Goose52

Well, I mentioned a 100 ft cast or 33 yards - about 1/4 of the capacity of most of the typical 10-series BC reels. I haven't measured it on any of my reels but I'd guess the difference would be a couple of IPT after a cast until you're back at full spool. Like Rooster said, one wouldn't probably notice the change in retrieve speed but the point is that when we review reel specs, and try to decide about the virtues of reels having a difference of only a few IPT, that in actual use, you're seeing a similar variance in the same reel depending on how long of cast and where you are on the retrieve.

Some choices - latest models of: Abu: Premier, STX BPS: Johnny Morris Gold & Signature, Carbonlite, RCX, ProQualifier, Rick Clunn (and the discontinued ProLite) Browning: Midas Pflueger: Patriarch XT, Patriarch Could be others out there that I missed...

IPT is where it's at. Gear ratio doesn't mean much without knowing what IPT you've got. And I don't think you'd ever notice a difference of 1 IPT. It seems that today we've got 3, maybe 4 general ranges of IPT. Today, a burner would be the 29-31", the general purpose of about 25-27", and what today would be called the slow reels down at 21" or so. And, there are still some reels being made down in the high teens - 19" or so. As you know, there's been lots of threads about what IPTs work well for what techniques, including the discussions on whether low IPTs/gear ratios are really needed for deep cranking. Also, effective IPT is different than the "book" IPT. IPT is calculated at the top of a full spool. If you start your retrieve after a 100 foot cast, your effective IPT at that point is quite a bit lower than the "book" IPT and it gradually increases as you retrieve line onto the spool.

At present, I have 8 BC reels with dual braking. Best of both worlds and, IMO, the wave of the future. Better cast management at both the beginning and end of the cast. Set the centrifugals for your bait, and then use magnetic to fine tune the end of the cast or to compensate for wind. The cast can then become nearly "thumb-free" except for stopping the spool at the end of the cast. I'll pass to others to extol the virtues of the older technology single-braking system reels... :

The "fine print" in the BPS email included this statement: Excludes freight collect, international orders, expedited or oversized surcharges, and special fees. I have a feeling that the $6 surcharge for 1-piece rods over 6' will still apply... :-/

It's reply number 43 of that thread. http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1265207575/30#43

"snoopy2" posted the flyer for the Classic on Page 3 of this thread - check it out... http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1265207575/30#30

Here's the "fine print" that was included in a BPS email announcing the Spring Classic: "Prices are valid in the retail stores and may not apply to Internet and Phone orders." Note the words "may not" - that could mean that SOME of the sale items shown in the store flyer MIGHT also be marked down on-line and for phone orders...and other stuff may not be marked down. I probably won't be going to the store (190 mile round trip for me) so I'm hoping the items I'm interested in will be marked down on-line.

I'm a believer in the thrift store for some stuff. The photo below shows my "bank walking" rig - a big fanny pack that cost a whopping $1 at the thrift store. However, for my main tackle bag, I think I'd still prefer a purpose-built bag with lots of compartments sized to fit the typical fishin' gear... I've been shopping for a new bag myself and looked at the Cabela's bags mentioned by burleytog. The BPS Stalker bag looks pretty good too. I'm sorta waiting for the bait monkey to take a break and leave me alone for a while so I can assess how much tackle I have and get get a bag big enough to haul it. I'll do that assessment right after I place a TW order later today ;D

have you used those BL? I was wondering how warm they would be. I have a pair of UA gloves that are similar but I seemed to have misplaced them and I might need a new pair. I used the UA liner gloves all this past winter. They're a compromise: they're thin, water will soak through the glove, and they're not very warm. BUT, they keep the wind off your hands, they DO add some warmth, and they have reasonably good sensitivity and dexterity - I can cast a BC reel with them on. For me, they were good for temps down to the lower 40s or so. When the temps were in the mid to lower 30s, I had to add a thin wool glove over the UA liners. When the temps got into the 20s, my fingers were starting to freeze about as fast as the rod line guides were icing up so it was time to call it a day...

Carbonlite (CL)...if you normally use a right-hand reel and want the all-purpose 6.4 ratio. If you normally use a left-hand reel, or want more ratio selections, then you have to put some more thought into it. The PQ on sale is a limited edition and may only be available in one ratio and perhaps only in right-hand like the CL. The RCX is almost 3 oz heavier than the CL, but you have RH and LH choices in mulitple ratios. The CL has a bit less drag rating than the other two, the RCX has a bit more line capacity. So, sorta depends on what you need from the reel. If you DO use RH reels and like a 6.4 ratio, and don't mind minor differences in drag and line capacity, then I'd pick the CL first, the PQ second, and the RCX third. Good luck !

