Bit of a moan about the tackle trade

Noel80 · May 9, 2010

I've been spending a long time looking at rods and reels online recently and I'm a bit shocked at the poor 'online presence' of so many brands. Are they 'missing a trick?' I don't know, but they don't seem to be helping themselves.

It's very difficult to find specifications about equipment. A lot of companies don't even have websites (eh, Drennan?). All the online stores have the same blurb and often terrible photos that don't enlarge (even when you click on 'enlarge'...). I go to the manufacturers sites to get better info but they're simply not there! If I buy a reel I want to know how much it weighs etc. You'd think this was all basic stuff that would be readily available? You'd think they'd be overloading you with info, but no.

Also, what happens to out of date stock? By the time you read an online recommendation about something it seems to be out of production! Why don't the sites that do exist have info on their older gear?

Xplorer1 · May 9, 2010

I absolutely agree with you. They're short on fact, long on marketing glamour. The shakespeare site's nigh on unusable and many others aren't much better. They're often organised by product range, which doesn't help when you want to compare rods, for example, from different ranges, and they don't explain what the difference between the ranges is (except that they're mostly differentiated by price!). The dog's b*ll*cks range, the "Tesco value" range, etc.

And I think really it's because it is all hype and no substance. There's very little poor tackle these days - it's only a question of how much brand aura you want around you at the waterside.

Wobbly Face (As Per Ed) · May 9, 2010

I'm getting sick to death with a major tackle company. Go on I'll name them, "SHIMANO". I order 2 reels from a local tackle shop mid March, it's now nearly mid May, no reels. Tackle shop have no idea why the delay, Shimano headquaters for Europe is only across the channel in Holland.

Why are some rods described in test curves, whilst others in line ratings? I.e power waggler, test curve 1.75lb. What line rating? Some are described as line rating 4-8lb. No test curve. Do these match up?

Mithrandir · May 9, 2010

I know what you mean, I bought a grey's rod, test curve 1.25lb, emailed them to ask what line rating that equated to, and got no reply, even after many further emails, still not got any recommendations as to line rating.

alan whittington · May 9, 2010

Mithrandir said:
I know what you mean, I bought a grey's rod, test curve 1.25lb, emailed them to ask what line rating that equated to, and got no reply, even after many further emails, still not got any recommendations as to line rating.

I would suggest you contact a tackle shop and ask for the info mate,in my experience hardy/greys dont like giving some ratings but if pushed a little will give an estimation.
Wobblyface,may i ask where you ordered your reels,as it sounds familiar and i now ask if the shop has the goods in stock,otherwise they can poke it where the sun dont shine.:wh

Noel80 · May 9, 2010

Yeah it's crazy. Surely we all just want the same thing? Easy to navigate websites, excellent quality photos, reel line ratings, test curves. Everything! There isn't that much to say about a rod or reel but it's impossible to find the info in a lot of cases.

I still end up buying 99% of my gear from the high street. No postage, no waiting and it's amazing how 'similar' rods on paper are completely different when held in person. The trouble with online shopping is it is so hard to get decent info at all.

peter crabtree · May 9, 2010

Support your local tackle shop. Think about it, if the tackle shops close, we could still buy tackle on line. but would you order casters or squatts on line?

Harvey · May 9, 2010

..........

Ray Daywalker Clarke · May 9, 2010

Like many others on here I have worked in the trade.

It's not all cut and dry.

1st,

Remember that most tackle is now from oversea's, and as with many other products, tackle gets held up at the docks, and can take several weeks, if not months to be cleared, I know it doesn't help. but it's a fact.

2nd,

Trying to get info for reels and rod tc etc from the main company is a no no, much better to contact your local tackle shop. Whilst asking about info, ask if they can do a deal, for three reasons. You get to handle the product, and you get it there and then, plus you get to keep your local shop.

The shops get just as fed up as we do with the main dealers, your order is on it's way, it will be a couple of week's, yep, you told us that three weeks ago.

I know of one main dealer who was taking orders for rod's to be made as to the customers request, knowing full well that the blanks wouldn't be in this country for a couple of months, at least. Yet customers were being told the rod's would take 6 to 8 weeks to build from the date of order.

Like many I also get fed up, but having seen both sides of the coin, I know the shop's are stuck as we are. If I do ever buy on line, and i have only done this once, it's from my local tackle shop website.

Buy from the shop's, or have none left in years to come.

Wobbly Face (As Per Ed) · May 9, 2010

Hi alan, the reels where the new Shimano baby bait runners. The Shop is in Bury, Lancs. They had a display in the shop and told me they would have to order them and could take 1 to 2 weeks. The thing about it all, I got 2 Shimano rods no problem. The reels being a new product, you'd think Shimano would have plenty at the ready at head quarters in Holland ready for dispatch. The shop does stock a lot of Shimano stuff and has a healthy account with them.
My actual local tackle shop has gone pears up. Started selling Boyz Toyz, gadgets and such. Hooks range from 6 upwards and 18 downwards, nothing at all in between. He no worms , maggots and casters for 2 months. Little in the way of floats, pole floats etc. He did have pelets, boillies and ground bait. I know we have had a hard winter, he has even lost his account with middy.

