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American made gear search

Started by Svinny88, February 08, 2020, 12:36:58 AM

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Svinny88

I've decided that I'm going to phase out all of our gear for American made products.  I have been searching for months, and have found quite a few companies.  This will be an ongoing process, and also an expensive endeavor, but I'm hoping by the beginning of 2021, I will have sourced everything that is possible from American companies, manufactured in USA   Any leads or info on products that anyone is using ? 
1998 15'11" sea explorer. 2020 Honda bf100
"T roLL on 1"

croaker stroker

#1
Even though the products are assembled in USA, the components may come from China or other, yet marked "Made In USA".


  I like the smaller lever drag reels....Seigler, AVET, Accurate, Penn....and Seeker rods. Although some of the parts are likely made elsewhere, I guess they are as close as you can get to "made in USA".  🇺🇸

I hope these companies have a stockpile of parts from China. Looks like China is not producing anything right now. You might want to buy now rather than waiting til 2021.  The prices are likely going up.

Edit: AVET claims to be 100% made in-house....except the bearings, which they claim are made in Los Angeles.
1987 - 17' Sea Pacer - 2004 Evinrude 90 E-tec
1985 - 15' Sea Sprinter - **SOLD**

"Ex Tridente Pax". 🇺🇸

Mooch

Sadly, only a very few true "US made" companies come to mind that are used on my boats:

Sage rods
Lee Lock anchor systems
East Penn batteries (OEM for many brands)
Avet reels
Riverkeeper reels
Paine Falls reels

and of course Arima.  ;)

Good luck with that.    :flag:
Matt. 8:27    The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"

Yachter Yat

   Sorry Svinny;  My absolutely beautiful Shimano TE300 Level wind is..........NOT FOR SALE.  Your on your own.  Haha


Yat
History is not the past; it's the present, as we all carry it with us......James Baldwin    
16 SC/Honda 60  (sold)

Fisherdv

+1 on Avet, Accurate and Seeker rods. And as CS said, many rods that claim to be "Made in USA", are assembled in USA with foreign components. Seeker no longer builds their own rod blanks. They get the blanks from overseas and they basically just wrap them. I believe the same is true for GLoomis rods.

I recently picked up a couple United Composites Elite series rods. Awesome rods with extremely thin blanks. They are made 100% in house USA. Owner Randy Penny formally of Seeker, went on to start United Composites. The best USA made rods out there right now IMO.

     The rods and reels mentioned are not cheap though, but well worth it.
2018 Sea Chaser 16, Honda BFP60

croaker stroker

#5
When I was in the factory a couple of years ago, Seeker blanks were coming from G. Loomis' son in Washington. (Greg ?)

The Seeker shop manager (Jose) told me they had bought mandrels from The Seeker factory in Long Beach, Shikari, and a couple others. He said they sent them up to Loomis for production of the Seeker blanks.



1987 - 17' Sea Pacer - 2004 Evinrude 90 E-tec
1985 - 15' Sea Sprinter - **SOLD**

"Ex Tridente Pax". 🇺🇸

Fisherdv

Quote from: Croaker Stroker on February 08, 2020, 08:48:57 PM

When I was in the factory a couple of years ago, Seeker blanks were coming from G. Loomis' son in Washington. (Greg ?)
I'm not sure if that's the case anymore. Last year I was inquiring about getting a hold of a stock Blacksteel series 196-8. He said they had none and were waiting for the blanks from overseas and something about the tariffs, costs, and delays. I would call about once a month for about 4-6 months. At that point I gave up on Seeker. It seems weird to me that the rods are never in stock locally and Seeker themselves can't even get, or have many of the top models available. Doesn't  sound promising to me. At this point, I think Seeker is basically only a rod wrapper now. Don't get me wrong, I personally own about 4 or 5 Seeker rods and I love them, but they are the older Seeker rods when Randy Penny was running things. I have since made the switch over to United Composites rods and have been very happy with them. If you compare a similar line rating rod from Seeker and United Composites, the UC rod is MUCH thinner and lighter. That last 8ft Sturgeon I caught was landed on that UC rod. Amazing strength for such a thin and light rod.

