft plastics - GYCB and Zoom (depending on style)

except for ribbon tail worm = culprit

Hooks - Owner

hollow body Frog - Swamp donkey

ratLbait - Original ratltrap

*******Items still experimenting with********

Jigs - I try alot of different styles- most work but havn't yet found "The one"

swimming jig - clueless- have no idea which one to try-no luck with anything

Walking baits - very partial to Sammy but still trying out others

spinnerbaits - I think I have settled on the Stanley wedge but not yet certain

crankbaits - definite preference for wiggle warts, but keep trying others.

Well, there it is.  It was a good excercise to do this.  I do experiment a little even with items I listed as favorite, but that's only because I am a slave to the bait monkey  :'(

[Minuteman]

Wait a sec... Rich, did you say you bought tackle at a tire store?? ;D

I know in rural areas tackle turns up in just about any kind of stores. We still have a small town grocery store that sells tackle. It seems weird today, but up until about 20 years years ago they used to stock trout in the nearby stream and the place used to get packed with anglers. I doubt they will continue with the tackle since a WalMart opened up a mile away.

Loyalty: Abu/Garcia baitcasters. Quality and Price! I learned on them and have about 5 or 6 I still use.

[cowboyzone11]

Quantum Reels

[Maineiac]

Rods I can't say I have a choice other than maybe Fenwick and BPS Extremes.

Reels I must have something with the old Ambassador round winches I certainly have enough of them.

Line Berkley XL, Vanish Fluro and Stren Super Braid.

Scent Smelly Jelly and Jacks Juice

Lures, Yammy Senkos especially in 7", Berkley worms, V&M Lizards

Crankbaits not sure Rapala maybe.

[0119]

Shimano reels, the basic Calcuttas.  Im just as likely to catch a small Tarpon or huge Snook while Im Bass fishing so I started using them, now nothing else feels right in my hands.  Senkos, Leverage Buzzbaits/Spinnerbaits and St. Croix Rods, mostly Premier since I sense very little difference between them and the higher priced models.

[Guest JoshKeller]

rod - bps pro qualifier

reels - shimano

line - yo zuri hybrid

lures - i basically use whatever i think will work. Lots of yamamoto, lots of terminator, bandit crankbaits, and strike king tubes, and eakins jigs.

[SneakySnook]

Rod: St.Croix and G-Loomis

Reel: Shimano

Line: Power Pro

Lures: Wave Tiki Worms and anything made by Zoom

Hooks: Owner Sled Heads

[Upnorth]

Wait a sec... Rich, did you say you bought tackle at a tire store?? ;D

to clear up any confusion, Canadian Tire is like the Canadian version of WalMart.  They have a bit of everything.  I have no idea why it has the name.

[KU_Bassmaster.]

Wait a sec... Rich, did you say you bought tackle at a tire store?? ;D

to clear up any confusion, Canadian Tire is like the Canadian version of WalMart. They have a bit of everything. I have no idea why it has the name.

Just like Wal-Mat.  They don't even sell walls to my knowledge. ;D

[preach4bass]

Wait a sec... Rich, did you say you bought tackle at a tire store?? ;D

I know in rural areas tackle turns up in just about any kind of stores. We still have a small town grocery store that sells tackle. It seems weird today, but up until about 20 years years ago they used to stock trout in the nearby stream and the place used to get packed with anglers. I doubt they will continue with the tackle since a WalMart opened up a mile away.

Loyalty: Abu/Garcia baitcasters. Quality and Price! I learned on them and have about 5 or 6 I still use.

Tire store?  That dosn't sound odd.  I used to buy my tackle at a bowling alley.  The benefit was that I never had to buy scent, after being around all those stincking shoes they smelled bad enough.  Thankfully, the guy who ran the bowling alley/tackle shop moved out and started a great little tackle store right beside the ramp I use at the river.

[bigbill]

I like to buy different brands just to hammer them. Not too much trouble with the $12 and up reels(50% off so they are $25 reels). Remember i buy what ever is on sale or discounted at the time.

For spinning reels its been Quantum, Globe, Viva and Okuma's. They say the more ball bearings the better but when cranking is involved the less bearings the better because its easier to crank plus its a smoother lure action too. The 3 and 4 ball bearing reels are perfect for crankbaits easy to turn'crank. I picked up some older new 4 ball bearing Quantums that are really good too.

Now fishing rods is another story I buy the cheapest ones too from a 5' $5 southbend or shakesspear to a $25 6' rod. But i'm using the "master brand" lately too its a Penn rod. I carry 5 to 6 rod setups with me one for each style of bait in the 3 tackle boxes from small baits to large baits from topwater to cranks to plastics. Some of the Master rods are under $10 too.

For line there is no mistaken its silver thread co-polymere line. I can't be too cheap with the quality of line this is were you need to put your money into buying a good quality line. Any thing cheaper means lost fish i have been there. I learned that 8lb test just isn't doing it all anymore too i have gone up to 10lb and 12lb now too.  I've lost too many good sized bass in the double digit range. In some areas i'm using a braid too now in the very thick heavy cover where my last battle was lost.