Crankbait reel.

[TruiteBR]

I am looking for a crankbait reel. I wanted a curado e5, but I use left-handed reels. It will be my only crankbait reel, so I want a reel that can handle small and big crankbaits.  I was looking at the revo winch, but I have heard it casts smaller crankbaits poorly.  Is the Bass Pro Shops® Pro Qualifier  5.2:1 a good option? Does anyone have any experience with that reel?

[Goose52]

The PQ is a great value for the money. If you search this forum, you will find lots of discussions about this reel over the past year with many positive reviews.

I have PQs in all 4 ratios (7.1, 6.4, 5.2, & 4.7). I bought the PQ in 5.2 ratio originally to be my heavy spinnerbait and deep crankbait reel. The 5.2 (21 inch-per-turn - IPT) worked great for those purposes. However, if you have a bait that you want to "burn", you have to crank pretty fast with a 5.2. The 6.4 (26 IPT) works OK on cranks down to about 8-10 feet, but it can be tiring to use the 6.4 on cranks that run deeper - however, the 6.4 is better for faster presentations.

For you, I guess the decision between the 5.2 and the 6.4 will be your own thoughts about how often you will need to crank really deep, and how often you need to burn a bait. Some folks just use a 6.4 for pretty much everything...

For me, I ended up getting the 4.7 ratio reel to use for deep cranks (15' or more), use the 5.2 for heavy spinnerbaits and medium cranks, and use a 6.4 for less than 8-10 feet cranks, lighter spinnerbaits, etc., and use the 7.1 for topwater. I use either 6.4 or 7.1 for soft plastics, jigs, other bottom contact stuff.

The reel I use the most? a 6.4........

[skunked_again]

  Quote

I am looking for a crankbait reel. I wanted a curado e5, but I use left-handed reels. It will be my only crankbait reel, so I want a reel that can handle small and big crankbaits. I was looking at the revo winch, but I have heard it casts smaller crankbaits poorly. Is the Bass Pro Shops® Pro Qualifier 5.2:1 a good option? Does anyone have any experience with that reel?

i would assume the PQ to cast light baits much the same as a Revo. i would think they both cast baits well if they are anything like the STX and the blue BPS reel i have..

personally, id look for a Daiwa Fuego or a Daiwa Sol. the retrieve is higher on both reels but you should learn to adjust to that quickly. both also cast lighter baits very well.

[BASSclary]

If your limit allows it, i'd be looking at a Zillion Crazy cranker.

[northern basser]

Personally,  I prefer reels in the 6 something to 1 ratio.  Maybe for deeper cranks the slower more powerfull reel would be better,  but I rarely fish the really deep cranks.  5 to 1 reels seem very slow to me and are hard to rip lipless cranks with.

[catchnm]

Daiwa Exceler 4.9:1 $79.99, Pflueger Trion 3WLPCR 5.2:1 around $100, or the PQ is a good choice as well.       

[Micro]

I agree, for an all around cranking reel, a 6.#:1 is fine.  A lower gear is okay if all you are doing is deep cranking. 

Either way, I'd recommend a Daiwa Zillion in either 6.3:1 or 4.9:1.  Another great choice would be the Team Daiwa Advantage HSTA.

[ChiCityBasser]

I use the Daiwa Exceler and the Cabelas Prodigy for cranking duties with the Exceler being the preferred reel due to its smaller size compared to the Prodigy. They both handle 1/4 oz crankbaits very well with no problems with braid or flouro lines. I use them both with shallow to mid divers to about 8ft with no problems. Of the two if I had to narrow it down I would chose the Exceler.

[FishinTN]

For that price range, I'd without a doubt go with the Pro-Q. I have has a couple for 2 seasons now, that have given me no trouble what-so-ever. It casts light baits very well, and heavy baits well too. The dual control works great. As, far as ratios go. If your going to do more 10' under crankin get the 6.4, if your going to use it quite a bit for 10' and over get the 5.2. It's a fantastic reel, you won't be disappointed. Also, I think it's still on sale for 69.99 from the Christmas sale catalog.

