Rigging rod/reel

[srj]

UPS brought a Mitchell 308x gold and a Bass Pro 7' Bionic Blade combo yesterday. It seemed a great deal--less than half price for the rod with the combo price. Does anyone have any experience with these new Mitchells? I was rather disappointed with the look/feel of the reel. It is smooth (10 ball bearings--still can't figure out where they all go) but quite heavy, the aluminum spool has many small gouges in it and there are several corners on the reel that are sharp enough to cut you. I'm wondering if I just got a bad one--exchange--or are they just not a good reel period--refund. I still have some ancient 300's and 308's--they certainly seem to be made better. Any opinions appreciated.

[shadowman]

if there are spots on the reel that you say will cut you?? i,d send it back, while your at it send the rod back to the casting distance for light jigs leaves a lot to be desired, just my opinion

[Dodge1]

All those bearings are simply a marketing ploy and I can guarantee you that the bearings that they’ve used on that reel are pure junk.

The Shimano Calcutta, which IMHO is one of the better castings reels on the market, has a total of 3 bearings (2 ball and one roller). So don’t be deceived by the number of bearings on a reel, especially when you’re talking about one of the lower cost reels.

[REW]

I suspect that you will find that the reel will work for you very well.
As is the case with quite a few things today - if you find the finish a bit rough - don't worry about it - just take a piece of sandpaper, and smooth the rough edges.
The weight of this reel - is similar to most of the reels in this size with the number of bearings.

good luck and enjoy.

REW

[srj]

REW, thanks for the input. I like to tinker and usually try to make things better than they come. But the spool appears to be defective--I stopped at Reeds and looked at the same reel--smooth spool but did have 1 very sharp casting on the reel body. Went home with a Daiwa linecounter. Guess I'll keep using the old Cardinal 3's.