Goose52

58 for me. BTW - some people have blocked it but many of us have our ages in our public profile...

Thanks! I don't want to be a spokesperson, but I do believe in the value of the PQ.

Regarding the schematic, if you don't have one, they can often be downloaded from the reel manufacturer's web site or other sites on the web. If you do have a paper schematic, one thing that I do that is very handy is to scan the schematic (if you have a scanner) at a high resolution and then have that image on my monitor as I work on the reel - the parts are much easier to see on the enlarged image. I also edit the scanned image to add notes about parts orientation, bearing sizes, etc. Also, some schematics don't do a good job of showing orientations so carefully observe each part as you remove it. Finally, if you have a digital camera - take high-res photos of the reel at each stage of disassembly - very handy later when you are reassembling.

Reel Mech mentioned his Bantam and that reminded me that I have another older reel still in front-line service. A 20 year-old Shimano B-Mag 1000 (and I also have a 1001- LH in storage). I don't cast with the B-Mag anymore and have it mounted on what I call my light-trolling rod - a 20 year-old Shakespeare 6' M graphite rod. Who says that the 'ole Goose doesn't fish Shimano... ;D

X2 - I like fresh line and not worrying if I have enough. Ronnie X3. There's something about looking at a 1lb spool of line that says 8,000 yards (4.5 miles) on the label that just gives me a sense of..........security! ;D

I voted for the PQ. I do have a Revo S, but I also have 6 PQs...those numbers speak for themselves. I know that you've been working through your BC reel decision for quite a while now and it's good that you've narrowed it down to 2 candidates. It doesn't hurt to ask for opinions from the board members...but have you had a chance yet to handle both reels yourself. If you could do that, it would help. Both reels are similar in weight and profile for palming but you might just flat like one over the other after you play with them. Also, have you decided how you're going to use the reel? For instance, the PQ is available in LH and RH in 4 gear ratios - giving you a number of choices from a deep cranking reel up to a burner reel. The Revo S is available LH and RH in only 6.4:1 - a good all-purpose ratio that may suit your needs. Are you an experienced user of baitcasters? If so, either reel will cast well for you. If not, the dual-braking system on the PQ reduces the learning curve for many people by minimizing backlashes. The dual-braking feature is also very handy in the wind, and also when your thumb might be numb from cold or gloved. A nifty feature. The Revo S has a drag rated at 24 pounds, the PQ is 10. A higher drag is important to some people...but as was discussed in a recent thread, many people only have their drags set at around 5 pounds anyway. Both are good quality reels that will give years of service. The Revo has two more bearings than the PQ but those extra bearings are in the handle knobs - not a big deal. It is likely that parts will be available for the PQ for a long time. BPS has sold tons of these now and the parts are in stock at Outdoor World Rod & Reel Repair. Parts would be available from salvage reels as well. And since some of our board members have reported that many of the parts are interchangeable between a Revo and a PQ, if one thought that Revo parts will be available for a long time...then that means that many of those would be available for PQs as well. Also, be aware that there was a recent change in the Revo S - the latest version has captive centrifugal brake shoes, as does the PQ. However, the earlier model of the Revo had brake shoes that can become detached inadvertently (which of course will happen when you're standing on grass - bye bye brake shoe). If you decide on the Revo, the newest version will have a better centrifugal brake set-up. Be aware that some of the older Revo S models may still be for sale out there. Then, there's a couple of little differences. I prefer the spring-loaded sideplate release pin of the PQ over the thumbscrew of the Revo - the PQ is easier to remove the sideplate for brake adjustment, especially when your hands are half-frozen. I like that the PQ has a soft touch clutch bar - the Revo is plain plastic. So, at the end of the day, my advice would be to take in consideration the comments of the board members, but ALSO make your OWN assessment of the differences between the reels, and then select the reel that best fits your needs. Both are fine reels - either will serve you well.

Yep - they feel ICE cold !

Sears carried a full line of Ted Williams branded sporting goods products for many years. And Ted Williams was a devoted fisherman. Yes indeed. In the case of my Ted Williams reel, it is a "branded" version of the well-known Italian Pescador 400... ;D This was back in the day when most of the finer reels were made in Europe...and things made in Japan were.....well, not fine... ;D ;D ;D

Thanks for the info!

