I Hope its the Line and Not the Reel

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Scott Hammer TOXIC

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Picked up a BPS, Pro Qualifier, 5 bearing baitcaster this weekend (they were giving me the associate discount since I was doing seminars and demo's). About the third cast on the lake yeaterday that thig birdnested soooo big, bald Eagles could have taken up residence in there. Line snallped about thee times deep in spool, it was a mess. I let BPS spool up some of their XPS line.....I think they put too much on. After I dug out the nest, I didn't have any more problems. Anybody have any experience with this line? Seemed kind of brittle.



TOXIC
 
Might have been old? Mono gets brittle with age. Just because it was "new" in the package, doesn't mean it wasn't sitting on a shelf for 3-4 years. That's the gamble with mono.
 
I've used their Excel line (the stuff they spool for free with a reel over $100), and I like it.



I'm brand loyal to Shimano... I'll leave it at that :).
 
Buddy was at the Charlotte store a few weeks ago and was looking at the pro qualifier, The guy behind the counter told him Shimano made all their reels now. He said the pro qualifier was the same thing as a calcutta, Told him if you took them apart they were the same thing.



Bugman
 
I don't believe that's true,...I know for a fact that the JLM Signature reels are made in BPS's own mfg facility overseas,..but NOT by Shimano. I don't know about the PQ's or the Extremes or other BPS reels....but the JLM's are NOT made by Shimano. IMHO though,...they are equally as good as a Shimano...for 1/3 the price!! Buy the JLM!!!

Mac
 
I own one of the pro qualifer round reels. its not a calcutta, not even close. while both reels are the same size and look similar the guts are totally different, the pro qualifer isnt a bad reel or anything but its no calcutta.
 
Trying to compare a JLM to a Shimano is like trying to compare Roy to Cojo. Avs all the way this year, no Hasik to carry the Wings..
 
No it wasn't operator error!! It worked just fine after I peeled about 50 yards off of it. It just seemed strange that there were three line breaks in the nest (not that I ever get them!! lol) I was throwing a 1/4 oz tube on 10lb test and a 7ft. Heavy rod. Reel seemed smooth (but they all do out of the box) we will see how it holds up to the abuse I dish out. As Rob can testify to, sometimes it's the strangest thing, a cheapie reel will last forever and an expensive one will self destruct. Not the rule mind you, but it does happen. I have a Quantum ABS that has had everything done to it except throwing it off the boat and it still works fine. I've had some expensive reels go to pieces in the second year...go figure.



TOXIC
 
I have an OLD Quantum Iron. Only Quantum I've owned that never gave me so much as a whimper of trouble. That reel has caught well over 1,000 smallies and with a little grease and oil is still going strong. I bought a new one recently, the new fancy schmancy kind with magnet control etc. We'll see how it holds up. I can't part with old "faithful". She was the one that hauled all the toads in for me at the 'start last year, and good many of them at the rally too. I will cry when that reel goes down. LOL
 
Buzz,....you and I are going to have "words" when you get here,....over a PG and JD of course!!..LOL "Im going to perform a test with you,....using a JLM and a Shimano....

You're going to have to convince me why a Shimano costs $200 MORE with "identical" features!!...I need to be "enlightened".....seeya firday!!

Mac
 
You got me thinkin Mac (and that is a dangerous thing). Just what exactly is it that makes a $400.00 reel different from a $179.00 reel? In your example, a JLM vs. a Shimano......Where's the cost? Is it becoming a "name brand" thing where you are paying out the nose for a name on a reel? I can't believe there is any technology or materials that justify that type of price hike......So where is it??



TOXIC
 
Mac, I'm sure that the JLM are a very nice reel, it's just that I'm a hard headed Frenchman and once we get something we like it's hard for us change. My wife says that I'm totally anal about certain things. My reels both baitcasters and spinning are all Shimano's, and my rods are all St. Croix. It has nothing to do with others Mfg's quality, put more to do with my confindence in a brand. See ya Friday..
 
Take my word for it Mac, you ain't teaching that old dog any reel tricks! LOL He is dead set on spending twice as much on them thar fancy reels! LOL His basement looks like a darn Shimano dealership! He's putting somebody's kids thru college and not just his own! LOL I'm gonna have to pick me up a Zebco 202 and whoop his arse on the water one day to teach him about reels, but he probably still won't switch! LOL
 
Hey Buzz,



Take my daughter out fishing with you one day. She doesn't know that her Ugly Stik/Synergy spincast combo isn't top notch cause she can catch fish with it!! I think she can out fish YOU when grubbing cause she can feel that bite!!



