New Carbonlite Reel 2024

Hi Salenity reply :

My guy from BPS called me Today to tell me the new CarbonLite hit the shelves Today! I want the 5.4:1 and they didn't get any of them in but I was wondering if anyone has seen or used one yet?

They are 5.9oz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.basspro.c...20501438/274203

new2BC4bass reply :

My first thought upon opening your link was, "Transformers". :D

Looks like it should be a very nice reel from reading the specs on it.

EDIT: You've got your very own guy at BPS? Lucky you.

Hi Salenity reply :

It has a lot to offer for the price.

iceintheveins reply :

Looks like a great reel, but I am even more excited for their spinning reel. The larger model will be great for finesse plastics.

*Hootie reply :

I already see people giving negative reviews on this reel before it even hits the stores. Makes me know that a lot of opinions are based on pure stupidity.

Hi Salenity reply :

And what about the guy that Bought one last year and fished with it all year?

Hooligan reply :

I've had one in my hands for a period of three days now. I'm reasonably impressed with it, really. It's a touch noisy, as are most reels in the weight class. There's nothing to insulate the reel, and you feel everything. The gears mesh well, it's got a good drag, and it is very adjustable in terms of casting. I think a lot of people won't like it because it's a little noisy, but again, pick up a Revo MGX and you're going to get the same result for a lot more money. I am mildly concerned with the bearings, but time will tell on that.

Once you spool the reel, too, a lot of the feel and noise is eliminated. It's got a pretty funky whine on the cast because of the braking system, no loss of points there, either. The adjustments being external on the brakes is ok, I'd prefer the original DBS, but it still works.

I'll give the reel a fair shake, I'm going to fish two of them this year for a while, see how they last and give them some time in the boat. If they pan out, excellent, if not, it's no skin off my back.

*Hootie reply :

On 1/28/2012 at 6:33 PM, Hi Salenity said:

And what about the guy that Bought one last year and fished with it all year?

Yeah, how did he do that??

Diggy reply :

On 1/28/2012 at 8:11 PM, hootiebenji said:

Yeah, how did he do that??

*Hootie reply :

On 1/28/2012 at 8:59 PM, Diggy said:

Love it!! You guys are just too witty!!

Jason Penn reply :

On 1/28/2012 at 6:58 PM, Hooligan said:

I've had one in my hands for a period of three days now. I'm reasonably impressed with it, really. It's a touch noisy, as are most reels in the weight class. There's nothing to insulate the reel, and you feel everything. The gears mesh well, it's got a good drag, and it is very adjustable in terms of casting. I think a lot of people won't like it because it's a little noisy, but again, pick up a Revo MGX and you're going to get the same result for a lot more money. I am mildly concerned with the bearings, but time will tell on that.

Once you spool the reel, too, a lot of the feel and noise is eliminated. It's got a pretty funky whine on the cast because of the braking system, no loss of points there, either. The adjustments being external on the brakes is ok, I'd prefer the original DBS, but it still works.

I'll give the reel a fair shake, I'm going to fish two of them this year for a while, see how they last and give them some time in the boat. If they pan out, excellent, if not, it's no skin off my back.

thanks for the quick review!!!

i'm pretty fired up about these reels and really hope they don't let me down. i've got the older carbonlite and 3 of the pqt's and have had zero problems with them, so i have pretty high expectations for the new models.

Goose52 reply :

On 1/28/2012 at 6:58 PM, Hooligan said:
I've had one in my hands for a period of three days now. ....

Thanks for the review Hooligan. I nearly bought one when they finally showed up on the BPS web site the other day...but I just hate to pay full price for BPS stuff. I think I'll be waiting for the eventual sale.

Please do check back when you've got some more time on the reel.

Hi Salenity reply :

I'm going to go look at them Today even though they don't have the one in stock I want. I haven't used a BPS reel before but I like a lot of things about this one not to mention it will be the lowest priced reel I own! On the other hand this one costs around $143 after tax and I can get a Lew's Tournament Pro for $153 And I know that's a great reel but I already have 3 of them and I am not the guy that wants all the same reels so they look pretty all lined up on the deck of the boat.

Hooligan, do you think a clean & lube will quiet them down any? I.m wanting to get one to throw cranks and as such it may be one of the most used reels I own are they quiet/smooth enough for this without being annoying ? One more thing how well do they cast long distances?