Thanks! I keep my trusty thermometer handy and dunk it in the water as soon as I walk up to the bank to see where I'm at as compared to the day before... My part of Tennessee gets cold enough to ice-over, but doesn't stay cold enough to hold it all winter like you guys up north. This is actually the 3rd ice-out I've had on my lakes this winter - but the last two times we never had warm enough weather to get the water temp much out of the 30s before the lakes iced-over again.

Not me. My basement is the black hole of fishing gear. Stuff goes in and never leaves. These Sigmas are my "modern" reels and I don't have a big emotional attachment to them - so a few might end up on eBay. I might keep a complete set (1 of each size made - 025, 030, 035, 040, 060, 080) for collecting and display purposes and just sell the duplicates. Now, if you were talking about my "old" reels - like the 1959 Ted Williams 400, the 1965 Mitchell 408, and the 1966 (?) Lido 400 ( ! ) - those aren't going anywhere...

One of these I use for smallmouth and panfish Yeah - they're not bad for their era...they still land fish for me. I've got one that I might finally retire and it will end up on eBay one of these days. There is actually collector interest iin these reels and they will sell if they're in reasonable cosmetic condition.

That would be these six Shakespeare Sigma 2200s from around 1985 - still in front-line service. I have two other Sigmas stored in the boxes - a 060 and a 080 from my saltwater days.

When my wife saw it, she immediately said that I should put it in the bathroom in place of the BPS catalogs... ;D

I just got the Cabela's 50th Anniversary Limited 2011 Spring Edition HARDCOVER catalog. This thing weighs over 4lbs. I haven't looked through it yet so I don't know if there's anything new or if it's the same 'ole stuff. The hardcover sorta just blew me away - seems like a pretty expensive giveaway... Anybody else get one?

Thanks for the info. That's a good idea about the digital cooking units - I guess that would be faster than waiting for the mercury unit to hit the temp. I'm going to edit my original post to add that what I'm really interested in is those infrared units small enough to wear on a neck lanyard.

BPS Pro Qualifier BPS Carbonlite BPS ProLite Not the best, not the most expensive, but they have class-leading features and offer the most value while still delivering required performance. Sorta honorable mention: Curado 50E - a nice reel...

X2 with a caveat. Do you have a particular gear ratio in mind? The regular PQ is available in 4 ratios, both LH and RH. The PQ Tournament is only available in 6.4:1 (which is a versatile ratio but may not be what you're looking for).

10lb Yo-Zuri for me.

Last data point for my little test. I fished today - same places, same spinnerbait, same retrieve - no fish. Water temp was 39. Of course, is this a case that a bass won't hit a spinnerbait at 39 degrees, or that the shallow fish I've been getting went back deep overnight. Maybe both, huh... ;D

Anybody have any experience with reasonably priced (not lab quality) infrared thermometers? Are they any good - reliable, reasonably accurate? What I'm looking at is those infrared units small enough to wear on a neck lanyard. I keep pretty close tabs on surface water temp; in the boat, I use the sonar; from the bank, I'm using a mercury thermometer. I'd like to get something faster to use, and handier, than the mercury thermometer.

Sounds great to me - I'm happy with any fish that I can get out of 42 degree water!

Right after ice-out I was fishing slow and deep. As the water temp came up, I decided to probe some of the shallow coves to see if the fish had come up - I used the SB just to cover water a bit faster. As long as I was getting bit, I just stayed with the SB as the water temp dropped back down - it worked down to 42... Hah - thanks Roger. Who needs to spend big bucks to catch fish - that's a BPS Extreme 6'8" M/XF that I got on clearance for $39, and a Pflueger President I got on sale for $49... ;D

Thanks again guys. Yeah - I was jazzed about this catch as it would have been, for my lakes, outstanding for the spring, and it's just incredible for winter. The photo below is looking from one of the coves that I fished out to the main lake - the photo was taken last year but that lake looked just the same 2 weeks ago. Then last week most of the lake iced-out, and only 3 days ago there was still some ice at the back of the coves in the shade. But, the sunny days brought the water up to 49 degrees and the fish came up - and were active enough to hit the spinnerbait as the water started dropping down from 49 to 42. I fished today, same places, same bait. However, water temp is now at 39 and those shallow fish are gone! I tried to find them for about 30 minutes but the air temp today was 27, and my rod guides were icing up, so I called it a day...;D

I agree - with proper storage, the line should be good for a long time. I just bought over 13,000 yards of Yo-Zuri - enough to last me 2 or 3 years I would think, and have no concerns about it at all. So, if you see a good deal on a bulk spool of a line that you intend to use quite a bit - go for it !