Goose52

And I'm another user of the Loomis GLX BSR852...but for me, I don't get $400 worth of sensitivitiy out of it (I did get it used for $275 so that took out some of the sting). Were I shopping now, I'd probably be looking at the Avid AVS68MXF that RW mentioned.

Good report - thanks for taking the time to type that up. I know a number of folks in the forum have been waiting for feedback on those rods.

That is very cool - both during work and during lunch!

Not sure the suspend dots will do it... You know, if you let yourself go...you get lumpy, weak, your bones creak, and you get sick easy. BUT, if you take care of yourself, your body will get smooth, strong, silent, and reliant ! Hmmm, haven't I heard that expression before............... :lol:

Fishing IS part of my workout ! I walk 6 miles in the morning about 4 or 5 times a week BUT since I fish so much from the bank (nearly everyday) I get another mile or so a day walking the banks of my local lakes. That usually gives me about 30 to 35 miles a week of walking. Result? Since I retired 2 1/2 years ago I've lost 25 pounds, lowered my resting heart rate (now about 62), lowered cholesterol, rock-solid BP, etc. And I will be 60 this year. I had a shoulder injury that resulted in limited range of motion of my right arm and shoulder. Tens of THOUSANDS of overhand casts has worked that out and my shoulder/arm is probably stronger now to boot. Arthritis and joint problems run in my family. When I would wake up in the morning, my fingers would practically be stiff claws. Holding a rod for x hours and hundreds of casts a day loosens them up and improves grip strength (although I still have "casted" a rod into the lake 3 times ). When I leave the house - I don't tell my wife I'm going fishing...I tell her I'm leaving for physical therapy...

I got an email from Humminbird on this today. Like Wayne P, I will be more interested in this when/if they offer a TM transducer...or at least some sort of stand-alone transducer that gives some mounting options. I don't want to put this big pole contraption on my canoe...

I use rods from ML to MH power, and moderate to fast actions for lipless cranks. Depends on the weight of the bait and whether you are in open water, or as DVT said, ripping in weeds. If fishing open water, the Crankin' Stick in M or MH would work OK. But, if you will be ripping the bait through grass, most folks would want a faster action rod. For me - I fish 1/2 ounce lipless cranks more than any other weight in mostly open water but some grass and I use a St. Croix Premier 7'mf rod (which is rated to 3/4oz baits and really fishes about halfway between an M and MH).

You said you were going for the "big bite" this year! Well, I guess SO!! Congrats!

I've been eyeballing that new IM6 Lightning Rod - they have a 5'6" medium-power trigger rod that I have a use for. They look good on the Berkley web site and even have a decent hook keeper...

Most of my rods are 6'6" or longer and I don't really consider 6'6" short. Counting spinning and casting rods, I do have 11 shorter rods that are between 3' and 6'. Most are "niche" rods that are handy for certain things but aren't used as general duty rods. Two of the 11 are 5' and 5'6" pistol grip rods that I don't use anymore. The other 9 short rods all have their niche and get used from time to time. UL and L spinning, a 5"4" five-piece spinning pack rod, a 3' spinning rod, a couple 6' ML bc rods, a 6' M bc rod, and a nifty 5'9" MH bc rod that is handy for a number of things like close-quarters on the bank, spinnerbaits, etc. - but I mostly use it as a "chaser rod" in the front on my canoe (when you miss a fish on one bait you grab the chaser rod with a 5" stickworm on it to follow-up on the missed strike...).

Outstanding Dwight - congrats !

Probably just a dream but it would be nice if once the new model is released that the earlier model would become available at clearance prices...

I own six PQs (and seven other BPS BC reels) but I would also say that either reel will give fine service. Now that the Citica is available in three ratios (it used to only be available in 6.3) the lineup is well rounded as is the PQ with it's four ratios so you can find a ratio in either reel to suit just about any need. The one significant difference between the two is that the Citica is centrifugal braking only, while the PQ has dual-braking - both centrifugal and magnetic. Some folks will say that dual-braking is not necessary and that centrifugal-only is all you need. Other folks will say that dual-braking gives you more options in cast management and is a nifty feature. If you search the forums, you'll find several threads on dual-braking. Another difference is cost. The PQ costs a bit less, and frequently goes on sale for $80. Don't know if that cost diff is important to you. You'll have fun with either reel...