Diggy reply :

I want on but must wait. I have bought 2 reels and 2 rods since these first showed up online but couldn't be purchased.

Hooligan reply :

I think they'll quiet down immensely with a clean and proper lube, that which I've not done yet. They're very smooth, actually. Distance casting- initially I was having some issues getting the reel dialed in. When you do get it dialed in, it will cast a 1/4 ounce squarebill like nobodies business. A 1/2 ounce bait will sail on it.

Hi Salenity reply :

I got to play with one. It looked nice BUT, it would get hung up sorta? If you hit the thumb bar then spun the spool once you started reeling it wanted to act like something wasn't all the way in gear. It just felt rough not smooth at all then the next time I thumbed the button them spun the spool then turned the handle it was smooth again .

The guys at the counter thought I was crazy so I handed it to them so they could see how rough it was before they believed me . It did this twice in about 10 times of me playing with it.

On a side note after they called me to come get one they decided they can't sell them until the classic Feb 23?

They said they sold out of a bunch of reels before the classic last year and people were upset that they were out of stock.

boystcroix reply :

I have last years model Carbonlite and I like it. I only used it one season so far so time will tell how it holds up, but I have had good experience with most Bass Pro baitcasters. I have a blue Rick Clunn that I've been using on a cranking rod for about 4 or 5 years, this reel gets used hard throughout the year and has yet to fail. Anyhow I just ordered a new Carbonlite a couple days ago, it will be a while till I get to use it but I'll let you know what I think of it.

Diggy reply :

I also have the last model and I love it, very smooth. I wish they had more lh versions of the new jm reel. Might have to buy in right. The combos are up on the site on a new page

Delaware Valley Tackle reply :

Sticky clutch is something I see somewhat often in BPS reels. A good cleaning and lube usually takes care of it. Depending on where the noise is coming from, cleaning may or may not help. Some reels are so over lubed they are actually a little louder after being cleaned and freed up. This is fine with me since I'd rather have the performance but it really bothers some folks.

NCLifetimer reply :

Not to hijack, but are the internal brakes adjustable(ie turn some off/on if desired)? I was thinking about picking one up but from the pictures on the website the internal brakes don't look adjustable.

Shinyboy reply :

I was in BPS this weekend and picked up 2 new rods. One, a new Carbonlite 6.4:1 with a 7' MH Microguide Carbonlite rod. One word: LIGHT!!!! I mean, so freaking light, i almost couldn't believe what I was feeling (or not feeling for that matter). The reel was smooth in all areas and seems to be built like a tank. Great materials selection and the textured finish makes for a nice feel when palmed. I am stoked to get out and pull in some hogs with it!! I'll post back when I get some time on the water with the new setup.

The other pair I grabbed was an old faithful spinning reel, a Pfleuger Supreme XT, with a 6'6" MH Carbonlite rod. This one was the kicker. I was at the reel counter looking at reels and had done my homework before I came in. BPS will give you the online combo price on any pair as shown online, regardless of whether or not it is shown as a combo in store. This combo was shown for $199 online (not bad for a rod that's normally $99 and a reel that's $159). When I asked the girl at the counter to confirm the combo price she said "No, this is in our computers at $229."

So I said, "You do match the online pricing in store, right?" "Of course", she said.

So great, $200 it is. Well, I get to the counter to pay for everything and another fella rings me up. $159!!! Not sure what happened there, but thanks BPS for making my weekend!!!!!!! Basically got the Carbonlite rod free! Got a chance to throw it a few times in a small pond nearby and man, what a beautiful setup. No complaints from me!!

endless reply :

I was at our BassPro yesterday but they didn't have the new Carbonlite spinning reel in. I was ready to check it out and get my wife for Valentines day but since our's don't have any in I'm thinking about picking her up the new Extreme rod and reel. I just can't believe the new Extreme rod goes for $99 now. The new reel felt nice also and I think my wife would love it.

Jason Penn reply :

On 2/14/2012 at 2:44 AM, Shinyboy said:

I was in BPS this weekend and picked up 2 new rods. One, a new Carbonlite 6.4:1 with a 7' MH Microguide Carbonlite rod. One word: LIGHT!!!! I mean, so freaking light, i almost couldn't believe what I was feeling (or not feeling for that matter).

i got the same combo yesterday, except i got it in 7:1. i couldn't believe it when i 1st picked it up!

nclifetimer the cent brake is adjustable on the outside. when i 1st messed with the reel i couldn't quite figure it out, but there's 2 external adjustments for the dbs. in the center is cent brakes and the the outside ring of that is for mag.

