Goose52

Upgrades are OK as far as better blanks and components, but if they go split-grip on these series, BPS has completely lost me as a customer. If they're smart, they will retain several full-grip rod series. I think we'll see a redesign of the Extreme and Pro Qualifier rods in the very near future. They've gone out of their way to reduce the price of their Johnny Morris rods, so the new JM Signature Series II is now only $10 more than the PQ. I prefer a full cork grip, but the fact that for only $10 more I can get a lighter rod with a better blank is hard to ignore. I think you're absolutely right. As it stands right now - the PQ and Extreme are at the same price point - $99. I would think sales of Extremes will fall off the cliff except for models like the 3-piece Extreme where there's no PQ equivalent. One thing for sure...if they do revamp the PQ and Extreme lines, I'll be watching the Clearance section like a hawk, waiting for some good deals on the old PQs and Extremes...

That's good to know- thanks. Before I buy, I might start a thread on 7' MH rods in the range from Avid up to IMX/GLX MBR843C and hear what people think.Apologies to the OP for going OT...

I can bring these Sunday, for you to handle: AVS63MLXF AVC70MHF AVC68MXF AVC70MM AVC70MHM I have a few more, but they're on the bench getting the cork redone. Some of the ones above are already done, and I'll share what DVT Mike told me on how to do it. The AVC70MHF is next up on my shopping list...

I have 19 BPS rods, including 4 Bionic Blades, so I'm a fan of the brand. I got them all on sale or clearance, including Extremes for as low as $39 - a good value. My Bionic Blades are OK - they are all 2-piece and I fish them often and also use them as my travel rods. The Blade is the bread-and-butter of the lower-end of the BPS brand so I can see why BPS would want to "jazz-them-up" to try to keep up with some competing brands. They advertise a 15% weight reduction which would take these new Blades down to about what Extremes weigh which is good. The new split-grip configuration is something I guess BPS felt they had to do to match the market movement. Not trying to start the full vs. split-grip argument in this thread, but split-grips are a deal-breaker for many of us. If they put the OLD Blades on clearance at a killer price, I might buy a few more - but the new Blade, I'll never buy one. For those of you thinking about the new Blade...DON'T buy at the $79.99 price - TRY and be patient and wait for the sale! At the full $79 price, there are several other competing brands that you should consider before getting the Blade...but on sale for $59 or so, the new Blade might be an OK value. Upgrades are OK as far as better blanks and components, but if they go split-grip on these series, BPS has completely lost me as a customer. If they're smart, they will retain several full-grip rod series. I have my first Avid inbound via UPS right now... :

Dang - too bad you didn't post at the beginning of the thread...I would have agreed with you and saved myself a lot of time using the calculator today... ;D

;D ;D ;D I started the thread on the WalMart spinnerbaits but for today's discussion I couldn't make the math work FOR ME since I hadn't caught at least 33 fish on A SINGLE Wally SB to beat the cost metric of my grubs... However, for high-risk water where probability of loss of the bait is high, the WalMart SB is not a bad deal. On the Mend-it, I don't use it...................but now that you mention it ..................! ;D

It's about the only GM product that I use - tough buggers! I still use Zoom grubs - better color choices, softer, probably better fish catchers. While I caught 287 fish in 2010 on GM grubs, I caught 485 fish on Zoom grubs (there were 20 fish I caught on grubs where I didn't record the brand - drats). However, the Zooms (off the top of my head, I ain't gonna get the calculator back out) probably only average 4-5 fish/grub .. ;D It's all good... Oh - and you're absolutely right about SOME plastics - I've only fished one bag of genuine GYCB Senkos and probably only average .5 to 1 fish/bait - expensive fish those were ;D ;D

Wow, lots more posts while I was typing my last post and using the calculator. I said in post #5 that my grubs may not be the best value, but are a pretty good value. I've also said that hardbaits are certainly a better value...if you catch enough fish on them and don't lose them. Another thing, my example was based on Gander Mountain grubs - very tough - not on GYCB or Zoom or other softer plastics. In my own particular case, I'm certain that, so far, I've never caught enough fish on a hardbait to get the cost down to near what the GM grub cost is. My loss rate (fishing from the bank) has heretofore prevented that. I keep very good fishing records, but I don't keep records of fish caught on a particular bait. My 70 fish on one lipless crank was based on the the beginning of 2010 when I fished a single Red Eye Shad until I lost it ... and I remember I was at about 70 fish on that bait at that time (easy to know based on my catch log) and I was crushed when I lost it. Anyway, in the future, I won't have a good way of knowing how many fish I catch on a specific hardbait (unless it is unique and I only have ONE of that type). Anyway - you catch enough fish, and the hardbait is the way to go for sure. 8-)