Exactly - at least for me. Again, I always thought I just had some sort of diminished ability to pick up the sensitivity differences...and perhaps some people really DO have an increased ability - either through better "touch" or perhaps better concentration/awareness of what's going on with the rod. I can give two examples of what I CAN feel. I have two 7'mf St. Croix bc rods - one a Premier, one an Avid. I can feel the sensitivity improvement in the Avid over the Premier. Now, when I compare that Avid with a comparable Loomis GLX (MBR842C), I can't really feel any significant improvement. Again, perhaps it's just me...or perhaps this is another confirmation of what's been discussed on the board before that the point of (greatly) diminishing returns on rods is nowadays right around the $180 price point... And getting back to that Premier, I would bet that that I actually give up very little in the way of true angling success by fishing that rod as my most-used bc rod as compared to my success rate if I used the Avid... There are some pretty danged good $100 dollar rods on the market nowadays and I'm not even sure that you need to reach that $180 price point to have the best bang for the buck.

Great post! I thought it was just me but I rarely (never) feel anything directly through my fingers. I do have joint and grip problems and just thought I had associated degradation of the nerve endings in my fingers. And I do have a couple of Loomis GLX rods that theoretically should be pretty good on transmitting vibrations. So, I agree - I am feeling mostly through my hands/grip. This then puts combo balance into discussion as well, especially for tip up presentations.

That IS pretty cool. The two-piece design makes it manageable for only one person to load/unload from a vehicle. Also, if you somehow put a hole in one of the hull sections, you've got a dry section left...

Bet the adrenalin was up all the way until the line got spooled - what a rush! But then a letdown....... Still - you were FISH ON !

Never heard of it either! Anything that will give me a fight is good for me though. Great catch...

Thanks for the review Hooligan. I nearly bought one when they finally showed up on the BPS web site the other day...but I just hate to pay full price for BPS stuff. I think I'll be waiting for the eventual sale. Please do check back when you've got some more time on the reel.

Thanks Kirby - I try to keep the gear nice but don't take extraordinary care. They're tools - not some precious cabinet queens. Although, that Shimano Conquest I just got will probably get a bit more care than the PQs...

The made-in-France Mitchells were (are) just great reels. It took my Dad about 40 years to finally wear out his late-50s vintage Mitchell 300....which he used to catch his 10lb 14oz PB LMB. He fished that reel for hours every weekend, and usually for 15 to 30 minutes every evening (he lived on a canal in SoFla). I still fish my Mitchell 408 every once in a while. The only thing that bugs me is that the bail cannot be conveniently manually closed - you have to crank the reel to trip the bail (or grab the little trip lever and pull it out with your fingernail!).

I have 4 of the boxes for ones I bought new. A few I bought on eBay with no box. Still, I've misplaced a few boxes over the last 25+ years that I've owned most of them. I have lived in 6 different houses over that time though and on every move, things get thrown out... I wish I still had the box for my Mitchell 408 that I bought around 1965...but then I've lived in over 20 places since then so that box was gone LONG ago... I do have all the boxes for the reels I've puchased in the last few years.

99% of my water is open with no timber or slop so: BC - St. Croix Avid AVC70MF / BPS Carbonlite 6.4 / 10lb YZ Hybrid Spin - St. Croix Avid AVS68MXF / Pflueger Supreme 030 / 6lb YZ Hybrid (spare spool could have 20lb braid) To tell the truth, every fish I've caught in the last two years (over 2,000 from 41 pound carp, 9 pound bass, on down...) could have been caught on just that 6'8" mxf spinning rod. So, if I could only have ONE rod for all fishing......

No stripers in my little lakes...but they're in the big water not far away. I had one salt water rod (7'6") that I used on piers that would have made a pretty nice striper rod but I gave it away, along with my surf rods, when I left CA. Still, if the need arose, any of these Sigmas could come out of the display case and back into action! It's hard to see in the photo, but most have a little rash here and there. The ones that ARE in good shape considering the service are the saltwater reels. They always had a freshwater bath when I got back from the beach and luckily none were dropped in the sand and scratched up. These reels have a black paint finish that is reasonably durable but still "scratchable". I wish I had all the boxes for these...makes a difference if/when they end up on eBay !

Hey Rooster - that is indeed every size they made: 025, 030, 035, 040, 050, 060, and 080. In the photo there are two 035s, two 040s, and one each of the other sizes. The 025 to 040 size Shakespeares have been replaced by various Pfluegers in 20, 25, 30, and 35 sizes. The saltwater-size Shakespeares (050, 060, 080) are not being replaced since I left all the saltwater behind in California and haven't found much of it since I moved to Tennessee...