Flukeman reply :

You guy's should have waited. Those reels are going to be on sale in a couple weeks and you can get them down to $89 with a reel trade in. The spinning reel will probably be on sale too.

Jason Penn reply :

On 2/14/2012 at 7:19 AM, Flukeman said:

You guy's should have waited. Those reels are going to be on sale in a couple weeks and you can get them down to $89 with a reel trade in. The spinning reel will probably be on sale too.

i actually got these 2 reels for $80 each and didn't have to trade in anything!

Flukeman reply :

Were they the orange/gold carbonlite reels or the new black model?

l3rd reply :

On 2/7/2012 at 7:34 PM, Diggy said:

I also have the last model and I love it, very smooth. I wish they had more lh versions of the new jm reel. Might have to buy in right. The combos are up on the site on a new page

The Cincinnati BPS empolyees don't seem to like them. They got 5 in, and one was bad. They do not have the feel nor are they the same design of the older ones. The $135 Browning, now a BPS line, is the same design as the new Carbonlites. I picked up a couple of the older style reels before they sell out. The on-line selection is down to left hand only already, so what's in the stores is it. I was not impressed with the new ones. They seem to be far less smooth than the older ones. Time will tell, but I had been thinking I was going to buy a couple of the new ones, but after seeing them and tinkering with them in the store, I got a couple more of the old ones instead...

*Hootie reply :

On 2/14/2012 at 8:38 PM, l3rd said:

The Cincinnati BPS empolyees don't seem to like them. They got 5 in, and one was bad. They do not have the feel nor are they the same design of the older ones. The $135 Browning, now a BPS line, is the same design as the new Carbonlites. I picked up a couple of the older style reels before they sell out. The on-line selection is down to left hand only already, so what's in the stores is it. I was not impressed with the new ones. They seem to be far less smooth than the older ones. Time will tell, but I had been thinking I was going to buy a couple of the new ones, but after seeing them and tinkering with them in the store, I got a couple more of the old ones instead...

I am one of the Cincinnati BPS guys, and I think they are great. I know for sure a couple of the guys in the fishing dept. have bought them already, including myself.

Jason Penn reply :

On 2/14/2012 at 8:37 PM, Flukeman said:

Were they the orange/gold carbonlite reels or the new black model?

the new 1's. i bought the carbonlite micro rods for $119.99 each and they gave me the reels for $80 each

i had actually planned to wait til the spring classic sale and save $20, but i was already at bps (about an hour & 15 minute drive) so i figured the extra cost would get eat up either in gas driving back or shipping.

Hi Salenity reply :

I played with another one that was screwy? you could feel/hear the "gears" in a spot every rotation of the handle. It was the same spot every rotation of the handle?

The odd thing was if it had some end play in the spool the noise went away but if you gave it any spool tension it would make the noise.

Hi Salenity reply :

I ended up getting a E5 Curado used and bought Boca's and carbon drag for the same price as a new Carbonlite but if I can get one for $90 at the Classic I'll be all over it.

l3rd reply :

On 2/15/2012 at 3:10 AM, hootiebenji said:

I am one of the Cincinnati BPS guys, and I think they are great. I know for sure a couple of the guys in the fishing dept. have bought them already, including myself.

The day I was there 2 of the 3 were quite underwhelmed with it. The third, and the one supporter, was the dept. manager who I understand is quite the tournament fisherman, but I was not impressed either. I have worked in machine shops and quality generally has a feel to it, and I thought it was lacking in the reel I was handling. YMMV.

I think the same about the very popular Bushmaster AR15, it's just not tight IMO. Many just love em, but I think they are sloppier than they ought to be. I did buy one after President Obama was elected and if you wanted one, you had to take what was available. It shoots fine, but it's not as tight as others I have owned or shot.

While I love light, I suspect my next reel will be something like a BPS JM Signature, or perhaps one of the new Pinnacle Optima? I have checked out the JM Signatures, and they are sweet, the Pinnacles I'd have to get from a place with a 30 day or so return policy. It would certainly be the bigger gamble.

