Mixing Brands?

[loodkop]

KVD recommends in his book Bass Strategies that you build an arsenal with rods/reels from the same manufacturer. The reasoning being that you will be able to develop a better "feel" for your tackle and become more efficient. Any thoughts?

[fishnla]

I use everything. Every rod and reel I use has a different bait and each bait I feel better on a certain rod reel combo. I use phfluger, abu garcia revos, shimano chronarchs, etc... and use falcon and duckett rods. I dont have a favorite all the time just with certain applications.

[SDoolittle]

I agree with KVD to an extent. Nearly all of my baitcasters are Revos, but I do have two Shimanos and one Diawa. After casting Revos all day, if I pick up a Shimano or Diawa, it takes a couple of minutes to get the feel for it. At my level, I don't think that it's a big deal, but for a full time pro like KVD, those couple of minutes that it takes to adjust (or pick out a backlash) could mean the difference between cashing a check or going home broke.

[3dees]

I have been using nothing but Curado's for years. they feel like part of my hand.

[Jig Man]

All of my reels are shimano and my rods are gloomis and st. croix. That way I don't have to mess with any different feel except stiffness in the rods to compensate for bait weights. That is critical for me especially when it is dark and I have to go completely by feel.

[Jigfishn10]

KVD is a smart man. Would you use non-sponsored equipment and make it public?

[Gatorbassman]

What Kevin says makes sense. I have about half and half Revos and Diawa Advantage Reels but I find myself fishing only the Revos. I would have to say it's all about the consistent feel of the same reel. Same thing with the rods. All my rods are Dobyns Rods and I don't see a reason to change because they fit me.

[Red]

I have 5 Revos, and 1 each Shimano, Daiwa, and Quantum. My rods are 7 Lamiglas and 1 Powell. The only problem I have is switching to the Curado. That thing is just so small and light it takes some adjustment. Don't get me wrong I like it, just a bit different. That being said, if it wasn't for sales too good to pass up, I would have all Revos.

[msolorio]

i agree to some extent. its good to use the same rod/reel because each rod and reel will feel the same no matter what baits your throwing therefore eliminating that adjustment period. i disagree a little bit because well some rods and reels feel a little better for some things than others. that bein said id rather have one brand of rod and reel than a bunch cus u just dont have time give for that adjustment period when the money is on the line.

[Hi Salenity]

To each their own... But I don't get it. A different rod is a different rod no mater who puts their name on it?

That's like saying if I built a rod and sold it to whoever his sponsor is (I honestly have no idea who sponsor's him) and they put their name on it and him saying it's "one of the set"

[shackman]

All my reels are Shimano and all have magnesium frames except for a D7 that I just purchased but it has the same design and feel of my Core 100 and 2007 Metanium Mg's with just a little added weight cause of the aluminium frame...I do use some different brand rods(cumara,powell.cstix,veritas,kistler) but have to be lightweight to accomidate my lightweight reels..I fell like when I'm using a 12-13oz combo w/12-15# flurocarbon line,I can detect bites that I wouldn't have felt on a heavier combo and no fatigue from fishing all day. I do still have some old B series Curado's and A series Chronarch on old All-Star rods but they don't get used very much.

[flippin and pitchin]

For me it's about feeling familiar. Certain reels are a better fit in the hand as Red mentioned. I fish Lews, Revos and still use my old CuradoB's from time to time. Rods? We fish 4 different lengths and maybe up to four different actions. How is that familiar? It's not to a point. You apply your experience.

[new2BC4bass]

I can see where a person would like to find one brand of reel that fits him/her best and stick with them. I haven't reached that point. Still lots of reels out there I would like to try. How can you tell what reel will work the best for you until you try them all.

As for rods, I have a hard time grasping the point that you should stick with one brand because they 'feel' the same. How can a 6'6" Medium Moderate, 7' MH Fast and a 7'6" Heavy XFast feel the same even if they are from the same company? They may use the same style seat throughout the line, but usually handle length varies.

What I can understand is that a medium in a specific company's various lines may, and I have to emphasize 'may', feel the same whereas 2 Mediums from different companies probably wouldn't since there is no standards for rating a rod....either for power or for action.

Because of the non-standards for rating rods, I can understand why a person could get use to using certain types of baits with each of the various power ratings from one company, and then when switching to another company's rods find that they had to use certain baits on a different power rated rod.

[james 14]

I'm too much of a cheapskate for all that. We have a store nearby that sells used rods and reels for MUCH cheaper than new and I usually look there whenever I'm in the area.

