Skeet Reese Rods why all the hate.

[fishbowl807]

It seems everytime these rods get brought up there is so many negative comments about them from people who haven't even fished them. Why is that? Am I missing something about these rods cause I have four of them and absolutely love them. I'm not saying there better than the high end stuff 300-500 stuff but for 89.99-99.99 I don't think there is anything wrong with them.

[USA-RET]

There's a lot of "Ford vs. Chevy" mentality and brand loyalty. Often folks are so happy with the brand they use they feel obligated to point it out whenever another brand is mentioned.

Just an opinion.... I may be wrong

[civicrr]

I briefly looked at them in a store a couple of times. I had no intention of buying one but merely picked it up to check it out. IMO, they are very similar to other rods in that price range. Now before anybody tells me how wrong I am, and I most definitely could be, please note that I only gave them a very cursory inspection. Same look (amount of time & scrutiny) I've given other rods in the category.

Now, here is a 'tone' I've detected on several posts. A lot of the 'history' has been lost with the crash. I also don't know how many posts & time you really have on this forum 'cuz a lot of us started from ground zero with the crash (e.g. I was a Platinum or what ever 5 stars was/is...IIRC before the crash).

When Skeet made the move to (sponsorship with) Wright & McGill, there were a lot of people who had strong opinions. One group said it was a savvy business move. The other group said he was selling out.
IMO, that is his thing to decide & deal with.

I'm just glad I don't have to fish for a living. My poor kids would be hungry.

[bassbandit]

I've never fished any of the Skeet rods. I've looked at them many times, but I just can't pull the trigger.

The number one reason is that they just feel like junk to me. My overall impression was that each rod I've handled felt heavy and clunky. They may be very nice on the water, but for me, they don't pass the hand test. There are a bunch of rods out there and I don't have the time, money, or inclination to fish ones that don't even feel good in my hand in the store.

But, this is just my take.

[Stasher1]

I've never fished any of the Skeet rods. I've looked at them many times, but I just can't pull the trigger.

The number one reason is that they just feel like junk to me. My overall impression was that each rod I've handled felt heavy and clunky. They may be very nice on the water, but for me, they don't pass the hand test. There are a bunch of rods out there and I don't have the time, money, or inclination to fish ones that don't even feel good in my hand in the store.

But, this is just my take.

This pretty much sums it up, but I'd also like to add that the color combination is definitely a deal-breaker for me as well. They may be fantastic rods, but they just don't feel or look like it when I hold them in my hands...to the point where I'm actually surprised when I see people walking around with them at my local BPS.

Different strokes and all that. :shrug:

[flywatersmallie]

Yep, all of the above. I think the first thing that comes to mind is that they are not very attractive rods, to me anyway. They feel heavy and clunky in hand. Also, the couple I have held have had some serious defects. Crooked guides, dripping epoxy, one even had a reel seat loose enough that it would spin around on the rod. They may be great fishing rods, I doubt I will ever know though. The fit and finish definitely leaves something to be desired, even on a $100 stick.

[Birdi23nls]

I have to agree, they feel like you're holding a club, they are not balanced well and they are ugly. I've never fished with one and most likely never will.

Did you guys notice last year at the Bassmaster Tourney at the delta that Skeet was using his yellow/black rods for throwing a lot of his reaction style baits. Then there was a scene where he was pitching a plastic of some kind, and he wasn't using his signature rods anymore. He had one of his old Lamiglas rods out fishing with it, but all the rods on the deck were his new rods.

[BB144]

I'm probably in the minority on this one, but I love the color combination.

However, they just aren't up to my quality standard. I've seen a lot of rods with crooked guides, sloppy thread wrap, excess epoxy, etc. Now I'm sure this is the case with many of the $100 "Budget Sticks," but I've seen a lot of it on the Skeet Reese rods. I just think there are better options, even in the $100 range.

As for his sponsor move, I think it was a good business decision since he is making more money, but I would have had a hard time leaving Abu reels for those W&M things... (I'm not even a diehard Abu fan; Daiwa is my reel of choice!)

