CrashVector

8# Mr crappie camo line is excellent stuff. All lines made here are overrated. A 10lb mono (actually 10.2lbs) should be 0.10in. 12lb should be 0.11in 15lb should be 0.13in

I just use Lew's Speed Cast on mine with a microfiber towel. Cleans it off nicely. I don't like the feel of cork after putting u-40 on it, and the speed cast stuff works beautifully to clean off the grit and grime.

Go shallow.

Thinner line isn't less visible....it's less noticeable. There's a distinct and important difference there. To be less visible, the line has to be more transparent or camouflaged. I personally like using speckled mono in super finesse situations. Covers both bases. I usually choose a clear brown base with green specks due to the color of water I usually fish in.

My thoughts exactly.

Pulling bass off spawn beds is for noobs imo.

I use Hercules no fade 8 carrier braid in moss green. JDM thin braid, never fades out, and hasn't let me down yet.

Here's the answer guys and gals: RT4 and RT5 rods from BPS are both IM9 85 million modulus graphite. The difference is the resin and scrim material, which makes RT5 lighter and more responsive. The Johnny Morris Signature USA Made rods, the Patriot USA rods, and the upcoming new platinum signature rods are all RT5 graphite, made in the United States by North Fork Composites.

Best rod I own as far as sensitivity goes is an Abu Garcia Fantasista X. 7', MH/XF.

Yep..and I paid $139 lol

Thats a sexy fishing pole

I wonder why so many manufacturers have decided to downgrade insert material...pad their profit margins perhaps?

I do too for the most part. How do you like the Evo?

Ive read it. While it does contain some good info, to suggest that high modulus graphite isn't the best predictor of a rod's potential is a tad disingenuous. To say a rod made of 24T graphite can potentially be as sensitive and light as a 40T graphite rod, and that "other factors" can make up the difference...is downright false.

That's my plan for the three rods I bought. Carbonlite frog rod= frogs and heavy jigs/punching rigs Carbonlite mh/XF = 3/16oz Texas rigs Jm signature mh/XF = 3/16 - 1/8oz general finesse presentations. I've had the CarbonLite technique rod the longest, and I can vouch for the sensitivity despite being a frogging rod....not to the degree of say my Fantasista X or veritas TE rods, but it was more sensitive than I expected it to be, which was a nice surprise.

I mostly agree, and yeah, he copied and pasted it lol Graphite modulus is in the top three if not two factors in the ability to predict a rod blank's sensitivity. It's all the stuff that happens after the blank is created that ruins or preserves that potential..guides, finishes, etc.

Yeah I noticed that as well. These are the first BPS rods I've ever owned.

My wife swears by hers. Never used a caster before in her life, so I bought her a Curado DC for fishing out of her kayak. She has yet to backlash it, and makes a "game" of starting off at "3" and working her way down to "1" on the electronic control.

I looove my rods with full cork. There just something special about how a cork-handled rod feels However, I can vouch for how comfortable the cork split grips on the signature are...and the winn grips on the carbonlite rods are like heaven.

I've seen a lot of threads here regarding what is the difference, so I decided to contact BPS customer service asking them 1. The modulus/ton rating of RT4 and RT5 and 2. Any other differences besides and modulus differences. I'll update this with any further replies. Here is the reply I got, copied and pasted. Thank you for writing to us today! Sorry for the delay in answering you, I have been digging through rod documents to find info on graphite and modulus, this is what I found so far. From this info, you can deduct the Signature rods have a higher modulus as they are lighter. The RT4 and RT5 are ratings used by Bass Pro to distinguish different rod blanks. I will follow up with you regarding the ton rating as I could not find the info today, but I have sent an email to the Merchant in charge of rods. Tuesday will be the earliest I will be able to email you again. "Graphite is rated by "Modulus of Elasticity” or resistance to bending and refers to the relationship between stress and strain. It usually defines the stiffness to weight ratio of the fibers used to construct the rod blank. Generally speaking, the higher the Modulus of the fiber used to make the blank, the lighter the resulting blank can be for any given stiffness. Many rod manufacturers would have you believe the higher the modulus of the fiber, the better the rod. Not necessarily. The higher the modulus rod, the easier it is to break and the less abuse or strain it can take. Graphite itself is very strong and the increasingly high modulus of top end graphite enables rod blanks to become lighter and more sensitive due to the ability to make blanks with thinner walls. Of course, the downside to this is they are much more susceptible to angler abuse. The thin walls just cannot stand up to rough handling, and being banged around in the boat, truck, etc. The type of fishing that you do, and the way that you treat your equipment should determine your rod choice." Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's Customer Service

Picked one up this morning. 6'8" MH/XF. It's not the lightest rod I own, but it's the lightest one under $200 for sure. I paid $139 before tax with a trade in coupon. Imo, it's a super good rod for $140. I have no idea what bps' RT ratings mean, but it says it's made of "RT5 Graphite" as opposed to the new carbonlite rods' RT4. It was plenty sensitive. I paired it with a new gen Revo SX I just threw it in a small pond that doesn't have any bass in it just to see how it handles. It threw a pit boss with a 3/16 weight really well, and I could easily feel the pebbles on the bottom. Pretty good so far, I'll update when I actually catch a fish on it next week. Anyone have any idea what modulus that BPS uses for their RT ratings?

This is the correct answer. I have rods that are fast and others that are xf. There's no real standardization, so one maker's xf is another's fast. My fishing buddy makes fun of me because if I feel a tap and even THINK it's a fish, I set the hook. I've pulled up all manner of stuff off the bottom, but I've ALSO pulled in more fish than him lol! He loves to tell me "Hooksets are free, but terminal tackle isn't lol" I usually respond by telling him "That hook was dull anyhow from all the fish I've been catching. Yours are still razor sharp." 😂 No. You are confusing action with power. A rods power describes how much force it takes to bend it...the action determines WHERE that bend occurs.

They're identical to the new white ones, just without the paint job.

I spend the first hour I'm on the water just simply trying to pattern the fish. Where are they and why...what lures they prefer, etc. Doing that, you will learn a LOT about their behavior.

The new ones here are listed as simply "Carbonlite" as opposed to "carbonlite 2.0" They're a tad lighter than the older ones, and the side plate is smoother. In my opinion, the newer models are superior. I think they changed manufacturers for the rods, because the newer ones are MUCH lighter, and the split grip section is shorter with a different style of Winn grip.