Delaware Valley Tackle

The cheapest I've seen the PQ is $65 but $89-$99 is common. Retail used to be $129.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone in the Bass Resource! Best of wishes from our family to yours.

Internally they are identical. The shallower spool on the 50 makes them capable of throwing lighter baits. Outside of that they're interchangeable as far as application

While the lure wright ratings and power are both subjective the lure weight rating is more useful in general if you have no experience with a rod model and can't physically handle it. Dead lift power in the butt section often affects the way a maker assigns power labels as well

There are some tip top models less prone to tangle if you want to get that aggressive on the issue.

Depends where they measure from. Even from front of the reel seat 14 sounds about right. A seat is just over 3" so you have 10> behind the reel.

You're asking for trouble with the cardboard tubes. The shipping isn't that much more. Use pvc

There's no right or wrong. Take the rod and mount a few reels to see what feels good. IMO the whole balance thing is way over thought and obsessed on. St Croix uses great blanks and tend toward the shorter side on handle length. If you decide adding weight is an absolute must don't do it with the reel. Go the cap and washer route.

If the cap is too tight the spool shaft hits it keeping the spool itself from seating properly. Glad I could help. Merry Christmas.

You're flirting with disaster. It requires a special tool to press out the pin. There are a couple different ones, a plier or a mini press. Could the reel benefit from cleaning? If so send it in along with the bearings and I'll install them for you.

First thing I'd check is yo pull the spool, loosen the cast control cap and reinstall the spool. If that doesn't do it contact me offline and I'll troubleshoot with you. Mike

I service them all the time still. They are a workhorse all around caster.

A swept handle puts the knobs on plane with the drive shaft and tend to be a tad shorter than some straight handles. Any mechanical advantage is slight but the same can be said about a lot of reel features. The subtle refinements are where it's at nowadays.

Your rod is a much more efficient tool for moving fish. You only need to reel enough to keep up with the rod and avoid giving slack line.

I like a little a mod fast action for those since they're often being popped off the weeds. Power dictated by lure weight and cover.

1/2 - 1.5 is a wide range. With 1/2 oz as the low end casting weight I'd expect more tip than on some other "heavy" labeled rods.

Hard to tell without seeing it. The drag shouldn't come loose enough to allow anything to come out of alignment.

Shimano uses an AR assembly with larger rollers contained in a sturdy housing and uses a solid actuating switch. All self contained, no pins falling out, no micro springs taking flight, little to no back play

That's right. Btw if you use a greased drag, they require actual drag grease like cals or Shimano and either of them can double as gear grease.

There nothing special about reel grease except for the label. Super lube is a good synthetic. Marine grease like yamalube works well too.

The AR in spinning reels in general are touchy. Shimano has the best system hands down IMO. But the AR alone doesn't make the reel.

There's nothing particularly unique about either of those casting applications that any good quality reel can't handle. Some folks are put off by the t wing when pitching or flipping as the line may not fall back into the groove. It's not the end of the world though.

Pam cooking spray helps. I've experimented with RainX and early results look promising. There's no magic though.

Do some research into the actual process before buying a whole kit. Most of what you need can be fabricated at home to start out. Rod building is a rewarding craft but not for everyone. Go slow and see where it takes you.

The incompatibility of lubricants is WAY over dramatized. The soaps (thickeners) used in greases can react but it's not a given. Brush the worm gear clean and oil it up. You'll be fine.