Delaware Valley Tackle

What bait do you typically rig? A Senko is dense and fairly heavy by itself. I fish them on a Med/Fast rod with a 2500 size spinning reel. Lighter baits might be easier to handle on a Med-Lite or light. Get the most sensitive rod you can afford and keep in mind that it doesn't have to be labeled or branded as a "Wacky Rig" rod to work great.

Any gear change requires the main gear and pinion gear, they have to match to mesh correctly. This is most easily accomplished during a cleaning/service when the reel is already stripped. I believe those models will interchange, but that should be confirmed when ordering.

Nice catch!

x2

x2 on the President

I can almost assure you that this was BPS and/or St Croix just trying to keep a customer happy. More often than not, there is no inherent defect that leads directly to blank failure. Especially with high-modulus graphite, one should never flex a rod beyond the 90* point. This happens by lifting fish, high-sticking hook sets and grabbing the end to check the action too aggressively.

I prefer the Albright knot for leaders if they need to pass through the guides.

I'd suggest a Med or MedHvy/ Fast action rod of 7' for lip less cranks paired with a 6.1:1 ratio reel. The faster action will come in handy when ripping weeds. I like the length more for yo-yo type retrieves than casting distance. The faster reel is easier to vary retrieves from slow roll to burning. Save the Mod action/slow ratio combo for deep diving cranks.

The Pflueger President is a lot of reel for <$60 IMO and comes with a spare spool.

x2...spider pattern is along the same line and works well

I'm really sorry I couldn't make this trip. Looking forward to reports and pics though!

Make sure the tapered sleeve inside the AR clutch isn't upside down.

Congratulations and many thanks to Glenn, staff and members!!

Pinnacle should have a replacement part available and that's not an expensive part. You may be able to repair the thumb-bar in a pinch, but I would not glue it into place making it impossible to remove.

I'd like to help but need more detail as to what the symptoms are. Be sure to have a schematic in front of you. I'll be happy to fix it up for you if you'd rather.

The AR clutch should be lubed sparingly with a swab saturated with bearing oil.

A wet lube will suspend a certain amount of solids and flush them as jfrancho suggests. I'm currently using a 90wt gear lube (just drops) on worm gears. I find this to be a good compromise between light oil and grease.

Don't limit yourself to something marketed or labeled "Dropshot". Remember that a drop shot is just a terminal rig and can be of any weight. Sounds like you're referring to a traditional finesse presentation. Get the most sensitive rod your budget allows with the rating for the lure weight size you want to fish.

In most cases I recommend an annual tear down and lubing bearings once or twice in between. I find that manufacturers tend to over-lube but a drop on each bearing probably wouldn't hurt. I'd take a new reel and fish it hard right out of the box to make sure there are no warranty issues and then have it serviced. It will probably come back better than new.

Welcome Rich!

I like Yellow Rocket Fuel for bearings, Corrosion X for other parts, hinges etc and Super Lube grease for gear teeth. I lube the worm gear with a high quality automotive 90w gear lube as a compromise between grease and oil. The key to lubing anything is to make sure it's clean and free of other lubes. There is no magic lube that cure all ills. Brand is secondary to good over all maintenance. Any of the quality products meant for the application will do the job.

Most use something slower for a dryer like a rotisserie motor from a grill. You don't need one at all starting out. I would suggest turning by hand for the first few. Many builders prefer this method anyway. I use a combination.

To some, spinning reels are more of a challenge than bait casters. If you take the bail apart take notice of the springs and how they are assembled. Use a schematic and follow the standard advice of using a mild detergent, oil bearings and grease gears. Good luck. Mike

Almost every brand has Gems and Junk in their lineup. IMO

Micros won't do anything unless you strip the entire rod and rebuild it with micros. The placement will be different for each guide (if done properly). The labor to strip a rod may make it unfeasible. The exception would be if the rod had sentimental value, in which case most want to restore to original condition. My advice would be to have the one guide replaced. I Googled "Fishing Rod repair, Western, KY" and got several results. No one I knew to recommend. Good luck, Mike