BradH

Gen 1? If so I think I have all the part numbers somewhere for the drag upgrage.

I'm sure it's possible but you'll reach a point where you might be better off just buying a different reel. I think I spent about 50-60, give or take, putting in a drag I liked and a different handle. Considering I gave 120 for the reel NIB I don't feel too bad about it. If you go to the ABU website you should be able to figure out what parts you need from their online schematics. The Gen 2 Premier is probably a really good deal if you can find one. It fixed the shortcomings of the Gen 1.

I took a look at my Gen 1 box and it does not say x-craftic anywhere. After tearing it down a few times I will say the parts are clearly made of an alloy lighter than the alloy in my other Revos of the same era. The frame, spool, handle, gears, etc. are all very light. Even after adding a standard brass main gear, drag stack and S handle the reel still weighs 7 ounces. I think it's something that was always there, ABU just decided to add it to the advertising later for more "bling". Not too get too far off subject here but those Gen 1/2 Revos from S to Premier and the Curado E series seem to be a high point in "bang for your buck" when it comes to reels in the last 5 or 10 years. I've got 3 Revos sitting and 2 NIB Curado Es so I don't see myself buying a new reel for quite some time.

Yes, the Gen 1 has the "infiniti spool II" to quote the box.

I have one of the first generation premiers. It was light at 6.3 ounces but I did not care for the drag. I have always felt the single disk drag on most reels was adequate but this one felt anemic. I ended up putting the main gear and drag parts from a Revo S in it and it was like night and day. Loved the reel after that. I also did not care for the handles without bearings so I added a Revo S handle later. It's right at 7 ounces now, still pretty light. The first gen only had a magnetic brake. I don't have any of the newer premiers. If I'm not mistaken the 2nd generation is pretty close to what I ended up with but with dual braking and a fancy bent handle. GEN 1 My GEN 1.5? hahaha 6.3 ounces 7 6 bearings (5+1) 10 drag 5 pounds at best 15-20 6.4:1 magnetic brake Maybe someone else can fill in the 2 and 3 details.

Whoa! I'd clean them out if I was you.

Whatever is in the bargain bin

#7 Flicker shads and #7 & #9 Shad Raps are 'eye lures that catch bass pretty regular. Casting or trolling. They don't cast so great because they are really meant to be more of a trolling lure but on a spinning rod or a ML casting rod they work well. A typical bass cranking setup can handle the #9 sizes well if you don't want to drop all the way down the the #7. Those wally cranks shine in cold water or tough bite conditions. I also catch walleyes on bass lures. I've caught quite a few walleyes on drop shots and other finesse rigged soft plastic setups. I often catch SMB, LMB, walleyes, pike, drum, rock bass, etc. off the same spots with the same lures. Until I get it to the boat I don't know what I have most of the time, unless it's a drum or a pike, they like to bend the rod. A jighead with a grub body or a minnow will catch about anything.

Made in USA, affordable, catches fish and probably the best selection of colors out there. Anything that can be said about the deep little N goes for the DD22 as well. Also a great walleye crank.

Flip a coin. I have both and I have no issues with either brand. You can't go wrong. I don't have any of the newer Revos, my revos are all at least a couple years old, and my Curados and Citicas are E series. I'll replace them with newer stuff when they wear out, that could take awhile, and I fish all the time.

Leadcore

I only get the coated or rubber nets now. After digging a F18 Rapala out of the regular nylon nets 50 times in a day you'll toss them overboard. I still cut hooks sometimes, just not as much. A pair of split ring pliers and some hooks & rings come in handy. I fish out of a deep V so I have to net more fish than I'd like. If I can land them by hand I do.

I stuck a bearing on the driveshaft of my E and added a Curado E Handle. I'd say it would cost you about 40 for those parts. I don't feel bad since I only gave $50 for the Citica NIB.

A friend of mine used to slay the bass on one of those Mepps inlines with the rubber minnow behind it in early spring. I'd go for it.

When a friend of mine recently retired we pooled our money and bought him a MH crankin' stick and a 200G5 for deep cranks. He loves it. I've also got a 6'6" M and a 6' ML crankin' stick. That ML is a sweet rod for casting shad raps and flicker shads on a casting rod. Hands down the best value in a crank rod, especially on sale.

Sebile Magic swimmer and similar hard jointed swimbaits. I have caught a few fish on them but when I switch to something else I start catching 10x more. Norman Flat Broke. Hard to keep tuned. I think I accidentally caught something on it once.

Not the best casting lure but a great troller once it's in tune. Try wrapping a little solder around the hook shanks as well as the suspendots. That's a really cool idea to make a suspending thin fin.

If you're going to use a scale you can hook it to the net and later subtract the weight of the net. A mesh laundry bag works too for bass sized fish.

I have watched fish in clear water next to the boat on a very cold day swim up, mouth a paused jerkbait and not feel a thing. It happens more than we think it does. But yeah, usually they just wreck it.

I'd just flush the bearings and remove excess grease. When it's ready for a complete service you could upgrade bearings and drag at that time. Cleaning the bearings will really wake it up.

Well, I've tried other higher end oils and honestly, there was no difference in performance or longevity. If you find a solutuion I'd love to hear it. My reels are not full of old oil .

I use Penn oil and Rem oil. Mostly because the Penn was .88 a bottle and I can buy the Rem Oil at any Walmart. I don't mind having to put a drop on the spool bearings every now and then. I fish in the winter when I have ice forming on my guides, Rem Oil performs well in low temp conditions. I don't think you'll find an oil that gives both performance and longevity. There is no magic snake oil made for NASA. It's just a tradeoff you'll have to deal with.

For the price I would just go use it. The chances of the rod breaking or losing a fish due to the guides are slim to none.

I use 30 pound braid with a 12 pound fluoro leader. Casts down to a F13 floater just fine as well as HJ10, 12 &14 Husky Jerks. Curado E7 and Daiwa 6'3" jerkbait rod.

I have a pile of both. I roll my own so I tend to experiment all the time. I noticed tandem blades seem to cartwheel less when the bait gets out of tune than singles so even when I want a large single bladed bait I'll stick a small #2 blade in front of it plus I like at least one painted blade. I still fish singles but a common bait for me would be a 3/4 ounce bait with a #5 Colorado main blade and a #2 in front of it. I use this where I would have normally run just a single #5 blade. So far so good.