Delaware Valley Tackle

^^This was my first thought as well. PP has some body to it especially when new. As it breaks in it's more apt to wind knot. It's the biggest trade off with braid and the softer the braid the more apt it is to happen.

The play is in the shaft connection at the frame not at the handle. A very thin washer above the crankshaft bearing might help. Be careful of binding things up. The AR roller clutches aren't right or left hand flipping them over is common practice. Shimano does the same thing. The main gear is driven by the crank shaft so there is a connection, but there are other things in play here. Some reels use an extra drive shaft bearing in the side case and others use a bearing the frame to support the pinion. Shimanos "x-ship" uses a second one inside the side case (Daiwa's bee doing this for a while) all in the name of gear alignment. These extras come with a price too. Like I said in my original post, a lot of reels exhibit a bit of in/out play in the crank shaft, it's always noticed after cleaning mostly because you're paying more attention. Really nothing much to worry about as long as all the parts went back in correctly. The geary feel may just be normal wear. Impossible to tell without seeing it.

More reels suffer from what you describe than you might think. Adding a shim in the right spot will help, It's not super critical though. What you observed in similarities is to be expected among PQ, Lews, ABU, Pflueger as they all come out of the same factory.

6-7# of actual drag is good for up to 20# mono. More than enough for bass fishing. If you suspect a problem though, better safe than sorry.

I use Recoils on 13' steelhead float rods with great results. If you were to burn a bait with new braid you may notice a hum but overall I don't notice anything like that. They are durable and super light. A good choice for a sensitive, workhorse rod. FWIW a lot of the "warranties" offered are replacement programs that drive up the cost of every rod in the line. Whatever way you go, don't go into it with the idea that you're going to break something.

More often than not screeching noises from a reel are brake related rather than bearings. There are differing opinions among reel techs. as to how important it is to oil cent brake drums. If undamaged, cleaning them with some alcohol on a swab usually does the trick but applying a thin film of light oil won't hurt. I know Shimano recommends oiling so no need to copy/paste the quote from their site.lol

When Spider Wire was the big name in braid they came out with an "X-wrap" reel that did just what you are saying. It was kind of a gimmick that obviously fell by the wayside. Good, round braid of an appropriate diameter spooled snuggly will be very manageable.

Casting with the spool perpendicular is a more natural movement. Better ergonomics takes the stress off your elbow from the repetitive motion. The line flows out the round rings and their still round no matter which way the reel faces so I can't see the motion having any effect on that.

This doesn't seem to apply to the Tatula necessarily, but Shimano and Quantum have avoided the full floating spool design with no ill effects as far as I can tell. A precision spool and good bearings make casting really efficient. On the opposite side, I've seen some full floating spools with bad bearings or mag brakes that apply constant braking even on the lowest settings. My point is that full floating spool not done well or one piece spool shaft done exceptionally well can swing things in either direction.

Every pro sport is about advertising at the end of the day. I don't buy products of any kind based on who else uses or claims to use it. It's all about exposure and brand recognition. When you're browsing the aisles a logo will draw your attention subconsciously if you've seen and heard about it enough times. That's the true power of advertising. If a pro angler needs to use something else to get onto the podium to expose viewers to the logo etc. no one will complain (sponsor wise).

Carbontex drags are smoother because they don't compress like felt, and aren't tacky and don't degrade like Shimano's "Dartanium". The start up and pulling pressure are very consistent. The weave is a little different as compared to most stock carbon drags so I see some benefit there as well in slightly increased power. The can be run dry or greased. The grease isn't necessary unless you're fighting big, hard running fish where heat build up is a concern.

The Carbontex drag is the real deal and fairly inexpensive. They are smooth, consistent and often a touch more powerful than stock. One of my main business principles is to never oversell. I won't accept work if I think the cost/benefit is out of line. A lot of people will sell Super Tuning for ABU & Daiwa reels with full floating spools for example. There is no benefit there as the friction points are taken out of the loop. This may or may not be the case with the Prodigy. I don't recall which design they use. Higher end reels with better tolerances etc. stand to gain less than others, but you're talking about an extra $12 on top of a pro cleaning. At some point it becomes an enthusiast endeavor, but the same can be said for owning a really high end reel at all. PQ's, Pfluegers, Citicas, Curados, Revo S, Pro Tourney's make up the bulk of the Super Tuning jobs I do. Mostly Mid-level reels, but I see my share of Cores as well.

