Delaware Valley Tackle

MH/F is the most versatile power/action for bass fishing. If you can fit it in your budget, the Rage line from St Croix uses a much better blank than the Premier line.

Sorry, I misunderstood which 6 you were referring to. There are no industry standards for rod ratings, it's all subjective on the part of the manufacturer. I would expect the longer rod to have a similar taper but ending with a larger butt diameter due to the increased length resulting in a little more power. It's not unheard of for different rods from the same manufacturer to be classifed as "Heavy"... Phenix has a pretty strong following on the west coast and a good rep with custom builders on their blanks.

I believe: 7=7' 6=6" 6=6power (766)

The need to oil daily depends on how hard you use the reel and how heavy the oil is. Keeping the bearings lubed is a good idea in general and the reel shouldn't have to be taken apart. The palm side plate twists off and one of the bearings is right there inside the plate. The other is under the spool tension cap. In the case of the Zillion there is a bearing on the spool shaft as well and can be accessed by slipping ghe spool out the palm side while it is open.

Keep your eyes open for baitfish activity and try creeks this time of year. Presence of a heron is a clue that there is bait in the area. Read the water and make high persentage casts to targets like wood, rocks, weedlines etc. Look for current breaks in moving water.

Another thought: Have the reels been cleaned and lubed at least annually? If not, a deep cleaning and lube might accomplish your goal or maximize the results of a bearing upgrade. Those reels are also prime candidates for supertuning.

I'm a dealer for Boca Bearing and sell to forum members for 10% off retail. ABEC5 Stainless Steel are $7.16 ea ($7.95 list). plus postage.

IMO the Avid is more than sufficient for a jerk-bait rod.

Chuck Norris doesn't do push ups, he pushes the Earth down!!

The BPS PQ is a great value and comes in a variety of configurations including 7:1. The current clearance deals on Citica and Curados are almost too good to pass up but even at that are at the top of your budget or above.

Nothing vetured, nothing gained. Thanks posting your experience.

What's everyone use as an alternative/emergency propulsion? I'm carying a canoe paddle but that's far from ideal. I'm thinking about adding oar locks and some collapsible oars.

As soon as I saw you're thread I knew you were eatern PA. I'm in Pike County and we have the same problem. I've been wade fishing the Delaware and cought a couple smallies and these guys think nothing of running over casting all around you. They follow the trout stocking trucks and clean them out too. All you can do is report every incident. The last thing you need is a confrontation with a group in a remote setting. Even with their bait though I can usually catch more than they can and take pleasure in frustrating them by having to watch me throw fish back. If you want to see you could have it worse, google Salmon River and watch the hoards combat fish for running salmon.lol

Sometimes burning a spinnerbait or trap is the key to triggering strikes and the fast reel makes that a breeze.

I shy away from any signature series products. They seem to tend to be aimed at the less serious consumer. Of course there are exceptions (Skeet revo) but judging by your review, this isn't one of them.

The GLX rods are undeniably quality products. However, IMO the point of diminishing returns on a production rod is around $250. Above that, you really should consider a custom build. There are equally impressive blanks available to custom builders and we can maximize the potential of each individual blank by investing the extra time that a production operation just can't afford.

Where a 5:1 reel shines is deep cranking with big lipped baits. Keep the E7 and fish it for everything you've mentioned. 99% of the stuff we stress over is for no reason. Don't over think it. Go fishing!

And a good one, thanks RM!

I've cought fish on bubble gum flukes and green pumpkin Ikas. I don't see why the colors wouldn't work on the other bait.

I meant inexperienced in reel mechanics. I assume from your original question you haven't had the anti-reverse and rotor assembly apart and they can be tricky. If you want to attempt home repair just be sure to have a schematic in front of you and pay very close attention to what to do.

A re-wrap is labor intensive since the old guides and epoxy must be removed carefully to avoid damaging the blank. Unless it is a really high end blank or has sentimental value, re-builds aren't usually cost effective over a replacement, but the details would need to be discussed. On a 7' rod you're probably looking at $50-$75 in labor & materials and $2 each for the guides. Shipping is often a deal breaker on repairs at avg. of $25 each way. As a comparison, I sell a basic,no frills custom build on a high quality blank w/ fuji alconite guides For around $200.

The job of the guides is to place the stress of loading along the blanks length. Less than optimal guide spacing = less than optimal stress ditribution which can lead to failure. There also the quality of the blank and whether it had been compromised by handling. No way did the use micro guides in itself caused a blank to break. With all else being equal, micro guides are an improvement when used in an appropriate application.

The switch may have broken or come apart, Again, it's all conjecture without seeing it. Some modern spinning reels are a real handful for inexperienced folks to deal with, if you'd like to send it in I'll take a look and see what's up. Service for members here is $16.20 plus shipping and any necessary parts. Mike

Most likely dirt and/or corrosion, but it's impossible to be sure without seeing it or at least more detail on the symptoms. Is it slipping? Locking up? Not working at all?

If guides are breaking easier it may have to do with the guide quality rather than the micro size. Micros can actually be more durable due to the lower likelyhood of snagging a guide going in and out of the locker. We use a locking wrap on custom builds which is not feasible for production builders. Properly sized (I wouldn't cast 25# flouro to braid connections through size 3 guides for example) and placed micro guides should not slow the line or make casting any more difficult. If you are experiencing this I would suspect the blank application.