Delaware Valley Tackle

I concur. The line level and lay on the spool is the first thing that comes to mind to check. Let us know how you make out.

Cork is a great grip material. That's why it's been so popular for so long. Good EVA done well, is equally attractive and functional IMO. Alternative grip materials like foam core carbon fiber sleeved grips and Kevlar tube grips are other good options as good cork become harder to get and more expensive.

The sweet spot for casting weight generally lies somewhere near the middle of the labeled range, but not always. The only way to know for sure is to fish it. If a rod does not load well, accuracy will suffer as you resort to forcing each cast.

I think it mimics jack-o-lope droppings and I know they're real cause you can buy a mounted one out of the back pages of hunting magazines.

You can pretty much ignore the line rating on a fresh water rod. Set the drag appropriately and use some common sense and you won't have any problem. 40# braid is a middle ground (sensitive, strong, easy handling). You can get away with straight braid in most cases but even if just for confidence reasons a 14-15# leader is fine. I use mono backing and 125-150 yards of braid with a strip of tape over the knot. This keeps the knot from being felt and keeps any backlash from getting too deep. I like braid on spinning reels too just for line handling, but a limp mono like Trilene XL in 4# will cast well on the smaller rods.

That is just wrong on so many levels. Reminds me of Caddyshack, I think it was, when he snags the Baby Ruth Bar from the pool. lol

Same here. A lift and fall retrieve might get a good wobble but for a slow hop on the bottom other jigs might be better. You never know though. I have luck with spinners sometimes fishing them like a jig as in dropping along side cover.

The floating baits are nice in shallow, snaggy bottom rivers. Throw that in a current seam and they'll often crush it with no added action at all.

I don't have a favorite type of cover, but I do like casting to visible targets whether it's a stump, hole in the pads, a turn in the weedline etc. I enjoy surveying the landscape and looking for the fish's hiding spot. That said, I know I miss out to some degree by not focusing on the deeper, less visible cover some days. I'm working on reading electronics, maps etc. and finding some off shore spots.

I've always stuck with the Swing Impact (Fat usually). Anyone found a distinct difference or better results between the Impact and Easy Shiner?

David and I had a mutual respect and I've had customers referred to me since his passing. I'll be glad to help with whatever you need. Be sure to include your BassResource.com screen name when you send reels and I'll apply a 10% discount off the labor.

It's cool your friend isn't hung up on the pink being "girly". I think that'll make a sharp build. I pumped about colored blanks being available in a line that still performs at a high level.

"Fair" is where you ride the rides and eat cotton candy.

I agree with the steep drops, points and creeks. Anywhere where they can run up shallow and retreat back out easily.

It's most likely due to the excessive grease in the reels

A lighter spool starts easier and is a requirement in a finesse reel for light baits. A heavier spool will cast further due to inertia assuming you have the weight and Rod to get it started.

I'd be careful. If the pawl isn't a correct match it will chew up the wo gear. I always change them as a set. It's likely that if one is damaged it had an impact on the other. Have you called Shimano for the part or an equivalent?

The only 2500 Im familiar with is an old round reel with nothing in common with an Aldabaran. The silent tune springs are meant to hold the bearings still inside the housing. Apparently engineers found some slight vibration being transmitted to the spool and set out to eliminate it. Supposedly this makes for an extremely smooth reel. If they're going to get away with discontinuing the Core they had to give us something. The silent tune and x ship should be upgrades if all else is as good as the old core.

Alternative grip materials is one of the most custom parts of rod building. I'd check the weight before going all in. Also be sure the bore is big enough for what ever rod you'll put it on. I'd have it bored to accept hard foam arbors and them ream to fit. That will get good adhesion and trim some weight as well.

ABEC5> ceramic hybrid bearings are an upgrade over stock in most cases but the level varies reel to reel. Also, flush and lightly oil the stock ones before pulling the trigger. The difference won't be nearly as glaring as it is compared to the over greased stockers. I say all this as a Boca dealer.

Good condition Curado B's go for $65 regularly. Depending on condition, you might get $75-$100 for a Chronarch Ebay completed sales will give you an idea of the market.

1/2-2 is a wide range and the heavier rods tend to be longer. Can you narrow down what you want to do with the rod?

Right. In engineering, "tolerance" is the degree or range to which a specific dimension can vary and still be acceptable for the application. What we're talking about here is really a design characteristic.

Yes, lube viscosity and even amount applied can affect the end result.

Actually, the Bantam oil that comes with the reels is decent. The key is flushing the factory grease out of there. It may take a couple cycles in the solvent to get it all but it's worth the trouble. Unless you can tolerate running them dry, I don't feel there's enough advantage in swapping bearings to justify the expense, especially compared to properly treated stock ones. This varies between brands and models too.