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January 5, 2022 12:06 am
A Great read on what is going on in the industry of bass fishing not just in Japan, but overall.
"The things you own, end up owning you." -
RISE reacted
January 7, 2022 6:23 pm
Lots to process within that article…some sad, some ironic, some promising and some scary shit. That was a great read indeed.
I’m interested to see what direction pure fishing goes in. They’ve done some really nice things, and in my opinion, were really getting into some solid refinement within their latest models. I can only hope they continue to produce at least one high-end product line.
Fenwick recently discontinued the Super Techna series. That was a crushing blow to myself and other enthusiasts as that was the best they had to offer, but I’m sure very high product prices and smaller numbers of sales played a roll in the trimming of the fat.
It’s no secret that manufacturers and consumers have been focused on more affordable products for quite some time. The enthusiast market has gotten smaller over the years, but I firmly believe that if we share enough pertinent information with others looking to delve into the enthusiast facet of the market, we can help it move in a positive direction.
Imae Will be fine, we all know this, regardless of how badly this news sucks. He’s so highly regarded and respected in the industry that this, of course, will not be the end of him by any means. Who knows…maybe it’ll reignite a fire and we will see something new and exciting rise from the ashes. Let’s see where this new project leads…
Topic starter
January 8, 2022 11:12 pm
Lots to process within that article…some sad, some ironic, some promising and some scary shit. That was a great read indeed.
I’m interested to see what direction pure fishing goes in. They’ve done some really nice things, and in my opinion, were really getting into some solid refinement within their latest models. I can only hope they continue to produce at least one high-end product line.
Fenwick recently discontinued the Super Techna series. That was a crushing blow to myself and other enthusiasts as that was the best they had to offer, but I’m sure very high product prices and smaller numbers of sales played a roll in the trimming of the fat.
It’s no secret that manufacturers and consumers have been focused on more affordable products for quite some time. The enthusiast market has gotten smaller over the years, but I firmly believe that if we share enough pertinent information with others looking to delve into the enthusiast facet of the market, we can help it move in a positive direction.Imae Will be fine, we all know this, regardless of how badly this news sucks. He’s so highly regarded and respected in the industry that this, of course, will not be the end of him by any means. Who knows…maybe it’ll reignite a fire and we will see something new and exciting rise from the ashes. Let’s see where this new project leads…
Why has the enthusiast market become smaller? Are we at the point where fishing has stayed the same, but the gear has become so good that there's little margin between top tier tackle and consumer equipment? I'm very interested in your take.
"The things you own, end up owning you." -
RISE reacted
January 11, 2022 5:15 pm
Lots to process within that article…some sad, some ironic, some promising and some scary shit. That was a great read indeed.
I’m interested to see what direction pure fishing goes in. They’ve done some really nice things, and in my opinion, were really getting into some solid refinement within their latest models. I can only hope they continue to produce at least one high-end product line.
Fenwick recently discontinued the Super Techna series. That was a crushing blow to myself and other enthusiasts as that was the best they had to offer, but I’m sure very high product prices and smaller numbers of sales played a roll in the trimming of the fat.
It’s no secret that manufacturers and consumers have been focused on more affordable products for quite some time. The enthusiast market has gotten smaller over the years, but I firmly believe that if we share enough pertinent information with others looking to delve into the enthusiast facet of the market, we can help it move in a positive direction.Imae Will be fine, we all know this, regardless of how badly this news sucks. He’s so highly regarded and respected in the industry that this, of course, will not be the end of him by any means. Who knows…maybe it’ll reignite a fire and we will see something new and exciting rise from the ashes. Let’s see where this new project leads…
Why has the enthusiast market become smaller? Are we at the point where fishing has stayed the same, but the gear has become so good that there's little margin between top tier tackle and consumer equipment? I'm very interested in your take.