     Just for the heck of it, I think I will give Seeker a call again and see what the status of that rod is now. If still nothing, I think I will sadly be done with Seeker. If you own older Seeker rods, hold on to them.
2018 Sea Chaser 16, Honda BFP60

croaker stroker


I live 5 miles from Seeker.....20 miles from UC.

It is impossible for these companies to compete with the Chinese made rods like Okuma and Phenix.

1987 - 17' Sea Pacer - 2004 Evinrude 90 E-tec
1985 - 15' Sea Sprinter - **SOLD**

"Ex Tridente Pax". 🇺🇸

Fisherdv

Quote from: Croaker Stroker on February 08, 2020, 09:22:40 PM

I live 5 miles from Seeker.....20 miles from UC.

It is impossible for these companies to compete with the Chinese made rods like Okuma and Phenix.
Yeah, I hear ya on that.

I know these two rod manufacturers are usually at the Fred Hall show down there (if it hasn't passed already) so if your going to the show please try to get the scoop on what's going on with Seeker, and do check out the 8ft UC Elite composite rods.

    It's hard for me to get a hold of them because shipping for an 8ft plus rod is insane. I got both of my 8ft UC rods shipped up to me.
2018 Sea Chaser 16, Honda BFP60

croaker stroker

#9
Try here. They are about two miles from Seeker and have a large quantity of Seeker rods.

https://www.thelongfin.com/seeker-black-steel-jig-and-bait-rods.html


The Seeker CSW858 (8.5 feet)  is similar to a 196 with a slower parabolic taper.


Seeker or any tackle shop might not want to ship an 8' rod. ?? 

1987 - 17' Sea Pacer - 2004 Evinrude 90 E-tec
1985 - 15' Sea Sprinter - **SOLD**

"Ex Tridente Pax". 🇺🇸

Fisherdv

Quote from: Croaker Stroker on February 08, 2020, 09:28:53 PM

Try here. They are about two miles from Seeker and have a large quantity of Seeker rods.

https://www.thelongfin.com/seeker-black-steel-jig-and-bait-rods.html
Tried them. I tried all of the online Seeker dealers and all the dealers down there. Nothing. As you can see, I really wanted that rod.
2018 Sea Chaser 16, Honda BFP60

Fisherdv

I got one  8ft UC rod shipped from Charkbait, and one shipped from Island tackle. About $50 for shipping.
2018 Sea Chaser 16, Honda BFP60

croaker stroker

#12
Looks like the 196 is available on their website....or they don't update the website ? 🤷🏼‍♂️

I'll look next time I'm in The Longfin. (I have a $50 gift certificate that's burning a hole in my pocket)


Fred Hall is March 4th. in Long Beach.
1987 - 17' Sea Pacer - 2004 Evinrude 90 E-tec
1985 - 15' Sea Sprinter - **SOLD**

"Ex Tridente Pax". 🇺🇸

Fisherdv

Quote from: Croaker Stroker on February 08, 2020, 09:38:42 PM

Looks like the 196 is available on their website....or they don't update the website ? 🤷🏼‍♂️

I'll look next time I'm in The Longfin.
Ok, sounds good CS, let me know. I also saw that rod listed online, but when I called to verify stock it was not available. After searching everywhere I went directly to Seeker but even they don't have it.
2018 Sea Chaser 16, Honda BFP60

Fisherdv

Seeker even made me a sweet offer on the same rod but in the top of the line Super Seeker series. I declined because the tip on the Super Seeker series is a little bit stiffer.
2018 Sea Chaser 16, Honda BFP60

croaker stroker


Super Seekers blanks are my personal favorites....also the Pinheads and Stealth rods.  (Military Grade Composite)

