retiredbosn

I'm going to confess that I bought my first Shimano a Curado E because of all the loyal fan base here. I knew that if I didn't like it I would have no problems selling it here. Needless to say I really liked it allot, I'm selling it now only because I have to switch to LH reels. I really hate to see it go.

I just went and looked it is advertised as Bass Pro Qualifer Tournament..... BPS does this so often, by adding the Tournament to the end it may or may not be the Pro Qual we all know. Example under the Qualifer reel the frame is described as machined aluminum, and the combo just aluminum. I think I'll email or talk to them to see

Thanks to everyone who participated with this. I hope someone besides myself found it informative.

Welcome to the dark side, lol.

My spinning reel is a Quantum Catalyst PT, really nice reel. For some reason Quantum always have allot of overruns or overstock, this time of year finding one of their spinning reels half off is not difficult, I just picked up a quantum kinetic baitcater for 50 bucks shipped. Good luck

I liked the "A Day at a Lake" he did for BassMasters magazine awhile back. The writer even referenced the stocked pond shows and how surprised he was that Bill could find and catch fish on a lake he had never seen or fished. People want too see big fish on his shows, but he still knows his stuff. He fished the first classic and was a pioneer in formatting tournaments to return their catches. When he started his live well was a plastic drum with an aireator.

What reel are you using? Brake type? First starting out set the tension knob tight, to the point that the lure barely moves, drops a little and stops. You're just learning and I wish someone would have told me that. Then practice with 1/2 to 5/8 weight sinkers, as your confidence build you start loosening the tension knob. Then start backing off the brakes. The tape thing will help.Watch the video it really helps.

Thanks Tom, I edited the bearing section.

Prayers sent, hope all goes well for ya.

Do you need a LH or.RH model. They still have a few LH cranking models for 40 bucks.

Had one of the earlier models, it was a decent reel. This time of year is a great time to find deals

You make me sick, lol I went to a gym and told the female personal trainer I wanted the body of a god. She told me her work was done, I already looked like a fat Buddha! So when my wife said I needed to get in shape, I informed her that round was a shape! Seriously though good job, and good luck in meeting your goals.

Thanks Goose, I really want a lot of input on this, its educational for me and others as well I'm sure. I appreciate all the comments, and think through a collective effort I can gain much needed knowledge, and maybe help someone else out too. On the brake thing, my Gen 2 Winch has springs on the shoes, of course the pitch ones do not. Do you think I could set it up with one pitch brake and one spring loaded? Or at times during the cast would the spool be a little unbalanced from having just one brake applying pressure. Also let me know if the braking section is better after the edits. Thanks

Help me out Tom, I'm a little confused. My intent wasto start a thread that could help point people in the right direction when purchasing a reel. I know all the reels I mentioned are made in China or Korea, didn't realize I implied differently, let me know where so I can edit that portion. I have some old knuckle busters that have no brakes at all, they are in storage now, they are Pflueger I think with patent dates of 1897 or something like that. Maybe they aren't classified as baitcasting??? On the bearing issue, the first baitcasters I purchased were discount chain specials, Shakespeare Axiom and something else, anyway the bearings in those were not even stainless. I wanted to help others avoiding some rookie mistakes that I have made, and stainless bearings are better than regular steel.

I agree absolutely. I don't normally pay full price for any of my reels. You can with some creative shopping buy a quality reel for 59 bucks NIB. I purchased a NIB Accurist for 59 once, and last week I purchased a Kinetic for 50 NIB. Deals can be found, and there is no need for anyone to be handicapped by a bad reel, even on a budget. Then as you stated the flea market here is a great place to get a gently used reel for a great price.