Anyway, I am glad you like the new JM Carbonlites. I was at the store the day they were first seen on line and the guys were really giddy about them then. I am just very skeptical. One in 5 failing is not too endearing to me either, though it could have been abuse that caused it fail, I really did not bother asking, that one in five failed was enough for me once coupled with how it felt.

I personally wish they had chosen to build on the old Carbonlite design and had just improved it, it was an awesome reel, IMO. My son bought a Shimano Chronarch, and at a later time we were talking reels with the fishing dept. manager again, and I was talking up the old Carbonlite, and said something about it not being a Chronarch, and the manager took issue with that! The only drawback I saw in the old one was that awful gold color... Perhaps I need to learn to airbrush on those days I can't fish. :-)

Jason Penn reply :

On 2/15/2012 at 6:35 AM, l3rd said:

The day I was there 2 of the 3 were quite underwhelmed with it. The third, and the one supporter, was the dept. manager who I understand is quite the tournament fisherman, but I was not impressed either. I have worked in machine shops and quality generally has a feel to it, and I thought it was lacking in the reel I was handling. YMMV.

I think the same about the very popular Bushmaster AR15, it's just not tight IMO. Many just love em, but I think they are sloppier than they ought to be. I did buy one after President Obama was elected and if you wanted one, you had to take what was available. It shoots fine, but it's not as tight as others I have owned or shot.

While I love light, I suspect my next reel will be something like a BPS JM Signature, or perhaps one of the new Pinnacle Optima? I have checked out the JM Signatures, and they are sweet, the Pinnacles I'd have to get from a place with a 30 day or so return policy. It would certainly be the bigger gamble.

Anyway, I am glad you like the new JM Carbonlites. I was at the store the day they were first seen on line and the guys were really giddy about them then. I am just very skeptical. One in 5 failing is not too endearing to me either, though it could have been abuse that caused it fail, I really did not bother asking, that one in five failed was enough for me once coupled with how it felt.

I personally wish they had chosen to build on the old Carbonlite design and had just improved it, it was an awesome reel, IMO. My son bought a Shimano Chronarch, and at a later time we were talking reels with the fishing dept. manager again, and I was talking up the old Carbonlite, and said something about it not being a Chronarch, and the manager took issue with that! The only drawback I saw in the old one was that awful gold color... Perhaps I need to learn to airbrush on those days I can't fish. :-)

u'll get no argument from me praising the old carbonlites. i have 1 of those and 3 of the pro qualifier tournaments.

i am impressed with the 2 new models i've got. whether or not they'll hold up as well as the older 1's is yet to be seen.

l3rd reply :

On 2/15/2012 at 7:47 AM, Jason Penn said:

u'll get no argument from me praising the old carbonlites. i have 1 of those and 3 of the pro qualifier tournaments.

i am impressed with the 2 new models i've got. whether or not they'll hold up as well as the older 1's is yet to be seen.

Well, I sure hope they do!

WdyCrankbait reply :

Check out the BPS Spring Fishing Classic flyer if, or when you get it. The are selling the new Carbonlites for $109.97 without the reel trade in. If you do trade a reel in, it becomes $89.97. Not a bad deal at all!!

QUAKEnSHAKE reply :

On 2/16/2012 at 5:10 AM, WdyCrankbait said:

Check out the BPS Spring Fishing Classic flyer if, or when you get it. The are selling the new Carbonlites for $109.97 without the reel trade in. If you do trade a reel in, it becomes $89.97. Not a bad deal at all!!

IF they have them in stock for the sale.

Im wondering. If I trade-in a reel, get that voucher, and they dont have the JMC reel I want can I get my traded reel back?

WdyCrankbait reply :

It's going to be interesting to see what plays out with this reel. For the weight and specs it has, it really could do something in the market. But, I remeber reading what happened last year. I have talked to a many sales people (one being a REALLY cute gilrl!) at my local BPS and they told me they were not allowed to sell them till the Spring Fishing Classic.

I'm happy with my family of Curados, just passing along the information.

If anyone gets a Carbonlite Baitcasting reel, lets us know how it worked out.

Stasher1 reply :

On 1/28/2012 at 5:34 PM, iceintheveins said:

Looks like a great reel, but I am even more excited for their spinning reel. The larger model will be great for finesse plastics.

