Delaware Valley Tackle

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Be safe if traveling and enjoy the holiday! Mike L. DVT

Something MH/F will fit in between the M/F you have and the heavy swimbait rig.

In our shop we use different lubes on different parts of the reel. Super Luge synthetic grease on all gears. Reel X oil is used on sliding part surfaces. Yellow Rocket Fuel for bearings and a thin coat of gear oil on the level wind worm shaft. It is in mixing greases that the likelihood of incompatibility usually arises. This is due to the various amounts and types of additives used as thickeners. If you use your reel heavily between cleanings, I don't see a problem adding a drop of Reel Butter to the bearings. Any other lubing should be as part of a full service. If you would like to request a special brand of lube, we are happy to make provisions. Feel free to email or call with any specific questions

Pretty much any 7'-7'6" Hvy/Fast worm rod will handle C-rig duty. Like a jig or worm rod, the higher quality(sensitive) blank you can fit in the budget the better.

Welcome Dan, I'm also from Upstate NY (Mohawk Valley) and have family in the St Albans VT area. We used to fish the Father's Day Derby on Champlain, great water in a lot of ways.

The Pflueger President @ $70 +/- is one of the best bangs-for-your-buck in a spinning reel. The difference could go toward a replacement rod. Just a thought...

x2 this knot also passes through guides nicely

Technique labels on rods are recommendations and for the most part, marketing. Pay attention to the lure weight rating and go with the one that best covers the range of what you want to throw. You'll probably have better luck casting baits slightly over the stated rating. Trying to cast a super light bait on too heavy of a rod can be frustrating.

100 to start, 250 & 400 to finish is what I usually use on rod grips

EVA can be shaped by sanding. If you go that route, do it by hand and take your time.

The strap drapes over the blank and attaches to the base on the front and back.

Yea, it's a little hard to describe. Take a look at this picture to see what I mean. http://www.mudhole.com/Shop-Our-Catalog/Wrappers/Flexcoat-EW1-Traveller-Rod-Wrapper It's just something to put a touch of pressure on the blank so it isn't free spinning.

An old school rule of reel service, "never add any grease to moving parts that are exposed to the elements"............ Tight Lines! x2

The bend is from the manufacturing process and not all that uncommon. Chances are, performance won't be hindered.

You're on the right track. Rod building thread has more stretch to it than sewing thread allowing for tighter, stronger wraps. Don't go too tight or the guide foot can dig into the blank causing damage and failure. You should be able to move the guide under the wrap without too much problem. On your wrapper, put a strip of Velcro across one of the V notches to hold the rod from spinning backwards. This helps keep your wraps tight and not overlapping.

You know what they say..."Great minds think alike" lol

Yea it was but the rod was covered in gunk and wasn't coming in the boat. It wasn't one I would consider using. Mike, I'll send it to you. If it's worth it, say 40-60 bucks then I'm game, if not no biggie. PM me where to send it, thanks. Reels can be sent to: Delaware Valley Tackle 2739 Gold Key Est Milford, PA 18337 Please enclose a service request form off our website or enclose a note with all your contact info including BassResource.com screen name. Thanks, Mike

If you're not getting snags, you're not fishing walleye!

You have to be careful in these comparisons. The IM... designation is not an industry standard. It's just a designation to distinguish between models. One company's IM7 could be the same as an other's IM9 in graphite modulus. This is much like one brand's Fast action being similar to someone else's X-fast or Mod/fast. Graphite modulus by itself is also not a lone indicator of quality in a blank.

An IM6/IM7 would equate to the StCroix SC II. The SC III (Avid) and up are all high modulus graphite construction.

Definitely read one of the books by Kirkman, Clemens or Flex Coat before buying anything. Keep it simple at first. A makeshift wrapping jig consisting of a notched box and a heavy book for thread tension is all you need. Turning by hand will give you insight as to how epoxy behaves. Many experienced builders will argue that you get a better finish that way anyhow.

If you'd like to send it in, I'll tear it down and evaluate. If it turns out to be more of an investment than you want to make, I'll return it for just the shipping. Mike

For open water, a longer rod (7'6" or better) will cast further keeping the bait in the strike zone longer. If you're throwing shallow cranks at cover, a 6'6" or 7' will be more accurate. Moderate action is best especially with braid or fluoro, a Mod/Fast will work paired with mono.

The Delaware stays open most of the winter. Fish can be hard to find but they tend to stack up if you find a holding area.

I've used it fishing from the banks. You might be missing out if you never fish below 16' though.