Bass Pro Shops Pro Qualifier 2 Casting Rod Review
Not The Worst, But Certainly Not The Best
-Specifications-
Model: PQL70MHT
Length: 7'
Power: Medium/Heavy
Action: Fast
The Bass Pro Shops Pro Qualifier 2 was the first casting rod I ever owned. I was at a Bass Pro with around $200USD to spend on a combo, and I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I looked around for a bit, asked one of the guys working the counter in the fishing section about what I should be looking for, and he pointed me in the right direction. I ended up picking out the Pro Qualifier 2 almost exclusively because I thought it looked cooler than other rods in the $80-100USD price range, and it had a solid all-around feel and the right build specifications in terms of length, power and action.
Nowadays (5/18), this is the cheapest rod I own, but that isn’t saying much as I only own three others, all of which are less than $130USD. I’ll dive into specifics in the next bit of the review, but I want to give a disclaimer before we go any further; I don’t think this rod is very good. However, despite it not being very good, I have come to enjoy using it in a few specific roles, which I’ll explain in detail in the later parts of this piece.
What I Like:
The Pro Qualifier 2 does have some cool features that I’ve come to like:
-Strong RT3 graphite construction
-Fuji guides with aluminum oxide inserts (nice)
-A comfortable split-grip handle with excellent grip material (EVA)
-Overall pretty good-looking design
Like I said in the intro, I bought this rod because I thought it looked cooler than the competition while I was in the store, and I absolutely needed the thing that day. The split grips made me think I looked like a professional fisherman, and the all-black, sleek design paired up with my sexy new Lew’s Mach I Speed Spool really did the trick in terms of aesthetics. I got the rod rigged up and took it fishing that day, and proceeded to not catch a single fish on it for almost a month, all the while slammin’ bass on my $30USD Ugly Stik combo. Frustrating, to say the least.
When I did finally catch a fish on this rod, I caught it on topwater. I was fishing a popper, luckily with some thick hooks, and landed a nice two-pounder. It was an easy fight, and the Pro Qualifier 2 gave me plenty of confidence in how it fishes. The rod is stiff but with a quick tip, and it loads and unloads fish during a fight well enough for my liking, particularly when power fishing. I learned that it could fish topwater, and with the 40lb. braid I had spooled on it, I decided to just keep it fishing in that role – as a med-hvy, fast-action topwater rod hooked up to a reel with only 13lbs. of max drag. Ideal setup, right?
What I Don’t Like:
Well, the short answer to that question is no. It’s definitely not ideal. I tried to fish everything on this rod, but my biggest disappointment came from stickbait fishing, which is primarily what I got this whole combo for in the first place. The Pro Qualifier 2 simply doesn’t have the sensitivity that you’d want to see in a stickbait rod – it’s as simple as that. When you get slammed by one, yes, of course you can feel it; it’s not entirely insensitive, but the truth is I get better feel from my spinning combo, so why would I use this one? This rod is a brute, a square peg in a round hole, and that’s just how it is.
To Conclude:
Now, I mentioned earlier that I still like this rod, even with it not being very good. The reasons for this inclination are simple and small in number:
1. This rod was cheap.
2. I can beat the living hell out of it.
I use this rod as a sort of “jack-of-all-trades” beater at this point. It doesn’t serve any purpose super well, but it serves all of them well enough for me to be happy keeping it in my arsenal. My primary use for it is topwater; mostly poppers, Whopper-Ploppers and heavy-hooked buzzbaits. I occasionally throw frogs, but I have had my drag slip a bit on a few not-so-big fish with the reel I have paired on it, so I don’t mess with them too much – bear in mind that’s not say the rod itself can’t handle a big swing and a good sized fish; it can.
For $80USD (which is down $20USD from the original $100USD price), and now that it’s around two years old, I have to say I’m impressed with how well it’s stayed together. I still like to use the thing, and it still catches fish, it’s just not that great of a rod, and I certainly think you could do better than this in the $80-100USD range. But, with all things considered, I’m glad I purchased the Pro Qualifier 2, and you can bet you’ll still find it in my boat every time I go out there.