Revo and BPS reels have springs on the brakes, to reset the brake. The centrifugal force has to be enough to allow the brake to compress the spring to engage. When the spool slows the spring pushes the brake off. One of the features you find on most reels produced in that factory. Edited brake section My point there was to illustrate how one factory makes several brand. You are correct that BPS reels are not rebranded Pure Fishing reels, they are made in the same factory to different specs. Though the Pflueger, Revo, BPS brands have many similarities and interchangeable parts. Cabella's reels aren't Quantums but that's who makes them, my point was that one factory produces different brands. Also edited the manufacturers section. Thanks

With all the threads wanting recommendations on this reel or that, add to that the amount of request for information from new anglers I thought it may be helpful to have a thread on the essentials of picking a reel. I've been buying baitcasters for years now and just last week I found myself asking questions about a reel, so this may prove helpful to more than just new anglers. First and foremost and let’s get this out of the way right at the start, IMO you will not get a quality reel less than $80 NIB, period; unless you find them on sale at closeout. This isn't to imply that a quality reel is out of anyones budget, I hardly ever pay full price for my reels. I typically get everything on sale, last week I purchased a reel at 60% off of retail, a $120 reel for $50 bucks. I find this time of year to be one of the best times to find a deal, you have overstocks, last years models, etc that stores are clearancing to stock the latest model. The Frame: First and foremost make sure it is one piece, and aluminum. The frame is the foundation of the reel, bad frame bad reel, no matter the bearing count or how smooth it feels. IMO regular graphite framed reels are not worth the money, and some of these frames are found on reels costing almost a $100. I corresponded this week with a reel manufacturer about this very thing, the tech rep tried to help me understand the differences in graphite but I can’t say it helped, lol. There are basically four types of graphite frames, graphite, reinforced graphite, composite, and composite reinforced. From my correspondence with the rep, composite reinforced graphite are as good as graphite gets, but it is still weaker than aluminum. His opinion was that it would suit a weekend angler, with no chance of hooking a large long running fish. For 10-20 dollars more, I think it is worth getting aluminum. Bearings: Here it is quality over quantity. How many bearings does a reel need? 3 bearings are enough for long casts and smooth operation. 4 is better, after awhile I really don’t know where they are putting them. I have reels with as many as 11 bearings, a quick scan of the schematic shows, 2 bearings on each end of the spool shaft, a bearing directly under the pinion gear, under the spool, at the handle paddles, one on the worm gear (for what purpose I have no idea), etc. The point is there is absolutely no need to buy a reel based just on bearing count. A reel with 4 quality bearings will out perform a reel with 12 low quality bearings. Bearings are rated by ABEC 1 is standard up to 9 being NASA quality, fishing reels use 1, 3 , 5 and 7. A good reel technician can update shaft bearings in a quality reel with grade 7 bearings and it will make a big difference in casting distance. Google Bearings 101 and there is a good article there that is helpful and informative. Thanks Tom, WRB. What is important with bearings is quality; stainless steel minimally, some ppl like ceramic, or some type of hybrid. Spools I don’t think I remember seeing anything but anodized aluminum, or machined aluminum. The point is you want a metal spool. Gears, Gearing and Speed Obviously gears should be made out of metal, brass being pretty much standard, each manufacturer has their own take and alloy. Some of the real low end reels have plastic gears, avoid them like the plague. Gearing is the ratio of spool evolutions to handle, a 5.4:1 means the spool rotates 5.4 times per handle turn. The lower the ratio the more torque the reel has, increase the ratio lower the torque. Speed which is measured by Inches of line recovered Per Turn (of handle) or ipt. Contrary to popular belief this is not dictated by gearing alone, spool size comes into play, amount of line on the reel, etc.Do not confuse gearing and speed, though related they are not the same. Today a standard speed is something in the 6.2 to 6.5 :1 gearing, with anywhere from 24-28 ipt. It is interesting to note though at one time a 5.4:1 bringing in 20 ipt was described as high speed, you will still read old articles where a pro states you need a high speed reel for DD’s, again these are old articles from the era that 21ipt was high speed. DD Crankbaits require a low ipt, somewhere around 20-23 ipt, shallow and lipless Crankbaits 23-26 ipt, Spinnerbaits can be slow rolled to burned. The newest thing is high speed, reels bringing in 30-34ipt, mainly used for jigs, pitching, burning buzzbaits etc. Soft plastics and the like can be fished on any speed you like. Anti-Reverse Most reels today have instant anti-reverse through the use of a crankshaft sleeve and roller bearing, some have a pawl backup that catches on the trip ratchet under the gears. Some have just the pawl with multiple stops, this is handy for crankbaiting according to some professionals. Brakes A good braking system makes casting these reels so much easier. Two types of brakes dominate the market; the magnetic system and centrifugal system. Within the past few years it is possible to get a dual brake system, and even more recent a twin centrifugal system. Each system has its pro’s and cons, supporters and detractors. A quick explanation of each seems in order. Centrifugal brakes typicall consist of anywhere from 4-6 brakes, that can be turned on and off. These brakes work during the first part of the cast to keep your spool from overspinning and thereby reducing the dreaded over-run, as the spool slows these brakes reset. Magnetic brakes typically work on the back end of the cast and slow the spool to keep over-runs at the end of the cast. Some brand's mag brakes provide braking for the duration of the cast. Dual brakes obviously work during the first and second half of the cast, some of these can be set to where it would be almost impossible to over-run. Glenn has a video pinned at the top on how to setup a baitcaster, and the information in the video is great. Maintenance Gears get a little grease, bearings a drop of oil. If you purchase a quality reel, maintain it and it will last you for years, maybe a lifetime. Manufacturers Although there are allot of different brands there are not that many factories producing reels. I asked a reel smith a question recently about construction and he was very informative. Pflueger and Abu Garcia are Pure Fishing reels, the factory also manufactures BPS reels. I also suspect that Lews are made here too, as all of these brands look like they share the same DNA. Some parts interchange between a Revo and a BPS Pro Qualifier! So in reality although you may have your favorite brand, that doesn’t mean the factory only makes that brand. I’m not going to bash or degrade any brand there are good products being produced by every major manufacturer. Also note, some but not all of the manufacturers offer composite reinforced graphite frame. Others offer reinforced graphite and a couple do not state anything but graphite. Like I’ve already written a composite reinforced graphite frame will last awhile, perhaps longer than I’m willing to give them credit for, but when I can get an aluminum frame for 10-20 bucks more I’ll go with aluminum. So to recap, in a reel you want a one piece aluminum frame, quality bearings, brass gears, in the speed and gear ratio to suit your fishing style. I'm sure there are things I forgot, please add your advice.

