Goose52

I 'ain't' an engineer of any sort, but just a data point. When I serviced a BPS PQ and a Carbonlite a few weeks ago - I weighed the bare aluminum frames. Completely stripped - each weighed 1.14 ounces. Just using the specific gravity factors for aluminum and magnesium (and not factoring in dimensional changes that piscicidal mentioned that could be required by use of magnesium that may add a bit of weight back in) an identical frame in magnesium would weigh about .73 ounce. Only a .41 ounce weight saving. Most of the savings to be had at reasonable cost are in the drive gear, crank shaft, worm shaft, handle, and sideplates. Getting lighter from there gives diminishing returns (aluminum screws and other real small parts). Going after the frame with exotic materials I guess is much tougher given material and production issues and must be why a Core and Steez are priced where they are...huh! (Well, not counting what is probably an insane profit factor... )

Beautiful fish indeed - congrats !

Just use your fingernail to push the pins in or out - they do take a bit of force to move.

Thanks for posting! There have been no fish for me for a couple days so I gotta enjoy yours!!

Hard to tell the origin. I imagine it's a common frame and just parts bin engineering from there! Either way - they're all a bit fat.... :

On different techniques, that was the surprise of the earlier thread. Of the 149 responses, there was just not a simple pattern. Here's a comment by RW to one of my comments: I'm actually kind of surprised. Silly me, I thought we would see a lot more commonality. I guess I need to print this thread or take some notes! 8-)

Just put on original Stren - it is "period correct" since it was available in the 60s !

There were 149 responses to that question here! http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1292610921/

Do it! Give that 'ole girl another chance at glory!

If you compare their exterior features - it seems pretty clear that the new Carbon Black is an update of the 2010 purple RCX - which in turn was just a renamed version of the blue 2009 Rick Clunn. The RCX was selling for about $110 full price but was recently on clearance for a while for about $90 - it's back up to it's regular $110 on the web site right now but I expect it could be reduced to a clearance price again. The differences between the RCX and Carbon Black are probably worth the $20 price delta. Compared to the RCX, the Carbon Black gives you two more bearings (probably in the handle knobs), a carbon fiber handle, an upgraded drag, and a click-adjustable cast control knob. I have 2 of the original, blue Rick Clunn reels - got them on clearance for $71 each. Good reels, only thing is that they're heavy at 9.45 ounces. The Carbon Black is probably OK too - but even with the carbon fiber handle, it's still listed as 9.4 ounces for the standard spool width model - a bit "portly" by today's standards... For $90 clams, it would be a pretty good value if you don't mind the weight issue.

I hope so Dwight! I have another low-pressure front coming through tomorrow afternoon and evening at I'll be at the "lunker cove" to see if there's any big girls at home! I could have my 3 runs of luck and run dry before March 15... ;D

I got your back buddy! Yeah - I ended up with a perfect storm of several medical maladies and just couldn't type for a few days. (Although I was getting out everday and fishing for an hour or two and the casting was just tearing up my arm bad but some things are important, eh!). Anyway, went to the doc yesterday and got a big steroid shot, and taking meds, started feeling much better last night. Leaving in a few minutes for "session 1" fishing - will come home and relax, then hit the "lunker cove" this evening during session 2!

My Dad still has, and occasionally fishes his 5000 that he bought about the same time you bought yours. It was about his proudest possession at the time. I was looking at it last year when visiting him in Florida - it is a real "veteran" reel - lots of exterior scratches, etc., but internally - it's probably really clean. As an aircraft engine mechanic for many years, my Dad was fanatic about cleaning and lubing. Which might be why, right next to the 5000, he has two Mitchell 300s that are the most modern spinning reels that he owns.....and he bought them in the late 50s. One of those 300s reeled in his 10+ lb bass...

As most folks know, I'm a pretty big fan of the value of BPS BC reels...but on rods at the $100 price point, there are MANY options besides BPS - especially if you like or can live with split grips. This is now a VERY competitive price point and it's a tough decision for sure. As always, if you decide on BPS, see if you can wait for the inevitable sale and match it with a $20 off coupon, free shipping, or whatever. No shipping and no tax from TW is something to factor in as well. Good luck and glad you're OK even if the rod is toast !

1964 product listing for the 5000 - Enjoy !

If you count all anglers, not just the enthusiasts that participate in discussion forums, I think there are probably still about twice as many folks that use mono as compared to those that use flouro or braid combined. Just a guess... It still works - it's just not the "ideal" solution for many techniques given the new lines available. The question each angler has to ask is if the number of additional fish put in the boat with the "optimum" line, to them, warrants the sometime significant additional cost... On Big Game - if Catt sees this thread, he might have an opinion to share!

