Delaware Valley Tackle

I'm not sure what "adjusted clutch plate" is referring to, but if the clutch is involved the pinion gear is not seating onto the spool pin to properly drive the spool. This could give the illusion of slipping drag I suppose. I would expect that you would likely hear some noise in this case. ABU reels are way over greased many times. This may contribute to sticky clutch later but probably not right out of the box. Anything new should perform right out of the box and ought to be returned asap if it doesn't. If problems develope over time it's probably nothing a good cleaning and proper lube won't cure.

For the circle or octopus hooks often used for dropshotting you set the hook by just reeling fast.

I would expect a new rod to come with the slip rings. They may not fit over the butt cap if there is one. Some folks just prefer the tape deal but IMO it somewhat offsets the versatility advantage of the handle design.

The best frog rod IMO is a heavy power with a fast and relatively soft tip. You want the backbone without sacrifcing casting distance. Match it to a sturdy reel with heavy braid as suggested.

Drop shot is a terminal rig that can be used in various ways. The rod should match bait and cover conditions. For traditional finesse bait, vertical fishing with electronics, a 6'9" ML/XF is ideal though.

JF has the most likely scenario. Only other thing that comes to mind is if you use backing and mainline and the joining knot is sloppy it can catch and make the line lay weird.

with a $100 budget it's hard to go wrong on a spinning reel. I agree that Pflueger is a good bang for your buck.

FWIW, Saros 2500 FA listed as a current model on Shimano's site http://fish.shimano.com/media/fishing/techdocs/en/new/SAR2500FA_v1_m56577569830817507.pdf RD12681 is an oscilation worm gear

I would suspect the brake tabs before the hub. If you don't have extras Shimano can send you a set. In the meantime removing the extras will not offset the spool balance.

If you're fishing grass a mh/f will let you pop it free when ticking the top of the grass. In open water a Med/mod or mod-fast will work ok. You want something where the bait weight is somewhere in the middle of the listed range. You want to load the rod and get as long a cast as you can to cover water.

The Stradic is a very good spinning reel. It and the Saros both use worm gears for oscilation which I like. Whetehr or not anything is worth the price is an individual decision. I have to agree with Dodge Guy that the Pflueger spinning reels are hard to beat on a bang for your buck basis.

Low ratio/IPT reels like the Winch are ideal for deep cranks or maybe heavy spinners with Colorado blades due to the water resistance on retrieve. Shallow cranks, spinniers, swimjigs etc can often be fished on 6.4:1 reels and slightly faster action rods too for that matter.

FWIW, rods can be successfully spliced by a competent rod buider with little or no ill affect. It would be cost effective if you have one within driving distance, but shipping would outweigh the benefit.

It depends on how heavy a lure you're talking about. Crankbaiting is one of the few techniques where maximum casting distance is a real advantage. It lets the lure obtain max depth and keep it in the strike zone longer. Too heavy of a rod won't load and cast at it's peak as I'm sure you know. I understand not wanting to buy a rod for 1 week a year, but if that week's really that hot, well....

Gear teeth get greased. Manufacturers may recommend grease on worm gears but it collects too much dirt in that exposed application. I split the difference and apply a light coat of 80-140 gear oil. The origin of the noise depends on whether it is on the cast or retrieve. Dry spool bearings can squeal, but I find more often that centrifugal brake shoes and. rings may be dirty. A noisy retrieve may be just the spool rubbing. It's hard to diagnose without seeing it.

Teflon plumbing tape works well and there is no adhesive residue to clean off later.

If the reel didn't lay on the bottom contamination was likely limited. At a bare minimum dry well and flush/lube the bearings. A full service sure won't hurt anything.

Those last 4 inches are pretty critical in the rods performance. They can be successfully spliced by a competent rod builder. If done right, the affect on performance is almost imperceptible.

St Croix also has the most robust lineup out there. There's something for any technique and any reasonable budget. Plus, they are not afraid to keep their blanks available to custom builders.

I won't go so far as to say one is really better or worse than the others but IMO the Core lineup is the best bang for the buck among high end reels like the Core, Steez and MGX.

They both work, but I prefer acetone. If you want to be really thorough you can follow up with a rinse in denatured alcohol to remove any film left behind.

They are not a gimmic at all, but I will add that they should be the same or cheaper than rods with larger guides given the same frame material is used. Some layouts need an extra guide or two (this does not negate the weight savings)so there is the extra labor to wrap them but the premium some manufacturers try to squeeze from a "micro" rod is out of line. The more likely scenario for the future is that smaller guides will become the norm and the term "Micro" will become obsolete.

Here's my insight as a rod builder: "Micro" is a term to describe running guides that range in size from 5 and down. Traditional full size guides are in the 6 range. The size is the inside diameter of the metal ring (not the insert). As a rule of thumb, using the smallest, lightest guides that will do the job, allows the blank to retain the maximum of it's design characteristics. Even though a few grams doesn't seem like much weight, the savings, especially in the tip section improves sensitivity, response and balance. Things to consider in choosing guide size include whether icing or clogging with filimentous algae are a concern. If so, a larger guide is needed. Beyond that you need to pass any leaders, knots or connections that you anticipate using. A size 4 guide will easily pass a well tied Albright knot joining 65# braid and 17# leader. If using stictly straight line 3' or even 2's will work but I don't think many over the counter rods come with them. As far as improved casting distance claims are concerned There may be an advantage in some instances but they will be modest at best and a distant second to the weight/sensitivity advantage. This makes them most useful in "feel" techniques like jigs, plastics etc. Keep in mind that all of this is with all else being equal (blank, line, lure...) To recap, "Micro Guide" rods are not an instant cure for all that ails you, but definetely have there place in any bass fishing arsenal.

I'm not familiar with this rod but 5/16 as a top end weight rating sounds pretty light for any cranking rod. The sweet spot usually lies about the middle of the range listed on rods but only trial and error will tell for sure.

To use the spacers: If line is stacking unevenly on the spool spacers are added or removed to make adjustment. If the line bunches at the top of the spool add a spacer. If it bunches on the back of the spool remove one. Knots in the line can also affect the way the line lays.