Quantum Optix 40 Setup....get What You Pay For

[CDobber]

Last year I wanted to get more into bass fishing and had only owned one ultralight rod, which was also on the cheap end of things (Shakespeare Xterra).  I purchased this Quantum Optix combo at a local multi-purpose store based on look, feel and price...and what little research I did into the setup at the time made it sound like the 3 ball bearing system was better than counterparts in a similar price range.

 

I'm the first to admit that I was (and still am) very much in the learning stages of things, so more research could have been done to find better....but that's in the past.  I was likely throwing too heavy of lures, in particular umbrella style a-rigs, on a graphite composite rod not built for it....and had the rod shatter at the two piece joint.  I was able to cut it off and re-use it for some time, catching that bass in my avatar with it, earlier this summer.  About a week after that bass, the pole continued to crack/fray, even with much lighter lure choices (more knowledge), simply from the torque of casting.  I came here to research poles and went to a higher level hardware store that has the entire basement devoted to fishing gear...armed with about 6 choices based on brand name, reviews here, cost and that sort of thing and only found one of them in stock...a 6'6" Shimano Compre.  I put the old  reel on the pole knowing full well that I'd likely research and get a much better one this winter, and that was only confirmed by noticing how much easier and further I could cast my ultralight rod than my Compre/Optix.

 

I tried a futile attempt to clean the reel last night to see if I could get the bail to function better (it would only click shut about 1/3 of the time with reeling) and cast further with a wipe down and fresh oil.  When undoing the crank and handle, I found another, unknown broken piece inside...a gear of some sort (washer with teeth)....and while the reel functioned today, only for about 2 hours before the bail snapped off at the screw attachment that includes the spring mechanism. 

 

I will now be going through the forum to see what recommendations there are for a suitable reel to go with the Compre, but wanted to give a heads up on the inferior product in case anyone happened upon this combo.  I take responsibility in some part for the breakdown and not using it entirely properly, but both pieces are now trash after only a year of use.

 

 

[rippin-lips]

I'm going to say this is all pretty much your own doing. If you use something not for it's intended purpose it will fail at some point.

I used to fish with Shakespeare excursion rods from Walmart. $15ea maybe $20 but either way used them for years and years heavily. I still have a few also. I keep 1 in my truck and another 2 incase I take a friend fishing. All of them had the cheapest Shimano 2500 sized reel I could buy for them. I think it was a $35-40 reel. Never cleaned and they all still work fine.

[MichiganFishing1997]

Are you making sure your throwing the correct lure weoght for the rod? Usually the rods sweet spot is right about in the middle of its lure weight rating. For example if a rod is rated 1/4oz to 5/8oz it should cast a 3/8oz lure quite well. Just an idea.

[Jolly Green]

Live and learn, right?  Whatever reel you settle on, plan on learning the habit of closing the bail by hand instead of letting the reel's mechanism do it. Also FYI, a clean spinning reel doesn't cast any farther than a dirty spinning reel. The spool is fixed and the line flows freely off of the end of it, as opposed to a baitcaster where the spool rotates during the cast.  Probably the most neglected part of a spinning reel is the line roller; whether it's a bearing or a bushing you want to make sure it is clean and lubricated properly so your line can be laid on the spool or payed out by the drag as smoothly and with as little friction as possible.

[SirSnookalot]

Jolly Green summed it up well concerning the reel, nothing really needs to be added.

You won't hurt a decent quality rod by using a lure just a bit heavier than the guidelines on the rod.  I really never had the need to do so for bass fishing, I do however in other venues all the time.

[retiredbosn]

Live and learn, right? Whatever reel you settle on, plan on learning the habit of closing the bail by hand instead of letting the reel's mechanism do it.

This one thing was such an epiphany for me when I learned about it several years ago. Like allot of other people my Dad taught me that the proper way to close the bail was to simply reel. SPINNING REELS ARE NOT DESIGNED TO HAVE THE BAIL CLOSED BY TURNING THE HANDLE. Although turning the handle will close the bail at first the reel is not designed to work this way. I actually called Abu Garcia about it, thought that the reel HAD to be designed to do that. Its not, read the manual folks.

[CDobber]

Good to know, and something I've never read about previously.  Simple adjustment, will make this immediately....not that I have much season left.

 

I think I already took adequate blame for my own naivety in the OP, take the warning on the quality of the gear at whatever level you want to, I don't feel it was very good quality overall and there are better options out there in a similar price point.  

[JayKumar]

For value for the $, check out Lew's. Tough to beat. If $ is not an issue, Shimano.