Delaware Valley Tackle

I believe line diameter has more affect than color/visibility. A leader is important in situations where line fray is a concern like around the zebra mussels we have up here. Leaders also make it easier if you want to break off rather than fight with a cheap lead head etc.

$50-$60 is bare minimum for a decent casting reel. If you're in the market for a budget reel, IMO you'll be better off watching for a Labor Day sale on a BPS PQ. If you can cope with a round reel, ABU Ambassadeuer 4600 C3 can be readily found second hand for $65. These are great casting reels that will last a lifetime with a little care.

You have the general idea down as far as adjusting your settings. A centrifugal brake applies in relation to spool speed. The fast the spool is turning (beginning) the more the brakes apply. The spinner bait is a perfect example of a bulky profile lure that dies quickly once launched. That's why you see line ballooning on the spool. The bait slowing down faster than the spool. A little more spool tension, easy cast and gradual release with your thumb will fix this.

The brake shoes that are locked in the off position can not engage themselves. The more likely cause for any sudden mid cast decrease in spool speed would be one of the kinks in the line catching, or line digging in from repeated casts being would back on too loosely. 2 0r 3 brakes on is a good set it and forget it setting. If the line is really beat you may want to cut some out but you can try this first. Pull out a bunch of line and wind it back with some good tension on the line. Pull out 2 casts worth of line, put a piece of electrical tape on the spool and wind the line back on. This will prevent a backlash from going too deep making it easier to pick out. Tie on a practice weight of 3/4 oz and practice concentrating on a smooth casting stroke. Accuracy trumps distance 90% of the time in actual fishing situations so take your time building up to that. When you start throwing actual baits keep in mind that weight, profile and wind all will affect how far you can throw and how much thumb you will need.

I like them well enough to use them on a drop shot rod I'm building for personal use. If I were building something like a deep cranking rod that might have line under pressure on the guides continuously as I cast and retrieve I'll opt for alconites or SiC guides.

Ya there's a compromise to made there. A fast action rod makes more pop to break free from weeds but then you have to keep them from throwing the hook. I don't know how much fine tuning you feel like doing, but a Mod Fast action is nice for ripping traps in 6-8 fow, not quite what I consider deep cranking. When I'm deep cranking it's usually 12> and weeds are in clumps not constant ripping.

Have you tried a Lamiglas sr705? My personal use one is built on 765 for the extra casting distance. Even though this is a glass blank, it's sensitive enough to transmit wobble from the bait. This a MH blank with a lot of back bone. Are you adjusting the running depth to tick the tops of the weeds? Is it possible that the bait is just digging a little too deep?

ha ha I just heard this story as I was reading.

Ya I know what you mean. Sometimes it's not as easy to keep an open mind regarding the "better mouse trap" than something totally new. Braided line is another material that has made leaps and bounds over earlier versions.

Those are the minima4 guides. I use them on a lot of custom builds. They are super light weight. I've used them on MH jigging rods down to ML spinning/drop shot rods with both mono and braid and have had no problem with guide wear. They are a quality guide and nothing to be afraid of.

Here's what a quick search turned up: http://www.ohya.com/proddetail.asp?prod=CuradoE You might be able to do better. I've seen then as low as $109 but they go QUICK. Don't be afraid to check the flea market here.

Especially when the water is small and clear, I try to stick to drab colors and the shady side so as to not cast shadows over the water. It's probably over kill, but if it makes you feel more confident you'll subconsciously fish longer and more carefully.

You're budget's a little on the thin side for the usual suspects: Curado E5, Revo Winch, Daiwa Zillion Crazy Cranker, and Energy PT. If you want to stay with a low profile reel, the BPS Pro Qualifier come in multiple configurations and routinely goes on sale. My recommendation though for a bullet proof cranking reel is an ABU Ambassaduer 4600 C3. This is a 5.3:1 ratio reel that takes up 25" lpt. These are $90 new and can be bought all day for $65 second hand.

We escaped Irene unscathed for the most part, but have been without power since noon Sunday. I am accessing the forum remotely for the time being. I appologize if you have emailed and not received a response or have jobs in progress. As soon as we come back on-line I'll get everything out the door asap. In the meantime PM me here or call: 973-459-2835 Thanks, Mike

I'll second the advice from JF. Flush the bearings and use a quality oil. Reel X is a good product but I believe RemOil is lighter and readily available. If you have enough reels to be worth the purchase, I like the Yellow Rocket Fuel oil. The OSC bearings are an upgrade, but I usually install them once the stockers wear out.

A gear swap will work but probably not practical, especially now with the blow out prices available.

Welcome! If you were comfortable with 20 tactics you'd likely find yourself fishing top water and light weedless plasitcs a lot of the time still. Be sure to check out the articles on the site as well as the thousands of posts. Good luck!

What'd you do add lead pouring to your list of endeavours?

It depends on which plastic I'm using. A true Senko is dense and heavy enough to fish well on a M/F rod. If the cover is light or I'm thowing a much lighter worm I'll go to a ML/F.

ABU is notorious for over lubing at the factory. If the Black Max is new it will most likely free up as you use it. Both would likely benefit from a deep cleaning and proper lubing.

It's hard to diagnose without seeing them, but something's not right. If they're second hand, it's not a bad idea to have them gone through anyway. If you want to send them in I'll be happy to fix'em up.

Looks clean. Enjoy!

It depends on what has/has not been done to each reel. Amount and type of lube used on the gear train can affect the feel. I also find that "smooth" can maen something different to one person than the other. Are you looking for totally effortless reeling or a more connected connected feel without bumps, grinds, sounds?

x2. Longer casts and thinner line keeps the bait in the strike zone longer. 20lb mono is counter to what you're trying to do with a deep crank.

Have they been apart? Sounds like something is assembled incorrectly or the AR got greased.