Are there popular rods/reels/lures that you have tried but don’t like? Maybe it’s just me, but there are some I’m surprised  are so highly regarded. 
 

Likewise, are there some lures or equipment you either like that aren’t very mainstream or used very often? 
 

Popular but not my fav 

•St Croix rods - ML and Medium not so bad, but anything MH and Heavy I find so much heavier, thicker and tip-weighted more than almost any other brand. It’s a well-made product, but just heavy/fatiguing/cumbersome to me.

 

•Shimano Expride 6’10” jerkbait rod. Might be the most praised and coveted jerkbait rod on the market - but the handle is unwieldy long in my opinion. A real pain to jerk and have the handle bang your side, forearm, or catch the pocket of your hoodie all day long. Had one and sold it after one day. 
 

•Daiwa SV reels. Actually a love/hate relationship for me. They are the best spools/reels for skipping anything - but a buzz kill in terms of casting distance, especially lighter lures. Yeah they don’t backlash, but only get 3/4 of normal distance. I only wish Daiwa could make a reel that casts as far as a Tatula Elite, but could also skip lures.  I guess you get one or the other..
 

I like, but you don’t hear much about

•Strike King Caffeine Shad. Seems like there is a new fluke that hits the market every year, but none with the air bubble tail and action of the CS. Works far far better on an Owner Twistlock Light hook than your standard EWG. Unbelievable action, swims on its own with just a few sporadic twitches. Number One lure for me the last 10 years. Smallies, LMB,Spots, rivers, lakes, reservoirs - don’t leave home without it!
 

•Dock skipping Nekos. My #2 lure the past decade. Not only great along weed edges, structure, etc. But a great skipping lure that I think few use for that technique.  Its fall rate is faster than a wacky rig so you can get the reaction bite. Floating worms also stand up once on the dark bottom under a dock and undulate so fish can spot it, unlike a traditional reaction style skipping jig which has already hopped on by. Third, the lead is buried inside the plastic so it’s silent when banging off docks, pontoons, etc. (it happens). Doesn’t spook fish or tick off homeowners. 
 

•The Banjo Minnow.  Okay, kidding… just seeing if you’re still reading ..

Chatterbaits.  They are the Bain of my existence.  I can throw any gear from Zebco to Shimano and make it work.  

I don't really like fishing green pumpkin

Braid will never touch a spinning reel that I own. I know braid on spinning gear is the norm and a lot of better fishermen than myself will only use braid on spinning gear. But personally, I will never allow a single strand of braid to touch my spinning reels again. I’ve never hated something more while fishing than trying to use braid on spinning gear. 

Supposed to like but don't: Fluorocarbon line.  Not for me!

 

Supposed to be bad but love it: Monofilament line.  Works great for me!

39 minutes ago, Rockhopper said:

I don't really like fishing green pumpkin

Blasphemy !  Lol, actually I would’ve included that in my list above too had I thought about it. When I do use green pumpkin, it usually has other colors blended in with it, because it’s just too plain to me. 

Spinning Rods and reels

Monofilament line 

 

I don’t..

Drop, Ned, Shake or Wack

 

 

 

 

Mike

 

Popular but not my Favorite ~

   * Wacky rigged Anything.

   * Neg Rigged anything

   * BFS (Bait Finesse System), Rods, Reels, and Line 

   * GLIDE BAITS

 

I like but don't hear much about ~

 *  Rapala Sub Walk

 *  Parasite Clips Stainless Bait Keepers

 *  Inverted paddle tail trailers on a wiggle wagon

 *  Spike It Worm & Chunk Paint

 *  American Fishing Wire Surflon Micro Supreme

A-Jay

 

Don't care for Daiwa baitcasters.

Don't care for Kistler rods.

Don't care for NRX 893.

 

Nanofil is the best line for spinning reels.

Shimano has the best baitcasters.

Daiwa favorite spinning reels.

 

Googan rattlin ned is a favorite lure of mine

Don't care much for War Eagle spinnerbaits.

 

Just now, QUAKEnSHAKE said:

Shimano has the best baitcasters.

Daiwa favorite spinning reels.

Reverse that for me - I love my Tatula 100s and my Miravels.

 

Bad

- nope....not saying the name, I'd like to stay able to post and not start a fight.

 

Good

- I'm a St Croix fan-boy....I don't find the heavier power rods all that tip-heavy.

- Ned is one of my favorite presentations, followed by Shakey and Wacky

100% agree with OP's assessment of Daiwa SV reels. The placement of the drag dial can be problematic at times.