[Fat-G]

It's the color for me, you'll never catch me fishing one. Not surprised Reese doesn't use them all the time.

[SLM]

It seems everytime these rods get brought up there is so many negative comments about them from people who haven't even fished them. Why is that?

Why?

1. Because most people associate Wright & McGill with their el cheapo rods long sold at retailers like Big 5 Sporting Goods and discount "marts." Eagle Claw brand aside, that's most peoples' exposure to Wright & McGill's product line. It seems a step backward moving from established names with like Lamiglas and ABU Garcia (both with long proven product lines) to Wright & McGill, which is still saddled with the aforementioned el cheapo product association.

2. The garish color combo of Skeet's "branding." Blech.

[skunked]

I have to agree, they feel like you're holding a club, they are not balanced well and...

This sums it up for me. I walked into Cabelas in Fort Worth, TX fully intending to buy one, I believe it was the spinnerbait model. When I picked it up off the rack, I was shocked. It was heavy, had a slower action than I expected, and worst of all felt "dead". It didn't have that crisp feeling that I look for in a rod. I felt the same way about all the other models too. On a nearby rack was the Falcon Bucoo series of rods selling for about the same price. Not the greatest rod either, but it had a much better feel and was a lot lighter. The Reese rods would be indistinguishable from a $25 wal-mart special if they painted it black, IMO. Very disappointing. I often wonder if these guys miss using their old gear, but just had to make the switch as a business decision. The main one I think of is Iaconelli. I see him using Veritas rods and also Soron reels. Must be such a bummer. He used to use Steez rods and reels which are some of the best that money can buy. Maybe he still uses them when he is off camera and just fishing for fun?!

[Pmedicbm]

I'm with you guys... It's not that there "isn't any love" for the rods, or that we're picking on them for any paricular reason. It's just that like everyone seems to agree- they are clunky (heavy) very poorly finished and unbalanced rods. If it weren't for the colors I don't think anyone would buy them. The yellow and black looks flashy and cool but once you pick one up, like stated above, they just aren't crisp rods. They almost feel like a full fiberglass rod from years past.. At least to me that's how they feel.. Next time you're in one of the local tackle stores, pick up a 7ft Skeet rod and 7ft Vendetta and compare.. I don't own a Vendetta or a Skeet, but I guarantee you that you will see and feel the difference.. But, that's why there are so many choices out there.. Everyone has different tastes and expectations from a rod and reel. Some prefer a Steez or NRX, and others prefer a Lightening Rod Shock.. It all comes down to personal preference and ones budget. I really think you could have gotten a much nicer rod for $100 than the Skeets though... To each his own though..

[godshippy]

I agree with all of the reasons that have already been stated, but the biggest deal breaker for me is the way Skeet talks about and markets his rods. He talks about his series of rods being the biggest technological break through since sliced bread, and he says that his rods compete with rods in the $200-300 category. I don't know about you guys, but with all those quality control issues and watching him fish live on the CA Delta flipping with an all black rod with a full grip...that kind of stuff just doesn't breed confidence. I've got a ton of respect for Skeet as a fisherman, but I've lost a ton of respect for him as a salesman.

[Madbasser]

I agree with all of the reasons that have already been stated, but the biggest deal breaker for me is the way Skeet talks about and markets his rods. He talks about his series of rods being the biggest technological break through since sliced bread, and he says that his rods compete with rods in the $200-300 category. I don't know about you guys, but with all those quality control issues and watching him fish live on the CA Delta flipping with an all black rod with a full grip...that kind of stuff just doesn't breed confidence. I've got a ton of respect for Skeet as a fisherman, but I've lost a ton of respect for him as a salesman.

X2.

I have owned them but got rid of them quick! To add to all the stuff already mentioned, the actions are just not right. They are very herky jerky. I had two with the same "actions" supposedly but when u test them at home with line on them they would bend differently. One seemed to have a much faster tip.

[tracker01]

To me, they are just ugly, I can't get past that.