Tyler, Super Tuning is $34/ea and includes cleaning. Drag kits are $8-$12 for most models. Off the top of my head, I think those are all $8 kits. Some Quantums can't be fitted, but I'd have to see inside. Bearings are $9.50 ea for ABEC5 ceramic hybrids which are recommendation if needed, but advise cleaning and testing the stock bearings before deciding on that. FWIW, anything can happen, but use a lot of Priority Mail and have yet to see anything lost. I had one shipment damaged in transit out of literally hundreds. I offer a 10% discount on labor to members here, so be sure to supply your screen name if you send reels. Let me know if you have any questions. Mike

I don't see a problem with paper tournaments for clubs, small pots and points. Over all, I like the Major League Fishing rules even though I know it's a made for TV thing.

"Shakey Head" is like "Drop Shot" in that they can mean different things to different people. To me, Shakey Head is a finesse technique with 1/8-1/4oz jigs, pintail worms and 6# line thrown on a ML/XF spinning rod. A far cry from what Sam describes, and I'm sure he's catching too.

I'm not as quick to lump jigs & frogs together when talking rods. There are some compromises to be made. You want a jig rod to be sensitive, fast action and powerful enough to get fish out of whatever cover you encounter. I want a frog rod to have enough tip to load and cast some distance and then be powerful enough to haul'em in. Sensitivity isn't that big a deal. If you're going to do both with the same rod you should decide if it's a jig rod you can throw a frog with, or a frog rod sensitive enough to jig with. Then go from there.

With each successive step up in tackle the difference between levels is less noticeable. The point of diminishing returns on factory rods is around $275, spinning reels, $150 and baitcast reels about $250. There is a TON of good stuff below these prices and the only way to know if a step up or even lateral change will improve your results or enhance your experience is to experiment. Eventually you'll find your comfort zone.

Even as a Boca Dealer, my advice is to always start by flushing and lightly oiling the stock bearings, Super Tune if applicable and if/when bearings are swapped, ABEC 5 ceramic hybrid, run dry are the best bang for the buck.

99% of the topics discussed come down to personal preference at the end of the day. IMO using a reel as a winch is both ineffective and unnecessarily hard on the reel. The rod is where you get your fish moving power from. Your dead on in referring to IPT as that's the more meaningful measurement. Low ratio / 20 IPT +/- reels have a mechanical advantage retrieving deep cranks and maybe 1oz Colorado bladed spinners and the like. Beyond that, it's almost all personal preference.

I agree that bearings are only a part of the picture but I ca assure you that they are not all created equal. Materials and tolerances are where it's at along with QC of course. The longevity over a period of time will tell you if it was a good investment.

A little bit of brake is nice in case you lose concentration for a second or see a further target to cast to but you shouldn't need much. The exact setting depends on too many variables and preferences to say for someone else.

Pre-fishing too far ahead can cause you to fish "memories" instead of current conditions, something that's always tempting especially when the pressure is on and you start to panic a little. If you think you can pick up a quick limit then look to cull, why not. If you expect to struggle for a limit you might as well go big or go home.

3630 is the sleeve. I have a couple of these sets that I ordered for someone that never sent the reels in. I'm not positive if they were for a 50 or 51. I can check if you'd be interested. And will install as well if you'd like. I have the Carbontex drag kit too.

Best bet is to compare both schematics for differing part numbers. For Curado E conversions I use the Main gear, pinion gear, metal drag washer and AR sleeve.

The slight dimension differences are just to accommodate the ferrules. The MHX blanks are high quality comparable to Avid or better. In use, I don't think you'll see any significant difference between the 1 & 2 piece. Wrap the ferrules to protect from splitting. I usually do 2x the diameter for wrap length.