Well, first off...I don't think (for those of us that are more than just hobbyists) fishing will ever "stay the same", as we constantly evolve, fine-tune and learn/become better at new techniques. If you look at what direction lure development has gone in the last 10 years, it paints a clear picture in that we know fish will pretty much prey on anything they can. Why is this relevant for this convo? In my opinion, it shows that there is still a TON of room for new product birth and eventually, new rigs/techniques follow, which (in my eyes) adds another facet to the sport along with the opportunity for possible new developments in rods and reels.
As for the enthusiast market becoming smaller...that, in my eyes is the result of a few things. One being what you mentioned...a lot of trickle-down tech that has found its way into more moderately priced gear. There are some VERY solid performing mid-range offerings out there, but for myself and fellow enthusiasts that have been spoiled by the opportunity to fish the best available, the differences between the mid-tier and upper echelon are just too noticeable to ignore, IMO. Not to mention those of us that tune and mod our reels to squeeze even more performance out of them and, more or less, create "new" variants in the process see the possibilities for future iterations. Different bearings, lube, spools, inductors, and gear swaps can have profoundly positive effects on performance.
This somewhat leads into the next thing...money. The enthusiast market is not cheap to be a part of. I don't even want to begin to try and tally what I've got invested, but it's relevant and not everyone can afford to delve into it deeply. While this is something I feel hinders many from jumping in, it can be circumvented by buying on the second hand market. You can easily find amazing deals on items that would cost 2-3 times as much if bough brand new, if you look. So spending the same on a NIB mid-range product doesn't make much sense to me when i can find 2nd hand top tier pieces of kit if I do the legwork. So... for anyone feeling like they cant afford it, think again, buy smart and enjoy the best the industry has to offer.
Last and probably most important in my eyes...the lack of REAL info available to people looking to delve into "the dark side". I've been buyin and tryin hard to find, and obscure tackle for many years, but I have to say, I was terrified in the beginning as there wasn't (and still isn't) any real quality reviews/breakdowns of such gear available. Who wants to spend thousands of dollars on gear they've never held, tested, or read anything about? Buying "blindly" sucks! This is one of the main reasons I built these sites...to help people learn, via solid, real-life experience/reviews, specs and discussions. My point is, we as a community can help MANY people looking to get into this side of the game by sharing info, knowledge, and first-hand experience. This can give weary consumers the confidence/knowledge they need to know what to expect and try other brands. Furthermore...it can help them understand the important differences between "mediocre" and great tackle...especially why its (in my opinion) worth the extra money/investment.
I could go on with this rant, but hopefully this is holds some weight for some of you.
Let me know what you think...
January 11, 2022 5:19 pm
Definitely a sad thing to see happen. He really contributed to the finesse game with tuning up Revos. It's too bad, but like Greg said, hopefully it will light a fire and get them to develop some new and more interesting equipment for the future.
We must continue to evolve and adapt, or we die, I believe. I'm hoping for something positive/new coming from this. This kind of change is tough to swallow at first, but ends up being a bit exciting after the fact, if we can look at the possible results.
dragon1 and HooksAndCaffeine reacted
January 11, 2022 6:31 pm
Could be a multitude of things transpiring causing Abu and others forgoing the Japan pros. With the YouTubers, there's less product that goes to them for pushing their product to the masses. Bottom line, it's a bottom line thing. If it's not generating money, why even bother? As stated above, the hobbyists and enthusiasts are a fraction of the market. Lower and mid tier products are what gets these companies paid. It's a sad thing to see. With what has happened these past couple of years globally, it's understandable to see why companies are doing what they do.
Big companies dumping legit enthusiasts can be a good thing as Greg has alluded to. It allows the enthusiasts to start up their own ventures or join smaller outfits that share the same enthusiasm.
January 15, 2022 4:52 pm
Topic starter
January 28, 2022 11:10 pm
Still, the ABU is | Top Secret | IMAKATSU
More thoughts by Imae on Abu and an update as he gears up to help design Gravius
"The things you own, end up owning you." -
RISE reacted
