Delaware Valley Tackle

I laughed at this too. He obviously doesn't know a flux capacitor from a knibbler pin. Geez, rookies.

A MH / F is hard to beat for all around bass fishing, but of my own tackle I have a M / F spinning rod built on an MHX blank that I find myself grabbing for with little worry about what I'll be doing with it. It casts a wide range of common bait sizes, has a forgiving action and lots of power in the butt for a "Med" power. If I'm hiking and limited to one rod, this is invariably the one I reach for.

Saving money is always good and there is a certain amount of inherent risk in buying anything from clearing houses. If this were a 2006 Curado I wouldn't be surprised if someone here offered retail for it. lol I don't think the price here is way out of line but it's not the deal of the century either. Especially now with all the holiday sales etc. I just had a Tatula in the shop that had line on it so i mounted it up for test casting and was pretty impressed.

My best guess would be the redundant AR as well. Still hard to say without seeing it though. I'll be surprised if it's anything big.

Yup, even reels of the same model often have their own personality. Just because they don't act exactly the same doesn't necessarily mean something's "wrong" with one. Good advice so far, only thing I'll add is that unless it's a warranty issue you'll likely get better service from an independent reel tech than the factory whether it's me or one of the other guys.

Braids lack of memory will greatly reduce, but not eliminate the effects of line twist. I follow the same practices of keeping the line roller working freely, closing the bail by hand and using swivels where appropriate regardless of line type. I don't see twisting having any meaningful effect on braid strength. Even if it did, I fish braid for the sensitivity of no-stretch not for the rediculously high breaking strength.

There's quite a range of "shakey head" presentations. How big a bait are you talking about and under what conditions? For fishing 1/8 oz with a 3" worm in shallow, clear water I'll use spinning tackle with 15# braid and a maybe a 6# fluoro leader, more for abrasion resistance than anything else. Dragging a 3/8 oz with a craw around between deep weed clumps I might tie 40# braid direct.

The Revo spinners are ok. You can save a few bucks by looking at Pflueger's (another Pure Fishing brand) models. They have a good bang for the buck.

A simple google search on either will have links, but I don't have any argument with your logic above.

Mechanically they are identical, both Pure Fishing products, from the same factory. Feature wise they look close but look at the manufacturer websites.

As a rod builder, I better know what rod action means. lol An X-Fast tip can still be comparatively soft model for model, that is what I was recommending. Lure weight rating is important as well. That's part of the reason for discouraging using one rod for all three of these techniques. A moderate-fast action is another way to go, especially if you're fishing the top water quickly like a sppok. I find a little faster tip easier to use making short jerks with long pauses on the popping baits.

What do you have in your arsenal already? I'd fish the buzzbait on whatever you throw spinnerbaits with and the frogs on a heavy jig / worm rod. A Med / X fast with a soft tip works well for poppers, small walking baits and jerk baits.

Since we're dreaming big, why not a Hawaiian Tropic gal to tie rigs? Then it won't matter how long it takes.

Match the rod to the total weight of the rig just like any other bait. There are as many variations on the A rig as there are on all the other rigs. A three arm rig with 1/8 oz jig heads and 3" trailers can be fished on a rod that would be overwhelmed by 5, 1/4oz heads with 5" plastics etc. You beat me to it Captain

We refer to these people as Goons, their behavior as Gooning and the effect as being Gooned. You get the point.

You can, and should modify your hookset when using braid. I don't see the need for "give" in the context of this discussion. An action labeled as X-Fast shouldn't be any problem. As usual it will come down to your personal preference.

Have you tried turning the brakes off to be sure they are the source of the noise? If so, try cleaning the brake drum with alcohol and apply a very thin film of light oil. Let me know how you make out.

Actually, improved accuracy is the number one benefit of improved free-spool. This results from the spool starting with less effort. Some casting distance can be achieved if you're skilled enough as a caster but imo that's a secondary advantage. There are other more cost effective ways to achieve improved free-spool and easier casting. In order : Proper cleaning and lubrication of the reel especially bearings, Super Tuning on models not using a full floating spool, ABEC5 ceramic hybrid spool bearings run dry. I am a Boca Dealer and have faith in their products when applied in a logical and cost effective manner, however expectations need to be managed.

The price point you're at is arguably the most competitive. You'd have to almost try to go wrong. It comes down to features you prefer and the deal.

That's a good plan. A true frame off deep cleaning takes the better part of 2 hours, maybe more if you're inexperienced. In between, a drop of oil on each spool bearing every 4-6 trips or so, keeping debris off the level wind and periodically pulling the spool and using a swab to clean the frame, spool and if present the centrifugal brake drum you'll be in great shape.

The smallest, lightest guides that will pass the line and necessary connections and withstand expected stress levels are the best choice. On a flipping/pitching rod where you will use 50# braid and a leader a size 4 or 4.5 works fine.

All rod ratings are subjective, but in this case I'd look more at the lure weight rating. Let cover dictate the power. A fast action like you'd use on a worm or jig rod works well. I prefer casting for all but the smallest spinners.

You need the tip measurement in 64ths of an inch or mm then match the ring size to the smallest running guide which is the id of the frame ring (not the insert) in mm.

I chose Boca as my supplier due to their ability and willingness to back up the product. even as a Boca dealer in all honesty, the advantage of upgrading bearings is much less when compared to a properly cleaned or tuned reel. In order of bang for your buck my recommendation: Deep cleaning with bearing flush Carbontex drag Super tuning ABEC5 ceramic hybrid spool bearings Level wind upgrades in Ambassaduers Aftermarket spools handles etc

The curado E is the equivalent of the current chronarch E. They and the stx are all good reels. The stx has more/different features as in dual brakes and full floating spool and a few other lesser differences. What don't you like about the stx?