New baitcaster reel

[TNtransplant08]

Ok guys, I'm in the market for a new reel. My Shimano Citica seems to have broken down. The spool won't turn and I can't really seem to figure out why, even when I tighten or loosen the tension knob and drag. I was never really attached to it anyways and didn't find it comfortable. I fell in love with my Abu Garcia Revo STX (6.4 ratio) that I bought 2 years ago and pretty much just used that. However, I think its time I invest in getting another reel with a different gear ratio. But I can't decide which way I want to go, higher or lower. Wanted your opinion on that if you had to choose between one of the two, since I only have the budget for one. I know different gears have its uses.

I'm really leaning towards getting the Lew's BB1 and they come in 5.1, 6.4, and 7.1 ratios. I was reading up on it and it seems to have a lot of positive reviews. Currently most of my fishing is either dragging jigs or fishing topwaters, such as spooks. With a 5.1, I could get into cranking, which is something I've never really felt comfortable with and feel lost with. But I know I'm missing out on a lot of fish by not cranking. On the other hand, would the 7.1 be better than the 6.4 for topwater? I use a spook 95% of the time when fishing topwater and seems fine with the 6.4. If I'm using a popper or a buzzbait, I tend to use my spinning gear.

Arg....I can't decide. So help sway me

[SAMBOLIE]

Opinions will vary all over on reels. I have used the expensive name brands, yet my last bait caster was the BP Pro Qualifier.
It is as smooth and casts as far as any I have paid a premium for.
I always maintain my equipment with lube and oil and have been fortunate to not have any failures even on 30 year old reels.

[XxthejuicexX]

I fish Primarily Abu garcia. For the price the black max and silver max have been great. I am going on my third season with 3 of them and they have not missed a beat. I broke down all my reels this winter to clean them and was amazed that they were still working with the amount of Guntersville grass in them. They are all 6:4 ratios but work well for topwater or spinner/buzz baits. I have a daiwa that is a 4:9 ratio for my DEEP cranking, that thing is a hoss. I also picked up a Pinnacle that is a 7:1 and I think it's the biggest piece of crap I have ever owned. I am going to order another black max in a couple weeks.

[blink]

i am with Sambolie about the BPS Pro Qualifiers. I have 3, and plan to buy a couple more this year. They are often on sale for $79.99 and if you buy during the reel trade in you can get another $10 off.

To me they perform better than the Lews reels i have used.
810 reviews on BPS website with an overall rating of 4.7 of 5 speaks for itself.

I use the 7.1:1 for topwater.
I use the 6.4:1 for most everything else and i plan to pick up a 5.4:1.

[SAMBOLIE]

Originally Posted by blink

i am with Sambolie about the BPS Pro Qualifiers. I have 3, and plan to buy a couple more this year. They are often on sale for $79.99 and if you buy during the reel trade in you can get another $10 off.

To me they perform better than the Lews reels i have used.
810 reviews on BPS website with an overall rating of 4.7 of 5 speaks for itself.

I use the 7.1:1 for topwater.
I use the 6.4:1 for most everything else and i plan to pick up a 5.4:1.

I have not used the new Lew's reels. I was never impressed with the older ones. Their spinning reels were among the worst ever IMO.

[Reel Tune]

I've been using Curado's exclusively baitcasting for years 5+. I bought a G last year, and it was horrible, felt cheaply made, and not smooth like the E's were. The new Curado is coming out in a few weeks, and the Reps have said they addressed a lot of issues and complaints that were brought up with the G Series. I'll hold off on the purchase until I see some results.

I have buddies that have switched from Shimano, and Abu Garcia to Lews. They are happy with the switch. I'm wanting to try the Tournament Pro Speed Spool, Super Duty Speed Spool, and BB-1 Pro Series Speed spool soon, just to try them out.

As for gear ratio I bought a 5.5:1 Curado 201 E5 a few year ago for cranking. It's a good reel, but the only time I'll use it is when I'm cranking 20"+ which is very rare, so it never gets used.

I have a few 7.1:1 and a few 6.5:1. The 6.5:1 are the most used reel for me. I can use them in every situation. The 7.1:1's only get use in fast rivers throwing spinnerbaits and retrieving with the current, or buzzbaits.

If you plan on pitching the Citica, please keep it and let me have it so I can tear it down. I would like to see what failed.

[Andy M]

For the money Pro Qualifiers are the way to go. I own several but in the last couple years have switched to the Johnny Morris carbonlite, I fish lots of tournaments and the lesser weight is nice for those long days. In my opinion I would suggest getting the 7.1-1 reels first, the key is you can always slow down your retrieve but the reel can speed your retrieve when you make a less than perfect cast or as you get close to the boat which in turn over and 8 hour day gets you several more casts. As was mentioned earlier wait a few weeks the BPS Spring Classic will start soon and they will be on sale and you can trade in an old yard sale reel for a coupon for $10-25 off depending on what reel you buy.

[TNtransplant08]

Thanks for the input guys! While my question was mainly on gear ratio, I do appreciate the opinions on brands as well, though I'm aware everyone has different opinions on brands.

