Delaware Valley Tackle

If stainless ABEC 5 are what you want my members price is $13.46 / pair (which is actually less).

If the handle turned backwards the AR clutch bearing is bad. If you want to send it in I'll take a look.

As a rule, when designing and building a rod we use the smallest, lightest guides that will pass the line and connections you'll use also taking into account the icing/slop mentioned above. Micro guides certainly won't hurt on a spinnerbait rod but where they are of the most benefit is on a worm/jig rod where sensitivity is critical. The reduced weight of the guides, especially in the tip section, allows the blank to retain as much of it's original properties as possible.

4-6 lb line, #8 Aberdeen hook (long shank aids releasing), float/bobber 12" above the hook, worm pieces or better yet wax worms threaded onto the hook (this help keep nibblers fron stripping the hook and gets the point in their mouth), 5' +/- ultra light spinning or spincast setup. Target boat docks and lily pad edges. If the sunnies are there and active they'll bite almost immediately. If not move the bait 2' and pause search this way until you find them. When you get bit cast back to same spot. These are schooling fish so you swill likely get multiple catches in one spot. Also, they shool by year class so if you catch tiny ones that's all you'll get in that one spot.

I've never seen that but I did land a nice river smallie without actually hooking him. While fishing a tube he some how got the line wrapped around a pectoral fin. As soon as I lipped him and took the pressure off the line it fell right off.

What is your favorite hook for these soft plastics? I missed several strikes on them during a club tx using Gammy 4-0 EWG and 20# braid on a M/F spinning rig. I still managed 10lbs 4ozs with 4 fish and a limit would have easily put me in the money and contention for the win.

Braid excels in fishing heavy vegitation by slicing through the weeds. It is also very sensitive for jig fishing since it has no stretch. Some peoeple have gone all braid with a leader in certain circumstances.

That's the stuff. Only thing I'll add is to fill deep pits in layers.

This is the way I understood it as well. A moderate action rod and mono will accomplish the same thing.

Ice and filamentous algae can clog micros. Line type shouldn't matter. Micros come in a range of sizes, a number 4 can pass a well tied Albright leader knot joining 50# braid and 17# fluoro with no problem at all. Like all the rest of your tackle there is a time and place for micros, in 90% of bass fishing scenarios the advantages outweigh the negatives.

Yup it boils down to personal preference at the end of the day. If I were to make an argument for a particular ratio it would be a low ratio for deep diving cranks. There really is no right or wrong here.

I extend a 10% discount to forum members $29.95 - 10% = $26.96/pr

Line ratings on a rod are the least useful rating IMO especially with popularity of braid. Just keep in maind to adjust your drag properly to protect the whole rig. Lure weight ratings will give you an idea of how well the rod will cast certain lures but this is a subjective rating and can be stretched within reason in most cases. As far as line ratings on a reel, that's more to show line capacity.

A very light film of grease on the spool end is the same as putting it on the shims but you get a little wider coverage imo by traeting the shims. The point is to flush the factory grease out of the bearings and then oil them LIGHTLY. (See what I did there?) lol

I've heard that they are surprisingly well built for a store brand but I can't vouch for them. The BPS Pro Qualifier is the only store brand I readily recommend. What is your budget? There are clearance deals available on Citicas and some Revos and then there's always the Flea Market for good used stuff.

When I'm skipping a bait it's usually under docks or overhanging trees along the bank where water is shallow and the baits are light. A Med power should be plenty in most cases. As far as lenghth goes it depends on your casting stroke. Some times I use a side arm cast with a 7' and it generates extra speed for longer skip casts. In closer quarters a little flip or back hand cast is all you need and I find that easier with a shorter rod. Most of the requested custom skipping rods I do are somewhere south of 6'6" (6'3" +/-).

It depends how far down the tip it's broken. An inch or so probably won't be noticed and you can trim it off even and put a new tip-top on. If it's broken further down it will need to be sleeved which is a job for a qualified rod builder. Shipping is expensive and based on the value of the rod I suggest having someone within driving distance do the repair if needed.

Yup, a good deep cleaning is the prescription for sticky clutch syndrome. At that age the whole reel would certainly benefit.

Yup, the spool shaft rides in the bearing and doesn't require lube. A small drop of oil on the shims is all that's needed like RM said. If oil is leaking out of a bearing onto anything else you are way over lubricating and performance is suffering.

x2 Took the words right out of my mouth

As a co-angler I conduct myself as an apreciative guest and would hope and expect the boat owner to be a hospitable host. It boils down to communication and MUTUAL respect. If either is lacking it can be a long day. Some guys like a level of conversation others just concentrate and don't want to be bothered. You can feel them out and guage where they are at and adjust accordingly.

There may be a translation issue or misprint in the manual. There are 6 cent brake shoes on the spool facing the crank side.

I reccomend a MH at least, preferably Hvy/F.

There's nothing wrong with the quality of any of those three reels. It comes down to personal preference and features for the price. The clearance Revos are mostly blown out but you may find one and get a good bang for your buck. There are still Citica E's available at clearance prices. There is nothing wrong with the new Curado. Again, just a change in features from the E series which allowed Shimano to keep the Curado as a reasonably priced workhorse reel.

Soft jerk baits, lighter t-rigs/plastics, spinnerbaits maybe topwater or shallow cranks and rattle traps. Basically anything that falls within the lure weight range fished in lighter cover or open water.