Is Pro Qualifier My Only Choice? 2024

OkobojiEagle reply :

I'm looking for a left-hand retrieve spinnerbait reel with a slower retrieve that will not frustrate me on the windy lakes that I live on. Pro Qualifier = left hand retrieve/ 5.2 - 1 ratio/ dual braking system/ aluminum frame/ <200.00. I'm not finding another option as close, am I correct? Thanks for your input.

webertime reply :

Isn't there a Chronarch E5 in lefty? The ratio may be a bit lower, but the IPT may be the same or higher?

Abu Garcia Orra Winch is 5.4:1 around $100

Delaware Valley Tackle reply :

A second hand Revo Winch or E5 comes to mind. I'm sure there's something else new, but it's not ringing any bells.

OkobojiEagle reply :

I've been considering the past generation Winch but I'd like more assurance it will perform well in windy conditions. I'll look into the Chronarch E5, I've got a new 51e I'm liking for hard plastic jerkbaits. I thought the dual braking of the PQ might give it an advantage in windy conditions... centrifugal to control the initial thrust with mag to control wind induced deceleration. Not having fished the PQ I don't know how well its braking system actually performs... Thanks for the input.

Delaware Valley Tackle reply :

The PQ is a good performing reel and good value especially at sale prices.

fishballer06 reply :

Shimano Chronarch 201e5. Retails for $200 and is a much better reel than a PQ.

slainempire reply :

it may not be the only choice but its a d**n good one. i picked up 2 pro qualifiers a couple weeks ago, including the right handed version of the model you mentioned specifically for spinnerbaits and buzzbaits. They perform exceptionally well.

kikstand454 reply :

Abu, shimano, quantum, ..... there's options for sure.

Ill testify for the PQ as well. I've been using one for about a year, and its been a great reel. Pretty forgiving. Its on a "general purpose" rod and does just about everything I ask it to do very well.

OkobojiEagle reply :

I hope I'm communicating effectively... I don't doubt the quality of build or value provided in the PQ, I've read enough posts on this board about that! What I'm asking for is information about the PQ's dual braking system and how effective it is in "real world" breezy situations. Nothing really light weight; 1/4 oz - 3/4 oz spinnerbaits mostly. With all of the PQs in board member's arsenals I'm looking for honest evaluation not sales pitches. If the Chronarch 201E5 will have better control of spinnerbaits in the breeze please tell me that, I'm not opposed to other suggestions. Left-hand retrieve/ 5.x - 1 gear ratio/ metal frame/ effective braking system in the breeze. Thanks

BigMoneyGrip reply :

I have one of each, Pro Qualifier and a Chronarch E5. I much prefer the Chronarch over the PQ and even more so when it's windy. The downside? It cost twice as much but feels 10 times better.

OkobojiEagle reply :

On 8/13/2014 at 10:48 PM, BigMoneyGrip said:
I have one of each, Pro Qualifier and a Chronarch E5. I much prefer the Chronarch over the PQ and even more so when it's windy. The downside? It cost twice as much but feels 10 times better.

BMG... Thank you. The Chronarch is not out of my price zone if it is the reel that will be less troublesome to my spinnerbait fishing. I'm looking forward to more "on the water" experiences... please.

shanksmare reply :

I have used a PQ for 4 or 5 years now. I'm retired so I fish 4 or 5 days a week. I fish off the bank so I try to keep things simple and use 1 rod.

I engage 2 of the centrifugal brake tabs on the spool. For spinnerbaits I usually don't set anything else. If the wind is really honking in my face I'll set the spool tension and magnetic brakes like glenn detailed in a video. But as I said I usually don't bother setting those adjustments when fishing spinnerbaits and don't have problems with backlashes.

I'm more vigilant with my settings when fishing in the wind with a t-rigged worm and a 1/8 oz weight.

I haven't used any of the newer high priced reels so maybe they are better. I just don't feel the need.

Felix77 reply :

I own the Abu Garcia Revo Winch for crankbaits ... it should work for your needs.

BigMoneyGrip reply :

On 8/13/2014 at 11:15 PM, OkobojiEagle said:

BMG... Thank you. The Chronarch is not out of my price zone if it is the reel that will be less troublesome to my spinnerbait fishing. I'm looking forward to more "on the water" experiences... please.

oe

If the Cronarch is not out of your price zone, then why step down to the PQ? There is nothing wrong with a PQ, but the Chronarch absolutely smokes it.

J Francho reply :

Spinnerbaits are notorious even on calm days. The Chronarch relatively trouble free in the wind. So is any Daiwa with Mag-Z brakes. Pinnacle Primmus is another reel that I use that handles wind pretty well.

