21farms

the owner of lew's, lynn reeves, was actually BPS's merchandise manager. i'm sure he leveraged a bunch of his existing manufacturing sources.

abu garcia actually made a running change in the gen1 revos...they were first released with aluminum frames and changed to x-craftic toward the end of their lifecycle...they didn't even change the model numbers, only adding a little "x-crafic" sticker on the box. all gen2 revo frames were x-craftic. the big difference between the max series and the revos are the one-piece metal frames on the revos. imho, linear magnetic brake system sounds sexy but the magtrax brakes were superior in actual usage...i think abu tried to get a little too cute with the linear mag brakes and i'm glad they went back to something more tried-and-true. YMMV.

regarding the SX, for the second generation they changed from frame material to xcraftic, added red trim and the bent handle/drag star. for the third generation, they changed the profile to smaller and lower and, most importantly, changed the magnetic braking system from the linear mag system to their magtrax system.

i picked up a 6'6" MH/F bucoo micro a few weeks back. haven't fished it yet but i am very impressed so far. mine weighs in at exactly 3.5 ounces, making it the lightest rod in my arsenal. the beefy grip is fits my hand the best of all my rods and i really like the non-clearcoated blank and understated looks of the rod. the ONLY thing i don't like about the rod is the goofy name: "bucoo"

by the way, if you pre-order the 3rd generation SX from THUT, you get 20 percent off...comes out to $136 shipped.

if you really want an SX, i highly recommend waiting until september for the third-generation SXs. the first- and second-generation SXs can get "squirrely". abu-garcia is replacing the magnetic braking system with a more-traditional design that will undoubtedly work better. otherwise, the citica, the revo S, lew's speed spool and BPS pro qualifiers are all good (i've had 'em all).

i use 'em all. moderate action for slow-rolling or fishing a single-colorado at night to help them eat it better (e.g., deeper). extra-fast for burning double-willows in clear water since the fish may zoom in from longer distances and tend to slash it more than inhaling it so i want to get a quick hook into them. fast for pretty much every other situation because it gives a good combination of casting distance and accuracy and the fast tip makes it easy to twitch the blades or skirt.

i'm intrigued by the new shape of the symetre FLs and am planning on picking one up in the 2500-size. as for the sahara FEs, shimano dropped the machined handle for a cast handle?!? no, thank you. i'm wondering if the sahara FE and saros FA are listed wrong on the TW site. i wrote them yesterday that the photos show the symetre FL was clearly a 2500 even though the specs had it listed as a 2000 and they corrected it immediately (but did not change it for the sahara and saros). i posted in another forum for bantam1 about this.

LOL, if you like fast retrieve speeds, you should get a spinning reel...they kick casting reels to the curb when it comes to pulling in lots of line as to why abu is coming with an 8:1 reel, it's an arms race and another way to sell more reels. personally, i will buy one too. i have 3:1, 4:1, 5:1, 6:1 and 7:1 reels and they all have their place and the 8:1 will too.

the 8.0:1 STX has a retrieve of 33 IPT (inches per turn). this is indeed faster than the 7:1 reels such as curado at 30 IPT, lews speed spool at 31 IPT, quantum EXO at 31 IPT, zillion at 31 IPT and the 2nd-generation STX at 31 IPT. The daiwa type-R, which is 7.3:1, comes closest at 32 IPT. the reason the MGX's 7.9:1 retrieve is more comparable to other reels with a smaller gear ratio is because of the MGX's smaller spool. the STX has a more standard size spool.

bassinmd, it'd be helpful if you told us what you didn't like about those lines you tried. lately, i've been using seaguar red label and XPS fluoro and can't find much fault with them. personally, i am no fan of the regular vicious fluoro...when you run it between your fingers, it's "bumpy" (varying diameter along its entire length) and on the thick side.

i disagree. i know people that like a moderate action to allow a following fish to take the spinnerbait deeper. the lamiglas "crank 'n blade" rod was made with cranks and spinnerbaits in mind and that thing is a noodle. imho, a mod action works well for deep slow rolling, especially when a trailer hook is not employed. i think the issue here with the OP is that his carrot stix is a medium rod...i like to go medium-heavy, even for 1/4-ounce spinners.

the SX is probably the singlemost-polarizing reel i can think of...people either seem to really love it or hate it. my theory on it is that people who are consistently smooth casters love it while people who whip their rods while casting or who change casting techniques often have problems with it. i'm in the latter category. i've owned two of the first-generation and demo'd one of the second generation. when dialed in perfectly and i concentrate on my technique, i get beautifully long and smooth casts. if i fail to adjust the reel properly for the lure or the wind conditions or if i get excited and rush a cast, i'd end up with some of the most frustrating birdsnests ever. the good news is abu-garcia is revamping the SX for the third-generation models...they're getting rid of the "linear magnetic brakes" and replacing them with "magtrax brakes". the magtrax brakes are what abu uses in the max-series and work by varying the distance between the magnets and the spool...they work GREAT. the linear mag brake system employ a shield that was used to cover/uncover the magnets but, if you know anything about magnetic fields, you know this is anything but linear. it seems like abu has finally come around on this and is moving back to a more standard magnetic braking arrangement. my recommendation is to wait for the 3rd gen models.

