uicdent11

I know you said you didn't like the BPS reels, but a lot of people on here like the extreme series. They have it in a 5. something too. As for the crankin stick; I have one and I really like it. I would only buy it though if it was on sale which they are often for $40. An extreme and crankin stick would be a pretty nice budget setup and you would have money left over to buy some new cranks.

If you are looking in the 5.0 range then I assume you are looking for a crankbait setup. I prefer a shorter 6'6 medium power,moderate/fast action rod for shallow to medium running cranks and a 7' medium/heavy power, moderate/fast action for deeper stuff. For the other reels I would get two good 6'6 and 7' ft rods. One medium and one medium heavy. For all around rods I would get both with fast action. X-fast if you will use it for plastics/jigs.

I use 10lb when I use CXX, but I do not have any on my baitcasters this year yet. Trying Yo-Zuri for the first season and love it. Had no problems with the CXX btw, just wanted to try something new. Will probably use the CXX on a frog rod soon though.

As long as your aren't throwing 3/4 oz cranks all day, I would recommend 2 mg's. I picked up two lefties this year and I am a noob when it comes to baitcaster, oh boy do I love these little things. I have #12 Yo-Z on one and #10 Floroclear on the other. I like the strength of hybrid, especially for the diameter, but I needed to use up my floroclear so I figured I'd put it on to start the year. I have always used BPS rods, but recently picked up a crucial spinning rod and I love the sensitivity. Take a look at their casting rods and I am sure you won't be disappointed. Also, I have never tried an Avid, but I hear great things about them every time I get on here.

I love the reel, but for some reason it rubs the inside of my index finger raw. I have the left handed version and cast with my right hand. I have tried several different casting techniques, but can't seem to get comfortable. Thank God I still have my mg's. I can't see how anybody could not like the new E's and I think my case is a rare exception. I did notice the same thing you did though; there seem to be a lot for sale.

Brakes come on too soon on your baitcaster? Sorry, just a little confused.

Could I add Buzzbaits to the list you guys have given me?

If you had to have this rod in your arsenal, what would you use it for? Let's also say that you carry only 4 rods so it may have to pull double duty.

It you are using it for lighter jigs and t-rigged plastics then I would say yes. I have a drop shot spinning crucial that I use for drop shot and light texas rigs and it has great sensitivity. I did just order a 6'10 MHXF casting rod that I plan to use for frogs and heavier jigs. I have yet to compare the two, but the crucial blew me away when I used it for the first time a week ago. I have also heard that the compre crankin rods are very good for the $.

Looks like we are all going to have to start eating McDonalds's Filet-o-Fish. BTW, anybody else have this song stuck in their head since you first saw the commercial?

Had great luck this past weekend throwing beaver craws on a 3/16 oz spot remover. Pinchers together or apart, it did not matter. They had to be fished slow across the bottom. All fish were caught in 1-5 ft. of water and on the sunny side. If some of the other techniques mentioned don't pan out it may be worth a try. Good luck.

If you are worried about breaking #6 line, then try Yo Zuri. It is rated higher than its' pound test. I think 6 is actually closer to 12. I use #8 pline floroclear on one and #6 Yo Zuri hybrid on my other. So far both have worked flawlessly.I plan to take the best one of the two and then compare it to Trilene 100% flouro. Hopefully when the season is over I will have a favorite...haha

I have a Sol and two Chronarch 50mg's. I have only used the mg (the Sol is at the post office waiting to be picked up ) I would recommend the mg for anything finesse and throwing light cranks. Great little reel. I am however, looking forward to fishing the Sol. I do not think you could go wrong with either of the two.

I own a stradic and my wife has a PTi20 (thanks uncle leo). The quantum actually feels smoother than the stradic. I have only fished the stradic and it is a great reel. I can not attest for the the durability of either because I just got them this season. I will agree with everyone about the weight difference. It is definitely noticeable. All I can say is that the quantum comes out of the box smoother than the stradic. For the price I do not think you could go wrong, plus they look sweet!