21farms reply :

oe, i'm with you in that i much prefer lower-geared reels for spinnerbaits. i've had more than my share of slow reels, including multiple PQs and shimano E5s. in my experience, the PQs are okay but the E5s outperform them wind or no wind. i personally do not buy into the dual-braking/best-of-both-worlds hype; i have not found that they outperform a good implementation of either centrifugal-only or magnetic-only reels. in fact, the ONLY braking system i've found that makes much difference in the wind is shimano's digital control (DC) which is simply amazing.

anyway, if what you want is a slower reel, you should not limit yourself to 5:1 reels...you should concentrate instead on the retrieve rate you want. the 5.2:1 PQ has a retrieve rate of 21 inchers per turn (IPT). daiwa sols or alphas have a 22 IPT and can be had under $200 and are fun reels to fish with. if you're patient and willing to accept a reel that's a little scratched up, you may be able to find a JDM shimano conquest 51 (20.5 IPT) under $200...i stress MAY BE but if you can get one of those, you will absolutely love it...conquests are terrific reels that can double as finesse reels as well.

Raul reply :

On 8/13/2014 at 10:40 PM, OkobojiEagle said:

. Left-hand retrieve/ 5.x - 1 gear ratio/ metal frame/ effective braking system in the breeze. Thanks

oe

Chronarch 201E5, Zillion Crazy Cranker lefty.

OkobojiEagle reply :

On 8/13/2014 at 11:42 PM, BigMoneyGrip said:
If the Cronarch is not out of your price zone, then why step down to the PQ? There is nothing wrong with a PQ, but the Chronarch absolutely smokes it.

I wasn't looking at the PQ as a "step down" but as one alternative that filled my base qualifications. Thanks to the good people of this board I now have more options than I was aware of previous to this AM. What I'd REALLY like is a slow-ratio, lefty Tatula!!! ANYONE LISTENING!!! If I knew there was going to be a Curado I in a lefty slow-ratio next season I'd probably wait and ponder... As I grow older choice weighs more heavily upon my shoulders! Thanks to everyone for your suggestions, keep offering your opinions... I appreciate them.

Raul reply :

I recommend those two for a reason, if you can afford it why not fish with something that´s nice and going to last you a couple of lifetimes ? not because the PQ is a bad reel, it´s just because, in my case, nice fishing tackle is one of the very few "expensive" stuff I can afford and enjoy.

shanksmare reply :

On 8/14/2014 at 12:13 AM, 21farms said:

anyway, if what you want is a slower reel, you should not limit yourself to 5:1 reels...you should concentrate instead on the retrieve rate you want. the 5.2:1 PQ has a retrieve rate of 21 inchers per turn (IPT). daiwa sols or alphas have a 22 IPT and can be had under $200 and are fun reels to fish with. if you're patient and willing to accept a reel that's a little scratched up, you may be able to find a JDM shimano conquest 51 (20.5 IPT) under $200...i stress MAY BE but if you can get one of those, you will absolutely love it...conquests are terrific reels that can double as finesse reels as well.

Really! You can notice the difference in that 1" Per/Turn. I must not be too discerning because I can't tell if I'm using the reel with a 7:1 ratio or the one with the 6:1 ratio unless I look at the markings on the reel. I guess I just subconciously reel a tad faster or a tad slower depending on the reel and what I want the bait to do. Since I never retrieve a spinnerbait straight in at a steady retrieve and I almost never burn a spinnerbait in, I guess it doesn't much matter.

21farms reply :

On 8/14/2014 at 12:52 AM, shanksmare said:
Really! You can notice the difference in that 1" Per/Turn.

i think you're misunderstanding me. i was trying to say that not all 5:1 reels are the same and that some 6:1 reels are actually slower than some 5:1 reels.

for me, my preference for slower reels is only partially about speed (i tend to crank very fast so a slower reel allows me fish at the pace i like while still maintaining the proper lure presentation). the other part is about torque...the lower geared reels are much easier for me to fish with when using resistance baits.

shanksmare reply :

21farms, Whoops, sorry I didn't get the jist of what you were saying. my mistake!

Probably how much line is on the reel (thus reel spool diameter) ... filled, over filled, under filled will have an impact on IPT. Maybe more than the difference between a 6:1 and a 7:1. Maybe?

Tim Kelly reply :

I have a Chronarch E5 and it's a good real. Would have bought the equivalent Curado if they'd made a left handed 5:1 version, but they don't. I'm pretty sure you could get a low speed gear set for a curado if you wanted, would probably save a few dollars?

Raul reply :

On 8/14/2014 at 1:52 AM, Tim Kelly said:
I have a Chronarch E5 and it's a good real. Would have bought the equivalent Curado if they'd made a left handed 5:1 version, but they don't. I'm pretty sure you could get a low speed gear set for a curado if you wanted, would probably save a few dollars?

