I like trying different brands based on this forum & feel, with a slice of great sale price thrown in:

For reels: ***, Abu Garcia (spin & cast), BPS, Diawa, Pflueger (spinning), Lews, Shakespeare (25 YO spinner) and Shimano.

Rods: ***, Abu Garcia, BPS, Diawa, Fenwick, and St. Croix. Plus a 25 YO Ugly Stick I keep only for sentimental reasons.

It's getting to the point I can't rationalize any more setups...

Casting reels:  daiwa, shimano.  Spinning  reels:  pflueger, okuma, penn.  Casting rods:  megabass, ***, st croix, dobyns, cabelas, bps.  Spinning rods: daiwa, shimano, fenwick, cabelas, gander mtn.

That get regular use:

 

Shimano reels (baitcasting)

Shimano and Daiwa (spinning)

 

Carbonlite rods (2), Field & Stream (1), Shimano (2)

That I actually use on a regular basis, 1 reel brand and 1 rod brand.

That's me also. I have a few BPS rods and reels but I am only using one brand of rod, and one brand of reel. John knows which ones. I guess everyone does. The BPS stuff just sits in the rack.

Hootie

Rods : G Loomis, G Loomis and G Loomis.

 

Reels : Shimano, Shimano and Shimano.

 

Never mix them up though.

Rods-Abu, St. Croix, H2O, custom build

Reels-Shimano, Lew's, H2O, Pfluegar

Rods : G Loomis, G Loomis and G Loomis.

Reels : Shimano, Shimano and Shimano.

Never mix them up though.

That's it. Nuff said.

Hootie

Reel Brands: Shimano

Rod Brands: Shimano. Daiwa, All Star, Cast Away, & G Loomis

Rods - Loomis

 

Reels - Shimano

Rods: G. Loomis, St. Croix, Pinnacle, Okuma, Lamiglas and one custom.

 

Reels: Shimano, Pinnacle and Okuma.

 

 

 

Current Rods- Daiwa, Megabass, BPS, Fenwick, Phenix, Powell, Dobyns, G Loomis, Shimano, Abu Garcia, and Cabelas.

Current reels- Shimano and Daiwa predominantly. Also have reels by BPS, Okuma, Quantum, Abu, Lews, and Pfleuger.

Rods: Megabass, G.Loomis

Reels: Shimano, Daiwa

Rods: Shimano, Fenwick, St. Croix and G. Loomis

 

Reels: Daiwa and Shimano

Rods: kistler, shimano, field and stream

Reels: shimano and cabelas

Rods: Bass Pro, ***, Abu garcia, Berkeley

Reels: Abu garcia, Bass pro, Shimano

 

So far my favorite rod brands are *** and Abu, and my favorite reel brand is Shimano, but the PQ (Bass pro) is still a great reel.

Rods: st. croix, falcon, abu, daiwa, shimano, quantum, W&M, gander mtn, BPS.

Reels: Daiwa, shimano, pflueger, quantum, Lews, W&M.

 

Mitch

Rods- field and stream, south bend, daiwa, Shakespeare, Abu, Bps.

Reels- quantum, Abu, Lews.

Right now I have: 2 Dobyns and 3 St. Croix rods. Reels: I have 2 Lews, 2 Shimano's and  1 Abu. 

Rods: *** and Falcon

Reels: Lews and Shimano

Rods...Phenix, Fenwick, Falcon, Shimano and Allstar

Reels...Shimano, Abu and BPS

Mike

Rods: 13, G.Loomis, Shimano

Reels: Shimano & Lews

Planning on reshuffling the deck for next season though. The Shimano rod is sitting where a 765cb glass cranking stick belongs

Rods: Shimano, Fenwick, G Loomis

Reels: Shimano, Daiwa, BPS

 

I still own one St. Croix, my favorite Jerkbait rod.  6'6" M/F

Rods: Duckett

Reels: Shimano and 1 Lew's

One Abu Veritas paired with an Abu Revo STX that I haven't used in at least a year

Every day use rods Redbone & Star, reels Pflueger, Quantum, Abu.  Somewhere around 8 brands each of rods and reels.

In no particular order, just recalling the setups on my rack at home.

 

Rods: BPS, Shimano, Abu Garcia, Quantum, Shakespeare, Berkley, Daiwa, Redington.

 

Reels: Lews, BPS, Abu Garcia, Pflueger, Redington.

 

Note that this is for 7 setups and a fly rod. Brand loyalty? What's that?