Delaware Valley Tackle

Phenix makes nice blanks but are way over priced IMO. St Croix scV, Rainshadow e2 even MHX hm models make great drop shot blanks at much better prices to boot.

Clean it the way you would any other bearing. Libricate by swabbing with light oil.

Yes. 10-15 min at a time to soak is a good start. Repeat at necessary.

maybe something with a fast action but soft tip for topewater and jerkbaits. Or a 6'8" ml/XF for vertical drop shot. There aren't a lot of common bass techniques you can't effectively employ with what you have.

Nothing special or unique about the bearings. Flush with your chosen solvent. Dry, test, repeat as necessary. One drop light oil on the inner race (side) of bearing and reinstall.

Some tourney pro was pushing this idea a while back claiming added casting distance. Braid is probably lighter than mono. A lighter spool can aid casting of light baits but a heavier spool stores more inertia for casting heavier baits. I think it's wT over thought personally. If your Fluoro is expensive to the point of needing backing use the cheapest mono you an find. If you want to experiment with braid backing use Dacron backing as opposed to PP etc.

In general it's not necessary but I wouldn't leave them on lockdown indefinitely.

I'm out right now but treat bearings the same as any other. What other parts are you struggling with?

That's just a Shimano marketing term and PP is owned by them. Disregard and proceed as usual.

Cals grease shouldn't weaken the drag. The main purpose of grease on a drag is heat dissipation which is a non concern in a bass reel. I run Carbontex drags dry 90% of the time. My guess is you used the wrong kit or misassembled the drag stack somehow. I've installed hundreds of their kits without a single problem.

Too tight of a wrap combined with poorly preped guide feet is a legit possible cause for a blank failure. I find it odd that such a problem would be widespread and continuing though. No one is perfect but if the response to an inevitable circumstance is severely inadequate it's like pouring gas on a fire.

That tip can be repaired by a qualified Rod builder. I've done several that have stood the test of time with nearly imperceptible affect on the action. It's much too involved for a novice diy project. If you can get it warranted why not? Re-tipping it will raise the casting weight and slow the action.

For deep cranking and maybe big Colorado blade spinners a 5:1 or 18" +/- ipt is an advantage over a day of cranking. Outside of that personal preference plays an even bigger role. I like faster reels for jigging and plastics but it's not a deal breaker if the deal and other features are there.

Skipping with a caster is a worthwhile skill to develop but if skipping will be the primary presentation spinning is just so much easier and effective. An easy loading fast action Rod produces speed to help a bait skip well. A longer Rod 7' or so generates more tip speed but a shorter Rod may be more convenient in tight places.

Why do feel you need a leader ? Can you use a shorter one?

There won't be any ill affects from removing the AR pawl. It's a redundant backup. Chances of it ever being activated is very low. proper adjudtment and grease should last between regular services but is not a one time forever fix.

I'll second the motion for interchangeable cartridges. Don't scrimp on the fly line. That's what you rely on to deliver the lure. Rod second, reel last. 5wt is a good all around weight for general purpose fly fishing. Step up to an 8 for more serious bass fishing or bigger flies

Yup. That's it.

Your stature shouldn't prevent you from using a 7'11" Rod but for munching mats with 1oz> weights I like an Xxh mod fast. This will help you land more of the hookups you get.

The redundant AR is not required but is a nice feature. The tabs need to be pinched to lightly squeeze the ratchet then is packed with grease. This will quiet it down. Your call.

You can't choose a quality reel by specs alone. The real determining factors are intangible like tolerances, QC and machining. Bearing count is meaningless. Good quality bearings in 3-4 key spots will make a better reel than one with cheap bearings added to handle knobs etc. for under $100 the PQ on sale is about as good as you'll get and easily up to the task of your application .

Some manufactures won't sell just the pin. You have to check a schematic and see if it has a part number. Also, a spool pin doesn't come near the frame. I'd be concerned that it's rubbing the pinion by not disengaging properly. Check to verify that the shaft is still straight and the rest of the spool is not damaged. I'll be surprised if a new pin will fit properly after something else being pressed into the hole. Be prepared to buy a new spool if it comes to that.

Lews will email one quick. If he can't figure it out bag it up and send it in and I'll take care of it.

My point was just that light weight alone is not a sole indicator of build quality. Chances are any sub 4oz 7' Rod has decent components though. A Rod with an extra guide or two might perform better even with the extra grams of weight. The opposite is true as well. There are various grip designs and materials that affect total weight. Getting the feel and durability you want may come at the cost of a little extra weight. It is possible to get the best of all and still be under 4oz just look at the whole package as well as weight or any one aspect for that matter.

No, but It depends on how the weight was achieved as well.