# Ecogear Lure issues



## parfitt (Dec 29, 2009)

I recently bought myself a couple of Ecogear MX48F's for chasing bream and flathead over flats and I was curious, given the excellent reputation the brand seems to have around here - if anyone else had any build/quality control issues.

I noticed when cleaning out the lures I had used for the day recently, that the first of the lures I used, for no more than 30-40 minutes - catching one small bream and not snagging or anything, actually lost an eye. If this was a cheap lure I wouldn't care, nor think twice to just chuck it out if damaged, but for something I paid in excess of $20 for to fail on the first day, I wasn't overly happy.

Has anyone had any experience with ecogear or other brands with faults - if so, should I be taking it back to the store of purchase (for which I no longer have a receipt) or should I be contacting the manufacturer somehow, or just not bother and say tough luck you wasted $20.

Cheers
Chris


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## Feral (Oct 18, 2008)

I cant comment on the quality of eco gear lures, I have never used one (cant justify the price, rarely fish for bream with lures anyway), but I have noticed that the price of a lure is often nothing to do with the build quality of the lure, more often reputation for catching fish, or where it sits on the "trendy" scale.

Best build quality and detail on a lure across the range I have had a close look at would have to be river 2 sea, the detail on their insect range is exquisite, dont catch fish when I use them, but gee they look fantastic while I'm not catching fish!
Most robust lures would have to be Gaden's, I reckon you could beat them with the back of an axe for half an hour and they would still be serviceable (well maybe not quite that good) 3x hooks, really strong rings etc. I've caught barra on ones that are so scratched and beaten up you wouldn't be sure of what the original colour scheme was!


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## justcrusin (Oct 1, 2006)

haven't had a eye fall off an ecogear yet, but it is probably more to do with the way the fish hit it. Even little bream have powerful jaws for crushing up shellfish and will do a lure damage when they want.

As feral said the price is more about a lures reputation and therefore demand, and ecogear have a brand name that every body wants. It wont effect the lure all that much anyway.

Cheers Dave


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## BIGKEV (Aug 18, 2007)

I have lost eyes off a couple of sx40's and sx48's. Probably 5 lures in total. But they had all had to deal with hard hitting and fighting fish such as mangrove jack and big bream. These fish straightened trebles and ripped the eyes off the lure and also knocked them well out of tune and I had to spend ages re-adjusting them to make them swin straight after the fish had their way with them.

I reckon your fish has just hit the lures head and crunched on it hard to kill it as bream do, they have very powerful jaws that easily crack open oysters, crabs and shell fish.

Kev


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## wayner (Jan 7, 2009)

i have had eyes fall off all brands over the years.just keep using them as they still catch fish with or without eyes...

wayne


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## koich (Jul 25, 2007)

Jackall's are worse for it.

I'm not overly concearned about losing a few. I'm more concearned about the dodgy fine gauge owners they insist on fitting.


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## parfitt (Dec 29, 2009)

Yea I am happy to continue using it, just seems a bit disappointing to pay more than you ever have for a lure and have it fall to bits in its first 30 minutes on the water. Obviously it still swims and can catch fish - I just wasn't sure whether it was something common on a lure so talked about as 'the brand' at the moment.


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## paffoh (Aug 24, 2006)

Forget Bream eye damage, flathead dynamo and leader rasping!

Thank god you got it back at all, eye or no eye... Here is why:


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## justcrusin (Oct 1, 2006)

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: bolt cutter toad fish nice one paff


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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

@ paffoh....ouch!


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## parfitt (Dec 29, 2009)

@paff - I wouldn't mind that - atleast thats a story to tell.


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## alpha (Aug 18, 2006)

Thats a painful sight paffoh! 
I've also lost eyes from fish strikes on sx40 ,and others including some ''eyed'' soft plasic shads that when shredded the remaining eye gets transplanted to one of my battle scarred one eyed hard bodies 8) 
I've taken/sent lures back that are damaged out of the box whether they're scrached or eyes are loose.let the shop deal with faulty products.
$20 is a lot to pay for a lure though I've seen sx40 's sell for $15 on a few occasions but there is some truth in you get what you pay for,asmuch as I like to use the cheaper River 2 Sea lures they have the highest rate of leakage in my tackle box.

Rapala's have never been exactly cheap,though to my knowledge Eco Gear was one of the 1st of the "fancier"/expensive lures to become accepted & popular by so many,(maybe cause of televised bream tournaments?)a foot in the door so to speak before all the other mad :twisted: jap lures 
gained popularity.mind you if you were prepared to pay $17 for a Manns depth5 what is a jackall Chubby worth to you.
I would have doubted it if you told me 6 years ago; 6 years from now i would have several boxes full of "micro" lures averaging approx. $20 each.

And sure the dearer lures are still mass produced, however there is usually no comparison in finnish & componentry.
S#%t they look convincing to me...(so too the fish?)and we're aware of the effects confidence has on ones fishing.
With even more advanced production & designing techniques being utilised like lazer finishes, magnetic weight transfer systems etc.for optimal action, balancing, bouyancy, aiding cast distance and accuracy they're bound to get even pricier...&
prettier


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## johnny (Aug 12, 2007)

i too had an sx40 lose an eye on its first day..
contacted owner of ecogear who said"you mail me the lure,n i'll mail you a new one"

the tackle shops say he's watertight

i glued on a fly fishing red eye and a dob of plastic to bead up the eye..


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## tomca (Dec 1, 2007)

I don't worry too much about loosing eyes, or getting the paint chewed off. The only thing that has been p!ssing me off lately is every time I use one of my r2s bubblepops and it snares a decent bream, they end up filled with water and sinking. Not good for a surface lure, but at least they catch fish.


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