Delaware Valley Tackle

What you're refering to is the spine of the rod which is caused by manufacturing anomolies and leads a blank to bend more easily on a certain plane. Many if not most rod builders now days ignore spine and build on the straightest axis but opinions vary. Guide size and placement is used to distribute the load along the blanks length and varies between casting (all on top) and spinning (guides on bottom). This is possibly why the blank failed or it could have been one of several other reasons but it was definetely not from bending in the "wrong" direction.

Mounting a baitcast reel on a spinning rod is like holding a spinning rod upside down and cranking backwards. It works, but is not how they are designed to work. Baitcasting will enhance your fishing experience if you invest a little and do it right.

Hey it's early and I got breakfast on my mind. You are quick on the draw, I gotta give you that! lol

The part you refer to as the "clutch bar" is the yoke. Glad you got it figured out.

Flippin' and pitchin' you're mostly looking for a reaction bite. In rocks and zebra mussles, add a leader as suggested.

I'd tend to agree with the concensus here. Even NIB I'd expect to pay <$300.

Yea, that's an ugly one. FWIW, it happens to everyone. Hang in there!

I don't like flipping switches. If you like the E7 try a left handed model (201).

x2

The only problem I find with longer rods is sometimes the rear grip is too long and snags on clothing. Beyond that a longer rod is what you want for these applications.

Lamiglas seems to have a bigger following on the west coast. They are quality blanks. I'm with RW on the SR705 for deep cranking.

I'm just the opposite. I live across the river in PA but often fish in Sussex County.

I haven't attended any of there seminars but deal with them regularly. The staff is very good and I'm sure you'd be pleased. Having someone to guide you through the first one is a real treat.

The MHX blanks are great bang for the buck. They perform like blanks cost 3-4x as much. As far as whether the HM are worth the extra, that depends totally on your budget. The standard MHX is a high performance blank to begin with. The staff there is very helpful as well if want more blank suggestions for your application.

This is how I'd approach this repair as well. The syringes Mudhole sells will fit a 5/32 hole I believe.

Turning a few rods by hand will avoid an investment that you may not get your money's worth out of. It also gives you a lot of insight into how epoxy behaves. A cardboard box with notches at the ends will suffice a s wrapping jig and drying jig. Run the tread through a phone book to keep tension. If you get into the craft in an ongoing basis, get Tom Kirkman's book and scour the web for tips and tutorials. The downside to kits and guide spacing charts is that you don't get the optimum performance that is achievable through static placement and other custom rod building processes. Feel free to PM or email me if I can help. Good luck!

Orange County Bassmasters meets at the Gander Mtn store in Middletown the first Tuesday of each month. We usually start shortly after 7pm. Just come to a meeting and we'll fill you in. PM or email too if you'd like.

There are a lot of high end rods with tremendous sensitivity which you want in this application. IMO the point of diminishing returns on off the shelf rods is around $250. Consider a custom build before you spend more than that on a production rod.

The Rage rods are built on St Croix's SCIII blanks, same as the Avid line. These are a better blank IMO than the GL2.

Could have been just a little debris from being dunked etc. Glad you're back up and running.

All EVA is not created equal. There is some really firm and durable material available. In the end it's a preference. If the feel of cork is what you prefer, I'm sure you'll be able to get for a price.

For a budget spinning reel, I like the Pflueger President. They can be found for <$60 on sale. The reel you have may not necessarily have anything broken or wrong with it. You can start by just taking the spool off and turning the handle. This could tell you if the noise is inside or just the spool changing directions as it oscillates.

It's almost impossible to tell without seeing the reel. If you want to attempt home repair, make sure to have a schematic in front of you and an organized, well lit work space. Go slow, don't force anything and take notes and/or pics as you go. Grease gears, oil bearings use only specifically designed grease on the drag washers.

Since the noise is most evident at the end of the cast you may be hearing the brakes. A deep cleaning and proper lube may solve this problem as well as the decreased casting distance. Revos in general respond very well to being serviced even out of the box.

Exactly. I said the same thing in the new Shimano reels thread. High quality cork rings that are 1/2" thick (when I can get them) cost about $2 ea. A 10" full cork handle uses $40 of materials plus glue plus time and labor to shape. Obviously a bigger buyer isn't paying as much but the principal is the same. There are some excellent EVA and Hypalon materials out there that look good, feel good and offer lots of design options.