Opinions on the new Ardent baitcaster

[ksdog]

I just received a $200.00 Gander Mtn. gift certificate and was thinking I'll just run over to the store and get me one of those USA made Ardent. Anyone have an opinion on them ?

[FINNOR FREAK]

I ordered one from cabela's a few weeks ago .Got it in and tinkered with it about 5 minutes and boxed it back up.Didn't even put line on it.My daiwa luna with less bearings was smoother and where you open up the side plate,there is a small switch at the bottom.Evertime I would go back to throw it my finger would hit that switch.Very annoying and would be very painful after while.
Disapointed big time.Each to his own.

[progressive816]

I don't own one, but if you just want an opinion on them, I'd say they are butt ugly (if that matters in your purchasing decision). I played with a display model at Cabela's and it was not all that. It wasn't as smooth as what one would expect given the price and bearing type advertised (ABEC7?). I'd say the ugliness is up there along with the Shimano Coriolis.

What I would do to support buying American goods in this situation is to get a Made-in-USA rod (plenty of good American sticks)and pair it up with a made-in-whoever-is-the-best-producer reel company. But that's just my opinion please don't bash me.

[kbookert]

My new fishing partner (Bassdude) is on thier promotion staff. He seems to like it. He was throwing pretty good distance with a 3/16 jig. I didnt try it yet, but I will have to next time we go out. He says they are going to make them in a lefty this year.

[FINNOR FREAK]

Just noticed that cabela's has them now for 179 dollars.Either ardent is coming out with something to replace it or cabela's has decided to carry sometin else once the're gone?

[dustlane]

I went through three of them before I finally gave up. The first one had a big chip in the paint. The second one wouldn't disengage the clutch correctly. And the third one completely stripped the main shaft when I tightened the drag. And I didn't tighten it that tight. I did get a chance to see inside one and it has more plastic than any reel I have seen. The only metal I saw, as best I can remember, was the main gear and pinion gear. I was really disappointed in the reel because I was really excited about an American made baitcaster.

[FINNOR FREAK]

And imagine that.All that plastic for only 249.95.Oh I mean 179.95.Next week it may be 79.95.

[Snidley]

It really seems to be a re occuring story about our (USA and Canada) technology. With the exception of hitech devices and airplanes North America seems to really lag behind/opt for cheap components when it comes to our machines. I was at onetime involved in building trades and had some industry guys from Germany over to look at our products, techniques and business practices. They literally laughed at our products (windows, doors, roofing etc), and our techniques/business practices. They could not believe the low quality/outdated technology of our products and the fact that any joe could pick up some tools and call himself a tradesman or operate a trade business without certification after a lengthy apprentiship left them mistified. They believed that the public would very likely be highly dissappointed or ,worse, ripped off by the trades industry in Canada as it was and is set up. How prophetic. Snidley

[dragon1]

You really want to go there with Ardent?

I bet the similarities will very much be in line with US Reel.

IMO...as the profit of the Company gets squeezed and it continues to spiral upwards towards the owners/investors....

The worse the product will become until it too goes the way of the Packard.

[T Mike]

FinNor, I'm kinda shocked that you only played with it for 5 minutes/boxed it up and didn't even bother spooling up line with it and cast it before giving it a review. Thats like kicking the tires of a car and writing it off without taking it for a test drive. Casting is where the Ardents shine.

Just so everyone knows I am sponsored by Ardent and working closely with them on their products. Do they get it right everytime?? No. Does Shimano?? No, Does Diawa? No, Does Van Staahl No, Okuma?? No. I got a closet full of reels ranging from Pflueger, to Diawa, to Shimano that are inoperable. ALL reels have issues. It's how they handle those issues that makes or breaks a company. I had one reel with a thumbbar issue out of numerous reels that I have and in less than a week I had a replacement and that wasn't even going through the prostaff director or David Gray or Mr Duncan.

I fish with their reels over 200 days a year and they are holding their own. I can't say that about a few other mfg's. I also have several prototypes that I am fishing right now for them.

Ardent is doing VERY well with their reels and had 3 new reels revealed at ICAST. Give them a chance to make things right. Talk to them, email them, get to know them, develop a relationship with them and you to will also see their dedication in customer service satisfaction and their desire to be sucessful. They are all very GOOD people doing a good deed by making their reels 100% made in the USA.

Shimano has been around for 80 years. Daiwa has been around for 50 years. Ardent is like 3 years old. There time is coming!!

Mike

[dustlane]

I really wish things had gone better with my Ardent experience. However, for $250 I shouldn't have to go through three reels and still have issues. After the third bad reel, I learned my lesson. I also feel like for $250 the reel should have alot less plastic and a nicer handle. I will say, though, that the Ardent XS really casted well. There is no denying that. Maybe in a few years I will give them another shot. Heck, maybe they have something new coming for 2008. We'll see. For now, though, I just bought two Daiwa Tierra baitcasters for less than one Ardent. And I really pleased. But I am opened minded so I won't rule anything out in the future.

[T Mike]

Dust, I totally understand your reasoning on 3 reels. I can't say I blame you.. But on the handles me likes the handles?? LOL Heck those knobs spin like forever when you flick them... What do you not like about the handles?? Also what plastic are you talking about?? Just curious.

Did you get the 3 reels that you had taken care of??

Thanks

Mike

[USA-RET]

It seems like Americans are the innovators and others refine what we come up with and make it better which eventually squeezes the US out of the market. That seems to be the case in pretty much everything I grew up with. Not sure who invented the fishing reel...but Daiwa has been making them sine 1955 and Shimano since 1970...their products seem to get better and better every year. I'll cheer Ardent on...but they have a very steep hill to climb to even be scratch the market compared to the others.

Overall business strategy has a lot to do with getting any market share. The Japanese, for years sold products at a loss just to get them in the hands of the consumer....once they got a consumer base and sales increased..loses eventually turned into big profits..and so the story goes.

Not sure any American company would be willing to operate in the red for years to reap the rewards later on. Our corporate culture only thinks in terms of the next quarter....other foreign companies think in terms of the next quarter century.

[FINNOR FREAK]

T mike.I didn't have to spool it up.Wasen't no need.It was not smooth (maybe i got a bad one.),and the way I palm my reels the button on the side cover was an annoyance evertime I would throw it..If you like the reel thats great.I didn't.
And according to most of the post ,its not just me.
So to each his own

Now I got my eye on a nice johnson century .Gonna mount it on a St.Croix legend

[ksdog]

OK, here is the deal. I demo'd an Ardent caster in the parking lot a few weeks ago. Was fairly impressed. I then urged the store clerk to take it out fishing. His report was favorable, but said the reel was not worth the sticker price of $249.99. I asked him why Cabelas has them at $179.99 and he said he heard that Ardent was making new changes, again. So, I basically told him..."maybe for $100.00 I'll take a gamble." Further more, when I was at Cabelas a few months ago, the clerk there told me that Cabelas would not accept returns on Ardent, that you have to go through Ardent because they want to know what your dissatisfaction was. That made me a little nervous. Just like the rest, I'm pulling for Ardent, but the price would have to be a little more attractive for me to take a gamble. Thanks for the replies.