i'd caution against putting too much stock into the online reviews on the BPS website...some of those people have clearly drank the kool-aid IYKWIM some of the more-entertaining ones go something like these: "i caught a 4-pounder my first time out with this reel...this reel rocks!" "i don't own this reel nor have i ever even handled one but it seems like a great reel. i give it five stars!" "kvd uses this reel so i must be good! five stars!" "what a piece of junk. i'm new to baitcasting and prefer the reel hanging under the rod like my spinning setups. this is pure junk." "i love this reel!. i can pitch 50 yards with it easy and flick 1/8-ounce balsa baits 120 yards effortlessly!" "made in thailand? 'nuff said. one star" "worst reel ever! i've used this on two fishing trips so far and have been skunked each time. if i could give this reel zero star, i would!" i especially love reading the reviews of new reels that were posted before the reels were even released

i think just having the carbon sideplates will help the paint stick on better as well as resist little dings. at least i hope so...

i've lost count of how many new reels i've bought over the last 5 years since i got back into fishing but it's well over thirty. at least 90 percent of those were models i had not handled before, relying on reviews, reputation, and/or recommendations. i have only been disappointed (meaning: did not meet my expectations) a handful of times. the most disappointing experience i've had is the BPS johnny morris carbonlite i ordered online. it was the singlemost unrefined-feeling reel i've ever experienced. i eventually found one in a BPS store that was decent but i had to go through a few boxes to find one. i'd say getting a good one of those is pure luck of the draw. oh, one more thing. checking out display reels in person doesn't always tell you the whole story either. at BPS and cabelas, for example, they mount the display reels on heavy "handles" that you can pick up and spin the handle a few times. the problem is, the sheer mass of those display mounts masks the weight of the reel so it's very hard to tell how much the reel really weighs PLUS it also dampens any vibrations coming from the reel, making them all feel smoother than they might really be.

well, why didn't you say you already had the skeet reese revo? that makes everything easier. even though the SKT has a 6.4:1 gear ratio, its line retrieve is a shallow cranking-friendly 24 IPT (whereas most 6:1 reels have a 26-28 IPT). i'd say your plan above sounds excellent. but, for frogging/topwater, why not the lew's in 7.1:1 instead of 6.4:1? being able to quickly pick up any slack line faster is a real boon for those techniques.

my first curado E7 was like that. it casted "okay" and i didn't really give it another thought. then, one trip, i was watching my buddy absolutely bombing his spook with his E7 and i knew something wasn't right. turns out, i had either too much oil and/or grease in my bearings because, after removing the excess factory lubricants, i saw a day and night difference. from the sound of it, i'm positive your E7 has too much grease or oil in it.

nope, that's a misconception. a lower gear ratio allows you to retrieve deep divers with less cranking effort (but you'll be turning the handle faster). think of it like a bike with different gear ratios. high-speed reels work for cranking too but it's more tiring. and, for anglers like me who like to fish at a fast pace, it's next to impossible for me to slow down...a slow reel allows me to crank at the pace i like while working the lure at the appropriate speed. i have many low-speed reels, including the zillion CC. although the zillion's 4.9:1 gear ratio is lower, the inches-per-turn (IPT) is actually higher than the 5.4:1 winch (22" vs. 20.6"). anyway, the zillion is "all that"...i absolutely love it. get one and use it for awhile and then decide on your next move.

i got a good price on them right when they came out so i bought two. they were okay but nuthin' special. i couldn't find a compelling reason to keep them so i returned one and sold one. probably not a bad buy at $100.

just want to share two related thoughts: 1) 6 lb. line will hold up against a bass very well in open water under even pressure...it's the sudden snaps and jerks that will quickly break your line. 2) keep in mind that the longer you play the fish, the less its chances of survival after release. here's some more info: just something to think about if you're a C&R fisherman. cheers.

by my calculations (assuming the size of the spools remain the same), the IPT of the 8.0:1 STX will be 34" per turn of the handle.

when i used braid with spinnerbaits, the softness of it caused it to wrap around the upper arm and/or the blades often. i hated it and use a 20lb. fluoro leader with it now.

7 Foot MHF Casting Rod used g.loomis MBR-843C IMX (takes a little bit of searching and waiting but you can get one for $150) paired with a BPS PQ 7.1:1. a fantastic, super versatile rod you can use for almost anything. 7 Foot MM Casting Rod abu-garcia 7' medium/moderate-fast veritas. pair it with a 5.2:1 BPS PQ for all of your cranking needs. 7 Foot MXF Spinning rod here, i'm not too familiar with many 7' M/XF rods but i like your choice of XF. i guess i'd go with a 6'8" carbonlite rod in M/XF. i also don't know about the BPS spinning reels...but, at that price range, i think you'd be hard-pressed to do better than a 2500-size shimano symetre. use this combo for dropshotting, shakeyheading, dartheads, splitshotting, small tubes and grubs. good luck.

hmmm, the xcaliber 100 is a 1/2-ounce crankbait...i was hoping to hear how well the medium winch rod casts a 1/4-ounce crankbait. there is no recommended lure weight range listed for the winch rods at the abu-garcia website.