Goose52

I was tinkering with a 1500C today and was wondering what the experts do regarding lube (or not) on the cog gear. The cog engages both the wormshaft gear and the spool pinion gear. The cog is nylon, with (supposedly) self-lubricating qualities. It seems if you put a little grease on the cog teeth, you'd adversely affect casting distance. If you oil it, you'd be slinging oil all over the inside of the sideplate. So, what say you Ambassadeur experts: grease, oil, or dry? Thanks.

Congrats! It's a nice milestone but a members search shows that there are 6 BR members with more than 10,000 posts - some WAY past 10K... roadwarrior J Francho Glenn Sam Catt Low_Budget_Hooker When do they have time to fish.............................!

Yeah - I'm sorta amazed they sent the replacement rod. Nothing in their stated warranty policies would cover this breakage. From what the customer service guys said, I was expecting at least a $100 charge (like Expeditor), or perhaps a "deal" of 50% off the retail price. Perhaps they were impressed by the fish count!

My NRX 893C/Curado 50E is currently at $13.80 a fish...

Well - it's not so much that I chose a rod...but that a rod chose me! I had intended to get the St. Croix Legend Elite 7' ml-f. BUT, before ordering, I called Loomis to check out options for the broken BSR852. That rod is discontinued and thus no longer eligible for the "Expeditor" program. It had brought in over 2,000 fish so it would be hard to say that it had a manufacturing defect so that counts out the Limited Lifetime Warranty. The customer service guy said send it in anyway and I would likely get a "good deal". How good a deal says I.....he wouldn't say. I called back a few days later and got another guy...............and got the same message. They wouldn't say what I might have to spend, but that it would be a good deal. So, I send the broken BSR852 back to Loomis - $15 for shipping and $20 processing fee. Yesterday, I receive via the Brown Truck a new GLX 852S JWR spinning rod - $435 retail value. No extra charge - nothing, nada, zip. New replacement rod for $35. I fessed up on the Warranty form that the breakage was my fault. I also mentioned that I had caught 2,226 fish with the rod - perhaps they'll use that in a product testimonial or something.... OBVIOUSLY, you can call me a happy Loomis customer right about now... So - first impressions of the new rod - playing with it in the house: Very slightly heavier than the BSR852: 126.0 grams vs 123.9 grams. The tip might even be a bit faster than the BSR852. It feels just as "beastly" as the BSR852 - for "2" power rods, both the old and new have tons of power in the blank. I still don't like the split grip for this application....but for $35, I will learn to live with it. Not a fan of the reel seat - but at least I have cork under my hand. Old-style hook keeper, I was hoping that it would have a t-rig optimized keeper like many rods are going to (including my NRX). No recoil guides. Yay - less noise when using braid. Took it out today on the water and caught two bass with it. I wish I could say that the first fish caught with this rod was a 5-pounder..................but I can't. The first fish was a 10" dink! On the water impressions: Fishes much like the BSR852. Really a bit too much power here for weightless 5" grubs but I get adequate casting distance. This rod will be used more from the boat than the bank so casting distance isn't critical. This rod will be a nifty 4" stickworm rod as was the BSR852 (the fish today were actually caught with stickworms - not grubs). First impression - a more sensitive blank than the old rod. The first fish very gently picked up the bait on the fall while I still had semi-slack line and I knew right away that fish was there - it might have been a bit longer to detect that fish with the BSR852. All-in-all - a sensitive, quality, versatile spinning rod that is as good or better than the BSR852 in every way (except for the split-grip). So, a good deal for me and I have a great new rod. It's still not an optimum "grub rod" and I have a feeling that the next time someone has a 20% off sale that I will have the Legend Elite in the battery. The GLX for the boat, the Legend Elite for the bank - sounds like a plan...

I usually only run (approximately) 2-5 pounds of drag so I've never even cranked the drag all the way down on my Calcuttas. I just played with 4 of them and you DO have to get the drag star pretty tight to get full drag. I don't know if there is the same drag system in my TE Calcuttas and Conquests as in the "B" model however...

