Delaware Valley Tackle

I don't know a single person that restricts all spending to 100% NEED. It's good advice to live within your means, but if you're doing that and it gives you pleasure to splurge here or there whether it be on a car, furniture, vacation, fishing tackle, other hobby related equipment or whatever no one has any business commenting. Enjoy the fruits of your labor. Remember we work to live, not live to work.

I've used other pink blanks in the past, but that color really pops.

You are aware that Lew's and revos are built in the same factory right? I'd suspect the cent brakes as well if it weren't for the reeling under load. Double check the spool and frame for contamination

10# is a little on the light side. 14 # trilene xl will handle well and be better around cover. The are lots of articles and threads here to get you pointed in the right direction.

Look at the lure weight range and less at the designation M/MH/ML. Etc they are too subjective

Your line should handle well enough. A well tied Albright knot joining those lines will pass as small as a size 4 guide with appreciable affect on casting distance. To maximize your current setup run a long cast worth of line through a rag with KVD L&L to treat and clean the line. Clean the guides of any residue or debris. Make sure the reel is fully spooled to just below the beveled edge of the spool. Ultimately the rod power and action are what will determine how a given weight will cast.

What do you think makes the loomis tip heavy In spite of such a long handle? Do they use a lot of guides close together at the tip or does it have to do with the wall thickness and taper of the blank?

Jerkbaits can work all year. Like any other bait, modifying size, action and retrieve according to current conditions maximizes effectiveness. Nothing works all the time (except for Senkos). Sorry, that's a joke referring to another thread.

I just saw an ad or article about this but can't remember where. If I see it again I'll put the link.

I have built a few rods on what is labeled a "Mag Med-light" mostly as drop shot and shakey head rods but always thought it might make a good finesse casting rod. Drop me a line if you'd like details.

Bait weight, technique and cover will be the deciding factors in how powerful of a rod you need. The power of St Croix's M is what some other makers call MH. I'm in Upstate NY and can get by with and Avid M/F as an all purpose casting rod.

X2 If I forget or run out on the water I'll throw something else.

If a break shoe tab is locked in position it is "off". If it is free to slide or pivot depending design, it is "on". I just wanted to add this to cover the newer designs that depart from the customary tab-on-pin setup.

If you choose a quality bearing the SS parts should be relatively corrosion resistant barring exposure to saltwater. If you decide to oil them, go as light as possible in viscosity and applied amount as suggested to minimize affect on performance. Properly treated stock bearings are still the way to go 90% of the time.

The only time I ca bring myself to use "ice" and "fishing" in the same sentence is picking up a bag of Ice on my way to go fishing.

Some oil them to quiet them and some to maximize longevity. Imo if those are your priorities you shouldn't spend the money on performance parts. It's almost like putting performance parts On a motorcycle then adding a throttle stop.

As soon as I saw your avatar I knew you beat me to the punch with this. lol

The Tatula is a nice little reel at the discount prices you can find. I have one myself. That said, the rod is what casts the weight. I'd attribute the bulk of the performance to any difference there and in line choice with reel a distant third.

I serviced a couple of those for a customer. Took me half a day to get the 40yr old dried up grease out of them. Still having nightmares. lol they are absolute tanks in every sense of the word.

In this case, ignorance really is bliss. Don't get hung up on the "Balance" discussion. There is no right or wrong. If you have a reel to bring along when rod shopping by all means do just that. Mount a reel on the rod you're interested in and see how it feels. If you like how it feels and everything else checks out then it "balances" just fine.

Just keep practicing being mindful of release point. The muscle memory will kick in eventually and won't even think about it. I got pretty good with a back hand when fishing tourneys as a co-angler. I got a few good fish off the back side of targets as we passed.

Good heads-up here. I had a fellow club member that couldn't fish for a while due to aggressive antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease. He had to wear an apparatus similar to an insulin pump only for antibiotics.

There are heat stabilizing additives in ATF that give it a distinct smell. If the Hot Sauce is the same way that would be a give away. The oil is ok if you can deal with the red dye on everything but that grease is junk. It gums up something awful. There's no magic in any of it. Any company that pawned off a warrantee claim on the use of another brand of oil can keep there merchandise and I'll shop elsewhere because that's a cop out and nothing more.

If you're paying $500> for rods a lot of that is for the name, so you can save some building an equivalent yourself. For the average angler you can build a better rod for the money, but not save much if any. There are a lot of good reasons to take up the craft but saving $ isn't one of them imo. Example: St Croix SCIII (Avid) MH/F 7' Blank $110 Fuji ACS Seat $6.50 SS Alconite Fuji Guides & Top $25 9" AAA Grade Cork grip $15 Thread/Epoxy/Adhesives/shop supplies $10 Shipping $25> Total $191.50 Retail $200

The same people that complain about being checked, pulled over etc. will be the first to complain that there's never a cop around when you need one. It's a demanding and thankless job. Showing a little respect and deference will make any interaction with law enforcement painless if not actually pleasant.