Top Fishing Brands from 2011

Southwick Associates' www.anglersurvey.com announced the brands and products anglers purchased most frequently in 2011. This list has been compiled from the 29,495 internet-based surveys completed by anglers who volunteered to participate last year's polls.

The marketing data presented here is a summary of a 150-page market report just released by Southwick Associates that details consumer behavior including what products and brands are purchased, where they are bought, how much customers spend, and demographics of freshwater and saltwater anglers broken out by each product category.

In 2011, the top brands include:

• Top rod brand: Shakespeare (9.6% of all purchases)

• Top reel brand: Shimano (21.4% of all purchases)

• Top fishing line producer: Berkley Trilene (13.1% of all purchases)

• Top hard bait brand: Rapala (21.8% of all purchases)

• Top soft bait brand: Zoom (15.2% of all purchases)

• Top spinner bait brand: Strike King (16.4% of all purchases)

• Top sinker brand: generic (28.8%), Bullet Weights (12.1% of all purchases)

• Top fly rod brand: Orvis (10.4% of all purchases)

• Top fly reels brand: Orvis (16.5% of all purchases)

• Top fly combo brand: Cabela's (31.5% of all purchases)

• Top fly line brand: Scientific Angler (3M) (23.8% of all purchases)

• Top fly leader brand: Rio (28.9% of all purchases)

• Top tackle box brand: Plano (45.8% of all purchases)

• Top landing net brand: Frabill (24.5% of all purchases)

• Top fishing knife brand: Rapala (25.2% of all purchases)

Other Notes:

• Largemouth bass remain the number one targeted species of freshwater fish, with 52 percent of fishing activity targeting largemouth bass.

• Saltwater anglers were more varied, with 31 percent of trips targeting redfish, followed by any saltwater fish that bites (25%), flounder (24%), spotted seatrout or weakfish (23%) and striped bass (20%). FS