Hey Shimmy - I guess that's true in today's world with the equipment choices available. Still, as was mentioned earlier, we see some Pros, including young ones, making the switch - go figure. Since I "palm" a reel - wouldn't I have to shift my hand anyway if I cast with my right hand and cranked with my left? I don't crank a reel with the same hand position as I cast a reel so it seems like I would have some hand motion either way. :-/

Speaking of stories and gear from the good old days... Earlier this evening I found, scanned, and emailed to my 88 year-old Dad a photo he took of me in 1967 when I was 15 years old. I had been fishing with him on a canal off the Tamiami Trail in south Florida, trolling Rebel minnowbaits behind his boat and caught what was then the biggest bass of my life - 4 3/4lbs (see photo - and my painfully swollen fingers - haha). He's already emailed back that he remembers that day well and that earlier that day I had fallen out of the boat (true but that's another story ). OTOH, my Dad doesn't remember what he ate for dinner yesterday but he sure remembers fishin' trips! Bless his heart... Since many people on this board are tackle junkies, I'm sure that you will be interested in the gear I used for that catch. The reel was a "Lido" (what the heck is a Lido!) spincast reel I got for one book of SSS trading stamps (if you don't know what trading stamps are - you're too young for this thread!). For a rod, I had found a 5.5' casting rod laying on the bank on the Trail that had a broken plastic handle. I cut off the plastic handle, bought a metal ferrule for a couple bits, and then bought a new chucked handle for a buck or two - the rod probably ended up being about 5'4". So, the whole combo cost me a book of trading stamps (about $3.00 merchandise value) and about $2.50 cash. I always think of this rig when I hear people today tout the effectiveness of their new, expensive rods and reels by saying "it handled that 5 pounder with no problems".....LOL. I have the Lido mounted now on a cheap BPS rod for use by my wife. She doesn't use it so I think I gotta fish it this year for her! See other photo below. Good memories indeed!

I voted switch for all types of casts. I'm right-handed and a product of the 60s when most BC reels had handles on the right, and most spinning reels had handles on the left. It's just how I learned. When I started buying more modern BC reels a few years ago, I did buy a cheap LH BC reel on eBay to see if I liked it and it just flat didn't feel comfortable. So now I'm fully committed to RH BC reels and I "make the switch."

I caught my "big" fish of the year a month early. The 9.06 LMB I caught the other day won't count...and has certainly used up my luck for the rest of the year... ;D

Phew - I haven't been able to post in a few days so it took me a while to get caught up on this thread.................

Then I'm in great shape - I have 6 PQs - my average cost for them is $64 so if I get $75 worth of use out of them then I've made money. NOW, I have two BPS Carbonlites with an average cost of $110 I guess those I'll have to be especially careful to get $110 worth of use out of them... ;D

A fair statement indeed. I promote the PQ as a value at it's price point. I have never said that it's a Curado. People ask for recommendations for an "inexpensive reel," an $80 reel, or a $100 reel and I recommend the PQ and always say wait for the sale. If someone asks about a $200 reel - you don't hear me recommending a PQ... :

You're OK. Don't let the bait monkey get to you (unless you want him to!). You don't need more than a couple rods to cover the gamut of bass fishing, and only a few more than that to cover just about all freshwater fishing. For bass fishing - Roadwarrior has a "canned" and nifty statement that he posts about only "needing" 3 combos for bass. I'm sure he'll post if he visits this thread. Now, don't ask me what I have because I not only have all my gear from the last 45+ years, plus a BUNCH of new gear that I've bought the past few years... ;D

Hmm...I guess disposable reels are sexy. The most interesting thing is guys buying reels from companies that have a well established reputation for NOT supporting their reels in the aftermarket. There's some truth to that. Last time I called the BPS service center (Outdoor World Rod & Reel Repair) they did not have a good parts supply for the last generation ProLite, and still haven't got an initial stock of parts for the Carbonlite BC reels. Parts/repairs for those reels are possible with salvage reels. Shame on BPS - if they want to be mainstream - they need to reduce the number of BC reels they offer, and make sure they keep spares. However, parts for PQs ARE available and I expect will be for a long time. Since MANY of the parts on the PQ are interchangeable with a Revo - there's an alternative parts supply. BTW - I got a GREAT PQ parts deal last year. I bought EVERY single part on the reel for only $30........I bought a used reel on eBay.... ;D And that's another way to get parts...