Not fond of Dobyns rods

braided line

chatterbaits

Senkos

any type of finesse fishing

Supposed to like: chatterbaits. I’ve lived in Florida and Iowa. Fished them with different trailers and retrieves. Different colors. Different sizes. Can’t catch a fish on one to save my life lol. In either state. 
 

whopper plopper as well. Just can’t buy a bait on one of those. 
 

then list of things I end up liking that other people don’t or say I should is to long to list lol 

Popular but not my fav 

Braid

Fluoro

Last but not least is Beetle Spins

 

I like, but you don’t hear much about

Mono

Cordell Big-O

Don't care for: 

1) St Croix and Dobyns (owned many of both;  definitely not bad rods but I feel they are both overrated and there are better options)

2)  Knock-off Senkos and TRDs- I know that Senkos and Z-Man plastics work extremely well, why try anything else especially to save a dollar or two?

3)  Swimjigs- I know they work and know excellent fisherman who have them as a staple bait.  Give me a XChatterbait or a spinnerbait any day over a swimjib.

4)  jigs/crankbaits/jerkbaits- they just aren't confidence baits for me.  I know I am missing out at times.  

 

Underrated Baits I use

1)  Fat Ikas- love them when everyone is throwing Senkos

2)  Gamma Edge- 6 lb line is the best leader line I've found.

3)  Big O- that little white one flat out catches fish.  

 

 

Popular things I don't like:
- crankbaits of any kind. 

 

Not talked about enough:

- YoZuri hybrid line. 

- Keitech Noisy Flapper. 

I don't fish swim jigs. For me a swim jig is nothing more than a broken spinnerbait.  I do have success with a paddle tail swimbait on a jig head, but not the typical skirted swim jig.

Don't like:

Willow blade spinnerbaits. I just always can get better fish with something else, usually a bladed jig. (blade color matters on a bladed jig don't get fooled). Or an underspin/keitech. 

 

Like but shouldn't:
6th sense hangover. Everyone hates this thing. My average weight begs to differ, a lot. It is a big presentation, and it is finicky. The slow sink is nearly worthless, but I have at least five of the fast sink. The top-hook treble line through means very few lost fish. Take off the split ring, always use a bobber stop above the knot.

43 minutes ago, king fisher said:

I don't fish swim jigs. For me a swim jig is nothing more than a broken spinnerbait.  I do have success with a paddle tail swimbait on a jig head, but not the typical skirted swim jig.

 

 

A spinnerbait is nothing more than a swim jig for fish with cataracts.

Don’t like braid to leader because of 2 knots.

Haven’t flipped in decades and don’t own a flipping rod!

Love to fish big swimbaits but no longer own any or the rod/reels…no boat!

I fish hair jigs w/pork trailers and always will👍.

Don’t have a bladed jig or whopper plopper, no need.

I like to catch bass and use both finesse and power tackle every trip.

Tom

 

18 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

 

 

A spinnerbait is nothing more than a swim jig for fish with cataracts.

Haha well said 

I'll do you one better @king fisherand @Pat Brown, I don't like swim jigs OR spinnerbaits. I've never caught a single fish on a jig of any sort (barring standard jigheads of course). And I've only caught a couple on spinnerbaits. I know that most of everyone seems to have great success, but I've never been able to do well with either. So I stick to my inline spinners, and nail fish after fish with 'em. 

 

For lures I like that aren't as popular: 

 

It's very fashionable to hate on the whopper plopper. But I love em. Easiest topwater lure you'll ever fish. And they still get bit, even if they have become a fishing trope. 

 

An uncommon lure that I will never stop hyping up is the Rebel Wee Crawfish. It's a small, shallow diving crank bait, that is perfectly suited for the streams and rivers I frequent. It seems that thing will always get bit when nothing else will. It's also super buoyant, so I can work it in and around the brush and laydowns, letting it pop to the surface to avoid snags. 

Own exactly one spinning combo and it is not a high dollar one. Tried a few times to master it but not much luck. To many baits I don't use to name, willing to try almost anything but use what works for me.

I pretty much don't use ned rigs, whopper ploppers, and chatterbaits. I've never had luck with them. Never caught a fish on any of them the times I've tried them. I did have a bite on a whopper plopper once, but didn't get hooked up.

That’s a good one I forgot about. The Ned rig. I’ve fished it and fished it. I used to be able to fish at. A private lake that had a clean bottom. And rip rap banks. A Ned head and a hula stik would absolutely smoke them bounced off the bottom. 
 

everywhere else I’ve ever fished it in 2 parts of the country it gets snagged and loses tackle, gets covered in much and crap. And doesn’t get bit lol. So I don’t fish Ned rigs