Sorry guys, I was away for a little bit. If you look look at the citica pic, it is located on the bottom right of the reel. It is the spring loaded hinge that the sideplate rotates on. Since I have the left handed version, I find that my hand rubs against it when I cast.

I was just wondering if anyone has experienced the same thing I did when I used my new curado for the first time. I have the lefty version and when I cast, with my right hand, the little knob that sticks out of the side plate rubs my hand raw. It occurs between my index finger and thumb. I have larger hands, and when I cast I always have at least 1 finger in front of the trigger. Even when I tried a different hand position, it would still rub when I transitioned into palming the reel. Anybody else find this happening to them when using this reel? I can post a pic for those that don't know what part of the reel I am talking about. For reels like the mg, it was not a problem because of the screw-out sideplate.

6.2 or .3:1 would your best bet for a beginner reel. Also, make sure you look at IPT (inches per turn). Some may have a slower gear ratio, but actually pick up more line.

Banor, You hit the nail right on the head when you said that I have 3 for light tackle and 1 more heavier stuff. I think that I am going to take each of your suggestions and see what I can come up with. Here in N. Illinois I don't throw a lot of heavier stuff. Basically nothing over 1/2 oz except for the occasional fat free shad that I think is 3/4 oz. I think I have light cranks/spinners and weightless/small jigs covered with the Sol and Mg respectively. I now need to decide what rod I want to pair with the mg and curado.

Thanks for the details on the Sol. Do you know anything about the Mg? I know the Sol vs Mg thing has been discussed already, but I am wondering if it is a little more universal than the Sol. From my research, correct me if I am wrong, it seems that the Mg is great at throwing lighter lures, but can also be used for heavier ones as well. As you have probably seen in my other posts, I plan to use it for weightless plastics, TX/Carolina rigs, Jigs, deep divers, and heavier spinnerbaits. Thanks for the help

I am also a weekend fisherman like yourself. I've fished the last two years with BPS bionic blades and have no regrets. I just picked up a BPS crankin stick on sale for this season, but have yet to use it. I would only buy BPS rods on sale because they are on sale so often. Bionic blades can be had for $50 during the spring and crankin sticks seem to always be on sale for $30-40. I can not speak for their reels or any of their nicer rods as I have not used them yet. I will add that I have recently purchased a shimano crucial spinning rod and there is a difference between it and my bionic blade (spinning). The crucial is almost weightless in my hands and the greater sensitivity is noticeable. With that said, I wouldn't hesitate to pick up another BPS rod in the future.

Haha... me either. I agree with everything you've said. I think it is a given that the sol will be paired with the crankin stick and one of the mg's with a 7'M Bionic Blade. Now, since I just bought my final rod, would you pair the curado with the MH/XF compre or the MH/F bionic blade? My other mg will go on the other rod. Do you think I'd benefit more from an XF rod for jigs/carolina rigs or frogs?

Anybody else have some input?

I also used it for the first time yesterday and I am a believer! It worked wonders on 12# CXX. I will continue to use it until proven otherwise.

Well guys, I just checked ebay and decided to bid on a 6'10 compre. Anyways, I won the rod for $75 w/ free shipping. I thought that this was a fair deal as I would have to drive over an hour to pick one up anyways. I think I will pair it with an mg51 for throwing texas rigs and jigs. I will end up pairing the bionic blade MH/F with my curado for frogs/buzzbaits and heavier crankbaits/spinnerbaits. It was an impulse buy, but now I feel complete for the season. Haha

The mojo is one of the rods I am looking at. I am also looking at either the 6'6 or 6'10 compre MH/XF. The one thing that I do not like about the mojo is that there is no cork in front of where the reel sits. I tend to rest my index finger there when palming smaller reels and it looks like the mojo might be a little uncomfortable. I guess I will just have to try both at the store and see for myself. Thanks for the input.