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Store brand rods and reels

Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2019 1:59 pm
by Drew03cmc
I know it isn't the target of this site, but what are some store brand rods and reels you find to be passable to total steals?

For me, it's the H2O Mettle reels and Ethos HD casting rods. My creek setups consist of Mettle MT2 reels on older Lightning Rod pistol grip 5.5' rods. I can drop a jig, crank or buzzbait wherever I want while floating down a creek. On lakes, I have three Ethos HD rods, 2 with Mettles, and 2 BPS rods, one older Bionic Blade 6'6 M and a Tourney Special 6'6 MH that I have outfitted with Mettles. They're perfect for my style of fishing. Is there anything else I may have overlooked?

Re: Store brand rods and reels

Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2019 9:48 am
by basser100
The BPS extreme rods are pretty good too.

Re: Store brand rods and reels

Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2019 12:26 pm
by IlliniDawg01
There are a lot of Cabela's rods that I like. I tend to stick with name brand reels though. The Tatula variants can be found for around $100.

Re: Store brand rods and reels

Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2019 7:40 am
by Johnny A
May I ask why you think inexpensive or store brand tackle isn't the target of this site? I'm not an owner and I don't want to put you on the spot, just wondering.

Re: Store brand rods and reels

Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2019 9:15 am
by goldrod
Johnny A wrote:
Sat Jul 13, 2019 7:40 am
May I ask why you think inexpensive or store brand tackle isn't the target of this site? I'm not an owner and I don't want to put you on the spot, just wondering.
That was my initial question as well.

Drew03cmc
Could you do a review of the rod? There’s nothing like a sleeper rod. I have a couple that I can’t break ties with.

Re: Store brand rods and reels

Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2019 8:29 pm
by hoohoorjoo
Johnny A wrote:
Sat Jul 13, 2019 7:40 am
May I ask why you think inexpensive or store brand tackle isn't the target of this site? I'm not an owner and I don't want to put you on the spot, just wondering.
I have to agree here. While the big 3 get a lot of press here, there are lots of reviews of small business products-rods, reels and various other tackle. I do recall that a BPS Extreme reel was reviewed by TT staff, and it doesnt get much more "store-brand" than that. In my personal experience, the old Galyan's rods were excellent for the money, as are a few of the Field & Stream rods that Dick's sells. Wal-Mart used to carry the Renegade rods and they were solid rods, as well. Still have and use a couple of these. They are ugly now, but just won't quit.

Re: Store brand rods and reels

Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2019 10:19 pm
by Slazmo
As hoohoo said above. Tools of the trade can be stanley or sidcrome... The brand doesn't make the mechanic that uses them, they both wear out and brake from being mistreated - but the finish product or achievement comes down to the individual. That said "store bought" tackle does not get the likes or the validation it gets because its not boutique gear, I know guys who use the cheapest gear they can get and still out fish those that run Stella's and custom rods...

Use and enjoy whatever you have and however you use it to catch fish.

Re: Store brand rods and reels

Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2019 4:13 am
by Smalleyez
Scheel's has a very good house rod line.

Re: Store brand rods and reels

Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2019 3:52 am
by Jason Penn
i pretty much stick to name brand rods (mostly daiwa), but with reels i use bps exclusively. years ago i was all daiwa & shimano, but i bought 1 of the old gold carbonlites when they were new, and actually preferred it to the og steez. don't get me wrong, the steez was a very comfortable reel to fish, but it felt overpowered to me with spinnerbaits & cranks. after that i became more of a rod guy than reels.

i'm using the latest model carbonlites & pro qualifiers now. i've got 1 of the johnny morris platinum reels, and really like it for pitching. it has a slightly smaller and lighter spool than the carbonlites so it seems to be easier to control. the frame is also slightly different than the cl/pq and it kind of forces my thumb into what i feel is a better position for how i hold a rod fishing plastics or jigs. i'm not sure why, but the feel of it reminds me of a tdz for some reason. the only thing i don't really care for is all the red on it. i think it could be a little more tasteful, but that's just me.

i do realize for $200 there's a ton of other reels i could be using, i just prefer these.