I detailed the math in Post #5 - here it is again: Gander Mountain 5" grub - got a bunch for $2.99 - a tough, durable grub (I prefer it over Zoom Fat Alberts). Here's the math: $2.99 + tax = $3.28 $3.28 / 15 baits = 21.9cents per bait Avg. 10 fish per bait = 2.2 cents per fish..... AND, I didn't factor in the price of the Gammy 2/0 EWG hook that is included in the bag! Maybe not the BEST value, but a pretty good value!! The grubs were on sale at Gander Mountain so I got a good price. However, as I mentioned earlier, I neglected to factor in the cost of hooks. I fish grubs weightless and weedless on 1/0 or 2/0 EWG. I don't use ball jigs...and I don't often get hung up. Since I'm frugal, I'll go as long as I can on a hook (and I'll sharpen the hook). I use either Gammy or Eagle Claw Laser Sharp hooks (I know, I know...but they work for me). So, my hook cost is low (and remember that your first hook comes in the bag). Continuing - my 2010 catch log shows that I caught 287 fish on Gander Mountain grubs - and I consumed 2 15ct bags of grubs of one color, plus just a few grubs of another color. Say 34 grubs. 287/34 = 8.4 fish per grub ... a bit below the 10 fish/bait number I used above (which I got as a top-of-my-head figure, not with a calculator). So, 21.9 cents per bait / 8.4 = 2.6 cents per fish. Add in cost of a hook once in a while and I'm still at about 3 cents per fish. Lastly, I know how to be frugal. I'll start to fish a GM grub on a 2/0 hook and when the nose gets torn up, I''ll cut off the nose to form a "popper" face and fish it on a 1/0 as a top-water. That's why I like these GM grubs, they're tough, go more fish than a Zoom, and come with a free hook... : Phew, is this enough math.... ;D

I guess it depends on how you establish that value - number of fish, weight of fish, enjoyment of the catch, challenge of the catch, etc. Since the OP mentioned best bang for the buck, the metric I was using was cost per fish. My grubs were about 2 cents per fish then add another penny perhaps for level-loaded hook cost so about 3 cents per fish. For a comparable cost per fish, you'd need to catch 200 fish on a $6 hardbait. Once you get past 200 fish on that one hardbait, then you're in fat city and the cost keeps going down. It's just math.... :

You're right. Like I said above, the math works if you catch more than a couple hundred fish on one hardbait. I still have baits that I bought before you were born...but I haven't fished them continuously all this time so I haven't got the same return as you have on your hardbaits. My "high-time" hardbait of my modern-fishing era was that lipless crank that was up to 70 fish or so before it hung-up on the bottom (while fishing from the bank). On the plug knockers, I have one in the boat, but I have a harder time getting them to work when fishing from the bank!

I agree with what your saying. I was surprised to see so much variety in his lures after reading what he catches most of his fish on. I guess that's what's good, and bad, about confidence baits... ;D I just end up using that grub whenever I think the fish are in about 5 fow or less. I could probably do OK in the same situations with a spinnerbait, and perhaps shallow cranks, but it's just too easy to keep tossing that grub. :

You and me both Raul. Below is my walk-around box - small enough to fit in my back pocket, or more typically, carried in a fanny pack. If I'm fishing plastics, I'll have a bag of those stuck in a pocket as well.

...and for Spring 2012, and for Spring 2013, and for Spring 20xx...

I didn't spread out all the plastics...but there's about 8-10 bags of grubs in the plastics storage bin.

It's sorta like Roadwarrior said earlier in this thread - there's what you got...and what you actually fish with. I've got a basic arsenal of baits, but at the end of the day, 90% of my fish came from the three baits in the photo I posted at the beginning of this thread (below again). HOWEVER, this season I will be doing a lot more cranking and getting the spinnerbaits wet!

When I was crunching my numbers, I started with hard baits but couldn't make the math work for ME. It all depends on how many fish you think you can get out of a hardbait before you lose it or it becomes unserviceable vs. how many fish you think you can get out of a bag of plastics. If you never lose a hardbait, and get more than a couple of hundred fish on it, then the math works out in favor of the hardbait. For me, I recall I had 1 lipless crank that I got about 70 fish on before I lost it - so - $6.00/70 = 8.6 cents per fish - still more expensive than my grubs. Your spinnerbait example is good though - get one for $4.00 or less, if you never lose it you might catch many hundreds of fish (just keep sharpening the hook) BUT, don't forget to factor in the cost of the periodic skirt replacements... So, when doing the math on hardbaits, give realistic consideration to how long you use a single bait before it is lost or "used up" and also factor in maintenance costs for the bait (hook replacements, new skirts, repainting/touch-up, etc.) EDIT - after posting, I saw the top-water examples...that's true, you might fish one of those a long time without losing it and it might be the winner! Also, my grub math is skewed as I didn't factor in the price of hooks used over and above the one included in the bag... :-?

Gander Mountain 5" grub - got a bunch for $2.99 - a tough, durable grub (I prefer it over Zoom Fat Alberts). Here's the math: $2.99 + tax = $3.28 $3.28 / 15 baits = 21.9cents per bait Avg. 10 fish per bait = 2.2 cents per fish..... AND, I didn't factor in the price of the Gammy 2/0 EWG hook that is included in the bag! ;D Maybe not the BEST value, but a pretty good value!!

And some more...

And some more. A note on the tub full of plastics - it will hold about 50 bags and I have a self-imposed limit that when the tub is full, I can't buy any more plastics...but I do seem to have more and more bags of plastics stuffed in the tackle bags and squirrelled away in a few other places.... :

Well, my lakes are all frozen, and lots of snow on the ground, no fishing today for me...so I got out my meager tackle collection this morning and shot some pics.

I saw them too - the Lew's reels are at TW as well. On the rods - at least they have a good hook-keeper design (listen up Loomis, et al)...as to sensitivity, etc., I guess we'll only find out if someone "takes the plunge" ! :

Did you "crunch the data" and tabulate it ? Yes Sir. All your water is frozen...huh....! ;D

Did you "crunch the data" and tabulate it ?

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