Brand X vs. Brand Y

I have read and re-read the various comparisons on this

brand vs. that brand on this great site.

95% of this information is very informative and has aided

me in making informed decisions on purchasing several

items for both soft and hard water fishing.

The other 5% I could live without. This usually is a

“Pro Staffer” sponsored by brand X that steps in to

an otherwise informative post and mucks it all up with

bashing of brand Y.

I feel as though the person who is asking a serious

question when asking about one make vs. another, whatever

the product is, should not have to be subjected to the

B.S. that goes on in most of these posts.

I’d like to see informative responses that get to the

topic at hand without turning it into a “mine is better than yours” debate.

Chances are if someone is paying someone to promote their

product and that person chimes in on one of these product

comparisons with the positive aspects of their brand,

people will usually listen.

If that same person chimes in on that same comparison with

the negative aspects of the competitor’s brand, that’s

when things tend to get off the subject at hand and turns

what started to be an informative post into a product bashing post.

I’ve always taken it for what it is when someone who gets

paid to promote a product responds to one of these posts

anyways.

I’d personally would rather hear it from the guy who spent

his hard earned dollars on the product and has an opinion

on whether he/she made the right choice.

Thanks for listening,

Dan

I agree, Dan. Thankfully, most of our staff and members do a pretty good job of giving detailed information rather than bashing the other brand. But, like you said, there is a small percentage who will never “get it”.

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I’ve always taken it for what it is when someone who gets
paid to promote a product responds to one of these posts
anyways.

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Dan I might be wrong but I am not aware of any IDA Staffer that gets paid to promote products here on the site, they do get discounts on some products but not paid $$$$
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This usually is a
“Pro Staffer” sponsored by brand X that steps in to
an otherwise informative post and mucks it all up with
bashing of brand Y.

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I am also not aware of Staffers bashing of other brands please send me links to said posts in a PM. If a Staffer has had poor results with a product they have tried they will give you there honest opinion on it I would not call that bashing. There are allot of IDA Staffers that do not have any sponsors but will give you there opinion on products that they like or do not like. I would go as far to say that most of the guys here that give product reviews are not sponsored by that product.
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I feel as though the person who is asking a serious
question when asking about one make vs. another, whatever
the product is, should not have to be subjected to the
B.S. that goes on in most of these posts.

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Again please send me links to the post that you feel are B.S. To say that most of these posts are B.S. is a bit of an exaggeration IMHO, if a Staffer has a bad experience with a product don’t you want to hear about that also?

I Agree, I think there should be a special thread for “product reviews” where folks can give advantages and disadvantages of a product.

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special thread for “product reviews

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I agree, we used to have one, but it got sidelined I think

well put dan i couldnt agree more. i can see where some people are bias toward certain products. what those peoplpe dont realize is that we work our asses off to BUY these things.we dont have the luxury of hand outs and try these for me. we want the best for our money and an unbias input.

If anyone knows a sponsor out there that is giving hand outs please let me know because I would like to get some free stuff for myself. Sponsors do not give out free stuff, they do give discounts but they do not give it away. Again if there are so many of these posts out there please send me the links. And oh by the way all the Staffers here all have real jobs as well and also work our asses for the products we buy.

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we dont have the luxury of hand outs

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I would think if your after opinons you are going to get some negative respones toward certain products, I dont think that should be considerd bashing., afterall it is what you asked for. Iam not saying that what you say dont happen on here , i just havent seen it myself. I can however think of 2 differnt times that i was impressed by the fact that that a guy who was sponserd gave his opinon on the product, good and bad and without anything negative toward any other product.(same guy both times)and a staff guy…

Don’t you want to hear about the bad experiences Staffers or Members had with products? Like this one?

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we want the best for our money and an unbias input.

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Everyone has a right to there opinion. If I had a sponsor for brand x than I am going to talk good things about brand x. I would want to be sponsored by a product that I believe in. I have never really read a post where a IDA Staff member has bashed brand y, they may say that they don’t like brand y, but I have never seen any bashing. This is just my opinion, right, wrong or indifferent.

Isn’t the Outdoor Gear forum there for the product review posts?

Yes.

I remember when the buzz around here was Guide Wear and how great it was.

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i just havent seen it myself. I can however think of 2 differnt times that i was impressed by the fact that that a guy who was sponserd gave his opinon on the product, good and bad and without anything negative toward any other product.(same guy both times)and a staff guy…

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Scott Steil for sure.

Sponsors are what make a site possible. With out them we would be putting quarters in a little slot on the side of our monitors. I think the staff has done a great job of keeping the sponsors influence to a minimum.

I agree nobody should really bash a product. It is poor taste and doesn’t fool anyone. However, I personaly want to know if a product doesn’t perform to expectations!