I've been eyeballing the new Carbonlite spinning reel as well. I've got a 6'9" ML Carbonlite sitting here in need of a new reel...

Hi Salenity reply :

I was able to pick one up Today. After a few minutes looking at it at home I like it . I think I'll use it once then give it a good cleaning.

Georgia Jeff reply :

Looks,like a good reel for $89 but when holding it this weekend I didn't love it. It felt ok. The spool didn't free spool as long as I was expecting and I absolutely HATE those darn foam grips. For the money it's a good deal but I'll hold off for further reviews.

l3rd reply :

On 3/1/2012 at 10:59 AM, Georgia Jeff said:

Looks,like a good reel for $89 but when holding it this weekend I didn't love it. It felt ok. The spool didn't free spool as long as I was expecting and I absolutely HATE those darn foam grips. For the money it's a good deal but I'll hold off for further reviews.

I checked them out again, this time I was looking at the 5.4:1, it felt fine, and I bought it. I also ordered a 6.4:1 and the 750 spinning reel. I still wish they had used the older Carbonlite platform as I really liked it, other than the gold color, but the later production J.M. Carbonlites reels seem to have a better feel to them. I was told that the old Carbonlites were a little rough at first too, so perhaps the factory has some issues. The local pro the Cincinnati store supports said that the new Carbonlite casts for ever, he seems to be a very big fan of it. I hope to get out on the water tomorrow, but I am going with a crappie fisherman, so I don't think I'll be spending too much time using my new toys...

21farms reply :

On 3/1/2012 at 11:35 AM, l3rd said:
I was told that the old Carbonlites were a little rough at first too, so perhaps the factory has some issues.

any reel with duralumin gears needs a little bit of break-in time to mesh before it feels smoother. brass is soft but one of the reasons that it is so popular for reel gears is it has very low-friction and feels smoother. duralumin is harder than brass and not as naturally friction-free; proper lubrication is more more critical with duralumin too.

craww reply :

On 3/1/2012 at 10:59 AM, Georgia Jeff said:

Looks,like a good reel for $89 but when holding it this weekend I didn't love it. It felt ok. The spool didn't free spool as long as I was expecting and I absolutely HATE those darn foam grips. For the money it's a good deal but I'll hold off for further reviews.

Flicking a spool with your finger and counting the spin time isnt as important as you'd think. Heavier spools tend to spin longer...It don't translate to real world fishing. I had an old JM signature series reel that I bought in 06'. One of the selling points was the guy at the counter showing how long it "free spooled". It was very impressive compared to the Curado D and a few other reels I was considering.

On the water however, i found the thing struggled with anything under 3/8oz, and still couldnt cast as far as other reels I owned even with a heavier weight.

volchuck reply :

I got a 6.4.1 and have it currently on my duckett heavy. Loaded it with heavy braid and was cracking the A-rig with it over the weekend. I'm actually gonna switch it to my medium heavy setup and switch out the braid to lighter floro. Casts great, handled a heavy a-rig and braid, just felt too light for that setup, and I want it on a rod I use more often.. I put it on par with my citca, if it holds up it will be a favorite for sure being so light and casting very well, as a prior poster said it lacks a "quality feel" and I agree the foam grips are lacking, but I do really like it overall so far. I think its a good price to give it a try, time will tell on the quality I guess...

rubba bubba reply :

The knobs are replaceable, just not sure what replacement options are available. I imagine one could put the PQ knobs on this reel but I haven't gotten around to checking into that yet.

Georgia Jeff reply :

I3rd and craww,

Let me know how they hold up. You guys just may be able to talk me into one if they hold up.

Goose52 reply :

On 2/15/2012 at 5:14 AM, Hi Salenity said:

I played with another one that was screwy? you could feel/hear the "gears" in a spot every rotation of the handle. It was the same spot every rotation of the handle?

The odd thing was if it had some end play in the spool the noise went away but if you gave it any spool tension it would make the noise.

I got my two JM-CLs in the mail yesterday. One of them has the same thing - a rough spot every rotation. I'll have to make some time to "pop the hood" and check it out. Dry spot on maingear? Burrs on that spot on the maingear? Other? One year warranty but I hate having to mail stuff back...

