Delaware Valley Tackle

A MH/Mod and a good strong reel cranking setup will have you covered for pretty much any common bass fishing scenario. Once that hole is plugged you can start adding technique specific and duplicate setups.

The Carbonlite is a nice light reel but comes in fewer configurations. No 7:1 lefty would rule it our for me.

The PQ is probably as good or better a reel and has dual braking if that's important to you. Sale price is similar to regular PQ sales and I'd say about the same value.

Pinnacle's new Perfecta rods sell for $150 and have gotten some good reviews from mods here.

The metal frame is a good sign, bearing count is over rated as compared to bearing quality and placement. I'd like to see the inside of one of these if anyone has one that they'd like cleaned.

If the reel is designed to pitch light baits (shallow whiffle spool of light materials and with good bearings) there would be little room for meaningful improvement. In a reel with a deeper spool and heavier material what could be gained probably wouldn't offset the spool material and line volume increase in weight. In this case you'd probably be better off trying to design a super light weight arbor. I've seen some old Ambassaduers with a removable arbor but don't know if they were factory or an aftermarket thing.

Just choose a rod that will handle the total weight of the rig you'll be throwing. The MH is probably a little light for most of the rigs I've seen. Any baitfish colored soft plastic with a swimming tail on a ball head jig should get the job done.

Your probably talking 6#-8# line so a Med Power Fast action rod paired with a reel that has a decent drag should make landing fish no problem. A moderate action helps more with trebel hook lures that have mass and can be thrown when the fish head-shakes.

According to the Shimano website, yes. I wouldn't take that as a reason to skimp on rinsing and drying immediately after exposure to salt water.

Personal preference and budget, both are good reels.

I don't see any real advantage to the "under spin"/"trigger spin" design you mention. It's just an option for light tackle fishing without the bail on a traditional spinning reel.

They aren't vastly different in engineering but, the simple addition of the Centrifugal brake makes the STX worth the $30 extra imo.

I've seen some weird stuff but not this one. The most common thing I see with these is them getting bent all out of whack by being mishandled. The caveat of "properly maintained" covers a multitude of sins too.

I'm with JF and RM on this. Considering all the stuff we buy that isn't "needed" I don't understand the desire to remove something that is a nice little added feature. Any perceptible difference in the feel of a reel with a properly maintained AR pawl is all in mind imo. But, as previously stated, to each his own.

If your reel has a bearing behind a pin on the spool shaft I recommend leaving it and just spraying it out a sbest you can. You stand a good chance of damaging the spool or pin if you don't have a suitable tool and some practice using it.

Acetone is hands down the best choice. The spray and blaster help but are not a substitute for soaking. Ultrasonics will probably come up, and do speed up the process but are overkill for doing a few reels of your own.

I bet your son's bassinette had pontoons, didn't it? lol My favorite fishing days have been with the kids.

As a leader or main line? Have you expeimented with the specialized float line?

Ya, spin-cast reels don't handle stiff lines well at all. I'll second Bankn's other suggestions as well.

If a reel's max drag is 8#, it should take 8# of pulling weight to slip the drag when cranked down. When loosened, the line should pull off effortlessly. The value of the reel is not high, but if you'd like to send it in I'll be happy to take a look.

Reel feet vary somewhat in design forcing seat manufacturers to make "average" sizes. As mentioned, a little shim will snug things up.

Welcome! BassResource.com is a one of a kind site, enjoy!

Welcome Mike! I live in the Delaware Water Gap in PA and fish a lot of the waters in NW NJ as well as PA, NY and CT. We'll see ya on the boards. Mike L

Welcome Phil! I live in Milford, PA, Right across the Delaware from Sussex County NJ. Lots of small lakes as well as the river to fish.Let me know if you're ever in the area. Enjoy the forum.

A quality blank with built in ferrules is plenty sensitive and durable. If you want something you can't find over the counter, you can have it built.