[deep]

Another vote for the PQ. Solid little reel. As good as my Citica (which of course doesn't come in a lower gear ratio).

I can't speak on the mag brakes though. I don't use them. I set 1 of the 6 centrifugal brakes, and do the rest with my thumb; even while casting into the wind.

I did fiddle with the mag brakes, and figured I still needed to thumb about as much; so I turned them off.

BTW, I throw 0.5+ oz lures only with my baitcasters. Anything lighter, I have my spinning rigs.

[Goose52]

  Quote

For that price range, I'd without a doubt go with the Pro-Q. I have has a couple for 2 seasons now, that have given me no trouble what-so-ever. It casts light baits very well, and heavy baits well too. The dual control works great. As, far as ratios go. If your going to do more 10' under crankin get the 6.4, if your going to use it quite a bit for 10' and over get the 5.2. It's a fantastic reel, you won't be disappointed. Also, I think it's still on sale for 69.99 from the Christmas sale catalog.

Unfortunately, the last day of that price was November 13th... :-/ The PQ is back to the regular $99.99 price but it will probably be on sale again at some point in the future...

[JSJ]

Came up on this thread searching for crankbait reels...gotta get me another one and ive been looking at the bps Extreme...anyone would like to make some suggestions on it or opinions

[ww2farmer]

IMHO a lower gear ratio is not necessary for smaller cranks, they come through the water with ease. I would go with a Citica 201E, that, matched with the right rod and line, will cast a 1/4 oz crank a mile. And with the HEG, if you do need it for the occasional big bait, won't feel like your pulling the plug on  the lake. I have a 5:1 reel, but I use that for only the big lipped deep divers (DD22's, 6XD's etc...) I use the Citica for everything else.

[Alpster]

If you can afford one, the Shimano Calcutta TE 250 DC is the most amazing cranking reel. Digital control casting allows you to throw very light crank-baits into the wind. 5.0: 1 gears and smooth as silk. They are very expensive new, but you can find them used for $200-250 on ebay, craig's list, etc. It's the ultimate, I have one and I love it!

Ronnie

[21farms]

i think the 5.2 PQ would be a good option for you. however, you should be aware that the 4.7 and 5.2 PQs don't have the perforated spool...it has a deeper spool with a solid arbor:

(ignore the carbonlite handle i installed on it)

it holds 30 more yards of 12# line than the other PQ models (a fact not reflected on their website nor the print catalog). i have the 4.7 PQ and can confirm that it does not cast light lures as well as the daiwa zillion crazy cranker or the curado E5 but, hey, we're talking about a sub-$90 reel here. i like slow reels for all of my crankin' needs as i like to wind fast...it just suits my fishing style.

[Goose52]

  Quote

i think the 5.2 PQ would be a good option for you. however, you should be aware that the 4.7 and 5.2 PQs don't have the perforated spool...it has a deeper spool with a solid arbor:

How about that! I have 6 PQs - two 7.1s, two 6.4s, and a 5.2 and 4.7 and I never noticed that on the 5.2 and 4.7. Good to know. When I get a new reel in, I have line on it and it's on the water in about 30 minutes so I flat missed that difference in the spools. Now I know why I got as much 17lb line on my 5.2 as I did. Have you checked to see if the spools interchange? This would give you an increased line capacity option on the 6.4 and 7.1 reels...

[Incheon Basser]

A 6.*:1 ratio reel is fine for even the most resistive cranks if you chnge to a large handle.... (IE the handle that used to come on the SR Revo.)

[Goose52]

  Quote

A 6.*:1 ratio reel is fine for even the most resistive cranks if you chnge to a large handle.... (IE the handle that used to come on the SR Revo.)

Maybe - but I know that a few weeks ago when I was cranking Mann's 20+ and 30+ crankbaits, I was glad that I was doing it on a 4.7:1 reel (the 5.2:1 would have done OK as well).   Just sayin' .... :