Delaware Valley Tackle

In general, I like glass for deep cranks and open water and a Mod/Fast graphite for square-bills around cover and popping traps off the grass.

50/51E is about as good as you're going to get for a finesse bait cast reel unless really want to open up your wallet.

The words secret, fishing, hunting, and girl-friend should never be used in the same sentence or you're just fooling yourself.

Abrasion resistance around rock and especially shell beds. Zebra Mussels and braid don't play well together. The ability to break off helps in snaggy areas and fishing from the back of the boat. I hate asking the boater to hold up or back track to deal with snags. A leader saves line if you'll be retying often.

The tolerances on the Stella are obvious when you work on them and handle them. I'm sure it comes through even more when fishing. I definitely do not recommend opening one to the uninitiated though. For one thing, the AR pins and springs are not contained like in the other models. In this case, the reel feels as good as new after servicing which is not always possible with lower end spinning reels. Once they get to a certain point, spinning reels need a complete rebuild to made good as new that's why regular maintenance is as important for them as it is for a baitcaster.

Not bad at the sale price. Order some line and a few baits to make the $100 min,take $20 off and you end up with a rod, reel, line and baits for $80. At list price I'd say look to step up for better value but at that $ even if you get 2 seasons out of it you did ok.

That's a good budget for a spinning reel, you can't go too far wrong. The Pflueger President is a big bang-for-the-buck reel. The Supreme is a step up and right at $99

Trimming the butt will slow the action and slightly lower the power. A better option imo would be to extend a 6'6" blank using a piece of a broken rod that matches the ID and taper closely. The insert should reach inside by at least 2.5 x the butt diameter. Neither way should have any affect on the ferrule strength

Unless it's a micro guide rod, the tip ring size is likely 6. The tube size is in 64ths of an inch (size 5 tube = 5/64). Put a pair of calipers on the blank 1/4" back from the tip and convert the measurement to 64ths. http://www.guidesnblanks.com/chart/2 The last part is to match the finish. Attach with a high temp hot glue.

I'm right handed and only buy "lefty" reels (left hand crank). The Lefty Curado I is just getting out. "Technically" you should use whatever feels the most natural and comfortable to you. I don't like switching hands and feel I have better bite detection and fish landing with the rod in my dominant (right) hand. Get a "lefty" casting reel.

The Curado I is getting rave reviews, it's not worth busting your budget over however. The E series were great reels. The G is FAR from crap. Shimano stepped in it a little bit in an attempt to return the lineup to it's traditional structure where the Curado label was a simple work-horse quality reel. They succeeded in their mission but angered Curado loyalists that became spoiled by the E series. At any rate, a Curado G on clearance is a great value if that's important. If you have the cash, the I is sweet reel.

The Saros (one step below the Stradic is where the worm gear oscillation comes into play which is a good step up.

Yup, I'd rather spend $100 than waste $50 no matter what I'm spending it on. Hate throwing good money after bad.

The gears in the Smoke often grind and replacement has been a short term fix. Fishing them as is won't hurt anything as long as you don't find the less than buttery feel distracting. The finish has been known to blister. The most common issue I alluded to are side plates that fit excessively tight and are a bear to remove and parts that don't line up perfectly making reassembly more difficult than it should be. Like I said, these are things that the average user may never be aware of and don't necessarily affect performance or longevity. I'm splitting hairs.

Some good points here. Mechanically, Quantum has some nice design features. I see some QC issues while working on them but during normal use, most owners would probably never notice them. They aren't horrible, but the market is so competitive with so many good reels out there, I refer to Quantum as "The worst of the best". That's not a dig, just where I would rank them even though it's splitting hairs.

$50 is a fair price for a rear grip replacement of standard/burl/composite cork. I'd get a little more for all AAA grade cork. I wouldn't suggest or encourage buying a rod that you know before hand you don't like the grip. The biggest advantage to a custom build is that you can get exactly what you want without compromise. Rod length, power, action / grip material, diameter, shape & length / reel seat / guides are all open to choosing. Then of course there are the cosmetics. A custom build allows time for static testing for premium guide placement as well, a luxury that just doesn't exist in a mass production setting. The level to which these things will lead to increased casting distance, improved sensitivity and fish caught depends largely upon what you compare to. Sometimes the objective is not only to catch fish, but to enjoy the experience more. A box-stock Japanese motorcycle will get you where you're going, but a chromed out Harley with loud pipes might have you show up with a bigger grin on your face. It's up to the rider / angler.

Be sure the AR sleeve is right side (wide end) up.

Looking at your baits looks like a lot of shallow and bottom but not much for suspended fish. Try counting down the Rattle Trap to different depths or the same thing with with a soft swimbait etc. Suspended bass can be the hardest to pin down and figure out.

Cool. That was a good score. I have to admit, that's a nice little lake to have so handy. Good luck.

The fish in Dwight's avatar looks bigger than the pic. No way is the length and girth almost equal as far as I can see. Still a heck of a nice fish.

Keep as much line off the water as you can and watch right where the line meets the water.

My last summer trip to Champ. my partner and I caught'em all day on 6" black twist tail Power Worms.

That's a good story. Nice guys really do finish last don't they?

I was speaking strictly blank failure. In cases like you mention, a reputable company will stand behind the product in the absence of an expensive replacement plan. If they don't, the free market will eliminate them.

For bass, a 9' 8wt w a double taper floating line. You can a split shot or two to get nymphs and streamers down. A 6wt would be a more all around rod if you'll target some trout and sunnies too. Fly fishing you're casting the line not the bait so don't scrimp on the flyline. A modest reel with interchangeable cartridges is all you need.