Delaware Valley Tackle

x2 - I also use a loop knot on rare occations

I'd put the Carbon Black on the jig rod, the Extreme on the pitching rod, the Accurist on the C-rig set up, and the JM on the spinner bait rod. The two fastest reels will help take up line quickly for jig and plastic fishing. The C-rig is probably fairly heavy and crawled across the bottom doesn't need a high speed. The JM is a middle of the road to make burning or slow rolling the spinnerbaits comfortable.

Yup, MH/Mod casting. From there you can start getting technique specific if you choose.

1988

The "impossible to back lash" claims of the Enigma are over blown imo. In the BPS line I suggest sticking with the PQ. AS for the ratio question, verify the IPT to be sure of what you are getting, but trying a 7.x:1 is worthwhile if you've never had one.

The PQ is a great value. Durability is not a major concern with them nor is availability of parts. They may not be as industructable as Shimano's but you'll get your money's worth and then some.

The gap comes from the split reel seat they use, it has no insert, which is hollow and doesn't contact the blank fully any how so there is no adverse affect on sensitivity. If it feels good to you it is fine.

There are also pegging systems you can buy, but you can always go old school and wedge a toothpick inside the weight and break it off. The water will make the wood swell and hold it tight.

Here is a link to a detailed yet concise article covering the basics: http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/rod-actions-power.html

The main problem I see with Quantums in the shop is a poor quality finish. A high percentage have corosion, blisters and blemishes. The AR sleeves corrode too often as well. I see minor QC issues like holes not lining up perfectly. This is not to bash the brand, each has their own issues. The issues I see in the Quantums are not all that major but pop up too frequently. The designs are good except for the gawd awful side plate release setup. It makes them unnecessarily difficult to service. THe smoothness, feespool and drag are all pretty good for the most part. If the QC and finish were up to par with the rest of the reel I think a lot of the nay sayers would come around. With reels around like the Curado and Ambassadeuer that you just can't kill if you tried, It's hard to look past even slight but apparent quality issues.

Nice grips. I like the minimal grip on the spinning reel. Long grips serve no real purpose.

Micros are light enough that you're still ahead of the game in an all on top design but, yes, spiral wrapping is the way to go 90% of the time.

Static testing is THE way to place guides. Charts will get you close, but by not static testing you miss out on a advantage of a custom build. There is nothing wrong with the line touching the blank in a deep bend as long as the line doesn't dip below the blank. Keeping the line totally off the blank with micros partially defeats the purpose because too many extras are needed. 1 per foot of rod length plus 2 plus the tip should be about right. I alway have a few extras just in case. Like everything else there is a right and wrong way to conduct a static test. If you want to really maximize the whole setup you can spiral wrap the micros and use even fewer.

Welcome Steve! I can vouch for community and mgmt here as both a sponsor and participant. I'm just up the Delaware from you in Milford Pa at the top of the Watergap. Hopefully we'll meet and maybe even fish a little one day! Mike Lawson Delaware Valley Tackle

The rod should be the main tool to fight and move the fish. There's really no need to winch fish in. I like fast reels for short line situations where a fish can pick up the bait and swim right at you putting slack in the line. Also for burning baits and getting buzzbaits on plane quickly. You can do the same with a 6.x:1 it's just a little more work.

Each design has its pluses and minuses. My mind often wanders pondering how cool it would be blend design aspects of several different reels into one. I imagine patents and such make it almost impossible.

Invest in a decent reel and your learning experience will be less frustrating and you won't "outgrow" the reel. Shimano Citica, Revo S, Daiwa Exceller, BPS Pro Qualifier.... anything in this range will last a long time and be fairly user friendly. Centrifugal brakes are a better choice IMO especially to learn with. Check the Skeet reel thread for more tips for beginning baitcasting.

Much a do about nothing. Cabin fever must be at the root of why this thread is 4 pages. Shimano could change their reels names to Good, Better, Way Better and Awesome and certain groups of features will still cost X. People will buy one or shop elswhere, then the marketing wizards will come with another approach. It's a never ending circle.

If you haven't, check out the sticky above about baitcaster setup. spool up with 12lb or heavier line and practice with a heavier weight. Peel off a cast and a half worth of line and put some electrical tape across the spool. This will keep the inevitable backlash from digging in too deep making it easier to clear. make sure the rod you are using is appropriate the weight of the bait you're throwing. If the the casts still go off target you need to adjust your release point just like throwing a ball.

To me, power and action are both important. The action can be easily seen by flexing the rod. The power is invisible until you put a real load on the rod. That may explain why a particular manufacturer would label that way. In theory, line rating is the test strength of line that will fail before the blank over loads. A properly set drag will protect the rod and reel as well as the line so I pay less attention to line ratings. How you use the rod greatly affects how much load it can handle. For instance, if you point the tip toward the fish and pull them in you can exert all the force you want on the braid because the rod has been taken out of the equation. Lure weight ratings are a better judge of how a rod will perform. It gives you an idea of how big a bait is needed to load the rod to cast properly.

I'd still stick with PQs on sale for Lightening and one along with a M/F casting rod if you don't wan't any spinning tackle.

I've spec'd out an A-rig rod and chose a swimbait blank. It has more moderate action and heavier power than a normal jig/worm rod. If you'll be throwing a lighter rig once ina while you can probably get by with what you have. If you're throwing a 1 1/2> rig for a good part of the day a swimbait style rod will make it more enjoyable.

It sounds like you don't have a ton of tackle. What do you have for setups? To cover most all the basics in bass fishing your goal should be: a MH/F baitcast rod and 6.4 or 7:1 reel for jigs and plastics>1/2 oz MH/Mod baitcast rod with a 5:1 reel for deep cranks and other trebel hook lures M/F spinning rod and reel for baits<1/2 oz Forget the Enigma, and grab a low ratio PQ, a Pflueger President spinning reel and spend the balance on rods with the budget scewed toward the spinning rod since sensitivity and feel are less important for the moving baits.

Screws threaded into plastic are a short cut I don't care for but as for the internals, I don't see any more plastic than in other reels based on that same platform (Pure Fishing).

IMO the E series Curado was encroaching on Chronarch territory in features and price. All Shimano did was put the planets back in alignment so to speak. The line as a whole has several quality reels at price points to appeal to a range of budgets. Add this to all the other great gear out there as JF mentioned, there's something for everyone.