K_Mac

Your response seems fair to me. The reel arrived undamaged, but not protected. Proper packaging should be an expected part of the transaction in my opinion. Just my.02

What kind of life-span does Fluoro in general and Sniper in particular have. At those prices it would break my budget if it has to be replaced too often. I've never heard of a 100% fluoro line behaving like XL. That would be very cool. 8-)

I am a novice when it comes to GPS/mapping so I can just speak for the Lake Insight. I have it on my HDS-5 and it does a great job for all the lakes I fish, with the exception of a small strip pit. The Lowrance site has a list of lakes covered by Lake Insight. Whether or not it is the best choice I don't know, but it works well for me. Good luck.

Gone but not forgotten. :-X I miss him too.

You know what they say about getting what you pay for... : ;D BTW it is good to "see" you around. 8-)

I'll second the above. The Natural is tackle enthusiast who's recommendations carry a lot of weight in my opinion. Here is the link: http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1257231359

I've read the reviews and complaints. I can only speak for my units and the two a friend has on his boat. I have fished in hard rain several times over the last few months. The guy that has the other two units (an HDS-7 and 5X purchased early this spring) works midnights and fishes at least couple of days during the week and most weekends. He had some trouble unrelated to water. The unit would freeze up once in a while, and need to be turned off to re-set. Lowrance sent him a new unit (took a couple of weeks). I bought mine knowing of his problem (and the resolution) and have had no trouble with mine. 8-)

Yes, that is my set-up. I could not be happier with how well these two units work, and have had no problems with interference between the two. I had a tough time justifying the cost when I refurbed my boat. I usually shop closer to the lower-end when I buy fishing equipment. I don't regret the decision. Good luck. Edit: If your budget allows the bigger HDS-7 is very nice. 8-)The bigger screen just makes a GPS/sonar split-screen easier to view. Not necessary, but a good upgrade IMO.

I am a Rams fan so I can feel your pain. :-[ I have a tough time when it comes to the Cardinals. Bidwell still ranks very high on my list...> I am still a Kurt Warner fan though. Even if he is close to being able to draw Social Security, he can still play. When the Cardinals can run the ball they are impressive. I am not an avid football fan, but the Bears have always been a team that's not afraid to bust some heads on defense. 8-) What happened?

I think any one of the reels you listed would serve you well. 8-) I have been very happy with my BPS reels and think they are a good value. I use Extremes and Pro Qualifiers. The PQ is a great reel for the money IMHO. I believe it has the same dual braking system that is used on the Pro Finesse and the Rick Clunn reels. That system allows for better control than you can get with either centrifugal or magnetic systems alone IMHO. Many in the Shimano posse, and others will disagree. : ;D Good luck.

Rooster hang in there man. 8-) Ain't a thing wrong in exploring all your options.

I completely agree with the above. RW has always been very gracious to me even when I have been less so to him. He is passionate about his beliefs and I think that is an admirable characteristic. It is my philosophy that it is better to hit the wrong note at full voice now and then, than to be quiet and not add anything to the chorus. Spirited conversation is one of life's simple pleasures as far as I'm concerned, but it is difficult to have in this format. It is easy to come off as mean spirited and superior. I am probably more guilty of this than most. This forum does a better job of maintaining civil dialogue than any other I've seen and I appreciate that very much. Thanks Glenn. Kirby

I use a lot of their plastics, esp the Stick-os and beaver knock-offs. I think they are very good baits for the money.

RW I understand that as Sheriff you have a responsibility to protect and serve your posse. 8-) I also understand you can make a case for a couple of high end combos over several lower end combos. I think a BPS Pro Qualifier baitcast rod and reel is a sweet combo. I can buy the combo for about the same price as a Shimano Curado reel. I can buy two combos for the cost of a GLoomis glx rod. While I could buy the Curado/Loomis combo, at my income level I would much rather have three less expensive ones. The joy of having three outfits on deck ready to fish is greater than having one that I would be constantly afraid I might kick off the boat. That doesn't mean I don't appreciate how fine the Shimano/Loomis outfit is, it simply means it is a luxury that I can't justify and don't need. And sheriff as far as Quantum equipment is concerned I'm not sure a public hanging is in order.

Roadwarrior, with all due respect, in my opinion you continue to come off as a tackle snob. You may be right about in-house reel returns , in that the numbers sold are much higher than the more expensive equipment. On a percentage basis it would be interesting to compare numbers on similarly priced reels. You would certainly expect a lower failure of high-end equipment. Which brings me to my second point. To infer that those of us in the unwashed masses who buy inexpensive or cheap equipment are unknowing and inexperienced fishermen is offensive to me. Because my pockets are not very deep does not mean I'm ignorant of fishing or the value of a dollar. Kirby

For $99 the BPS Pro Qualifier is a great reel. That would be my choice.

Good for him. Maybe the Yankees aren't evil after all. 8-)

I was just reading the list of MLB team payrolls and one thing is painfully obvious: the disparity between the haves and have nots is huge. The Yanks payroll is $201,449,289. The Mets are number two on the list at $135,773,988, a difference of $65,675,301. The Phillies are number 7 at $113,004,046. The difference between the 2 WS teams is $88,444,243. That difference is almost exactly the total payroll of the Cardinals, who are number 13 (of 30) on the list. In spite of these ridiculous differences in payroll, the WS was great entertainment this year IMHO. I also believe that unless something is done to level the playing field, the game that I also love is in real trouble.

Once the reel is adjusted properly your thumb is the final and most important control of a "berzerk" spool. ;D

Congrats Yankee fans. great team/ great series

Very nice. Well done. 8-)

I think you'll get more than $8 worth of enjoyment out of talking about your Japanese "throw-fishing" reel. ;D

AC500 I was thinking about your posts and it occurred to me that if my Cards had made the series, and Pujols was hit 3 times in 2 games I would feel just like you. Whether it is intentional or not, when your big guy is being hit it's a problem.

I would ask around at the local bait and tackle shops to find who they recommend. There is no doubt that the newer reels are superior, but that reel may serve the purpose for you very well. If newer was always better Roadwarrior and I would be in trouble.

Rooster I have 3 of one and 2 of the other and IMHO the PQ will out cast the extreme every time. The spool seems to start quicker and it is a smoother reel in every way. The dual control alone is worth the extra couple of dollars. Just my .02