Jeff Woodhouse · May 9, 2010

I find the Daiwa and Preston sites good, especially for blown up pictures. Shimano not so bad, but as said, lacking in some important information such as weights.

As far as line strengths are concerned, average them around 4x the test curve. The problem being that often the test curve can't be relied on to be accurate.

The same applies to casting and spinning rods that state max. casting weights. Sometimes this is the average and sometimes it's the maximum. We seem to lack standards throughout in the tackle industry.

I agree with Drennan, but that's always been the case. They will not nor never have a website. They don't even have emails. Everything in the directory says "N/A" when it comes to IT. Peter must think the Internet is the spawn of the devil. Silly really.

Noel80 · May 9, 2010

I agree about supporting the local shops. I wasn't so much moaning about online stores (I have very little experience) it was the lack of info from manufacturers etc. I just can't believe so many don't even have a website.

I was talking to a local tackle dealer recently and it's astonishing how few maggots he sells compared to 20-30 years ago. People just don't buy them. It's all pellets and boilies. The more people don't need maggots etc the less need they have to visit shops. It's tough alright.

---------- Post added at 20:51 ---------- Previous post was at 20:48 ----------

Harvey said:
So if that can make you feel better; there is someone worse off than you.

That always makes me feel better! Ha ha. Only joking.

alan whittington · May 10, 2010

The only people who can afford maggots like they used to are anglers like Stef Horak,who uses casters by the gallon,lets be fair its a fair wack to buy a gallon of maggots,when i think of the day on the Severn when i used 14 pints and run out.It would be ok if they guaranteed success,but lets be honest angling isnt like that,especially the way the rivers fish.

Fred Bonney · May 10, 2010

I think half the problem is that the tackle manufacturers don't want to deal with Joe Public,their websites are set up for the tackle dealers.

I also think Mr Drennan just has a problem with new fangled things ie computers!!
If you ring the 'phone line, there is always an answer machine,and that is as far as you get.I've written to him personally and left messages,no response.

tesco value · May 10, 2010

Perhaps there's an opportunity for someone to develop a decent content management system site that does all the things that people want and pitch it to the organisations mentioned! Decent quality, high res images are surely a prerequisite for any good website?

the indifferent crucian · May 10, 2010

Do we have a site problem?

I posted a reply to this thread and it has disappeared. Same thing happened yesterday.

Graham Whatmore · May 10, 2010

I agree about the lack of a British standard when it comes to fishing tackle, you would think it would be in the manufacturers own interests to have a standard wouldn't you? It is very frustrating when you are looking on the web for fishing items and can't find the very detail you need to make your choice.

Websites are only as good as the programmer that put them on and I should think cost plays a major part in the construction of that site, they can be expensive to construct though any competent computer geek can make one. When FM was in danger of going boobs up my son had an almost identical site up and running within 48 hours as Woody will tell you and at an astonishingly low price too, commercialy it would have probably cost thousands yet all he wanted was £100 for his time.

As for availability, if I see what I want advertised by a shop on the web at the price I want the first thing I do is ring them and ask if they actually have any in stock. Tackle shops can only afford to stock up on so much stuff and what the online sellers do is advertise them and order the number of articles purchased online from the manufacturers, they of course don't tell you this in the advert but a quick phone call can save you a lot of frustration.

Sean Meeghan · May 10, 2010

The problem is often that even when offered free or very low cost advice many retailers just don't take it up. I spent a while talking to a local shop with ambitions to be big on the web. I put the owner in touch with a web expert, showed him how he could get funding for futher advice and kept reminding him when I visited the shop. The result? a half hearted attempt to implement some of the free advice using a 'mate who knows about the internet' and the too busy excuse for not taking up the funded training.

This is not untypical in my experience.

alan whittington · May 10, 2010

the indifferent crucian said:
Do we have a site problem?

I posted a reply to this thread and it has disappeared. Same thing happened yesterday.

Who said that,lol,no i havnt noticed anything mate,but anything's possible.

prettypictures · May 17, 2010

As a photographer, web designer and creator I very much appreciate an online visual presence which even the photographic industry gets wrong sometimes but the fishing tackle trade is woefully dire; there is little scope for very high res images as such as web images have to be low res otherwise you would be waiting aeons for the photo to download however some of the fishing tackle pics I come across are so low res to be almost invisible.

In the ten to fifteen years I have been absent from fishing and recently returned many tackle dealers have vanished from the high street and perhaps it is their own fault for not having cultivated a high web presence; they may also have failed through all sorts of commercial reasons very often self inflicted.

The tackle shop I use seems to have survived very well, they have a great stock, well merchandised but much more so they understand customer service; if you want to wander round and look they leave you alone; if you want advice they are ready to give it, prices are keen and there are enough special offers to keep customers interested; in tandem with their high street presence they sport an accessible website that isn't bad.

It doesn't have to be all bad ....

Bit of a moan about the tackle trade

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