BigBrotherThunda reply :

Ive been throwing KVD2.5's and RC3 DBS's on one of the 5.4 geared models for the last 3 weeks, LOVE it so far! If it holds up and continues to perform like this, I'll have to add a few more!

Jeff P. reply :

I picked up 2 of the new JM carbonlite baitcast reels. I have owned many BPS brand reels, and just like all of them I highly recommend taking it apart, give it a good cleaning, and then lube with good quality product. Straight out of the box, they are ok, but after I cleaned mine up they are much smoother. I use Ardent Reel Butter for grease on the gears, and I use the Ardent Bearing Oil for the bearings. I have only fished once with them, but so far I am very pleased with the performance, and I have them paired with Carbonlite rods. It's amazing how light those setups are, and a real pleasure to fish with. I plan to use mine for several purposes - topwater, jerkbaits, shallow-med crankbaits, spinnerbait.

Hi Salenity reply :

Ok, soit's been a while but I finaly got the new Carbonlite out of the box Yesterday. It's spooled with 8# Zo-Yuri and is on a 7'M Crankbait rod.

I'll have to say I was impressed! It casted GREAT. I turned the mag break off and set the other one to 1 and it never even tried to backlash.

It is a little bit noisy on the retrive but hey let's not forget it's a CHEEP reel compared to everything else I use.

I'd rate it a full five stars!

QUAKEnSHAKE reply :

On 3/29/2012 at 9:41 PM, Hi Salenity said:

Ok, soit's been a while but I finaly got the new Carbonlite out of the box Yesterday. It's spooled with 8# Zo-Yuri and is on a 7'M Crankbait rod.

I'll have to say I was impressed! It casted GREAT. I turned the mag break off and set the other one to 1 and it never even tried to backlash.

It is a little bit noisy on the retrive but hey let's not forget it's a CHEEP reel compared to everything else I use.

I'd rate it a full five stars!

I opened mine and well they didnt use much grease at all plus it didnt seem like too good of a grease. I greased it nice, no full blown cleaning, Man what a difference just doing this made, much much better. Its a great reel now awesome caster KVD 1.0 with ease and 1/8 SK buzzbaits. Im wanting to use it more than my 50E of which Ive left home on a couple outings took the JMC/Smoke combo

Hooligan reply :

A little update on this. I've been fishing two of them as testers for about a month and a half, give or take. I've gone through two of the 7.1:1 reels, both had major malfunctions that caused the reel to be wholly inoperable. From what I could find in the process of tear down and postmortem the pinion gear wasn't meshing properly, and was basically stripped. BOTH reels suffered the same fate. The 6.4 reel has been no issue whatsoever, but I've not fished it nearly the amount as the 7.1.

Jason Penn reply :

On 4/4/2012 at 3:49 PM, Hooligan said:

A little update on this. I've been fishing two of them as testers for about a month and a half, give or take. I've gone through two of the 7.1:1 reels, both had major malfunctions that caused the reel to be wholly inoperable. From what I could find in the process of tear down and postmortem the pinion gear wasn't meshing properly, and was basically stripped. BOTH reels suffered the same fate. The 6.4 reel has been no issue whatsoever, but I've not fished it nearly the amount as the 7.1.

i've got to replace 1 of the 7:1 reels i've got. i greased the main gear but it's still got that hump. i had changed out the gears in an older model carbonlite last year with a pq pinion gear and a revo premier 7:1 drive gear and it basically did the same thing. i don't know what's up there. maybe switching out for a set of pq gears would work, and it'll still be just over 6 oz with the brass gears, if they will work.

i'm actually thinking about returning both of these 7:1's for 6:1 and just dealing with it. the 5:1 i have has no problems at all.

Goose52 reply :

I have two 6.4s. One is still NIB - that one is smooth without the rough spot once per turn. The other 6.4 has the rough spot and that's the one I've been fishing. I don't notice the rough spot during retrieves so that's mostly a non-issue for me. I only have a couple hours on it so far so I have no idea of how the 6.4s will hold up. The reel DOES cast very well.

craww reply :

I've returned mine twice...The first time was due to the you guessed it, pinion issue. The 2nd time I was given a reel with Hydrilla in the friggin line guide. Didnt catch it in the store. Also there was a 1/16'' gap between the handle sideplate and frame. Apparently somebody fooled with it and didnt put it back together right? I dunno. My little brother was also given a used reel when he purchased his combo. Was told by the manager that it was impossible this could happen. Well it did, twice.