1987 - 17' Sea Pacer - 2004 Evinrude 90 E-tec
1985 - 15' Sea Sprinter - **SOLD**

"Ex Tridente Pax". 🇺🇸

Svinny88

I have compiled a small list currently if companies that have 100% made and manufactured in USA components   The coolest one is this company, for shirts   Www.fishbax.com
1998 15'11" sea explorer. 2020 Honda bf100
"T roLL on 1"

Svinny88

1998 15'11" sea explorer. 2020 Honda bf100
"T roLL on 1"

Svinny88

Can we Request from a moderator to have a sticky for American made products where we can list companies with fishing related items, 100% made and manufactured in USA? I have some companies for the list
1998 15'11" sea explorer. 2020 Honda bf100
"T roLL on 1"

Omega3

Vinny,what's the point?The most expensive piece of equipment on your boat is made in Japan.Any Merc over 60 hp is made in Wisconsin.The fact is corporate America sold out to foreign manufacturing years ago for higher profits.What was that Bruce Springstien tune?These jobs are leaving boys and they ain't never coming back.
05 Sea Ranger 19  05 Evinrude 135 DI   17 Yamaha F8

Svinny88

 The point is that there still are companies manufacturing products in America the products that we cannot get in America unfortunately we will have to buy but I want to purchase everything that I possibly can no matter what the cost and help promote American businesses that have items manufactured in America because if we don't start doing it now there won't be anything left it's made in America so I'm willing to spend a little  extra and give up some products that I can do without to support our country that seems to continue to be on a downhill struggle many of the companies that I've already talk to have the same thought process the guy with the shirts it completely bothers him that people would print trump 2020 or any Republican or Democratic advertising material on a shirt made overseas and that actually bothers me too
1998 15'11" sea explorer. 2020 Honda bf100
"T roLL on 1"

Omega3

Vinny,I agree with you.I believe in a bottom up approach,trickle down has made our foundation weak.As for American made products.Humminbird,the only electronics made in America.Minn-kota.Eagle Claw hooks.Viscious line.Cousins rods.Penn reels but only the International and Senators.I have done pretty well.The only high dollar item on my boat that is not American or Canadian made is my Yamaha kicker.
05 Sea Ranger 19  05 Evinrude 135 DI   17 Yamaha F8

Hunter

Vinny... your signature says that you've got no motor and are waiting for a BF100.   Isn't that BF a Honda?    What about an Evinrude for the USA factor?  I've heard pretty good things about the new Etec's.     
2001 Sea Legend 22 (Gone But Not Forgotten)
2017 Hewescraft Ocean Pro 220 ET-HT - Honda BF250 & Honda 9.9 Power Thrust
All Garmin Electronics

"ALWAYS QUESTION AUTHORITY!!"

Yachter Yat

   Honda, if you want dependability and longevity.   Etec if you simply want American.  Sorry, but IMO, that's about the size of it.  Maybe I read too much.............Ha


Yat
History is not the past; it's the present, as we all carry it with us......James Baldwin    
16 SC/Honda 60  (sold)

Svinny88

I did go with the Honda, and it's already bought and paid for, sitting at the dealer waiting for me when I get home on the 18th. I did not think that one through, as I was looking at the highest charging capacity possible,and have always been Yamaha or Honda, except for my small 20-35 hp 2 stroke Johnson/evinrude
Unfortunately even though I know that the newer Evenrudes are way better than some of the older ones,After the fitch scare, I just alway feel like there's going to be a problem, even though I know many people that have 0 problems with them. I have collected quite a few companies through my emails and what not of made in America goods and if we are so lucky as to be able to have a sticky I will post up their websites which ranges everything from water Gramlin for sinkers eagle claw and trocar for hooks Cortland for line quite a few cooler companies that even though they have some productsThat are not made in USA do have a decent amount of made in USA coolers and the list goes on with a lot of other products that I don't have any use for but are still made in USA
1998 15'11" sea explorer. 2020 Honda bf100
"T roLL on 1"