Delaware Valley Tackle

I sometimes have luck fishing a lizard through openings in weed beds or swimming with little or no weight. I like Zoom and Rage Tail.

Welcome Lynda! I'm in NEPA also, right in the Water Gap outside Milford. The Delaware is a great smallmouth water and a lot of the smaller electric only lakes put up some good LMB. Have fun & good luck!

Try a dropshot rig with finesse worm. This will allow you fish even slower than a wacky rig while keeping the bait off the mucky bottom. Just adjust the leader length as you cast further from the bank.

I've fished more than one reservoir where the bite is tough until they start drawing water. The current really turns them on. When this happens, the narrows are good. If there are any feeder creeks, check them out. The docks are a place to check as well as any rip-rap areas you can find. Good luck.

I find that the bait will run straight as long as you bring the hook through the plastic on it's natural path. In other words, the point doesn't come out the center of the plastic.

j, I live in Dingman Township too and fish the river pretty regularly. The fish are post spawn and fishing's a little tough right now. Location is critical as always. Look for current seams and pools. I have good luck early and late with top water (jitterbug, tiny torpedo) later on cranks and plastics drifted on bottom (tubes, grubs, senkos) PM me if you want and we'll get together on the river or the private lake where I live. Mike

I don't recommend exceeding a rods listed rating by very much, especially if you're loading the rod for long casts. How much you can get away with depends on the rod's rating, material etc. IMO there is no substitute for using the right tool for the job.

Casting distance is affected by the rod,reel and bait you're throwing. All three should be in sync to get best results. I agree with the previous poster's suggestion of a thorough cleaning/lube on the reel as a starting point. In general a longer rod will assist longer casts with all else being equal. Match your rod rating to the weight of the lures you want to throw.

This must be a weak link in this reel. I have one that could stand replacing also.

To me that's one of the best things about this forum. You can get totally new ideas, but also makes you think about better ways to employ tactics you already use.

x2

I've built a couple skipping rods recently for guys that couldn't find what they wanted in a production rod. One on a St Croix Avid blank, the other on an MHX. Both were Med/Fast cut down to 5'8" spinning and 6'3" casting respectively. Both performed well. Personally, I prefer spinning tackle for skipping.

Welcome Joe! There are a few other serious kayak guys on here. Enjoy.

I've seen some comments by pros favoring straight hooks over the off-set worm hook. They claim to get better hook-sets.

I use a Mod action rod for deep cranks but for lip-less cranks but you want the faster action for lip-less cranks MF or F with some sensitivity to feel the bait ticking the grass.

Welcome! I also fish the Delaware, up in the Water Gap.

Welcome!

I've done many builds on MHX blanks with great results. I have not tried that specific one. The Castaway is another good option and to add one more you might consider a Batson blank.

The numbered dial is a magnetic brake which helps slow the spool to avoid over run at the end of the cast. The large star dial on the handle side is the star drag adjustment. The small cap on the handle side is spool tension adjustment. Start by setting the mag brake at -0-. Tie on a 1/2 0z> weight or lure. Hold the rod at about 45* angle, disengage the clutch by pressing the thumbar and adjust the spool tension cap to where the bait falls slowly with a slight shake of the rod. Set the mag brake to the mid-point (5 if there are 10 clicks). Practice some easy casts. You can gradually loosen the spool tension as get more comfortable. You can search for threads about how to fix the inevitable backlashes you'll get while learning. Have fun. Good luck. Mike

The Kirkman book is good and inexpensive. I agree with the idea of picking out your components as opposed to kits. You can use a notched out box as a wrapper and run the thread thru a heavy book to keep tension on it. Try it out, and if you decide rod building is for you, start upgrading tools etc. PM if you need a hand.

If it's under warranty, send it back to ABU. If not, I'd be happy to check it out for you. Mike

If you'd like to send your reel/reels I'll be happy to take a look. BassResource.com members get a 10% discount. Mike

Sticking with the "oil change" analogy, you could have them professionally serviced for that same cost or less. If you decide to DIY, let me know if you need a hand.

PM sent

Lamiglass lists different blank models for each of those rods.