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  1. #1
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    Dobyns bought out by GSM

    Hope I’m wrong but I can’t see this being good in the future.
    2021 rt188p , Mercury 115 Pro XS CT , Croxton Razor 4XLR 22 , Z lock 4” jack plate , 8’ power pole blades

  2. Member
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    #2
    PE Firms, in general, aren't good for carrying over and retaining the standards of legendary brands...

  3. Member white gambler's Avatar
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    24’Bass Cat Puma Sts-300 Proxs
    23’Gatortrax Gt tunnel hull-200 Suzuki

  4. Member
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    #4
    Quote Originally Posted by white gambler View Post
    Good PR but I have a good sense for what's going happen. Have worked with plenty of PE firms and look what happened to Lew's.

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    #5
    But I thought moving to Texas would solve all the business problems..

  6. Member
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    #6
    Does this leave us with Falcon, Kistler, and St. Croix as big names not owned by a foreign company or conglomerate? I know there are smaller shops like Trika but it’s losing Dobyns is a headache. I’d be super hesitant now to buy anything not knowing how they will change the warranty or handle customer concerns.

  7. Member
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    #7
    Likely have to consider smaller shops as well, like ALX. There's still Lamiglas, but they are not committed to the bass market.

  8. Moderator Mark Perry's Avatar
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    #8
    Gary posted a reply in reference to the speculation of possible changes.


    https://texasfishingforum.com/forums...-to-gsm#UNREAD

  9. Member
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    #9
    Looks like the rave and romanticism with micros is waning rapidly...and not just with Dobyns. I have dislike micros since day one, aside a Tiemco Fenwick Golden Wing 6'10" LP+J and Yamaga Blanks Blue Current III 82b (which I essentially run straight braid on).

  10. BBC SPONSOR cidgrad's Avatar
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    #10
    Quote Originally Posted by TNBankFishing View Post
    Does this leave us with Falcon, Kistler, and St. Croix as big names not owned by a foreign company or conglomerate? I know there are smaller shops like Trika but it’s losing Dobyns is a headache. I’d be super hesitant now to buy anything not knowing how they will change the warranty or handle customer concerns.

    Gee thanks. We must be a speck. LOL

    I think folks would be surprised at what we build on our private label side, and how many rods we actually put out on the ALX side. We simply dont share those numbers. More there than anyone realizes but it's important to us to still be accessible - which make us look small.

    Just to sum up those mentioned - Dobyns imports, St Croix imports from Mexico (anything "Made in North America") and domestic (anything "Made in Park Falls"), Falcon imports, Kistler builds here but started using import blanks a while back. Trika is half/half. 3x is imported and their 6x is outsourced production here in the US.
    Last edited by cidgrad; 05-11-2024 at 09:19 PM.

  11. Member
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    #11
    Quote Originally Posted by cidgrad View Post
    Gee thanks. We must be a speck. LOL

    I think folks would be surprised at what we build on our private label side, and how many rods we actually put out on the ALX side. We simply dont share those numbers. More there than anyone realizes but it's important to us to still be accessible - which make us look small.

    Just to sum up those mentioned - Dobyns imports, St Croix imports from Mexico (anything "Made in North America") and domestic (anything "Made in Park Falls"), Falcon imports, Kistler builds here but started using import blanks a while back. Trika is half/half. 3x is imported and their 6x is outsourced production here in the US.
    Thanks for sharing!

  12. BBC SPONSOR cidgrad's Avatar
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    #12
    Quote Originally Posted by dragon1 View Post
    Thanks for sharing!
    Welcome! I catch a lot of grief from people who say "you shouldn't talk about other manufacturers". If I know something to be true, I'll share it. They would do the same of us - and have. I believe in transparency and I think that's a major issue in "American Made" fishing rods. There's another company out there that boasts being "American Owned". So? You import everything.

    I saw one of the above companies state on a FB post the other day "we make as many as we can here". I have no proof that isn't true but I know there is US production capacity available that isn't taken advantage of.

    For a long time there was a well known rod "US" company who hung their hat on made in the USA and if you took off the butt grip, there was an MHX rod label under there. Nope, that's an import assembled here.

    I dont like smoke and mirrors.

  13. Member
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    #13
    Almost anything energy, construction, metal, technology, electrical and electronic can be manufactured and made here in the USA... Globalist interests and corporate/government coercion prevents much of it.