LAO162

Fuji guides have the reputation for quality that Toyota automobiles has had.

I've got a 1 piece XMLTi, and I'm very impressed. Over the winter I found a couple XML 4-piece pack rods. They are a bit heavier, but still seem quite nice. A 2 piece XML on clearance would be a nice complement to your fine reel . It's funny, to me Stradic CI4 says no compromise on equipment, on the other hand minivan, says practicality The Damiki from TackleWare house has seen good comments on the budget side and going slightly more exotic the Graphiteleader Bosco has gotten good reviews (but its JDM). Although I haven't seen them new for a while, I'd love to get my hands on a 2-piece Fenwick Techna AV. I'm still kicking myself for not snagging one off the auction site If you've got the budget, G Loomis also has 2-piece & travel rods. Cheers!

Someone will probably correct me if I'm wrong... I believe that St Croix rods are usually underrated for power relative to most other manufacturers. i.e. St. Croix MLF = Other MF and St. MF = Other MHF The line & lure ratings will usually tell you more about a rods intended use than the manufacturers power rating.

In my limited experience I've found Gamma CoPoly to be as manageable as Trilene XL (or better )

I liked CX. I used #8 instead in place of of #6 Trilene XL. Now, I use Gamma CoPoly in #6 and #10.

Unless he has a need to sell the rod or you need the rod in the immediate future, you'll probably be happier getting a rod you really want. If you want to get an idea of the market price, follow that auction site for a few weeks. I didn't see a lot of them out there but $40 was probably reasonable. My perspective - I'm trying to get out of the cycle of upgrading every year, so I'm [hopefully] learning upgrade only to gear I want and only when it is at a great value. ... I already have more than I can use Leon

Great info! Thanks. Considering that I think my Revo balances well on both my lighter & heavier rods, I guess the smaller size will get the nod over a smoother retrieve. With extra bearings over the PQ, I'm assuming the Midas is at least as smooth as the PQ. Cheers!

The All Star Platinum 6'6" MF at TW is $68: http://www.***.com/descpageRDSALLSTAR-ASPSSR.html There might even be a 10% of link in TT's HD section. With a 1/4 to 5/8 oz rating I'd think it would do well with spinner baits, T-Rig's and lighter jigs up to 1/2 oz. I haven't used mine yet, but it has significantly more backbone than my other MF spinning rods. The Platinum would be hard to beat for under $70. A couple years ago they sold for $199.

MY, one last question (hopefully) If YOU were going fishing and you could choose only one reel for the day, which would it be: Midas, PQ or JM Sig. (my personal priority is casting performance) Thanks!

Thanks MY, I thought you might be familiar with the Midas. With last year's model, the biggest complaint I saw in reviews was a "protrusion" on the right side. I'm assuming that was remedied with the new profile. For Presidents Day, the Midas is $89. From the specs, the Midas looks as though it would be a compromise between the PQ and JM Signature (assuming spool, bearings, etc. are of the same caliber). I'm not one for bling, but the Midas does look pretty nice. I'd actually like to try a Patriarch, but so far it is not available at BPS in LH. Cheers!

I hope not to rehash all of the BPS/Revo/Patriarch (& Shimano) discussions. But, is anyone familiar enough with the new Midas to confirm that it is similar in function & quality to the Pro Qualified & JM Signature reels? About the biggest difference I can see is the addition of "radial" brakes to the DBS system. I'm tempted to use my BPS Gift Cards to try a DBS reel since my budget doesn't allow for a Chronarch... Although there is no longer a real connection to the Browning of the 70's & 80's, I still have a soft spot for the Buckmark. At the age of 14 I spent all of my savings to purchase a (Belgian) Browning Side-By-Side 12 Gauge. Hard to imagine a group of 15 year olds walking in the woods with loaded shotguns now-a-days...

All Star Platinum 6'6" MF was $68 at TW this morning

It was a hot topic when it came out a year or two ago. Since then quite a few split grip rods have come out at the $100 price point so it has gotten lost in the enthusiasm for newer products.

Wow, lots of great info. It will take me a bit to digest it all. Thinking very simply on my part (the only way I can ). Polishing & ABEC 5 bearings for the spool might be about $60 to $70 round trip from a reliable pro (wild guess). If so, I'm figuring $70 tuning plus $60 net resale value would make the tuned Revo a $130 value. Would these basic upgrades lead to performance better than other $130 (or wishfully thinking $200) reels that are currently available? Worst case, I keep the Revo S as is, and save funds for the Reel(s) that I'm planning to get for my more frequently used rod(s). Thanks!!