Perhaps one day I'll get into some big money tourneys and may reevaluate at that point. I definitely like some of my rods/reels better than others but every new purchase usually means another lure option to have on the deck rather than an opportunity for replacement. At this point I think I have enough so I might start considering which ones to trade out.

[islandbass]

He's the best in the world but I don't see rods like golf clubs. I will use the rod that best suits my needs and bottom line, sometimes company A simply doesn't make the rod with the traits I want for a particular application so I have to use a rod from company B that does.

I might be the odd one out, but I don't go through an adjustment period switching rods or reels regardless how their mated. This included switching from a casting rig to a spinning rig.

In addition, none of my rods or reels are dedicated exclusively to each other. On one outing my curado 101D might be on my crucial and the next time out it might be on my lamiglas. That is how I roll.

[SirSnookalot]

It's an individual thing, I'm comfortable with anything I'm using, if not it becomes a dust collector. I don't marry myself to any one brand and I mix rods and reels from different companies all the time.

Ever look in a tour pro golfers bag? The bag and head covers may say Callaway with only the driver being that brand, woods may be of a different manufacturer. The irons may not be Callaway and the wedges could be Cleveland, and the putter could be anything......pretty common scenario. Tiger Woods plays with a Titlelist putter ( or Scotty Cameron, same company), with a worn out ping grip, he's made a putt or 2.

[Ima Bass Ninja]

I like reels that have the same basic size and shape to them .. Even though they may not be the exact same thing going from a big wide spool reel to one that is smaller and more compact would set my ocd into overdrive. This is the reason i stick mostly to PQ's for my setups. I do have a pflueger in there to but its basically the same shape and size of the other in my arsenal. I had 2 Daiwas 1 that i tried to use and 1 that never made it onto a rod and both were probably higher quality reels than what i currently use but since they didn't feel like the others that i had become accustom to, they had to go. Bottom line is if it don't feel right then it ain't gettin used.

[Hyrule Bass]

i mix and match stuff all the time. doesnt bother me really. i can see what KVD is saying, but i dont follow it.

of course anything new, that youre not accustomed to using, is going to feel different. but after a few uses then im used to it. its about knowing your equipment to me, more so than just getting used to one brand of everything.

[TimJ]

funny that the golf analogy is used because I have always believed that the best rig for a certain job is the one I am using...and I have an alphabet of rods and reels in use. the only time I used only one rod/reel type was +/- 20 yrs ago when I was fortunate to be assisted by Shimano. they were some great rigs but I just could not duplicate a couple of rigs that I had been using. it is all up to one's personal choice and feel.

[Ol� Dirty Basstard]

One reel manufacturer and one rod brand. It's efficient. Rod action is so different from brand to brand. This way, I know exactly what I'm getting. It stops me from wasting time and money on the latest and greatest product of the month too.

[South FLA]

My arsenal is all over the place, mostly with technique specific setups with different brand rods and reels, I have favorites, but I think half the fun of bass fishing is trying different equipment and being proficient with all of it. Believe me you can give KVD a Shimano reel and a Shimano rod in the middle of a tourament and he will still be outfishing the rest of the field.

[OnthePotomac]

I read an article several years ago by Denny Brauer where he recommended the same thing as KVD

[NCLifetimer]

What KVD says makes sense. If you were to drive the same car for a week, verse 7 different cars each for one day, at the end of the week you would have a better feel and handling for the one car, and a weaker "feel" for the 7 individual cars.

I would think that reels follow this rule most closely. I have several different reels and all the adjustments are different, if they were all the same i probably would have a better understanding and "feel" for the reel.

Most rods are different actions(unless they are the same exact rod, obviously) so i don't see this applying for rods. A crank bait rod from quantum for example is just as different as a flipping rod from quantum or another manufacture(regareding action and power). I guess you could get use to the handle style and rod lenght.

Personally, I use what feels right. If a reel is about the same size and a rod about the same weight distribution as my others, then it doesn't bother me. If i switched out the small 6.7oz reel on my worm rod for a calcutta, that certainly wouldn't "feel" right.

[crispygator]

At this point I think I have enough so I might start considering which ones to trade out.

I love it, culling combo's.......

[jj'sbassinforfun]

If I had KVD's cash? I'd do the same and every combo would be mucho bucks. So for me its the best reel I can afford on the best rod for the condition I can afford. Maybe I'm just frugal?

Some rods are balanced for certain reels. If you try to match the weight(close), You'll get a similar feel. Or balance it with some coins if need be.