There won´t be much difference after you add the costs of parts and shipping and stuff, for a few bucks more you´ll get the Chronarch.

EmersonFish reply :

I use a Left Hand, 5.2:1 PQ, and have used many other PQ's (mostly 6.4s) over the years. It's a solid reel. You'll get your money's worth. But now you've seen that there are more options out there than you realized, and if your budget is up to $200, you can probably invest that cash in something that will make you say something better than, "meh."

The good news for us is, there will continue to be more and more reels available in "left-hand retrieve' as more right-handed people realize they were lunatics for ever using "right-hand retrieve" reels in the first place. (I'm kidding of course. I'm not trying to go there. I wish I used "righties.")

Chance_Taker4 reply :

The Diawa Tatula and Quantum Smoke fits the bill I believe

Raul reply :

On 8/15/2014 at 12:27 AM, Chance Brown said:
The Diawa Tatula and Quantum Smoke fits the bill I believe

There´s no low speed lefty Tatula available. The Tatula 100P is only available in righty.

iceintheveins reply :

I have four PQs and they are fantastic reels, the best out there for a hundred bucks. The dual breaking system really lets you keep backlashes to a minimum, and I like that they come with a range of gear ratios. That being said, the Chronarch E IS a better reel. Go with it if you can afford it.

Stumphunter reply :

I just bought Abu Garcia Orra sx2 and for $100 bucks i absolutely love love mine. I was at bass pro couple weekends ago looking to spend $100. I looked at the PQ's, but i didn't like how they felt in my hand. The Orra has a lower profile than the PQ. And was butter smooth. I got the high speed 7.1:1, but i will be ordering the winch 5.4:1 next week.

The last few days i have been fishing, we have had winds in the 15-20mph range, and i will cast directly into the wind with no problem at all. I cant speak for some of the other reels but its you're choice but i don't think you can go wrong with the Orra winch. They really improved on this generation 2 series.

John G reply :

Conquest 100 with an 85mm handle and Power Grip II Knobs is a spinnerbait machine!

Chance_Taker4 reply :

On 8/15/2014 at 4:05 AM, Raul said:
There´s no low speed lefty Tatula available. The Tatula 100P is only available in righty.

Thank you I knew they offered the 100p 6.3 and 7.1 in lefty so I assumed the 5:1 was also available in lefty.

21farms reply :

man, i can't believe i forgot to mention the lew's BB1, available in 5.1:1 and lefty. terrific reels and on sale at TW too.

OkobojiEagle reply :

21Farms... Isn't the lefty 5.x:1 BB1 a multi-stop AR gear?

21farms reply :

yup, which i happen to like for spinnerbaits as well as cranks...not everyone's cup of tea though.

OkobojiEagle reply :

Sometimes you just get a feeling that you'd be better off not dating that girl...

Diggy reply :

I believe you can get a LH Diawa Lexa in 4,6,7 ratios

OkobojiEagle reply :

The Abu Revo3 Winch has a dual braking system. Anyone have one??? Several of the reviews complained about the centrifugal brakes self-engaging which choked off the cast.

TorqueConverter reply :

On 8/13/2014 at 10:40 PM, OkobojiEagle said:

I hope I'm communicating effectively... I don't doubt the quality of build or value provided in the PQ, I've read enough posts on this board about that! What I'm asking for is information about the PQ's dual braking system and how effective it is in "real world" breezy situations. Nothing really light weight; 1/4 oz - 3/4 oz spinnerbaits mostly. With all of the PQs in board member's arsenals I'm looking for honest evaluation not sales pitches. If the Chronarch 201E5 will have better control of spinnerbaits in the breeze please tell me that, I'm not opposed to other suggestions. Left-hand retrieve/ 5.x - 1 gear ratio/ metal frame/ effective braking system in the breeze. Thanks

oe

I just got back from Okoboji, in the wind with a PQ, and its braking system handles the wind as well as any other dual braking reel out there. I wasn't targeting the bank so it was fished with mag brakes off, making it no different from a centrifugal reel. You may want to upgrade to a 90 mm Handel if you're puling big baits.

Magforce z 3D works very well in the wind and I like it better than the Doyo stye dual braking on the PQ if you're looking to get a bait on target rather than bombing it over a weedbeed. If you're looking for max distance then the Magforce Z 3D set to distance and a PQ running just the centrifugals are about the same. You might want to look at one of those plastic Diawa T3B abominations because they sure do cast well.

3274

Is Pro Qualifier My Only Choice? 2024

related Fishing Rods Reels Line Knots topic

previous topic

next topic

most viewed Fishing Rods Reels Line Knots topic