Delaware Valley Tackle

Lose the leader for weed fishing and color the line when it starts to fade. If you need a leader for abrasion resistance go with a 8-10lb.

A spare reel is not a bad idea when out for a day. What kind of malfunctions did you experience? We may be able to head off problems and reduce the need for "spare" reels.

The SR705 mentioned above loads well and launches baits a mile, has a moderate action to keep fish hooked up, enough sensitivity to feel the bait wobble and enough backbone to not have to worry about fishing around cover.

The Rage rods use the same blanks as the avid line. They are a little more affordable due the the use of EVA as opposed to cork which is going up and up. EVA is a fine grip material, just cheaper to produce.

A new quality reel will benefit almost as much from a deep cleaning including flushing and proper lubing of the stock bearings as it will from upgraded bearings. Most of the upgrades I recommend are when the bearings need replacing anyway. New bearings should still be flushed and spin tested to be sure you don't get a dud. Super Tuning (poishing..) is an additional modification unrelated to new bearings. This is best left to experienced technicians or at least approached very causiously. If you have a Lews, simply remove the bearings and measure them IDxODxWidth (thickness). Ceramic Hybrid bearings can be run dry but I usually run them open with a very light application of a high speed oil. SS bearings should always be oiled.

The brake shoes should be free free to slide outward when the spool spins if they are "on". Snapping them locked turns them "off".

Swinging fish is one of the practices I discourage to my rod customers but in circumstances like Snooks jetties or the tight bank spots you may not have a choice. If you must, deadlift capacity of the rod cam be maximized by keeping the rod horizontal so the tip is not flexed past 90*. Don't grab the rod in the middle, let it flex into the backbone. The only way to find deadlift capacity is to stress to the failure point so you'll have to use some judgement. The only difference between a spinning or casting blank is its reccomended application. Many blanks serve dual application. The blank doesn't know what you put on it.

The levelwind support rod screws into the crank side case from the palm side. You really should have a schematic before opening any reels. http://fish.shimano.com/media/fishing/SAC/techdocs/en/Low_Profile/09CU200E5_v1_m56577569830654404.pdf

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone here at Bass Resource! Travel safely and enjoy the holiday. Mike

The 1/3 of line weight is a good starting point for traditional lines. When you get into the hybrids and braid with higher break strengths you have to use some judgement. I usually use enough drag to avoid slipping on a hookset and avoid locking it down.

Try to use the rod as your main fish fighting tool. Using the reel as a winch may do damage to internals.

You're right that the hook depends on the bait. I also look at cover. I basically use a similar hook as if I were t-rigged. Than means an offset wide gap hook most of the time.

It sure aint like bass fishin' where hooking them is 90% of the battle. 2 for 6 seems like a normal day, yes? Were you using a float or bottom bouncing?

Bringing the reels inside is best but if not possible, remove them from the rod, make sure they are dry inside and out and stuff them inside an old tube sock and secure them in a plastic tote or bin.Including Some paper or a soft blanket should take care of condensation that might occur. The rods should be fine as long as pests are kept out and cannot chew the cork, eva.... Rods should be supported either horizontally or veritically, not leaned in a corner.

To avoid line twist while spooling you need to lie the spool flat and be sure the coils are coming off the same way they are being wound. If using a spindle, spool off the bottom for spinning reels and off the top for baitcasters.

Lamiglass SR765 in MH power & Moderate action is hard to beat for deep cranks

Either use backing or a layer of electrical tape to prevent line slippage. I use a lot of backing and only 2 1/2 casts worth (<100 yds)of braid. This saves expensive line that will never see the light of day.

I just spent a couple of days on the Salmon River in NY. It was my second trip up but my first in the fall season. After some tinkering to get good drifts and practice reading the water, I manged three hookups on Wednesday. I expected a fight but these things surprised me with how incredibly strong and determined they are. I was able to net one small native rainbow and had two steelhead right at my feet and broke them off before I could get a hold of them. Since this was largely a learning trip, here are some of the lessons I learned: 1. Felt soles suck and Korkers rule 2. Fair weather in November brings out the hordes 3. Hooking a steelhead doesn't mean you've caught them 4. Center pin fishing is THE way to float fish 5. The bait monkey is going on a feeding frenzy 6. My wife is in for a rude awakening if she still thinks fishing season ends this month

My basic advice on this is to set a budget for your combo and then scew it one way or the other depending on application. For "Feel" type baits lean toward the rod and for moving baits (especially deep cranks) toward the reel. In many cases you get what you pay for to some degree but there is definetely a pint of diminishing returns.

Spin check each bearing and replace just the bad one(s). If you were upgrading them I'd say do all. Flush and spin a new one prior to installation. I do find a dud once in a while.

Unless you're talking about a gear box or similar "bath" application the film on the part created by the lube is all you need. Lube that is gobbed on or dripping off just makes a mess and collects dirt.

x2 - Simple Green hot water hand scrub acetone bath for bearings carb cleaner spray for stubborn bearings

Looks like a fun project. I'm not sure I'd have removed the spool tension parts when you can just back the cap off. Keep those parts. I just ordered a replacement cap and spacers for a customer and it cost $15 with shipping.

So.. honesty is the best policy. Congrats on a great deal you can feel good about!

stripper = nude dancer striper = striped bass Unfortunately I haven't caught either recently. Walleye in the river here (Delaware River) are hitting soft paddle tail swimbaits and other shad/minnow immitations.