Delaware Valley Tackle

It should have a fair amount of tension adjustment. Make sure the spring has the large end toward the bearing and twist it a little to be sure it is seated. If I remember right there should be a small thin rubber bushing and a thicker carbon one in the cap, check the schematic to be sure or I'll do it later. If the shim is dimpled turn it over. If it's crushed it may need replacing. See how far the cap needs to be tightned just to keep the spool from moving side to side. You should have adjustment available after that.

We never got together on that Diawa reel that you had questions about. Email or call me and we can discuss all these in more detail than I can here.

You're at possibly the most stacked price point for baitcast reels. It's almost hard to go wrong. The current Shimano closeouts are almost too good to pass up. Revos are smooth and manageable if you read and follow the setup instructions (set spool tesion with mag brake off, then set mag for conditions). Quantum seems to have some QC issues but if you get a good one it will be real good.

When designing and building a custom rod we use the smallest, lightest guides that will get the job done. Where, when, how and for what you are fishing all needs to be considered and an appropriate guide set chosen. "Micro" sizes of <5 may or may not be right. For most bass fishing applications I usually settle on a size 4 or 3. A size four guide will easily pass a well tied Albright knot joining 65# braid to a leader. Icing and algae fouling can occur and are valid considerations. The lighter guides themselves along with weight savings from shorter wraps makes a definite difference in allowing the blank to do its job. The result is better loading, faster recovering and more sensitive rod. Casting accuracy and distance are secondary benefits from better line management. In the future I see size 5, 4, 3,... guides being just that, guide sizes and the "Micro" category reference fading.

We owned a lube oil distributorship for years and here is my take. The main thing is to lube regularly and properly with an appropriate product for the application. There are no magic formulas. Any of the mentioned products will work. Check the viscosity of a given oil and remember that lower vis. (thinner) will allow bearings to spin faster but won't last as long. Higher vis. is the opposite. What you want is a happy medium. You can go as far as using sewing machine oil in the bearings if you have that around the house. Whatever you use: clean the part thoroughly. In the case of bearings that means flushing with acetone... then dry. Apply one drop directly on the race (side)and give a spin. All this applys to grease as well. Drag washers are a special application and need a drag specific grease. Cal's or Shimano Drag can be used and work well through out the reel. If you're not going to mess with the drag, Super Lube is a good product or Yamaha Marine or similar will work.

The new Rage line from St Croix is at the top of your budget at $150 but this is a quality blank and light weight with micro guides. Go with the 7'1" Med. Stretch your baitcaster buget another $17 and grab a BPS Pro Qualifier on sale for $79. The quality is light years ahead of anything else you'll find in the <$100 range.

MH/F casting for jigs, worms, spinnerbaits etc. MH/Mod casting for crankbaits M/F spinning for light jigs plastics <1/2 oz One of your walleye rigs would probably make a good drop-shot, weightless plastics rod.

The PQ is a good value especially on sale. The JM is more refined, but not worth double IMO. In between is the Carbonlite which is a full 2oz lighter but only available in 6.4:1.

Seriously, fish them just like a senko. Weedless, weightless on light line. I throw them to weed edges, exposed wood or blind cast. Let them sink, wait and bring it back with short, slow sweeps of the rod. Smallies and largies both eat them. They are only good in relatively shallow water <10'. Deeper than that they just don't seem to sink and you lose contact. They float up easily too if your trolling throw them up ahead of the boat. I'm thinking of trying them on a Carolina rig for deeper fishing.

For keeping them hooked up on trebels the conventional wisdom of a Mod action makes sense. As for action, I think a faster tip translates the rod movement more directly to the bait. A "popping" type blank works great since they have a fast action combined with a soft tip.

One advantage of a MH power is getting fish out of cover. If you're fishing open water you can get away with a Med power but why limit yourself? Sounds like you're looking for something a little more multi purpose.

Come on guys, stop messin' with Clayton. We all know Ikas don't work. Send what you've got to me and I'll properly dispose of them.

One problem is that when using a pure slip bobber, the bait is often not heavy enough to pull the line through. The fix is to use bobber stops top and bottom esentially pinning the float. This results in a long leader/terminal rig so a long (10-13') spinning rod aids in casting. If you you research Float n Fly rigs you'll see similar recomendations. Now, on the other hand, it is not unheard of for folks like steelhead fishermen to use a long casting rod to make long drifts in currents. Bottom line, either can be done.

IMO the accuracy gained by easier casting is what makes it all worthwhile. Any added distance is icing.

One MH/Mod rod should be all you need. I throw all those on a 7 1/2' custom on a Lamiglas glass blank. You can fine tune as much as you want. I like a little faster action for ripping traps thru weeds and for shallow cranks. And then, you say what you have is working so you may not need anything more.

You'll have to contact Daiwa directly. You'll need the main gear, pinion gear and possibly the yoke. Schematics need to be compared to verify. You may want to consider having this done for you unless you are experienced with the disassembly of your reel.

endless, Go ahead and fish. The core construction of e21's rods is still graphite like everyone else. The "Nano bio-fiber" is in the bonding material and may or may not contribute anything meaningful to the rods performance. I can't see any rod manufacturer being around long if their product can't withstand temperatures so likely to be encountered.

I'm just getting into steelhead fishing and I'm sold on the advantages of a center-pin setup to present a float rig but due to time and travel distance to fish I'm not sure I'm ready to invest in and commit to the center-pin. I'm considering building a 13' float rod in a spiral wrapped casting configuration. The other option is to build it as spinning and can always go with a pin later on. What do you think?

The clutch gear he referenced above is what I was thinking too. Something is out of sequence, alignment or orientation. It'll be sonething simple once you find it. If the levelwind was a problem, it wouldn't be just when the sideplate is installed. Does the binding occur before the drag star and handle are installed? If not, the AR bearing may not be seated.

J's right they can be run either way. My default setup is a light coat of Cal's Universal for the smoothness.

Keep in mind that the most true measure is IPT (inches of line retrieved per turn of the handle). Lower gear ratio doesn't necessarily equate to lower IPT but it is a good indicator in most cases. With that said, I like a low ratio reel for big, deep diving crankbaits that have a lot of resistance on the retrieve. I find this a little less tiring when chucking and winding all day. It also keeps the bait in the stike zone a little longer without having to concentrate on slowing down. This is just preference, by no means a "have to".

This comes up regularly. There is no right or wrong it comes down to personal preference. The reel you mount, your grip, the technique and baits you plan to fish all affect the feel. The angle and plane that you fish a rod on is constantly changing. I prefer not to add weight anywhere on a rod except in rare circumstances, but again it's up to you as to what feels good in your hand. Don't over think it. Mount a reel and see how it feels then adjust accordingly.

A word of warning: Don't over tighten the handle when reinstalling or you'll never get it off again. I'm assuming from your question you don't have a manual or schematic in front of you. If this is the case, stop until you get a schematic.

I suggest running the OSC bearings open. I always flush and spin test eny bearing prior to installation. You can run them dry for optimum free spool. If you find the spool hard to manage a single drop of light oil will tame them a bit. Oil viscosity and amount can be used to fine tune your setup.

Make sure that the clutch springs are installed correctly and seated. If the side plate is hitting them it will twist and bind. Also check that everything on the crankshaft is seated properly.