I was at Wal-mart in Williston on Sunday and they had a barrel of Renegage IM7 graphite rods for $5. I bought two for the h*ll of it. I figured that worse case, I can use them for knocking wasps nests down in the shed this summer!! Anyways, Jennifer will probably outfish me with one of them!! I should have bought them all and donated them!! I didn't see any at the Wal-mart in Austin yesterday.



Bob G.
 
Tox,..that's my point exactly!!!.....I see NADA,..ZERO, NIL, reasons why a Shimano should cost $200 more than a JLM.

Now, don't get me wrong...Shimano's "quality" is impeccable and I'm not slamming them or their products in ANY way,..I'm just not convinced that it's $200 BETTER than a JLM when feature for feature, warranty wise..and asthetically,..they're virtually identical.....i just don't see the reasoning for it. Can't wait to see you guys friday,...we're gonna have a blast!!! BTW Buzz,..my humidor is right at 70% humidity,....can't wait to fire one up friday night!! Seeya!!

Mac
 
hey tox,



with that line thing, do ya think it could have had something to do with the temperature? I'd bet that everything will work better when it warms. me, i stick with silverthread line as it has treated me real well. found some on sale at the tackle show this yr from the rep and I only bought 12,000 yards (you guys think you got the fever?) it will take me 3 yrs or more to go thru it all!



jd
 
jd,



Make sure you get the skinny on how to store it so it doesn't go bad before you can use it all up. Me, I'm a Trilene, Tournament Strength, photochromic user. I have had a problem with the consistency with that line lately though. You buy one spool that works as advertised, and the next is like 1/2 strength. But it is still my favorite, not by any other method than trying the others and always ending up back withit.



TOXIC
 
Its the fisherman - you shoulda realized it was overspooled when you got it, and taken some line off



:)

 
Stop!! First time with the reel, no way you woulda known. That 1/4 inch from the top of the spool rule is bunk....I actually did think it was spooled a little thick but I assumed that the BPS employee knew what the yardage for the lb test I was having them spool it with, was. Every reel is different. I've got some that look like a ball of kite string and others that look like a bluegill could spool ya with a good run!! LOL



TOXIC
 
mac what shimano reel are you comparing to the jlm reel? im curious because it looks like you are comparing it to the calais. i understand that 200 is a tough pill to swallow when talking about the cost of a reel but id bet that calais will still be working ans working well long after the jlm is thrown in the trash bin. When we discussed this earlier i said the same thing. From the standpoint of someone like myself or buzz that dosent guide and fishes for fun and in tournies i would rather spend the cash up front and get something that i know will last. I cant afford and dont want to be replacing my stuff every year or two so i expect and demand my reels to last for years and years. thats why i buy shimano, the stuff lasts. If i was spending 170 on a reel id just buy a curado super free and ill bet that will be working for years to come and costs less then the jlm reel. Like i posted before i have some of the xps reels and while they look like a calcutta and felt real nice when they came out of the box after two seasons they are loose and dont work like they did when new. these reels have been taken care of very well and cleaned and lubed 3 or 4 times( not to mention the broken plastic bails and other problems). i also have a 6 year old calcutta that has been used way more then the xps reels and that reel works as good if not better then it did when new. the only thing i aver do to it is lube it yearly. was it worth the extra 60 bucks for the calcutta? in my mind yes it was becauze i only had to buy it once.
 
Yeah,..I'm talking about the JLM's vs. the "Calais"....but I'm also talking about the NEW JLM's,..this years' and last years models. They are brand spankin' new....and by far the BEST JLM's BPS has ever produced.....MUCH better than the ones 2 years ago!! Only time will tell if they're as good as the Calais', but after using them all of last year with NO failures what so ever,..and taking them apart this winter to clean/oil/lube them,..I'm totally convinced that they have an awesome reel now,....well worth a good look!!

Mac
 
Buzz,



Now I'm scared!!!! Say Hi to Farah tomorrow and tell her the offer still stands if she wants to come to Texas. Don't forget to NOT tell my wife.LOL



Bob G.
 
Fishing a 1/4 ounce bait on a HEAVY rod? And you backlashed? Really???? :)



As for Shimano vs JLM, here goes. First, the JLM reel uses the same spool setup as the Curado 200, 3 bearings, one attached to the shaft of the spool. Second, weight, 9.5 ounces, an ounce over a Shimano Curado 200. The curado only has 4 bearings, whereas the JLM has 10 or 11 or 300, I forget.



