Delaware Valley Tackle

Each material has it’s time and place.

No moving parts on a spinning reel during the cast so that can’t have anything to do with it. My guess is the drag washer material is low quality, dry, stuck or dirty.

Reels don’t cast, rods do. A poorly maintained or incorrectly set up reel can hamper casts but distance is result of a rod that loads correctly, good casting form and skill controlling the reel.

How about a lust of lures and techniques you use. Otherwise the list is endless.

Carry a wood dowel. Wrap braid and pull straight. You’ll straighten hooks. You can break a rod with any line trying to move too much weight.

I do pitch casts with every rod I use. Length isn’t a factor in that regard. For flipping a longer rod increase your reach. Usually 7’6” plus.

Break off a Bobby pin at the bend. Bend the end to 90* grind to a sharp edge. Hook under bottom edge of bearing grab low with pliers pry it out. May have to alternate sides.

If you think your offering is being lost in a soft bottom try a drop shot with a long leader and keep the line tight. Further you cast, shallower the angle and the bait rides lower.

Any mild detergent with a fresh water rinse is fine. For tougher stains denatured alcohol is safe and effective. A wipe with Armorall or Pledge adds shine and a little protection and dirt shedding.

Anything is better than nothing. There’s no magic in any lubricant and reels are not an especially harsh application comparatively.

The mere fact you’re thinking about this is a great start. Annual schedule for deep cleaning (open and full tear down) is right on. Keep things clean as possible Free of debris and dry before storing between trips. One drop of light oil on bearings And worm gear every 6 trips or as needed. Couple times a season pull the spool and run a swab around the rim and the frame where it rides. If you have any concerns during the season reach out here or directly.

Busier than usual for the time of year for sure.

I never understood the animosity within groups. The Chevy guys hate the Toyota guys, the dirt bike guys don’t like the 4 wheelers, fly guys don’t like bait guys, recurve guys don’t like compounds... I could go on forever just on what I’ve seen and heard. We should concentrate on what we have in common instead of differences and work together toward common goals. Good natured ribbing is another story. I take it and certainly dish it out. Lol

Ya we’ve all got cabin fever. Lol

Sure. The point is just to rule out any warranty issues.

It’s not uncommon at all for reels (Or other mechanical devices) of the same model to feel slightly different. Each reel has its own personality to some point. Minute differences in lube amount and location, manufacturing tolerances, amount of use etc. after a season of use and deep cleaning neither will feel the same as they did out of the box either. The depth of teeth in gears of different ration aren’t different at least not noticeably to the naked eye. My advice to just fish them both hard and get them deep cleaned in the off season.

The taper will require a size or two up from whatever it was. Take it into an auto zone of something and they’ll measure it for you. Tops are sized in 64ths of an inch. (5=5/64 etc. ) sometimes they list the mm equivalent too.

Ok. Just don’t over oil the new one or you’ll be back to square one.

I’ve seen this before in a similar reel. Keep the AR clean and lightly oiled. Did you try cleaning it before jumping to replacement?

deflection is simply a change in direction. So a rod or blank has a load applied to deflect it (change the tip direction). The purpose for the deflection varies which is a whole other topic. Relating to the OP rod deflection is an act or process not a measurement.

A frog rod needs to load and cast where as a punch rod can be a broom stick with just enough action to keep them pinned. How well a dual purpose rod will work depends partly on your definition of punching. 1.5-2oz weight plus bait thru solid mats? XXH isn’t out of the question but won’t cast a frog for beans.

Loosen the spool tension cap(s) and use a tool to disengage the clutch inside the side plate. Still no luck, open the side plate and make sure the pinion is seated seated correctly

Those are still just subjective with no actual measurement. So it can’t be applied across the board.

No you’re fine especially on braid. Some line conditioners use oil and solvents. I don’t care for them personally though.

I don’t find them particularly technique specific. A good worm/jig rod works fine. If you get short strikes it’s not rod action. Look at retrieve, trailer, profile, color. If they want it they’ll get it.