Rods and reels continue to evolve at a break-neck pace. Even if your customers have a whole stash of gear, or you think your customers have seen it all, this is definitely not the time to turn your back on the rod, reel, and combo market. Now more than ever, rods and reels are combining durability, sensitivity, and low weight, with continually falling prices. This simply means better products at a lower cost, and it could also mean that those fish that were too finicky, too far out, too deep, or too big are now firmly within your customers’ reach.
Duckett Fishing
The new CLOAK series from Duckett Fishing is a simple, do-it-all bass rod line designed to remove the confusion from rod buying. With only three versatile models, CLOAK delivers exactly what anglers need—nothing more, nothing less. Ideal for beginners, weekend anglers, bank walkers, and kayak fishermen, CLOAK offers pro-level performance at an accessible price.
Each rod is lightweight, sensitive, and durable, built using Duckett’s tournament-proven design expertise. The exclusive GuntersVeil™ camo finish adds a subtle, stylish look unique to Duckett Fishing.
MAX4 Fishing
The new MAX4 Venusty Series of rods combine elegance and beauty with function and value. Venusty rods are made from 100% 30T Toray carbon fiber with 45-degree reverse-threaded inner and outer layers for strength and appearance, Fuji Alconite guides and Fuji reel seats. The slender ergonomic handles of amalgamated special carbon-burned cork provide superior durability, aesthetics, and comfort. With a strong backbone, sensitive tip, improved casting accuracy, and light weight, these rods are great for a wide range of fishing applications. Initially available in two spinning and one casting models.
Retailer Contact Information
Phone: 703-940-2071
Email: scott.iamwood@gmail.com
Bates Fishing Co.
Bates is introducing the E.D.C., their first baitcast reel. This reel is built tough and priced right, offering everyday reliability without the fuss. Featuring a cast aluminum frame, it’s lightweight yet strong enough for daily use. What sets the E.D.C. apart is under the hood, an innovative Digitally Assisted Brake (D.A.B.) system. This system uses a digital chip and electromagnetic braking to adjust resistance in real time, preventing backlash at high speeds and maximizing casting distance at low speeds. Best of all, it’s self-powered—no batteries or charging needed. Whether casting at first light or sneaking in a few after work, the E.D.C. ensures smooth control and lasting performance.
Daiwa
Winner of the 2025 ICAST “Best New Freshwater Reel,” Daiwa’s dynamic and right-priced Ballistic MQ LT is already a hot seller. Performance-wise, it’s all about Daiwa’s exclusive AIRDRIVE system. The combination of the AIRDRIVE rotor, shaft, spool, and bail deliver an exceptionally lightweight, efficient, frictionless, and airy performance you’ll feel from the moment you draw back the bail for a cast, to retrieving a lure, and ultimately, fighting a fish. The freshwater/saltwater crossover Ballistic MQ LT sports Daiwa’s single-piece monocoque (MQ) frame, which is constructed of carbon fiber, making the reel remarkably lightweight, rigid, durable, and corrosion resistant. MQ also delivers 360-degrees of stability and improved waterproofing over reels with conventional, screw-in sideplates.
SEVIIN Reels
An expansion of the elite-level SEVIIN GX Series for 2026, Professional-grade GX Series Casting Reels feature a one-piece aluminum frame and aluminum gear-side cover for zero gear torque, 9+1 bearings with premium Japanese spool bearings, a thick 95-millimeter carbon fiber handle with integrated hook keepers, technique-optimized skeletonized aluminum spools, and a dual magnetic/centrifugal braking system for optimal tuning in diverse fishing scenarios. Six 150-size GX models offer uncompromising performance and reliability and are available in three gear ratios with right or left retrieve.
St. Croix Rod
All-new for 2026, the American-made St. Croix Legend X2 Series pushes every boundary for technique-minded freshwater anglers seeking zero compromises in performance, sensitivity, balance, ergonomics, and appearance. St. Croix’s lightest rods ever—and among the strongest and most durable—Legend X2 is crafted from an all-new, denser and thinner SCVII carbon fiber material with graphene. It features a first-ever machined-premium-cork TRIGON handle, Fuji titanium and Torzite guides, carbon fiber reel seat with skeletonized aluminum nut, VEIL scrim, all top St. Croix technologies, and an electrostatically applied finish. Eleven casting and 11 spinning models are available.
Eagle Claw
New from the legends over at Eagle Claw is the Meal Ticket Crappie Rods and Reels. These rods deliver the high-end performance your customers want at a value price that keeps them coming back. Built on advanced composite blanks, they offer the sensitivity to feel every bite and the give to keep slabs buttoned up. With multiple lengths, powers, and actions, there’s a Meal Ticket for every crappie technique. Each rod pairs eye-catching reel seats with a stylish split-grip handle and crappie-focused branding on the rod and hang tag that shows anglers it’s made for crappie fishing. Meal Ticket includes 10 rod models across spinning, jigging, and trolling styles, along with six combo options. Reels are also available separately, including two spinning sizes, two inline sizes, and one inline trigger option.
These are but a few products in the Freshwater Rods, Reels & Combos category. To see more click HERE.
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