For what its worth, I returned my 7.1 and went with a 6.1. This thing is MONEY. Casts amazing. I'm very happy with the performance of the new reel.

QUAKEnSHAKE reply :

On 4/5/2012 at 10:39 AM, craww said:

I've returned mine twice...The first time was due to the you guessed it, pinion issue. The 2nd time I was given a reel with Hydrilla in the friggin line guide. Didnt catch it in the store. Also there was a 1/16'' gap between the handle sideplate and frame. Apparently somebody fooled with it and didnt put it back together right? I dunno. My little brother was also given a used reel when he purchased his combo. Was told by the manager that it was impossible this could happen. Well it did, twice.

For what its worth, I returned my 7.1 and went with a 6.1. This thing is MONEY. Casts amazing. I'm very happy with the performance of the new reel.

No doubt in my mind BPS sent me a used reel once. The plactic bag was torn the nut that holds the rotor on had nicks on the corners and a scratch about 1/2" long.

About JMC reel I was casting just nightcrawlers yesterday size 4 hook. Dont know how much a real crawler weighs but it worked fine. I wasnt getting 100' casts but 30'-40' or so.

BigMoneyGrip reply :

I got a left handed one when they were on sale a couple of months ago. I had to return it because the drag was messes up. The store didn't have any in stock so I had to settle for a refund. A helpful guy that worked there told me it would be best to order online and have it shipped to the store. BPS was out of stock for a few weeks and when they finally became available, I ordered another and had it shipped to the house. I was nervous from hearing of the stories from others about the rough gears.

I got the reel yesterday and the new one is as smooth as greased butter. No roughness of the gears what soever. Maybe the new batch was corrected? Anyhow, the new reel is super smooth and I am happy.

mmoritz11 reply :

i bought one a couple weeks ago and dont have any complaints. smooth casting and i agree that the gears mesh well together.

21farms reply :

i received a new 7.1:1 JM CL a couple of weeks ago. i was absolutely shocked how rough and grindy it was. i have bought a ton of new reels over the last few years and this was the worst...i'm not kidding...you could feel the vibration through the handle as well as hear it audibly. i took it back to my local BPS and the display models were only slightly better than mine. the salesman let me go through a few boxed ones and they were all rough. i finally picked out the best one i could find, a 5.4:1 but even that one is not close to what i'd consider "smooth". but, i was pretty determined to have one so i brought it home with the hope that a good lubing and some break-in time fishing it would help smooth things out. well, it didn't...i used it extensively on a 11-hour trip and, while it casted fine, it is still rough and grindy. i also had one incident where i got hung on a log and the boat was drifting the opposite way so fast i couldn't push the spool release button so i loosened the drag all the way and it still would release line...the spool was stuck and the line broke. after i was finally able to press the thumb bar and then re-engage the spool, the drag started working again. i really don't know what to make of people saying theirs are smooth...i tried out about a dozen of them from new stock and they were all rough.

craww reply :

On 4/13/2012 at 11:18 PM, 21farms said:

i received a new 7.1:1 JM CL a couple of weeks ago. i was absolutely shocked how rough and grindy it was. i have bought a ton of new reels over the last few years and this was the worst...i'm not kidding...you could feel the vibration through the handle as well as hear it audibly. i took it back to my local BPS and the display models were only slightly better than mine. the salesman let me go through a few boxed ones and they were all rough. i finally picked out the best one i could find, a 5.4:1 but even that one is not close to what i'd consider "smooth". but, i was pretty determined to have one so i brought it home with the hope that a good lubing and some break-in time fishing it would help smooth things out. well, it didn't...i used it extensively on a 11-hour trip and, while it casted fine, it is still rough and grindy. i also had one incident where i got hung on a log and the boat was drifting the opposite way so fast i couldn't push the spool release button so i loosened the drag all the way and it still would release line...the spool was stuck and the line broke. after i was finally able to press the thumb bar and then re-engage the spool, the drag started working again. i really don't know what to make of people saying theirs are smooth...i tried out about a dozen of them from new stock and they were all rough.

Sorry to hear that bro. Sounds like you may need to just go with a different model. I would have myself, but BPS didn't have anything in store for a comparable price I wanted. If they'd had a righty in the older model I would have went that route.

