5 reasons to own an ACC Crappie Stix

Since entering the market roughly six years ago, ACC Crappie Stix have become an industry standard with their innovation, quality, and customer service. Some people simply call them the “green rods”; others see them as a tool durable and dependable enough to use on a daily basis. We surveyed owner Andy Lehman and president of marketing Mitch Fese about the things that make ACC Crappie Stix a great purchase for not only the weekend warrior but also for the grizzled tournament competitor and the 5-days-a-week guide.

Here are 5 reasons to own an ACC Crappie Stix:

• Constant innovation is one of the basic premises of the ACC business philosophy.  Andy and Mitch experiment with everything, tinkering with established models and introducing new ones regularly. Aside from their own ideas, they solicit information from some of the best crappie fishermen in the country. Even though the company is relatively new, innovation remains more than just a buzzword, not just a marketing gimmick, not just change for the sake of change.

ACC constantly attempts to refine their rods and put the best products in the hands of their customers.

“We are always trying to stay ahead of other rod manufacturers in many ways,” Andy said. “One of those is innovation. We are using different materials for grips and placing the reel seat in different positions on the rod for better balance.”

From the marketing end, Mitch recognizes the impact that innovation has on the success of the company. The input from all consumers fuels the updates and new introductions by the company.

“We listen to our customer and pro staff feedback to continue to innovate as the crappie industry continues to grow,” he said. “Super-grips is a great example.”

• The second point complements the first. From the beginning, Andy sought the best combination of materials to produce a quality product for the fishing community. He required the best composition of materials to build the best rods.

Mitch points out the ease of use, the sensitivity, and the power of the rods.

“How light they are,” Mitch said when asked to pinpoint some of the top qualities of the ACS brand. “When you’re vertical fishing all day, a few extra ounces of weight on a rod will really start to be noticed. They have extreme sensitivity and great backbone. These rods are designed to be light but have plenty of backbone to swing 2-lb. plus fish in the boat. These aren’t flimsy rods.”

Andy makes an even more specific point about the composition of the rods, one not immediately recognizable until the rod is put to the test.

“Not all carbon is created equal,” Andy said. “We use a more expensive brand of carbon, and we use a higher grade on some models like the longer LiveScope rods.”

Andy said the overall quality of the various ACS models is evident, including to the businesses that supply the rods.

“Our manufacturer said we are pickier than any company they have ever worked with,” he said. “We take pride in being a pain in the butt as far as quality and the action and feel of the rods.”

• Point #3 conjures images of the old TV commercial “Don’t Try This at Home.” Don’t try this on the lake, but some of the rods float. Even with a reel attached, the opportunity to grab a rod dropped in the drink is available.

Perhaps they weren’t designed with that in mind, but the facts suggest a happy by-product. Accidents happen and just about every fisherman has lost tackle overboard. The floating quality, while not absolute, has already saved rods.

Take our word for it, but any further anecdotal confirmation from users would be appreciated.

“Some models will float even with a spinning reel attached,” Andy said. “We know the 10’-12’ will float. Don’t try this intentionally. It depends on the size of the reel and other factors.”

• All ACC models are backed with some of the best and most responsive customer service in the industry. Taking care of customers has been a core value of ACC from the beginning. A representative is attentive to e-mails and generally responds to a customer’s query within minutes.

“We hear a lot about how we are #1 in customer care,” Andy said. “We have a great team member who reads and responds to e-mails on a daily basis, and we work very hard to ensure we keep customers happy and on the water.”

Added Mitch, “You’re gonna hear from us, and we’ll do what it takes to keep our customers happy.”

• Be content with the knowledge that ACC rods have been field-tested thoroughly before reaching tackle shops or becoming available on the website. They arrive in stores for a reason; prototypes have already withstood the challenge of some of the best crappie fishermen in the country.

“These rods are designed and thoroughly vetted through lots of life-long crappie fishermen,” Andy said. “We will make many rounds of samples.

“We have a vast range of folks who do an amazing job repping these rods. We have retired gentlemen who have never guided or fished a tournament but know how to catch a huge limit of crappie on a daily basis to folks who have won championship tournaments all over the country.”

The pro staff includes members from the depths of Florida and Louisiana to the frozen reaches of the North. Their range and experience cover just about any scenario encountered by the average crappie fisherman.

“We have the greatest family of pro staff we could ask for,” Andy said, “the friendliest, the most willing to talk and help someone out on the water or at the boat ramp types of people.”

Andy leaves us with a final thought about the rods and the company in general. He always anticipates a superior experience for all ACC stakeholders.

“We try to take care of employees, customers, and reps just like we would want to be treated,” Andy said. “We want everyone to smile when they think about the ACC Crappie Stix company.”