Favourite Equipment Brand

[Mish]

Just wondering what everyone's favourite brand is. I'm a big fan of Shakespeare's Ugly Stiks. They're relatively affordable, easy to use and no matter how I beat them up I have yet to break one. I've heard Berkeley makes nice rods too, but never had a chance to try one out.

[Alberta Bigbore]

just for fishing?


Quantum, Plano, Berkley, Rapala, Lindy, oh i could go on.......

[mud slug]

berkley rods quantem or dawia reels.

Fishing rods are still my enemy, doesn't matter the make or model, i still manage to destroy them over a season or two.
I'd say temple fork outfitters is a great fly rod company, replaced my rod tip when it broke, i just had to pay shipping if i remember correctly. I've used those rods a lot and the only damage one took was an unnamed family member slammed a truck door on it breaking the tip . Called their headquarter and they were great about it.
Otherwise Rapala, Mepps, Berkley, etc etc etc, i like almost everything. There are a few rods i like in particular, i believe one was made by rapala and the other is definitely a Shimano with a quantum reel.
Wader and boot wise, Hodgkins makes decent waders but fairly crappy boots, the cheapness of the wading boots makes up for it, i go through 2 pairs a year at work and have tried most upper end brands without better results (Orvis was disappointing). Hmmm, that's a few brands i buy or have tried.

It depends, you're too generalizing here. For ice fishing I use only st. scroix legends for rods, and quantum reels. I also use frabill polar-therm tipups.

[Wilbur]

zebco and i like spoons in the sommer

[Rockymtnx]

Quantum, Berkley, Diawa, Penn, & Cabelas.

[TexasTornado]

St. Croix Rods Shimano Reels
Northland Jigs
Rapala & Storm Lures
Heddon Top Water Lures (Zara Spook)
Len Thompson Spoons
Mepps Spinners
Stren Line

[TexasTornado]

Originally Posted by Mish

Just wondering what everyone's favourite brand is. I'm a big fan of Shakespeare's Ugly Stiks. They're relatively affordable, easy to use and no matter how I beat them up I have yet to break one. I've heard Berkeley makes nice rods too, but never had a chance to try one out.

Depending on your price range i recommend St. Croix for a rod $50-$75 bucks gets you a pretty good model in the Legend Series, Premier and the Avid Series are a little more pricier. Check out the website there is a really good rod selector calculator.

http://www.stcroixrods.com/

[bearbait]

berkly cherry wood rods are awsome...mitchell reels and fireline on my spinning and ice rods...cherrywood fly rods..

[brett01]

after years of messing around with cheap crap i go all out now. G-loomis, Sage, St Croix and Fenwick are in my arsonal. As for reels, Penn and Abu- Garcia. Have the odd quantam to. Best Hook in the world Panther Martin. Plus tackle boxes from hell full of my Salmon gear.

[Gordoats26]

The Berkley IM6 and Berkley IM7 are in my opinon the best Bang for your Buck when it comes to A good sensitive rod there very delicate though and you have to take good care of them like anything i guess,

[theduke]

the rods i like are daiwa temple fork and a company called drake, and i use anything else for the other stuff

[Kyle]

st.croix rods and shimano reels..

[Mish]

Wow, I'm really surprised Shakespeare stuff isn't more popular. I'm crazy about my Ugly Stiks.

I find Rapala is a really good all-around company. I have a fillet knife from Rapala, and none of their lures have ever dissapointed me. The only beef with them that I have is that their Fisher Girl line is for young girls. Did they never think a 23 year old would like a pink fishing rod, too?

[brett01]

ugly stiks are a great throw in the truck and fish type rod. Pretty much indestructable can step on em, slam them in door and such. But really all in all i find its like fishing with a power pole, just a club with no feel. Just me though. And yah rapalas are good, a good price too!

[theduke]

Originally Posted by Mish

Wow, I'm really surprised Shakespeare stuff isn't more popular. I'm crazy about my Ugly Stiks.

I find Rapala is a really good all-around company. I have a fillet knife from Rapala, and none of their lures have ever dissapointed me. The only beef with them that I have is that their Fisher Girl line is for young girls. Did they never think a 23 year old would like a pink fishing rod, too?

shakespeare dont make them like the use to like they did, no more rod company makes there rod like they use to, i think they scraficed strength for weight, everything is all about the weight now, my dad has an old ugly stick it weights a ton but its tough as hell, also i find that americans have better stuff then use and so does bc, so i tend to buy all my rods and reals off of the net or when im down in the states ill pic some stuff up, im heading down to montana in 4 weeks and that is a state big on fly fishing so im most likely gunna make a stop through the stores

[Mish]

I can feel pretty much anything with my Ugly Stik. When I first got it I have to admit every time I felt the littlest touch I'd get excited because I thought I had a bite. Of course....the Ugly Stik is the first rod I ever had that wasn't a hand-me-down piece of junk, so I may just be a bit biased

That's good to know, duke, I will have to keep that in mind next time I head down to Montana.

[schimmel]

I use to use ugly sticks all the time but just like hunting the longer you fish the more stuff you buy & as you move on you buy bigger or better equipment. It's like an addiction. Everytime I go to buy bait for fishing I end up walking out of the store with atleast $20.00 worth of new crap that I don't need.

[theduke]

Originally Posted by schimmel

I use to use ugly sticks all the time but just like hunting the longer you fish the more stuff you buy & as you move on you buy bigger or better equipment. It's like an addiction. Everytime I go to buy bait for fishing I end up walking out of the store with atleast $20.00 worth of new crap that I don't need.

lol im pretty much the same way, and as u get better at doing something, u seem to buy better stuff, i still have the same rod when i started when i was like 3 till now i think i can open up a shop no with all the junk i have lol

[Mish]

Originally Posted by schimmel

I use to use ugly sticks all the time but just like hunting the longer you fish the more stuff you buy & as you move on you buy bigger or better equipment. It's like an addiction. Everytime I go to buy bait for fishing I end up walking out of the store with atleast $20.00 worth of new crap that I don't need.

Haha, same here. I think I have every kind of Powerbait dough ever made and every basic Len Thompson spoon in every size it comes in. My boyfriend usually covers my eyes and leads me out of Wholesale after a set amount of time

[gonefishin]

All Quantum... except one Abu Garcia set-up I have for tossing cranks. For line it's Fireline and Sensation.

[skykomish sunrise]

if you are like the rest of the obsessed fisherman on this site then a simple rule is to buy the best from the start cause you will eventually buy your way there anyway. the only way to avoid wanting better stuff is to have it already or never look at or try anything better than what you have.

I know. I owned a TFO for years, picked up a buddy's st croix, and i never went back. Nobody let me handle a Sage.

[OutwardBound]

I've had my Shakesphere ugly stick for 7 years, and it's always in the tool box of the truck incase i find somewhere to fish when i'm not planing on it, use it all the time. I think it's industructable.

Dustin

[brett01]

Originally Posted by TundraBuck

I know. I owned a TFO for years, picked up a buddy's st croix, and i never went back. Nobody let me handle a Sage.

you wont wanna, you will be spoiled! haha

[Mulestalker]

Hagen's rods, shimano reels, XT line, and Kokanee... oops, I'm mean the fish