I hope someone comes along with an answer. All I know is that its fused braid, and I don't know what that means lol.

I ignore the brakes labeled pitch and keep them off. Would love to know of a way to make them spring loaded. As already posted they engage at low rpm's and stay engaged, will kill your distance. I like using 2 pins but there isn't anyway to do it without having offset pins, and using one pitch and one spring loaded really cuts down your casting distance. The loss of distance only really matters when using DD cranks, which is why I bought the Revo Winch for in the first place. I'm seriously considering taking it back and exchanging it for a BB1.

I like using KVD Line and Lure conditioner, whether it works or what. But I notice improvement in line management and memory when I use it.

Also FWIW big fish sports used to accept money orders, I can check to see if they still do. The bigger stores like his do not insist on Paypal only.

What???? That's crazy, you're in Florida right? Makes no sense. That's like a Burger King not having burgers.

I have pictures of my daughter holding her catches. She was an excellent wing shot by the age of 12, I also have pics of her swinging on a chukker..very cool u see my dog on point her swinging on the bird and the bird. Now in her 20's time fishing is almost non existent. Her youngest brother is coming on in the fishing world.

Cash?? Are they still printing that stuff?? I carry I little emergency cash. Unless I'm flea marketing or something like that, some Mom and Pop places give discounts for cash I use it then otherwise not at all. This summer we were having a cookout, Mom needed change for a 20 between the four of us siblings we didn't have 20 in cash. Ages 46-30, don't know if we fit the young demographic Robert mentioned.

With the 5500 size I stick to anything 3/8 or larger. They are well built, easy to work on and maintain. I don't know if its possible to wear one out.