OUTSTANDING solution !

Thanks for taking the time to do that There IS a ProQualifier BC reel on sale - but it's not the regular production model, but a limited run, light-weight (7.1 oz vs. standard 8.8 oz). The gear ratio isn't specified but I'd bet it's 6.4 or 7.1. It's probably a very nice reel (duralumin gears) but some of us were hoping the new PQ low-ratio (4.7 & 5.2) reels would be on sale... Typical BPS BS. As for their 'sale'... Yeah, doing a special run of an upgraded reel for a lower price is total BS! Yep - gimme some of that BS. If I didn't already have 4 of the regular PQs, I'd be all over that limited edition. Well, actually, I'd probably spend the extra $10 and get a bunch of Carbonlites Other than the new PQ, the discounted Carbonlite BC reel, and an inflatable PFD, I didn't see anything else in the flyer that really floated my boat. Now, hopefully I can phone in an order and get the store price as listed in the flyer.

x2 on Carbonlite but you need to think about a few things. The CL is almost 3 oz lighter than the RCX, but does have a little less drag and line capacity. The RCX is available in 3 ratios RH and 1 ratio LH and the CL is only available RH in 6.4. So, small differences in drag and line capacity, and major ratio and LH/RH differences between the two. For me, I'm getting a CL during the Spring Sale...

Sounds like you should go for the new purple RCX... The older blue RC reels were on clearance last month for $71 and change and that was a good deal - they sold out at that price but then BPS must have found some more BUT relisted them on the web at the $89 price.

Thanks for taking the time to do that There IS a ProQualifier BC reel on sale - but it's not the regular production model, but a limited run, light-weight (7.1 oz vs. standard 8.8 oz). The gear ratio isn't specified but I'd bet it's 6.4 or 7.1. It's probably a very nice reel (duralumin gears) but some of us were hoping the new PQ low-ratio (4.7 & 5.2) reels would be on sale...

I was hoping the PQ and Carbonlite (CL) reels would be on sale; so I'm set - gonna get one of each 8-)

Here's a photo of an extreme case of this - 250 yards of 20lb test mono that was on a reel for 25 years I could probably have cut it into sections and sold them as Slinkys ;D

I often use a duo-lock style snap when I know I'm going to be changing cranks. I'll direct tie if I know I'm going to fish the same crank or can dedicate a rod to that crank. On a related topic - has anyone noticed that some cranks are now being sold with duo-lock style snaps on the line tie instead of a split ring? The WiggleWart that I just got had a snap as well as several others I've bought recently. Interesting...

They're still being made http://www.luhrjensen.com/products/spoons--spinners/shyster but have limited distribution, limited sizes, and somewhat limited colors. The Shyster in my photo is one of my last two - I've had them about 45 years. One of these days I'll have to get a couple new ones :

There's more to consider than just the "fishability" of the craft. While the jon has some advantages, it also has some disadvantages for MY purposes. I'm getting ready to rig a canoe similar to Lard_Bass' boat. Some considerations for me were: Storage - I can put the canoe up on top of some cabinets or hang it from the ceiling. The jon would consume one of my garage bays or be in the driveway. Transportability - the canoe weighs 34 pounds - I don't need a launching ramp and can just stick it in the water anyplace. I can get a canoe dolly and portage it back from the road a ways and get into small ponds if I want. I can car-top it and load it myself (if my bum shoulder heals soon...). The jon would be mostly a launching ramp deal. Versatility - I can paddle the canoe if I want, or run the trolling motor; I can run the outriggers or not; my fishfinder will be a portable so I can run it off a small battery if I'm paddling, or off the trolling motor battery if I'm fully rigged. The jon would be mostly a fully-rigged, heavy, trolling motor (or gas motor) proposition. Leisure - the canoe makes a better leisure craft and the wife and I can have fun paddling and sightseeing around the lakes - a bit more fun than rowing a heavy jon around the lake. Everything is a compromise - and the canoe was the studied solution... On registration - the fees in Tennessee are pretty cheap - $13 a year.

Ha - that's grass. We got above freezing enough to melt the snow on the ground...but not the ice on the lake. Actually - the lake in the photo has frozen-over three times this winter, with melts in-between. It just froze over again 2-3 days ago :-/

You're not going to get a lot of sympathy mi amigo - below is a recent photo of one of my lakes...

Shyster:

I bend the line tie of all my Roostertails (see photo) to reduce line twist, but only a bit - not to the degree shown in your photo. I also use a snap-swivel as well.