I will definitely take the BPS Pro Qualifier into consideration, since three of you guys use it and enjoy it. A few years back, I had purchased a BPS Rick Clunn model and gave out after only a year and half of use. So I've been wary of BPS reels since than. My only concern with this reel is durability. There were a few reviews where people complained that it wore out too quickly due to its plastic parts. But overall, the reviews have been nothing but positive. I'm sure keeping up with the maintenance of the reel will prolong its life, as Sambolie pointed out. I have always been afraid of taking apart my reel, giving them a good cleaning, and applying new grease and oil. But recently, after watching some youtube videos, I finally sat down and cleaned out all of my reels. I was amazed how dirty the inside of my Revo was. I was getting concerned because it was making a grinding noise. But after cleaning it, it sounds like new. The task of taking it apart and putting it back together wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

As far as gear ratio goes, the majority of you seem to mainly stick with the 6.4 for most techniques and only use other ratios for special circumstances. So I'm tempted to just get another 6.4, 6.5 reel after hearing your feedback. Through another thread a few years back, a few of the members mentioned that the lower gears help reduce fatigue when using cranks, but that doesn't seem to be much of an issue for you guys. I'm assuming the majority of cranking will be in water less than 20 feet deep?

Thanks again for your thoughts. Keep them coming if you have anything more you want to add!

[TNtransplant08]

Originally Posted by MidTNKayakAngler

I've been using Curado's exclusively baitcasting for years 5+. I bought a G last year, and it was horrible, felt cheaply made, and not smooth like the E's were. The new Curado is coming out in a few weeks, and the Reps have said they addressed a lot of issues and complaints that were brought up with the G Series. I'll hold off on the purchase until I see some results.

I have buddies that have switched from Shimano, and Abu Garcia to Lews. They are happy with the switch. I'm wanting to try the Tournament Pro Speed Spool, Super Duty Speed Spool, and BB-1 Pro Series Speed spool soon, just to try them out.

As for gear ratio I bought a 5.5:1 Curado 201 E5 a few year ago for cranking. It's a good reel, but the only time I'll use it is when I'm cranking 20"+ which is very rare, so it never gets used.

I have a few 7.1:1 and a few 6.5:1. The 6.5:1 are the most used reel for me. I can use them in every situation. The 7.1:1's only get use in fast rivers throwing spinnerbaits and retrieving with the current, or buzzbaits.

If you plan on pitching the Citica, please keep it and let me have it so I can tear it down. I would like to see what failed.

Good to know that your friends enjoy their Lew's products. I hear that they really improved their reels the last 2-3 years. I was looking at the Lew's BB1 Pro Speed Spool myself with the dual braking system, but I felt that perhaps I could get the same result with my thumb control for $50 less. But I could be wrong.

I have a friend who used to fish and he was really high on the Curados but I've heard that the quality just isn't what it used to be. So I've pretty much dismissed them, though I'd be curious to see what people have to say about this year's model myself.

The Citica is yours. I'm sure the problem is probably a simple fix, but I hardly used it anymore anyways. It worked fine, but after using my Revo, the profile is just more bulky for my taste and less comfortable when I switched back and forth between the two. Let me know how I can get this to you.

[Reel Tune]

If you like the Revo frame better than the Citica then you may like the Lews.

After reading reviews over the last 3 months, it seems like the Lews frame is based off the Revo.

I wasn't too keen on the dual braking system "more to possibly go wrong", but after reading into it a lot of people really like it.

I work in Grassmere Park (Harding/Trousdale) most Monday-Friday's 7am-3pm. I can meet after work sometime if that would work for you, or before work.

Jeremy

[TNtransplant08]

Originally Posted by MidTNKayakAngler

If you like the Revo frame better than the Citica then you may like the Lews.

After reading reviews over the last 3 months, it seems like the Lews frame is based off the Revo.

I wasn't too keen on the dual braking system "more to possibly go wrong", but after reading into it a lot of people really like it.

I work in Grassmere Park (Harding/Trousdale) most Monday-Friday's 7am-3pm. I can meet after work sometime if that would work for you, or before work.

Jeremy

Sounds like you work really close to my office. My office is in the Ellington Agriculture Center. However, I work out in the field every day and usually don't get back to the office until 4:30-5:00. I usually have off on Fridays, so I can probably swing by than sometime or before work. I start my days at 7am as well. Shoot me a pm and we can work something out.

[creekcrappie]

I have 2 silver maxes, 1 academy brand reel, and one bill dance reel. My favorite is the academy brand. For some reason it just casts longer but is $30 cheaper than a silver max.

[creekcrappie]

Originally Posted by XxthejuicexX

I also picked up a Pinnacle that is a 7:1 and I think it's the biggest piece of crap I have ever owned.

x2 the pinnacle 7:1 is horrible.

[Alphahawk]

Here's a good one....LOL

Regards


http://www.cloudninetackle.jp/product/179

[XxthejuicexX]

How much is that in Merican dollars?