Re: Store brand rods and reels

Posted: Thu Jul 18, 2019 5:47 pm
by Drew03cmc
Johnny A wrote:
Sat Jul 13, 2019 7:40 am
May I ask why you think inexpensive or store brand tackle isn't the target of this site? I'm not an owner and I don't want to put you on the spot, just wondering.
Many on here fall under the enthusiast label. It seems that most on here do not appreciate anything that isn't Daiwa or Shimano. That's my reasoning.

Re: Store brand rods and reels

Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2019 10:59 am
by Johnny A
Drew03cmc wrote:
Thu Jul 18, 2019 5:47 pm
Johnny A wrote:
Sat Jul 13, 2019 7:40 am
May I ask why you think inexpensive or store brand tackle isn't the target of this site? I'm not an owner and I don't want to put you on the spot, just wondering.
Many on here fall under the enthusiast label. It seems that most on here do not appreciate anything that isn't Daiwa or Shimano. That's my reasoning.
I gave it a bit of thought. While there are many people here who enjoy enthusiast tackle, there is a lot of Shimano and Daiwa tackle that ISN'T enthusiast. Abu has a good following here also, some of it enthusiast, some of it not. That's just the nature of the reel business. There aren't many reel companies that produce reliable products.
There are many rod manufacturers that have strong followings. The Pure Fishing companies, Shimano, Daiwa, Loomis, Kistler, 13 Fishing, Falcon and a few more.
TT gets the enthusiast reputation because no other forum tries to address the demographic. At least that's from my experience.

Re: Store brand rods and reels

Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2019 11:49 am
by hoohoorjoo
I know a LOT of guys who tourney fish, and are really hardcore bass junkies, but they have no clue about all the enthusiast-level JDM bass tackle that's available, or that there's even bass in Japan. One of those guys is among the best fishermen I know. He uses Revo S reels and Duckett rods. You could give KVD a couple of Zebco 33's and he would still be better than 99% of all the other tourney guys in existence. Plenty of guys on here will readily admit they aren't the best fisherman, myself included. But the enthusiast-level stuff makes my trips more enjoyable, that's for sure. If I screw up and lose a good fish, I know it won't be because my tackle failed me. Therefore my biggest challenge isn't landing that specific fish, but rather becoming a more competent fisherman and learning from my mistakes. Johnny A makes another good point regarding reels. I do use some expensive reels, but I have a couple of TDZ's and a Fuego that I paid way under $100 each for, as well. They work for their intended purposes, or I replace them with something that does work.

Bottom line is, I use what works for me, be it the $350 Lamiglas Infinity custom rod I use for jigs or the No. 8 Hellbent rod I use for topwaters. Most guys here do know about and own enthusiast-level gear, but the vast majority of us don't have that kind of gear exclusively.

Re: Store brand rods and reels

Posted: Sat Aug 31, 2019 9:21 pm
by MBB Nate
I have several academy ethos rods and they are great. They're the best deal on the planet during their clearance sales.

Re: Store brand rods and reels

Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2019 8:47 pm
by ClearCreek
IlliniDawg01 wrote:
Fri Jul 12, 2019 12:26 pm
There are a lot of Cabela's rods that I like. I tend to stick with name brand reels though. The Tatula variants can be found for around $100.
I think Cabela's brand rods are a thing of the past. I was in the Billings, MT store last week and the only Cabela's rods were the ones on clearance. I asked the guy in the fish department if the Cabela's rods are going away and his answer was, "it appears that is the case".

I am glad I stocked up on several of the Cabela's brand rods a few years ago.

ClearCreek

Re: Store brand rods and reels

Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2019 7:26 pm
by poisonokie
ClearCreek wrote:
Tue Sep 03, 2019 8:47 pm
IlliniDawg01 wrote:
Fri Jul 12, 2019 12:26 pm
There are a lot of Cabela's rods that I like. I tend to stick with name brand reels though. The Tatula variants can be found for around $100.
I think Cabela's brand rods are a thing of the past. I was in the Billings, MT store last week and the only Cabela's rods were the ones on clearance. I asked the guy in the fish department if the Cabela's rods are going away and his answer was, "it appears that is the case".

I am glad I stocked up on several of the Cabela's brand rods a few years ago.

ClearCreek
Not a surprise, really. Why would Bass pro continue to make both store brands? They have some really good rods, too. At least they used to... The Microlite Carbons and Browning Silaflex glass rods used to be excellent for the money. They like to change things up from time to time, and usually it's for a better profit margin it seems.