I don't have a weight on the Calais off the top of my head, but check the weight. Check the tolerances to which the frames are manufactured to.



Don't get me wrong, I won't say that $99 is a bad deal on a JLM, but I bought two this year, put one on a rod, never even casted it, and returned them both to get Curado 100's. The reel was too heavy and threw the rod balance off. I can see how my arm would get tired tossing it.



IF BPS ever gets a reel that is the quality and weight of the Shimano, I'll buy it.
 
Mike, 1/4 oz on a heavy rod is not that unusual. Ask Rob if he would throw that at some of his smallies on a jig-n-pig or grub or tube. Besides, it only happened once and I threw it all day. Ends up it was the line and not me wouldn't you say?



TOXIC
 
advertised specs on the jlm spec out like the shimano calais reels not like the curados. i'm not sure what the tolerances for manufacturing are on any of these. I'm gonna spend $99 on one and see if mac knows his stuff or not :^) I like them curados a whole lot cause they work and they are lite in weight and hold up over time. I won't spend the money on a chronarch or calais as that is out of my league. If I can get the performance of a calais for $99 bucks on sale, i'm buying jlm's from now on unless they just don't feel as good as a curado. can't wait to check them out at the classic (mac, you promised an xxl t-shirt didn't ya? :^) )



tox - also, what do I need to know about properly storing all the line I bought. I assume room temp and out of the sun is ok? let me know or I might have some line for sale as I don't want to have it ruin over time.



jd
 
JD,..I'll have a couple XXL shirts for you,...and thanks for trying out the JLM reels...I promise you, you will be impressed with the quality and durability of that reel!

If not, I'll give you free rain to rail me on this site,..i mean what the heck...Scott, Mini, Rob, Trep, Greg, Toxic, Neeley, Pierre,....they all do it,...what's one more!! LOL

Seriously,..let me know "privately" if you have any problems or complaints...I'll get you taken care of,...BUT if you're pleased with the reel for $99...tell EVERYBODY!! :eek:)

Seeya soon Big Dog!!

Mac
 
cya at the classic in springfield as soonerfan, his son, and I are coming to cya.



jd
 
Cool...I'll be there saturday @ noon...will stay until closing,..and I'll be there sunday from open-5pm. Seeya there!

Mac
 
SERVICE!



Need Shimano work done? Go to any reel shop.



Need JLM work done? You gotta go back to BPS..........
 
No, not ANY reel shop can fix a BPS reel. After all, they never break :). Actually, one of the best reel shops in Dallas prefers not to touch them because the models change so frequently (almost yearly) and getting a specific part for a specific reel isn't always easy.



But in any case, someone must have tightened down the spool tension knob to help Toxic keep from backlashing :).
 
I've only had 1 BPS reel go bad on me anyway...infact, it arrived from the warehouse with a problem...the handle wouldn't turn!!...LOL!!!..(Now THAT's a problem!!) I took it to the store and they swapped it out for me on the spot.

(How it ever left the factory that way is beyond me,..but it was deffinetely not working!!) Anyway,..I have never had a problem returning or exchanging ANY BPS labeled item!!

Now THAT's Service!!!
 
I can say BPS customer service rocks. I have never had a problem returning merchandise. I wish I had a local store to go to, but I have no bones about mailing it when the alternative is Wal-Mart. And like Mac said, any reputable reel shop should be able to service a JLM reel. Components are components. I have had reels for over 10 years with more use than many reels see in a lifetime. With a little maintenance, they have not had to go to a shop.
 
Mac,



Does BPS stand behind their products like Cabelas? I have bought a lot of stuff from Cabelas over the years and one time had a item fail after the manufacturer warranty (Swivl-eze Power Pole). Cabelas guarantees satisfaction and replaced the item and also paid for the return shipping.



Bob G.
 
BPS will do anything and everything that Cabela's does,..BPS will not be undersold or out-serviced by anybody!! If you do not get the results you are looking for via the Customer Service counter,...ask to speak to the stores GM or Ass't GM and you WILL be taken care of...I've ordered stuff from Cabela's too in years' past,...their newest store in Dundee, MI. is 15 mins. from my Mom's house.

It's a nice store,...I've been in there a few times,..but their fishing dept. is much smaller than BPS's....they're heavy into Walleye stuff too, but they're a lot closer to Lk.Erie too,...so it's a good market for them. Regardless,..I'm totally confident that you and everybody else that buys from BPS and ever has to take anything back for any reason,...you WILL be taken care of! Gauranteed!

Mac
 

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