any boby use these? looks like a good deal at 30 bucks just wondering if anybody liked or disliked them and if they are comparable to an abu garcia

I hope you get a answer. I need some new ones for spring catfishing.

They're in the BPS catalogue for $24.95. I bought one recently, figured if it didn't work I wasn't out a lot of cash. Haven't had the opportunity to try it yet.

I looked at the reels last week thinkin that was a good price for a clicker reel. I would not recommend them for catfishin as the spool is small. If'n you be using 20 pound line or larger you ain't gonna get much line on the reel.

they're probably abu knockoffs like the shakespeare skp2000's or something like that ... be sure to take the spool out before you use them and see if there's bearings in the spool ... I'd wager that they're just bushing reels so it may be possible to buy bearings to replace the bushings with ...and it may not be ... you'd need to mic the bushings to see what size they are if they'll come out but that's what I'd check first before using them as if they're bushing reels they'll last quite a while if you will lube them before every fishing trip. That's some important info to find out about them ... it's easy to do also as they'll come apart just like an abu so before you spool line on them loosen the thumb screws and then pull the right hand side plate off holding the reel up sideways so the brake blocks won't slip off their pegs and then lift the spool straight up out of there and it might be best to take the brake blocks off so you don't lose them and visually inspect the spool to see if there's bearings in there if they're ultracast spools ... ultracast means that there's no shaft sticking out on both sides of the spool ... if it's a standard spool it'll have the shaft sticking out on both ends of the spool and the bearings will be located in the side plates but you should be able to see inside the spool or you may have to pop the little clicker dog off the end of the spool in order to see inside the spool if it's an ultracast spool design ... if it's got bearings in the spool then it's going to make you a pretty good reel with low maintenance ... put a drop of 5/30 motor oil or 10w30 motor oil on both bearings if it has bearings and put the clicker dog back in the spool ... if it's got bushings you'll need to use a good silicone or teflon grease on the bushings... if you've got a micrometer guage the bushings before you put it back in and go to www.vbx.com and see if they have any bearings that'll fit where the bushings are in the reel ... abu 6000 uses 4x10x4 mm bearings so that's how you guage them or mic them ... overall diameter is the 10 on that number ... width and inside diameter on the abu 6000 bearings is both 4 milimeter. If the reel is a bushing reel and you don't replace the bushings with bearings you can expect about 2 months of solid use out of one before you start having problems with them unless you care for them daily before each use and then they'll last a long time ... just using them and throwing them in the back of your truck when you're done and then using them again and back in your truck on a daily basis they'll last about a month like that. Maybe??? the bushings will wear out really quick if you don't lube them pretty regularly. if you take them off your rod and put the reel in a camera bag after each fishing trip to keep the dirt out of them and then take them out next time you're ready to go and take them apart and relube everything they'll last a long time like that ... bearings hold oil in the bearing races and that's why abu c3 reels will last quite a bit longer than a lot of other reels with less maintenance.

are they the gold ones? or the cheaper ones than that? i have had the gold ones before and they dont last, not worth it, complete junk. the catmaxx they have are OK but the mega cast or whatever they are called are complete junk. the clicker will be broken after 2 hard days on the water. ive bought, used and returned 3 and finally gave up on them. i think some other people i know have tried them as well.

Tiny,
you amaze me with your info!
you must have moved to Okl. I have never heard an Okie with so much wisdom! LoL
I enjoy your post ....lots of info and easy to understand...Thanks..

thanks for all the info

Did some more checkin on these reels and I believe they are chinese reels made by Ming Yang. They have bushings not bearings.

Lots of reading on the internet about MIng Yang reels. For the price, if you put bearings in em, they most likely be OK especially for what you will have in em.

Personally I still think ABU is the way to go.

If they are the gold ones don't buy 'em. the gears strip out and they don't cast that great. I have gone through 4 of 'em. the last time the gears stripped I used the credit towards a different reel

I've got 2 of them and love them for what I use them for, which is mostly trolling for whites and hybrids.

I have used them for catfish but the biggest I have caught was 14 pounds. That was not a real test for the gears. I was fishing for channel cats for eating, using BJ dough bait, when the 14 pound blue hit it. Totally shocked me but I did get it in. I DO NOT USE THESE REELS WHEN FISHING LIVE OR CUT BAIT FOR BIG BLUES! No way I could trust a $25 reel with a 30+ pound fish. I have other reels I save for that.

They are a little tricky to cast but if you are used to baitcasters you will be OK. You might have to go up on weight just a little, especially in a wind. I would not recommend these if you are a beginner to intermediate level caster with 'GOOD' baitcasters, experts only. (I can cast them fine but my daughter and her boyfriend cannot. I let them use my Abu's or custom made reels.)

All in all I think they are great reels 'for the price'. I've had mine (2) for about a year and have had no trouble at all. Then again, I don't put much stress on them and don't cast them much so take this free advice for what it's worth.

Kevin

BPS Reels=NO NO! Stick with Abu Garcia, the black max round baitcasters are like $39 at Academy.

Tiny, I tried the link twice and all I got was a political add. I was wanting to convert my 6000's to 6500c3's.

Sometimes the old saying is true. You get what you pay for. I once bought a reel I thought was a good one, looked nice and all, casted good. But then on my first outing I hooked into my then, PB flathead and got to see the fish, but then the drag messed up and it ended up breaking my line off. I was not a happy camper at that moment in time. From then on, my bait casting catfishing reels are strictly abu garica reels. Have had one now for over 20 years before finally having to send it in and getting it repaired. Now it works like new again.

Bama, it is vxb not vbx. Even Tiny with his dainty lil fingers mistypes now and then.