Delaware Valley Tackle

There is no "Right" or "Proper" balance point. It is a totally personal preference.

The reels you have listed are inexpensive but will not have a long life. The Prodigy or BPS Pro Qualifier on sale or a higher end second hand reel will serve you much better.

Yup, less than positive clutch engagement is a common issues in the Daiwas. A minor nusiance in an otherwise very smooth reel. A good cleaning and lube will do wonders as ghotti said. Don't tackle that if you're not real sure of yourself though.

They may be testing the waters for a broader change in replacement policy, or looking for a way to entice border line budget people to step up a notch. Marketing is a huge piece of the cost of a production rod and replacement programs fall within that.

Bubba, Are you making your own decals or dealing with a vendor? I like the way you spruce up the mhx decal.

Oh but there is a charge, hidden in the price of every rod they sell that's the point of the Powell promotion.

The tension cap is too loose. Tighten it just until the side to side movement of ythe spool stops then adjust for weight of the lure. If he cap is tight and you still have slop,something got lost. Make sure the spring is seated down onto the bearing. If not it may keep the cap from tightening.

'Coon hunting with hounds is fun until they get on a bobcat that jumps from every tree as you get close and they're off again or a fox takes'em to the next county.

St Croix Mojo - MBGC78MHM Big Crankster 7'8" MH Mod. 1 10 - 20 3/8 - 1 6.3 4 $ 120 Or: I can build you one close to your budget after a member discount.

I probably see 20 batcasters come in for service for every 1 spinning reel. It may or may not be the case here but in general, spinners are definetely overlooked when it come to maintenance, which is a shame.

If a rod rod truly has defective materials or workmanship or has been damaged in transport it will fail the first few times it is flexed. I doubt very much that if that happened Powell or any other manufacturer would not make good or they'll be gone. What is often referred to as a warranty is really a replacement program type of insurance. Like all insurances everyone pays for the few who use and abuse the system. I'd much rather pay a fair price for a good product than overpay and maybe collect a benefit later. I don't see lack of a warranty replacement program necessarily as not standing behind your product.

The SX or STX in the Revo line is more apples to apples when comparing to the other two. Shimano has a big gap between the new Chronarch and Core price points and the Premier falls somewhere in the middle.

While every part serves a purpose and the retaining clip should be replaced, the spool really just holds the line and shouldn't affect the retrieve. The bail just guides the line as it wraps onto the spool. I suspect something else is binding. It really is difficult to diagnose sight unseen. The cost of a service is $16.20 for forum members plus shipping. I do not stock OEM parts for resale but here is Shimano's contact: Shimano American Corp. 1 Holland Irvine, CA 92618 On site customer support - Irvine office 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday - Friday Pacific Standard Time Customer Service: 877-577-0600 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday - Friday Pacific Standard Time

The length of the rod won't affect sensitivity. Handle length is part of the design and it is common to see some increase in handle length as the rod length increases but almost 1:1 is probably not the norm. The grip on the 7 footer may be on the short side and this one on the long side making the difference more noticable. Even though the "effective rod length" is similar, the longer handle may be helpful if you get a short line strike while flipping. Typically, rods for deep cranking and jigging have different actions (Mod & Fast respectively)so you may want to consider a change in the future.

If they're willing to warranty it, let'em.

This is a great sport where anything can happen. It's a lot like bull riding. It's not a matter of IF you'll get hurt, it's When and How Bad! Villopoto should be the last man standing unless fate claims him.

Welcome Jason and good luck with your txs! NY has more outdoor opportunities than anyone would believe if not from there.

Dale, I don't mean to nit-pick but want to distinguish between "custom" and "hand crafted" rods. A prebuilt one-off rod is hand crafted, a rod special built to your precise specs is "Custom". A lot of thought, planning and design goes into a truly custom rod and I didn't want to see anyone get confused. To the OP, the Citica and PQ are good suggestions as are Revo S and Daiwa Exceler. As for a rod, a MH/F of the highest quality you can budget makes a good all around bass rod.

A co-angler or guest perhaps? previous owner of the boat? The other guys are right about what the piece is, now it looks like you need to find out who's it is.

The part you have pictured here is a drag washer and if that's missing it will cause problems. There may also be a retaining clip that's missing and allowed the washer to fall out. Shimano only lists the spool assembly on the schematic and may not sell just the washer. I'll check and see.

Ya, if it was a display model it's probably been cranked on some. See what shimano has to say and let me know if you want me to take a look.

The Orange Seal bearings run open have the best spin. The seals are supposed to no contact but even from the factory that's not always the case. An open bearing in a fishing reel that is maintained is no problem. If I expect that the maintenance may be less than ideal I'll suggest a shielded bearing.

I have 2 Ambassadeur C3's in service and a C4 on the way. I also have old Ambassadeurs that are used but less frequently.

Throw the bag-o-parts in with the c4 and I'll put it together and send it back for just postage.

Than would be great. I'll give it a cleaning N/C.