Sherlock 60 reply :

This thread make be happy I decided to add two more Pro Qualifier reels to the ole' arsenal (a 6.4:1 and a 7.1:1) when they were on sale for $79 instead of going for the shiny new stuff.

Diggy reply :

Mine is still rocking, the 7:1 with no grinding as of right now. I did oil it but no grease. It did cast farther once I oiled it. Time will tell. I would like to repurchase the older model in left again. I miss it

MrSwimJig reply :

My Carbonlite is still going strong. No noises or grinding just super smooth and a very amazing drage system. So far I am very impressed, but will post more as it gets more and more use.

BassingNick reply :

You guys should have gone with the Carbon Black, little heavier but absolute butter smooth and will chuck a lipless crank half way across Okechobee.

Goose52 reply :

For sure the Carbon Black is a nice reel. I have two of the older Rick Clunn (blue model) reels that are part of the same gene pool as the Carbon Black and they're nice. But, at 9.4 ounces - about the same weight as the Carbon Black, they just don't see much use any longer. I've got lots of 6- and 7-ounce class reels to play with now and you get sorta spoiled. I think the whole point of many of us buying the new JCL reel is because of the exteme light weight and to see if BPS could successfully make a durable 5-ounce class reel at such a low price point. Even as a BPS BC reel fan, I have to say that the jury's still out on the JCL...

Packard reply :

Glad I snagged an older model carbonlite on sale while everyone was scrambling for these.

BigMoneyGrip reply :

On 4/14/2012 at 8:54 PM, Goose52 said:

For sure the Carbon Black is a nice reel. I have two of the older Rick Clunn (blue model) reels that are part of the same gene pool as the Carbon Black and they're nice. But, at 9.4 ounces - about the same weight as the Carbon Black, they just don't see much use any longer. I've got lots of 6- and 7-ounce class reels to play with now and you get sorta spoiled. I think the whole point of many of us buying the new JCL reel is because of the exteme light weight and to see if BPS could successfully make a durable 5-ounce class reel at such a low price point. Even as a BPS BC reel fan, I have to say that the jury's still out on the JCL...

Goose, it seems like it's luck of the draw. Mine is as smooth as any of my Shimanos. Others say the grinding is horrible.

When I got my second one, BPS was out of the for several weeks. Maybe this second run was fixed. I know I was nervous waiting on this one, reading some of the other reports had me skerd I was gonna get a "grinder".

FlipSide reply :

Mine sucked, the drag system just stopped working after 2 fishing trips. I returned it and got a Pro Qualifier.

Hi Salenity reply :

On 4/18/2012 at 3:34 AM, FlipSide said:

Mine sucked, the drag system just stopped working after 2 fishing trips. I returned it and got a Pro Qualifier.

Braided line?

FlipSide reply :

On 4/18/2012 at 5:21 AM, Hi Salenity said:

Braided line?

Nope, mono.

Diggy reply :

So I decided to use the reel today and noticed the plastic bezzle around the line guide is was falling out. The Johhny Morris name plate and gold piece fell off. Some glue will fix but I shouldnt have to be rigging up new gear that hasnt been abused. The heat from my car may have loosened the adhesive up but still crappy if you ask me. None of my other reels are falling apart and Ive had them/used them longer

May return it in for a lews once I get my money back and go elsewhere

21farms reply :

well, looks like three time's a charm. i took my second JM carbonlite back to BPS to exchange today as i decided i just could not live with the grindiness. the very first one the salesman let me open was smooth and quiet! it was like night and day compared to my first two. even with the cast control knob tightened down to normal fishing setting, it was world's better and finally one that i would characterize as "fairly smooth". the spool will free spin for close to 20 seconds compared to about 3-4 seconds before.

Diggy reply :

Mine is officially gone. Need a lh goldie again. One of my biggest regrets was getting rid of it besides picking what was behind door #3 on lets make a deal

jj'sbassinforfun reply :

I picked up 2 CL's(1 rh 7.1:1 and 1 lefty 6.4:1). The lefty was smooth, But the righty was draggy. I tore it apart and did a clean and lube. Bearings were packed full of grease. So I tore into the lefty JIC!

For the money? I would go with the PQ's or the Lew's TSS for few $$ more. But I wanted the EVA grips. Next time I'll just add them or the CL handle to a PQ!

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