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Isn’t the Outdoor Gear forum there for the product review posts?

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This is not a product review post.
It is a “General Discussion” about product review
posts!

Dan

It can still be great… along with other products. Could GuideWear be improved ? I hope so. What does this mean ?

big g

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This is not a product review post.
It is a “General Discussion” about product review
posts!

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Exactly….

I’m not trying to pick a fight or mince words . . . but depending on the sponsor, the product’s value and the pro’s level, they (meaning pro’s) do get products for free (sometimes just memo billed). Some pro’s, guide’s and such just receive a discount. For pro’s on a larger scale (ie Glorvigens, Genz, etc), they also receive compensations for promoting products – as they make their living out of it. As part of either getting free or reduced cost product(s), pro’s are expected to promote their sponsors products – whether on TV, seminars, articles and websites.

Now, pro’s do have their choice whether or not to sign on with a sponsor they believe in or not. Sometimes however, getting paid and making a living is slightly more important than promoting a product you have 100% faith in. Most pro staffers out there “get it” and don’t bash other brands, but rather promote the positives of their sponsors products.

You’ll get a lot of good information on this and other mediums out there, you just have to consider the source and weed through some of the fluff and the number of pro staffers promoting the same product for the same medium. There’s usually, and hopefully, a balance of information.

Exactly Fisherman J. I guess if I took someones advice on a product, because I believed them, and the product was not what they said, I would be done listening to their endorsements. The exact opposite will happen with a good review and product. Any Pro who endorses a product, that turns out to be something other than what they are saying about, will be a PRO only so long, and then will go away… like the wind. I put more stock in something a friend of mine has tried, and their opinion. Just so happens, I consider alot the staffers here my friends, talk about the best of both worlds.

big g

Muskyman, I will be the first to say that Guidewear is awesome stuff. However, for my needs I think there is another product that suits my needs a little better and overall performs better in the Spring, Summer and Fall. I still have my Guidewear and probably will always keep it, because it is high qaulity rain gear with out a doubt.

just out of curiosity Rob, what is better about Gamehide in your opinion. I just bought a set of guidewear this year from Cabelas and I’m in love with it. What I like the most is how warm it is. I haven’t had it in severe wet weather yet, only cold, and I am very impressed with it’s “windproofness” as well as it’s overall comfort and fishability.

The fishing world revolves around sales. I represent several companies and try to pick them very carefully. Because I have the opportunity to fish a lot I need equipment that works well and performs under the extreme conditions I put them through. I try to use the equipment (many times on my dime) before I pursue the company with a sponsorship agreement or contract.

I can honestly say, I believe 100% that my current sponsors make the best product available. If they do not, I work with them to make a better one. People that have known me for a long time know that it is very rare for me to change sponsorships. My hope is that I can use the hours I log on the water to help make products better and pass this on to consumers so that they can make a better desicion when it comes time to purchase. Basically that is how I approach the promotional aspect of things. Not everyone is going to have the same conclusions as me on a product and I understand that. However, I can honestly say that what I type/speak is how I feel about the product and sleep good at night by doing so

In addition, I do value the other Pro Staff opinions on this site. I don’t get to Bass fish much any more, but I know Brovarney makes a quality Jig…..D-Nort told me so and I trust his judgement. If I were to go purchase I would look to Brovarney first because they are an IDA sponsor and know they are here because of Staff recommendations. Staff that actually use and are successful with the product.

There are times that staff go overboard on promotional efforts but a lot of times it is because they are excited about a product. I don’t support bashing the competition and that doesn’t go far with consumers. Pointing out differences can be done in a professional manner and for the most part I think the staff here try very hard to do that.

Nicely done Scott. This is a great post. I think it really does bring to light what you guys want to see and hear on the site. That is valuable information, and we do apply that behind the scenes.

Scott hit all the big points spot on. One thing that many people do not realize is that Staffers here really do pay for their own products in MOST cases. As far as “Memo Bills?” This is just delayed billing. Staffers write some pretty big checks of their own money every year for these products. In many cases you all can buy products from Staffers at a greatly reduced cost.

Bottom line, nothing is “Free.” Staffers spend many hours going to training classes, working boat and sport shows to educate the public on big ticket items. So yes, exhuberance does show through from time to time. As we grow as a website, we are learning what is right and what is not-so-right…

Thanks again!

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just out of curiosity Rob, what is better about Gamehide in your opinion. I just bought a set of guidewear this year from Cabelas and I’m in love with it. What I like the most is how warm it is. I haven’t had it in severe wet weather yet, only cold, and I am very impressed with it’s “windproofness” as well as it’s overall comfort and fishability.

