Delaware Valley Tackle

Practice.

Imo changing line in hopes of countering rod action/power is asking to be disappointed. whats the objective? To keep fish hooked up on treble hooks?

Spinning the handle of a reel doesn't prove a thing either way. If it's new, exchange it for another.

A light color thread on a dark blank is hard enough to keep neat wrapping by hand. Poor choice on the part of a mass producer imo. It's no problem functionally but you're not unreasonable to expect more especially from an expensive rod.

Guides can make a difference IF the current setup is not taming the coils effectively. From the description they use the old cone of flight system so there may be something to gain. Cost effective wise I'd build from scratch.

when building from scratch, the lightest guide that will get the job done is my rule of thumb. The number of guides is best determined by static testing rather than rod length alone. Alconite guides are hard and light and the best bang for the buck. I reserve Torzites for high end finesse rods where sensitivity is at a premium. Your best best is fuji kh rapid choke setup or AmTack Microwave guide set.

50 will suffice in grass stepping up to 65# gives you a little extra abrasion resistance in wood and rock.

Don't add oil or grease over top of old as a rule. Use newcreels hard out of the box then deep clean/lube them after a season.

St Croix, rainshadow, rodgeeks, MHX , point blank all offer quality blanks at competitive price points.

Spinning the handle or spool of a reel doesn't mean much of anything. All that matters is normal motions for the intended use. If it doesn't clunk or grind in your hand it should be fine. Later on a reel can be fine tuned to some degree. Some like a super free loose feel and others a more connected syrupy feel. These can often be achieved by careful choice and application of lubricants.

There's soooo much more that goes into a quality rod than the arbitrary "specs" on material. You'll get more helpful advice by posting about the application and budget then sorting through the suggestions.

Stick with the kh 16/8/5.5m and as small of runners as you can get away with.

It depends on the river and fish. A 3# river smallie you could have your hands full. 12" 1lb creek/ small river fish would be fun. All you can do is try it and see for yourself.

M & MH are subjective terms with no standard to define them. Give us some more detail about the rods application and you'll get some detailed suggestions.

If "work hard" includes neglect, you won't be satisfied with any modern reel. If cared for, any of the major brands models at the $100 and up price points should give years of reliable performance. Features for particular applications are pretty much personal preference.

^^^ you'll probably have to push it back in to level it then push it straight out from the back side.

Yup. I just ordered on too

Sorry guys I was offline today. Looks like the OP rectified the issue.

The "right" way to fix that is a re-wrap. That said, if you put super glue on the foot, insert it then put a drop where it meets the blank it may last indefinitely.

When you send reels, include your screen name and get 10% off labor. $22-10%.

It's probably just dirty and sticky but repairable if need be. Given cost of replacement I would encourage you to send it in but if you get into it and need help reach out.

I like worm drive oscillating, sturdy bail wire, counter balanced rotor and good line roller in a spinning reel.

A dry lube may have a slight advantage in exposed apps like level wind worm gears but that's about it. In the grand scheme reels aren't all that demanding an application for lubricants. Keep them clean and appropriately lubricated and sleep well.

As long as it's not a magnesium reel, a rinse with clean water immediately after each outing in the salt and laying out to dry should suffice. Follow up with a light cleaning and lube after your trip and a deep cleaning over the winter. For regular saltwater use, I vary the deep cleaning process slightly.

Id install the thicker one as the base but it probably wouldn't make any difference. I think it's st least partly to get the correct drag stack height.