Corpusfishing.com

Tyler · Site Admin Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 12865

You can however find some of last year's technology cheaply. Remember when IM 5 graphite was it then IM6 and IM7?
Then when you mix a graphite rod with fireline or power pro you can really feel stuff. That reminds me I need to top off a baitcaster with Power pro!

TT
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mudshark · Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2007 2:31 pm Post subject: Great thread

Absolutely great thread guys Thanks!
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riofrio · Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2007 8:39 pm Post subject:

The responses from the rod makers tell it all. They make a cheaper rod for Academy and Wally World because they tell them to.

The selection and quality at Roy's or other specialty stores is much better, even if you have to pay a little more.

FlatsAssassin · Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2007 9:24 pm Post subject:

I worked at Academy for a year 12-05 to 12-06. Yes there are a bunch of models of rods made specially for Academy, yet I've never heard of any quality issues and don't see why a specialty rod for academy IE American Rodsmiths would make a low quality rod for a big retailer, most buyers don't know its a special rod there for it would give American Rodsmiths a bad name... Anyways, I and the rest of Academy employees know pretty much what you do. They don't tell us where the rods come from, who makes them, for what, etc... Anyways I know this didn't help much but it's the truth...

IslandMike · Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2007 9:37 pm Post subject:

Now thats what I've been waiting on, someone from academy - I pretty much had made up my mind long ago that I wasn't gonna buy the important stuff anywhere I would question the quality. Academy will still get plenty of cash out of my pocket, it just won't be for rods and probably not for reels.
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jrebel · Joined: 07 May 2006 Posts: 2

I work at Academy and will tell you whats going on. The low end rods ex. (the All Star Classic, American Rodsmith Genesis, and the Castaway lower end cant remember the name) that are all $50 are not made by the companies but by someone else. Probably somewhere in China. All the other ones above $50 are actually made by the actual manufacturers such as All Star, Cast Away, etc. I guarantee that these are not manufacturers rejects and are the same as the other smaller more expensive tackle stores. If you wonder why Academy is carrying the low end Allstars castaways etc. if you saw how many they sold it would blow your mind. Not to mention they always have a deal with the Shimano Citicas and other reels combined with the Allstar classics, rodsmith genesis, etc.

Oh and as far as reels go (Shimano, Penn, etc.) they are the exact same as other smaller tackle stores.

juanpescado · Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 2:37 am Post subject:

I know a guide in Matagorda that has plenty of sponsors , he has no problem using 60 dollar pflueger casters and Academy Allstars , I dont know many that can outfish him , if you keep your lure in the water long enough your success gets better . Knowing that i'm still haveing a custom built for some reason Confused

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Big John · Full Grown Flour Bluffian Joined: 07 Mar 2006 Posts: 2647

The issue is with the the big box retailers pushing for name brand products at lower prices.

The prime example of this is WalMart offering Goodyear Tires. Try to find these tires on Goodyears website, and you wont find them. Special made runs for WalMart, and from an insider I know at Goodyear's Industrial side - not the same quality.

Whether the rods are lower or higher quality at Academy, I am not sure. But as big box retailers condense margins on an ever increasing basis you will find the only way they can increase their margins is with name brand recognition.

This is one reason Nike refussed to make any sales to Sears going forward, as Sears who now owns K-Mart was asking for low cost sneakers imprinted with Nike to sell at K-Mart to compete with WalMart's shoes and price points.

At least one company didn't sell out to the big boxes!
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GoinCoastal · Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 8:45 am Post subject:

I LOVE ACADEMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have a limited fishing budget and I live in Leander (30 mile NW of Austin), I prefer to spend that money on trips to the salt. So I am a big Academy shopper.

I have been using the AR Genesis series rods for less than $50 for over 3 years now. THEY ARE JUST FINE!!!! I have a $150-$200 Kistler rod that sits at home while I carry 3 AR Genesis rods with me every trip. I do not like the "feel" of that rod as much as I like the Genesis rods. I use Okuma Epixor EF30 reels loaded with PowerPro.

I can feel the fish!!!!!!!!!! I can hook the fish, fight the fish and land the fish with these rigs! No Problems!!!! I did it about 40-50 times last Saturday morning catching dink to small keeper trout. They work just fine on bull reds and big trout and smack too!!!

If you use braid, you don't need a $200 rod to "feel" the fish. UNLESS you are wanting to catch 3"-6" trout!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THINK ABOUT IT!!!!!

There is no doubt that cheap rods and reels used to be a major disadvantage. But with the improvements in technology and manufacturing, that just isn't true anymore!!!!! And with the use of braid, I am not too sure I couldn't feel them on the 5' fiberglass broomstick rods I used for bass fishing in the early 70's.

I think the rod makers have made so much about sensitivity over the past 20 years (which was truly warranted), that today anglers think they still need more and more sensitivity............ I call BS!!!!!!!!!! What do you want? A rod that feels a fish SWIM BY 3 FEET AWAY????? Get REAL!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will continue to buy these products at Academy!!! They are actually a very good value and I am glad they provide them!!!!!

YEAH ACADEMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tyler · Site Admin Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 12865

medic6 · Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 9:37 am Post subject:

My suggestion would be to get your URL license, so that you can buy factory direct. Hunting and fishing. You just got to buy bulk (like the retailers). One sale will last you a life time.
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ArtificialB8 · Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 9:59 am Post subject:

Or learn to build your own....once you go "custom" you'll never fish a factory rod again.....

Holy Mackerel · Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 1:05 pm Post subject:

Yeah I believe there is such a thing as "seconds" that is most likely what Academy and Wally World sells.

I went to Bass Pro in S.A. and spent about 2-1/2 to 3 hours in there, talking to the salesmen and looking at a number of rods and reels. I walked out of there with two DIAWAs with their reels and a Shakespeare with a Quantum (Penn) Spin cast reel, had them spooled with Louisiana Red Line 25# all for less than $200.00, and went to Corpus Christy and Port O'Connor. All of them performed very well and I was impressed with the action and sensitivity. I could feel stuff that was happening at the hook and I could see the line moving so I'm pretty happy with them.

I think you just need to shop very carefully and buy based on your fishing habits and be very meticulous in cleaning your equipment after fishing. And after saltwater especially there is some stuff called slick 51 or something like that, Bass Pro and Wal-Mart sell it. It helps to protect against the salt and dissipates the water in your reels.

Coach · Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 1:12 pm Post subject:

I have some surf fishing friends down by freeport & surfside that use the long calcutta poles (looks like strong bamboo). They are cheap and real durable - they have some that are at least 15 ft. long.. I have not seen these poles around Port A/ CC area.. always wonderd why.. maybe my friends were raised to close from the movie "Dilverance" was filmed or something.
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mastergunner · Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 1:45 pm Post subject:

If I can't feel a fish on a $20 rod it isn't worth catching anyway. When fishing off the bottom a lot depends on your set up. The set up I use I can feel my mullet swimming in circles and can tell when something is coming because he starts to swim faster.
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