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What you like most about Guidewear is one of the things I personally like better with Gamehide’s Typhoon. In my opinion I believe Typhoon breathes a ton better than the Guidewear. Spending many days on Mile Lacs in a 18′ aluminum boat I needed rain gear that kept me dry and comfortable in temperatures from 20 degrees all the way up in the 80’s. Both Guidewear and Gamehide did an excellent job in most of that temperature range. Except for with the Guidewear near the top 10-20 degrees of that range, I sweated my off. Gamehide’s design has multiple ways to vent your rain gear to also keep you cooler. I still stay plenty warm when it is cold or below freezing by closing these vents.

I also find Gamehide not as stiff or rigid which makes it more comfortable to wear in my opinion. How many times do you find guys wearing their Guidewear Bibs? All the time, just like I did when I wore my Guidewear. When do you find people wearing their jacket/parka???? Hardly ever, unless it is nasty cold or wet out. Why is that??? I know for me that was because, the Guidewear jackets were very uncomfortable to wear and I personally hated the hood always in my way, every time I turned my head. I do not find this problem with the Gamehide Typhoon wear.

I wear my Gamehide in the Winter. The Typhoon line is uninsulated, so is it warmer than Insulated Guidewear????? Definitely not. I still wear my Gamehide Typhhon 12 months a year with no issues, but would I be warmer in Insulated Guidewear????? Yes I’m sure I would, but I personally do not put in the hours on the ice as a Scott Steil, Matt Grow, Derek Johnston and other ICE fisherman do. I can still go out and sit for hours in cold temps with as I said no issues.

With that being said, each product is outstanding and some of the best stuff out there. They both do the things they advertise and that is block the wind keep and keep you bone dry in the nastiest weather and what better place to put those two requirements to the test then the Midwest??? However, for me, I personally think Gamehides Typhoon Rain gear is better suited for me and conditions I fish in, for reasons stated above and other posts.

Micah, I hope this answers your questions.

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As far as “Memo Bills?” This is just delayed billing. Staffers write some pretty big checks of their own money every year for these products. In many cases you all can buy products from Staffers at a greatly reduced cost.
Bottom line, nothing is “Free.” Staffers spend many hours going to training classes, working boat and sport shows to educate the public on big ticket items. So yes, exhuberance does show through from time to time. As we grow as a website, we are learning what is right and what is not-so-right…
Thanks again!

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Chris, your and my definitions of memo billing are different. When I’ve memo billed, the product was mine to use for the season and then given back to the manufacturer afterwards. More often than not, the manufacturer either gave me the product for free or sold it to me for a substantially reduced price to get rid of it.

I absolutely agree that nothing is free. Most of those in the fishing industry work their tails off for their sponsors. Plus, in these days of a consolidated and shrinking fishing industry with shrinking advertising and promo budgets, once you’re lucky enough to have a quality sponsor, you really need to work to keep them. Heck with a few manufacturers now, you have to have documented proof that you directly sold their product!

Just for clarification, Memo billed boats are a delayed billing process where the boater signs a contract that they owe the manufacturer a said amount by a certain date. If that date comes and goes, and the product is not sold, the boater is responsible to pay the “Balance due.” Very few people get the “Free Ride” that some speak of. There are a few Touring Pros who have contracts with boat, motor, and accessory manufacturers where the product (Such as a boat or motor(s)) are their pay for the year. Or in Lieu of pay. They get a 1099 at years end. Does that make sense?
We at IDA are not like that. We pay as we go for the most part just like you do. It may be at incentivized pricing to get the product in the Staffer’s hands.
There is no black magic involved.

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Just for clarification, Memo billed boats are a delayed billing process where the boater signs a contract that they owe the manufacturer a said amount by a certain date. If that date comes and goes, and the product is not sold, the boater is responsible to pay the “Balance due.” Very few people get the “Free Ride” that some speak of. There are a few Touring Pros who have contracts with boat, motor, and accessory manufacturers where the product (Such as a boat or motor(s)) are their pay for the year. Or in Lieu of pay. They get a 1099 at years end. Does that make sense?
We at IDA are not like that. We pay as we go for the most part just like you do. It may be at incentivized pricing to get the product in the Staffer’s hands.
There is no black magic involved.

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Yes, boats and motors are a different deal. I was refering to electronics, augers and the like . . .

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Yes, boats and motors are a different deal. I was refering to electronics, augers and the like . . .

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No, it is the same for most here. That is the way the business is. You are not the norm if you can just “Give back product” to the manufacturer. Electronics, augers, etc. are purchased by Staff either up front or on a memo bill that is paid at some point. Being the Pro Staff Director here at IDA, it is my job to deal wiith this day in and day out.