Outstanding! Have fun with it - they are nifty reels. I'm a relative Calcutta newb myself...but I like them well enough that I now have 6 of them...

I nearly always use a 6.4:1 (26 IPT) reel for lipless cranks. I occasionally go up to a 7.0:1 (29 IPT) when I want to burn the bait. I have used reels as low as 22/23 IPT but it seems like I have to crank like mad to work the bait so I'm not fond of using those lower ratios. I think my ideal IPT would be 27-28".

I'm not sure I'd hang it from the handles - that's a lot of bending moment on that thin aluminum hull. If you want to hang it, consider supporting it more towards the center of the boat. Better yet, you could build a cradle for it and have the supporting ropes/chains attached to the cradle. Another option - you can store it on it's side and it doesn't take up much room....

On loading the canoe onto your roof rack - check out this loader that attaches to a trailer hitch: Canoe Loader There are a number of these devices on the market. Some of the three-seat canoes can be heavy so this rack would really help the loading process. On getting a lightweight canoe that seats three, that's possible...but it would come at a price since you would be looking at higher-end boats with hulls made of various lightweight materials. On standing in the canoe - some of the canoes that will accommodate three people may be stable enough to stand in without too much trouble. If in doubt, consider adding stabilizers. These can be a PITA if you are paddling...but if you are motoring they're not a problem. Google "canoe stabilizers" I stand in my canoe all day - the only time I sit down is to boat a fish, change baits, and eat lunch. The stabilizers (outriggers) make it possible - mine are by Spring Creek Outfitters. My canoe is a Radisson and only weighs 34 pounds - it's made of REALLY thin-gauge aluminum. Radisson makes boats up to 16ft and seat three - but keep in mind that the thin aluminum hull limits the boat to mostly still water - can't be banging into rocks and such in these boats.

Hootie - if your point of reference is a 5500 - then you'll be pleased with the Calcuttas. I just checked, and a Calcutta 200 is a bit smaller in diameter than my Ambassadeur 5000 and the Calcutta ALSO has a recessed reel foot that makes the actual palming dimension considerably smaller. A 100 size Calcutta will feel small compared to your old 5500s. On shopping for Calcutta Bs - watch the IPT - the 200 is listed at 27 IPT, the 100 at 23 IPT - don't know if you're concerned about that difference.

Keep in mind that the Calcutta 50B has a 5.0:1 gear ratio that gives only 16 ipt - if that works for your intended applications then it's a nifty reel. The 50-size reels I have are a TE50GT and a couple of Conquest 50s - these have 6.2:1 ratios and a more usable 23 ipt. Something to keep in mind if you start shopping. Hootie - sorry for drifting off-topic..

I wouldn't. It's not that the reel won't work for those techniques...it's just that it's a big reel. I only use the 200 size when I have a need for the line capacity. A 100 size reel is a bit more comfortable to palm and still has adequate line capability for those techniques. Actually, for the lighter baits and lower line test applications, the 50 size Shimano round reel is a delight to palm. I'm fishing a 50 size every day right now for light soft plastics.

I have a Calcutta TE200GT with 17lb line on a 7'11" mod-fast St. Croix Rage rod. It's used for stuff from about 1 to 2 ounces - could be smaller swimbaits, umbrella rigs, any other heavier stuff that I can't throw on any of my other rods. I have some 1 ounce lipless cranks that I've played with on this combo. If I ever buy some SK 10XD deep cranks, they would be tossed on this rod. Unfortunately, with my tennis/fishing elbow in it's current condition, I can't really effectively use this rod right now...

Hey Mike - don't forget to update your web site - several pages still have the PA addresses...

If you're concerned about it - email or call the manufacturer and see what they say. FWIW, I have a wood/webbing seat in my canoe - the seat itself is solid (I only weight about 155 though), but I've broken a seat bracket away from the hull several times. Each seat bracket (4) was secured to the aluminum hull with only a single pop rivet and they are not holding up. I've replaced them with bolts, nuts, and washers. You might not have this problem depending on how your seats are attached to the hull.

