Delaware Valley Tackle

I hope you're not suggesting spinning the spool with a Dremmel tool. You may get away with it a few times but eventually you will bend a shaft and/or ding the spool. Just take my word for it.

Isn't the race to spots part of the contest? I'm all for sportsmanship, but not much into "unwritten rules". It's not like he was first one there and someone encroached inappropriately. If I want to see fighting I'll tune into a UFC event. With exception of MLF, tournament bass fishing is painful enough to watch, these guys need to wise up for all their sakes.

If you use this method, a 3mm nylon bolt & nut are what I'd use. There are safety concerns as well. The chance of solvent being splattered into eyes and mist being inhaled discourages me from this practice. It's just not necessary or worth the hoops to jump through imo. Just be safe what ever route you take.

You don't. If there is a C clip the shied is remove able but they can be a pain. Bearings are perfectly servicable with shields in place.

If you can't swing a President consider a Pflueger Trion.

The balls in a ceramic hybrid bearing are rounder, harder, smoother and lighter than ss in addition to corrosion proof. Easier startup is critical for finesse casting, but still beneficial for heavier weights. Resulting Improved accuracy is the biggest benefit with distance a happy coincidence. There are more cost effective methods to achieve the goal than making bearing replacement the first resort.

This is common practice among reel techs but to each their own. There's more than one way to skin a cat. The degreaser / hot water mixture emulsifies the grease and the denatured alcohol removes any moisture residue. Btw isopropyl will work as well and is sold as Dry Gas. The OP asked specifically about using Perfect Solution as bearing cleaner. Spinning a dry bearing at high speed is debatable as well. I don't see the need in my experience, but again to each his own.

It depends on how gummed up they are. Normally I let them soak in full strength for 5 min or so add hot water and agitate for a couple minutes, rinse with hot water, dip in alcohol and lay out to dry.

When it comes to split seats like sk it's a love em or hate em proposition for a lot of folks. I'm not as definite but lean toward exposed full seat. The split is a good spot to add a splash of color though.

Shimano stock bearings are pretty good. Flush and lightly oil stock bearings before making the leap to replacements.

They are fine. For max performance remove and flush them. Oil lightly and reinstall

It's impossible to say without seeing it. If you haven't obtain a schematic and make sure everything is there. Keep in mind it's primarily a part list and may not necessarily show assembly order or part orientation.

Adam, My problem with lube ports in general, is that if the gears are that dry, there are other areas inside likely in need of attention as well. It's better than nothing, but shouldn't take the place of a deep cleaning.

Imo lube ports are useless. If the reel were that dry inside it needs more attention than you can give it through a port. As for your other concerns I think there just symptoms of an entry level reel but would have to see it to be sure

Fly fisher is right. I'll reinforce the point of line though. Don't cheap out on fly line. The is what you're casting with a fly rod so it pays to have a good handling line that matches the rods true power not necessarily what's marked on it. Only an experienced caster or shop can guide you there.

Sic or Fujis new Torzite guides have the hardest rings, but pretty much all the current quality guides are safe with modern braids. The tip top is the most critical. Abrasive sediment and other contaminants do more harm the actual line.

Even for salt water use there's no reason for gobs of grease. That's ridiculous imp. It won't do damage but performance will suffer until it's cleaned an lubricated correctly. If it were me I'd redo the job free whether it was "right" in my mind or not. We're all only human and err occasionally, but for me it's all about customer satisfaction at the end of the day.

All the time on spool bearings.

You can get by with a m/f spinning, mh/f and mh/mod casting rods for bass techniques. The next two most useful imo are ml/XF and hvy/fast. Spinning and casting respectively.

Cams are simpler as in less parts but no more durable in my experience. Worm gears are my preference but by no means does that imply that other reels are overall inferior.

"Calling the shot" reminds me of what we call "reading the water" in trout fishing. It's a skill developed partly through research and study but largely through observation and experience. Some thing I noticed watching the MLF shows, the Pros get just as excited over 3lb fish as the rest of us. And some big name guys get skunked sometimes.

When I lived in PA I looked into having a booth at the show at SUNY Rockland and almost fainted when I saw the booth rental rates. Having witnessed declining attendance, and the inclusion of non-outdoor related businesses felt like rubbing salt in the wound. I was planning on checking out a "Big" show at the Syracuse Fairgrounds this weekend but the seminar list is less than stellar. I look forward to few small local ones but that's about it.

In the modern sense, Drop Shot is often used to refer to deep water, vertical jigging of a suspended finesse bait. In literal terms the drop shot is another terminal rig. If you get used to thinking about it this way, it's easier to let your imagination run with it.

If anyone/anything is pricing anglers out of the sport it's the economy, tax code, health care etc. Tackle prices vary widely enough until it comes to the point of hobby vs. living expense.

A redundant A/R (assuming it is indeed redundant) is removable but is a nice feature if adjusted and greased properly. Properly installed you should hardly notice its presence. As mentioned, it's installed upside down in the photo. The long tab is a stopper, the other end is what engages with the ratchet. The brass ears should be adjusted to lightly pinch the ratchet and the gap lightly packed with grease. These steps should all but eliminate any rattle or resistance from the A/R dog.