What are everyone's thoughts on H20 Express? For those that don't know, it's the Academy house brand. They make rods, reels, hooks and lures. Some of their rods and reels are priced as mid to high end which I found interesting.

Anybody used their stuff? How did it perform?

Will probably stay away from their rods and and reels but their hooks and crankbaits are quite a bit cheaper.

The rods they have are not terrible at all. I have a 7 ft mh that I like a lot

They did feel good. I'm sure they're backdooring somebody else's supplier in Asia on most of this stuff.

Love their reels, the Mettle is a great reel for the price and use them exclusively. The rods leave a little to be desired. Not as good of feel as my Daiwa's and I am switching back to Daiwa, had an H2O rod break on a cast. Not a hook-set, a cast. So I switched back. As for hooks, I wouldn't compromise with hooks, I would stick with a Gama or Owner, I wouldn't skimp there.

Their hooks are made same place as Gammys by same company for Academy

I did not know that. So there basically a Gama?

I love their rods, square bills, and a few other things. I bought their hooks and they rusted onme in a week. Most Rods own are h2o ethos paired with a Lew's reel I bought from academy

That's why you go Owner! As far as H2O I love the Mettles! Just about every reel I have is a Mettle and a great reel for the money! I also have a 7' MH Ethos and its okay! Good spinnerbait rod! Sq Bills are really good but haven't tried the deeper stuff! Oh ya and the rain gear is pretty decent!

Great hard baits and reels. Rods arnt bad I have a 7'6"H I keep as back up and have swung quite a few 5-7lb hybrids using it

I know the square bills catch fish...caught my PB on one. Just wish they hadn't discontinued the color pattern I caught her on!!

My ethos is a 7ft MH micro. I like it, but it is a little stiff. I would get another at the sale price, but not for 90 bucks. It will fly a 2 pound bass over the boat on hookset.
H20 makes a great jerk bait too. It doesnt suspend out of the box, but change the hooks and it is great. The hooks aren't bad, just smaller.
Their squarebills are decent, but like all others, the bills will break.
Their frogs looks good, and I have a few, but my lake is not a froggin lake.
I have 2 mettles and like them. They cast good, but they are only good to a price point. The drag needs to be beefed up and they engage so easy that they will engage durring the cast and grind gears on ya.
I am interested in the ethos nano rods, but I have a couple of TFO's and ccan't see paying more for a nano rod.

I think all their hard plastic baits are made fairly well.

Love their crank baits!

I've caught a couple DD fish on their hard baits.

I compared their sq bills to the Xcalibur ones and the only difference I saw was the shape of the lips. I also throw their frogs and their awesome.