OnthePotomac

Every one will have a favorite and mine is the Shimano Sahara. I have two 2500's and one 3000 and the 3000 is a couple ounces lighter than the 2500, go figure. They have been really reliable reels for me and are used a lot by my daughter and grandson. The oldest is 14 years old and the newest is 10 years old and still perking along. I do keep them cleaned and properly lubed. I don't know what they sell for now, but I paid around $70 for them at the time. My daughter just bagged a 6lb8oz last week on the Potomac on one of the 2500 reels. Talk about excited.

Just received an email from BPS customer service on the availability of these rods in a 7' MH baitcaster and this is really weird. The email read "we do not have that rod in stock and have no projected date on when they will be available." Anyone know of a BPS employee who knows what the problem is. They have been out of stock now for several weeks. I see bass pros on TV fishing with them.

You may have a hook setting timing problem, which will improve in time. Personally, I started crunching down barbs years ago for easy deep hook removal when I fish plastics. I don't lose fish because the barb is gone and simply reach in with this hook remover, grip it, turn it and lift it out. http://www.basspro.com/shop/en/bass-pro-shops-squeeze-out-hook-remover

Minnow, here is the same site as above showing more choices on the site. Use extreme caution if you get into the sanding intructions. I prefer to stop with a high polish myself using QTips through the pinion gear and a Dremel buffing wheel. http://jdntackle.home.mindspring.com/index page.html

Now that is a darn fine piece of work. Very professional in appearance.

Keep in mind that reel manufactures design their reels with some pretty incredible tolerances and it is therefore risky to start "sanding" any surface. Polishing yes, but I urge caution in sanding. TackleTour.com has a section dedicated to reel maintenance where you can learn a great deal about the care and lubing of reels. Do a lot of reading and comparing what you read because reel cleaning and lubing on sites is fraught with a lot of bad information. Case in point, I read on a forum where a poster said his granddaddy just dipped his reels in kerosene to clean them and it worked for him. I have only been cleaning/tuning my own reels for 16 years (not long compared to professionals on here) and the initial learning curve was loaded with a mine field of mistakes from bum information. You will soon learn that those who are knowledgeable in reel cleaning/tuning have their own preferences in oils an grease and you will eventually settle on your own preferences.

You are doing fine with what you have.

I to have moved away from braid, except on the frog rod. Can you believe I fish my plastic swim baits and Rage Frogs on 20lb mono and love it.

I posted this in response to a similar question regarding Carbonlites. I have been using them for five years and now have nine. I use Med and MH 6'6" and 7'. Can't beat the price when they go on sale each year and I have never had a problem with them. My old wrists love their incredibly light weight. Believe me they take a beating in the Potomac grass beds and the occasional snake head, which strike like a freight train. I use the Carbonlite 7' MH for plastics, swim baits, jig and pig and frogs and it has worked for me.

Boy, you are going to get a zillion answers to this, but this what I have been using for the last 17 years, which is when I decided to learn how to clean/tune my own reels. I only fish fresh water. SS spool bearings - Yellow Rocket Fuel Ceramic spool bearings - Aust Met Oil Pinion bearing - dipped in TSI 301 Crank shaft bearing - ReelX Anti reverse bearing - A touch of Yellow Rocket Fuel on a QTip wiped inside Metal and vinyl gears - Super Lube or Yamaha Blue Marine Grease Worm Gear - ReelX Handle bearings - ReelX Shimano drag grease on drag discs

I have been using them for five years and now have nine. I use Med and MH 6'6" and 7'. Can't beat the price when they go on sale each year and I have never had a problem with them. My old wrists love their incredibly light weight. Believe me they take a beating in the Potomac grass beds and the occasional snake head, which strike like a freight train. I use the Carbonlite 7' MH for plastics, swim baits, jig and pig and frogs and it has worked for me.

Sounds the same as the BPS Titanium rods. The MH Titanium bait cast rods have been on back order for three months now.

Brakes control the beginning of the cast and the cast control cap controls the end of the cast.

I have two of the 200I reels and so far I have not found it necessary to change the two brakes on for all the baits I throw on them. Try changing the setting on the outside dial either up or down to get the desired results you are looking for. That works for me anyway. If you prefer to change brake settings while fishing then you may find it necessary to back off the cast control cap then reset it, but that will depend on how far down you have tightened it. Yes, tightened down cast control will push against the spool shaft preventing closing the cover.

The article describes the best rod length for varies techniques and why.

I do not have a K yet, but I do have two 70 XGs and based on what I have read about the K, it appears that the two reels are different but similar, if that makes any sense. I would guess that at the same price point, go for either one, unless having the latest model is more important to you, then go for the K.

This month's Bass Master Magazine has a good article on rod lengths and uses.

Take a good look at the new Curado K if you have a $175 budget and I would recommend the fastest one. By all reviews, professional and everyday angler, this is a fantastic reel by Shimano, which may over shadow the popular "E" series.

By slow spinning I assume you are referring to the spool. If you over oiled the spool bearings it will slow it down considerably. It is surprising how little oil a spool bearing can tolerate before it is over oiled. They require a tiny, and I mean tiny drop of oil and no more. If you have an Orvis near you, pick up a fly glue applicator plastic bottle. They have a needle top on them with an opening smaller than a gun needle oiler and it will dispense the right drop size for a spool bearing. Do not oil the spool shaft as it will also slow down your spool and last, with the spool removed, run a clean pipe cleaner up the pinion bearing to ensure there is no grease in there. A clean dry spool shaft and interior of the pinion bearing into which it fits will ensure an unrestricted spin of the spool. I have read on sites where anglers put oil on their shafts to speed them up, but it does just the opposite.

I have a couple of rods on which I have put these and they work very well. http://www.basspro.com/shop/en/fuji-ez-keeper

Shimano has a basic three category sizes as I see it: 50/70 small, 150/200 medium, 300 large. Just talking regular bass fishing reels, not the big guy salt waters. I have not seen the new Curado K, so I don't know where it fits in their size categories.

BPS Titanium rods in MH have not been available for a very long time and customer service tells me they will not be available for at least another 30-60 days. Interesting.

My tube setup is the same as all my plastics on a bait caster. BPS Carbonlite 7' MH fast tip with 15lb Invizx on a Curado 70XG. Mizmo tube on a 3/0 EWG hook with a 3/16 pegged, or unpegged slip sinker, depending on the junk I am throwing in to. I have said before that the 15lb Invizx flouro is the same diameter as other manufacturers 12lb flouro. I like to keep equipment requirements simple.

InvizX 15lb is my plastics favorite and I have not had a problem during the season. Barring the occurrence of a professional over run (birds nest), it stays on for the season.

I fish Senkos and other plastics on a BPS 7' Carbonlite MH fast tip with InvizX 15lb Flouro on a Curado 70XG (fast) reel. The reels have changed over the years, but the rod has always been a 7' MH fast tip. I prefer a fast retrieve reel for plastics.