The wake baits are fish catchers!!!


I've caught:
Bass
Cats
Crappie
Reds
Trout

I've caught fish on their square bills and spinnerbaits, but I really like the CRS+. It's seriously snag free if retrieved correctly and catches lot of fish for me in 50 to 60 deg water, even as low as 45.

With most cheaper reels I avoid using cranks with them. Seems they wear out faster due to the constant resistance. Especially the deep divers

I love Sports Academy, or is it "Academy Sports," products, especially the H20 Xpress reels, rods and accessories. More details forthcoming.

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Mettle reels are fantastic.

I don't want to risk wasting money and buying house brand reels and rods or line. I have tried the lures almost accidentally when I first moved down here I didn't know the brand was a house brand just thought it was a small southern brand. That said I really like their jerk baits and crank baits. Their topwater baits are junk in my opinion though.

Their 4 inch Pistol Minnow is a good bait.

Academy used to have a house brand of lures called Tournament Choice. They were compete junk. I think the H2O is fantastic. Those that want to can keep buying those high dollar lures, certainly can. I will not.

Bibs are awesome. I got some on sale for $49 & shipping was free.

I bought a couple of the mettle reels and tournament choice rods to take down to Galveston because I didnt want to take my stuff I use all the time. The reels performed very well and still do great now. All I did was rinse them with clean water after using them and had them cleaned, greased, and oiled when I got back. The rod was great for a $20 rod. Its light and pretty well balanced. Really cant complain. The rod became a really good trade during the BPS spring classic sale! The only baits I have ever used of theirs are the squarebills. They are awesome for $3 or less if you can catch them on sale. I do prefer KVDs though

I'm new to bass fishing, and yes, I just learned since last Autumn to use a baitcast reel. Somehow, I heard about the Academy brand of rods/reels call H20 Xpress, and I tried them. Quality reels that go on sale from $29-49 is/was a great discovery, and the Ethos rods are great. I bought myself a Mettle, then a Maxim, and I bought my Dad a Motive. At his age, the backlashes and learning curve were a bit much. He was getting better, but I want to have "fun" with him fishing, so I got him a really good, fast as can be spincast from Bass Pro, and I am keeping the Motive. All in all, I like the Xpress reels a lot.

Addendum: The Mettle is on the H20 Ethos rod, the other two reels are currently on Berkley Cherrywood rods. Good news, Sports Academy does exchanges on damage/broken rods and reels, no questions. Nothing has broken yet, but 4 years down the road, I may have to test it, but I'm sure it will work out!

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I have the camo H20 mettle combo, casts like a dream. Definitely an eye opener on their house brand.

All my packages say South Korea.

H20 packages say South Korea?

I broke an H2O rod one time when I was spooling up new line.But for the money most of their stuff is good enough for me.