Hmmmmm. There have been rumors, and a statement by Bantam1, of more low-profile BC reel releases on the way from Shimano....perhaps in October. Is this Gander Mountain price reduction a sign that there is a Core replacement on the way......................or is it just a really good sale...............

I have to factor my labor cost as "free"...otherwise, none of these projects would make economic sense. The REAL cost of doing these projects is that for every hour I'm in the garage tinkering...................................I could be fishing...

Thanks! I know what you mean about the space...this rack now occupies just about the last remaining wall space in my garage; that's why I didn't want to just buy a store-bought rack - I wanted to get the maximum combos possible in this piece of real estate...

Rod, reel, line, bait = about a hundred bucks... ...the 9 pound bass was free

Finished this rack today. Same design as the store-bought racks. Width optimized to fit some wall space I had in the garage, casters to move it around if necessary. Room for 9 combos with plenty of handle clearance. Cost? $10-$12 bucks I think. Whatever 2 pieces of 1"x6"x6' pine cost me at Lowe's. I had some 2x3 stock for the feet, the screws, and the walnut stain left-over from other projects. The casters came with a plastic storage container the wife bought and she didn't want to use the wheels.

Funny you should ask....the stain is drying on a wood rack I just built out of cheap pine. I'll assemble it in the next few days and post a pic. Otherwise, I have rods stored in my den/office in an oak store-bought rack and in the garage I have a BPS circular rack along with a couple Berkley vertical wall-mount plastic racks. If you have some wall space, an inexpensive solution is a horizontal board on the floor with holes to locate the rod handles, and a board with rubber clips mounted to the wall. Someone here has that setup and might post a pic.

I started fishing around 1959 and have most of my gear that I used from then through the 1960s (Fishing Era 1). I still have almost all my reels from the 60s (2 spinning reels, 2 spincast, and 2 flyreels - missing a baitcast reel). I'm missing a rod or two but still have 2 spinning rods and 1 fly rod from back then. I still have a bunch of my lures from the 60s. I still have most of my 1980s vintage gear (Fishing Era 2) - minus the salt-water rods (don't need a 13' surf rod in Tennessee... ) I still fish some of this stuff from time to time. File photos that I had on hand: My first spinning reel - a Ted Williams (1959), and my first spincast (about 1965) - a Lido (what the heck is a Lido you might ask...it's the reel I got my first 4-pound class bass on!) An in-the-box Zebco 202 (~60s something) - I never fished this much and preferred the Lido (don't know where that non-original handle nut came from...............or IS it original???): Fly reels - a Sears knock-off of a Pflueger Medalist...and a real little Plueger....along with a Shakespeare Wonderod (mid- to late-1960s): A few lures from the 60s (the Hula Popper has a new skirt): MirrOLures from the 60s: Mentioned earlier in this thread - a made-in-Sweden Abu Reflex in-line spinner - I got a kit of 5 of these in the 60s (for 1 book of S&H trading stamps) and fished them over the years - lost them one by one but am saving this last one: A Super Duper - still have a couple of these around: Fishing Era 2: - I still have most of my 80s-vintage Shakespeare spinning reels and a couple 80s-vintage rods (one of the reels in the photo has since been eBayed) . I fished the freshwater-size Shakespeare reels in the photo until recently - finally retiring the last one in January 2012 (the 040 series with line on the spool): Finally - a Mitchell 408 on a Garcia Conolon rod (purchased around 1966) - both in excellent condition, still fished about once a year - this photo from this past June: Special mention goes to this Ambassadeur 5000, now over 50 years old, that belonged to my Dad. It's on an 80s-vintage Shakespeare rod. I still fish this every once in a while - this channel cat hit my bass plug a couple years ago. I got other stuff too - just no file photos handy at the moment. Lots of memories....

5,800 to 8,000 yard, one-pound spools for $25 each actually tasted pretty good...

I have no problems with YZ-UltraSoft up to 8lb on 30-size Pflueger spinning reels. I've never run YZ-US 10lb on a 30-size so I can't say how it would do. I do have 10lb on a 35-size Pflueger with no problems... FWIW