Delaware Valley Tackle

When I tried bed-fishing for the first time one of the most enlightening things I came away with was just how fast a fish can pick up and spit a bait. Ever since, I'm no longer worried about pulling anything away from a bass. A jig head or pegged weight can blow their mouth open but that's a whole other thing. I like the XF action, especially on finesse rods and light bites.

Are you referring to back play in the handle or some in and out movement of the main shaft? Both are normal tolerance issues and vary from reel to reel. Either can be addressed but maybe not eliminated. You can either fish it as is with no ill affect or send it in for professional service. If you send it here, be sure to include your screen name to receive a 10% discount.

Ouch, you had to throw in that ACL reference didn't ya? Made my butt pucker. lol

Modern reels use a one way roller clutch as the A/R. Older reels used a ratchet wheel with a dawg that would pivot allowing the crank to go forward but not back. One of the old time pros, I can't recall right now wrote about liking the old reels for crank baits because the old fashioned A/R had some slop and made for a slower hookset supposedly keeping from pulling the bait away from the fish. I believe Lew's took this ball and ran with it producing a new reel with the old style A/R. That may be what the Multi-stop means. FWIW, I don't buy it. IMO what happens is that fish eat and spit cranks more often and quicker than we realize. I sweep set on anything that disrupts the vibration of a crank and rely on the moderate action to simply keep them pinned, not keep me from pulling the bait away. As for the redundant AR I mentioned, Shimano used that on the E series. If the clutch failed the ratchet was in place as a back up. The Lews are good reels for the price.

That POP sound makes you sick in the gut doesn't it?

Or just mark the spool and count the revolutions as you crank the handle one time. Seems like some deep cranking or big swimbait guy would pay well for that winch type Ambassadeur. Selling it and picking one up in the gear configuration you'd like may pit you ahead of the game. Just a thought. Good luck with the project.

Not positive, but I think the Multi-stop refers to a redundant mechanical AR in addition to the one way clutch roller bearing. Nice feature but by no means make or break IMO.

Ya you need a hook for sure. I go to some of these and see the staff sitting in a lawn chair looking at a magazine or B.S.ing with other vendors with little or no regard for the visitors, makes me shake my head and wonder "why bother?"

PM sent

Pflueger President, probably the best bang for the buck spinning reel out there. $50 +/- on sale

7' MH/F Casting - General jig/worm/ spinner bait rod 7' M/F Spinning - Weightless plastics, Senko, Fluke light jigs, suspending jerkbaits 7'6" MH/Moderate Glass Casting - Deep cranking open water lipless cranks 6'6" M or MH/ModFast casting - Square bills, traps over grass 7'6" H/F casting - A-Rig, C-rig, Pitching&Flipping, frogs 6'9" ML/XF spinning - finesse: drop shot, shakey head, hair jigs, split shot rig Various to water baits fished on one of these depending on weight and type.

Spinning reels are a little more challenging to work on than bait casters. Especially the A/R and bail spring assembly. If you'd like to send reels for service mention your BassResource.com screen name and I'll apply a discount.

Why open the bail anywhere but at the top? It sounds like you may be stopping where the trip ramp is on the frame. This would happen with any spinning reel if I understand your description.

The rod is not faulty, but may not be the right power for what you want to do. Rod specs are subjective so there will always be some trial and error.

There entire websites dedicated to the old Ambassadeurs. One of them will tell you how to age the reel based on the numbers stamped on the foot.

Mono and fluoro are not an issue but braid can slip on the spool giving the illusion of a malfunctioning drag. The tape is just to give the braid some traction. Just a layer around the spool is all you need. Tying off to a wiffle spool will work, but I just don't like the idea. I use backing for almost everything. It makes re-spooling quicker and easier, solves the braid slipping issue, and saves yards of good line that would never see the light of day.

The reel manufactures are tight lipped about bearing specs. I suspect that if they were ABEC rated they'd be promoting that. IF bearings need replacing I suggest ABEC 5s in either SS or ceramic hybrid run dry. That said, there are so many factors that affect casting, I'd look into other areas before making the leap to bearings. Rod, bait weight and profile, line and conditions all affect casting. If those issues have all been accounted for and you want to concentrate on the reel, I'd be sure whole reel is deep cleaned and bearings pass a spin test. I've Super Tuned quite a few E series Shimanos with good results. Be leery of the inevitable claims of bearing swaps as a quick fix, this from a Boca dealer. Let me know if I can help.

Painting and skirting your own jigs or spinnerbaits is pretty easy. In-line spinners are straight forward and have room for experimenting. You can make spoons from actual spoons (eating utensils) picked up at garage sales.

Just curious, why doesn't the builder gather your components for you? Is he a hobby builder that just helps you out?

The IPT of the Burner is fairly high. You may be over powering the baits making them roll over.

Is the tip of the rod really soft? I've seen this make spinnerbaits feel heavier than normal.

From Lews. B sure to get both the Main & Pinion & specify left hand crank.

I've got an 8' light duty utility trailer that weighs <500# and haul light loads short distances with a hitch on a '05 Impala which has 284,000 miles and still going strong. Not Ideal but it's ok as a stop gap solution until a new truck materializes.

Check the NYS DEC websites "Places to Fish" page organized by region and county. Some good leads there.

IMO centrifugal brakes are more user friendly and my preference. I can live with (and do) mag brakes for flipping and pitching. If dual brakes have any real advantage I'd say it's casting into the wind where a bait looses it's momentum quickly. The Daiwa brakes are magnetic but I consider them in a class of their own as they are progressive as opposed to the standard ABU type that apply consistent braking power throughout the cast.