LOL ;D Hindsight is a wonderful thing. However, I can't complain about the Revo. My Techna AV / Revo S was about $175 net of shipping & rebate. Still one of my best deals ever

The Daiwa Tierra is a great value at $130 or less. Smooth & great line management. Since you are looking at using flouro, you may want to consider reels with a wider spool. The Tierra (and other Daiwas) has a spool that is wider than the Stradic, without being extremely wide like the BPS reels. Due to the light weight of the FLOOGER Supreme, you might be able to go up to a larger size to get more width (and potentially a lot of unnecessary capacity).

I have a Revo S(L) that I intent to put on an All Star Platinum P787C. I generally do not have the need for a Heavy power action so the combo will not see extensive use. I find the smoothness and drag of the Revo S to be more than sufficient for my needs. However, would polishing the friction points and replacing a couple bearings significantly improve the casting performance? I've been spoiled by my Chronarch 51mg and Quantum TE 1171. They handle lighter baits better and more importantly (esp. for me ) they are more forgiving in terms of backlashing. I suspect that the service and upgrades would cost less than selling the Revo S and applying the proceeds to a premium reel. Thanks for your thoughts. Leon

Thanks, good to know about the Coastal. Next time I'm looking at spinning reels, I'll have to keep the Stradic CI4 in mind. A CI4 / Cumara combo sounds pretty sweet Of course, I'd also be fine with a Sol on a Fuego rod

Based on Cart7t's earlier posts, there seem to be many common aspects between the new Revo, Patriarch & BPS reels. One feature that I am curious about is the weight & capacity of the spools. I wonder if the premium priced reels actually have lighter spools that may improve performance over the value priced reels. Also, I like concept the lower capacity of the PQ vs. the Revo since it should reduce weight and use less line over a season

How does the casting & line management of CI4 compare to the Daiwas? Even though my Stradic FH is super smooth, I always pick my Exceler or Tierra over it because they give me the extra distance to reach a specific piece of cover that is a few yards out of reach when using the FH. If the CI4 compares in that aspect I might go back to Shimano spinning reels I think yours is on of the only comments here that references the Coastal. Cheers!

If I had to spend $400 today and wanted to go new and with warranty: All Star Platinum 6'6" MF Spinning Rod Daiwa Exceler Spinning Rod All Star Platinum 6'6" MHF Casting Rod Shimano Citica Reel From ***, the total would be about $420 shipped. If you do a search, you should find a 10% discount code that will bring the price under $380. By going the closeout, clearance & used route, I've found Fenwick Techna AV's, All Star Platinums & Cabela's XML & XMLti for significantly under $100. The Techna AV's & Platinums are proven performers. I just like the XML's. The best time of year for bargains was Oct/Nov, but if you are patient there may be some great sales this Spring.

Spinning reel suggestion: These are my go to reels - Daiwa Exceler MSRP $80, Daiwa Tierra MSRP $125. They have great casting distance and line management (few tangles). I'd also consider the Cabela's Tournament ZX & Prodigy by Daiwa when they are on sale (30% off). I'll leave the baitcasting suggestions to the BC experts. However, I will say that moving to a high quality baitcasting reel made the biggest difference for me. The most I ever spent on a piece of gear was my Chronarch 51mg, and it was money well spent. Leon

no offense but this has been asked and answered tons of times. I know the search tool here leaves something to be desired by try it. I'd say you could come up with that same question 10-20 times in the last 2 years I think it's a good question. Things change, the reel I love today might end up on the swap and sell board tomorrow. As our collection of "stuff" changes so does our opinion of our "stuff" change. As an analyst by trade I never have enough information When trying to gain subjective information, it helps to ask similar questions, but in a different manner to help "read between the lines." Sometimes interpolating from various opinions helps to form opinions where no specific information is found. I'm guilty of frequently "beating a dead horse" :)

Better equipment doesn't necessarily catch you more fish, but it makes the experience a lot more enjoyable. I should know; I don't catch much, but I upgrade every year. If you are looking for recommendations, it would help to know more about your situation and the techniques you use, or would like to use. If you do some research and are patient, you can really make the most of your budget by searching for deals, using the flea market and even auction sites. Leon

I'm equally inaccurate with both spinning & baitcasting gear Thus, I use both depending upon my situation, mood, or whichever is closest