rippin-lips

Hawgtech sells a complete handle with cork knobs but other then that route I don't think there are aftermarket cork knobs by themselves that will fit your Lews reels.

Yeah I'm with you. I'm stubborn myself but also willing to listen to people that have a lot more experience on a subject then I do. I picked some PS up from Lowes a few weeks ago but all my reels got cleaned over the winter. I'll have to give it a few months before I get to use it finally.

It seems that you really haven't worked on that many reels if you haven't had a bearing packed with grease that takes some time to get clean. Then again you also said that stock bearing replacement with abec 5 or 7 nets huge gains. It's been talked about over and over that they don't. Heck Mike at DVT cleans and tunes reels for a living and has said the same thing. A long with other highly experienced people. If someone who has cleaned,lubed,tuned thousands of reels and is even an authorized boca dealer tells me that it's not going to really improve casting distance. Well I think I'd believe him. He has also switched to using perfect solution himself. I'm sure he's tried 100's of cleaners. He's not going to use something that makes his job harder to do.

Hate say it but your knot wasn't right then. I use leaders fairly often and a good many of my rods are micro guides and I haven't experienced knots getting stuck in the guide train. I use the Albright special for leader to braid connections. Here's a link if you wanna give it another try. http://youtu.be/IEYeUl5bBCA

Speed what is your largest Pa fish? The record is 11.3. You gotta be within a few pounds.

I'm just laughing at the Shane J comment towards Tom about "what gaint bass?" Popcorn anyone?

USE FLUORO! Convinced?

Bank - 2 casting and 1 spinning Boat - 12 casting and 2 spinning Co angler - 4 casting and 1 spinning

Nothing to worry about. Fish it and enjoy the rod. Guide repair is a common thing. You have inserts that pop out or a bent guide frame and even a broken tip.

You'll hear it yes. It'll be noticeable louder before you add oil. Just watch it and make sure there is no glitches while it's spinning.

I'm with J Francho 100% It's more about just being able to tinker with something. I have boca abec 7's in a handful of my reels and the gains are hardly noticeable over a properly cleaned and lubed stock bearing. I will say that on my pitching reel is where I saw the most improvement. The easier start up of the spool makes pitching a bit easier but on any reel that I use to make longer casts with, I don't see any real gains.

It's the best bang for the buck Lews reel you can get. It's small and lightweight with a good drag system. Also come factory with a carbon handle which is a nice visual add on. The bb1-pro wasn't out yet when I owned all my Lews reels so I can't speak on it. The remade bb1 had just came out at that time. It was a nice reel but was a bit larger then any other reel they offered. It has a heavier spool so it shines on heavier lures. Once again I don't see a need for 150-160 yards of line for normal fishing. Especially if you are a bank fisherman. You never mentioned that part but I'll throw it in there. That's another reason why I would suggest the tournament pro over the bb1/mg/bb1 pro.

Check with Ron at Valley Sports and see what price he can offer you on a Lews reel. He is a site sponsor and has been building a great reputation for having some of the best prices around. He's a small business and treats his customers right. You can also check ebay and find good deals there too. I've seen the mg for around $110 shipped. The tournament pro for $150 shipped.

There is no need to upgrade the bearings in any reel unless either one goes bad or you just like tinkering with things. A good thorough cleaning of the stock bearings and a light re oil is all you need. What is the reel being used for and do you really need that much line capacity? I'd take a serious look at the tournament pro. It's a big upgrade from the mg and has dual brakes so it makes adjustments a little easier. Truthfully 150 yards of line is a lot and for normal fishing you could easily get by with 120 yards. Also you mention TW which tells me you planned on paying full retail. You can easily grab a tournament pro from ebay for $155 shipped. That's only $25 more then the mg at retail and a WAY better reel. Just something to think about.

I've been using two trio 30 spinning reels for about 4yrs now and have yet to experience any type of problem with either of them. They both work just as well as they did on day one. I had to use customer service once for something that was my fault and they took care of it with no questions asked and at no charge too.

In this price range you have so many options to choose from. It's probably the most competitive range for casting reels. They'll all be solid performers. You just have to find what feels the best to you. If you aren't against buying used you open up a whole lot more choices also.

Steez with 1016 spool and boca os 7's can launch one further then I'll ever need. That's one of those baits that just sail when you throw them.

I use snaps on crankbaits but that's the extent of it. Only reason is I'm typically changing them out until I find the right size and color.

I've purchased quite a few reels from them. Good prices and fast shipping. They're all new in box reels. Nothing to worry about with them.

That's been my planned setup when I finally pull the trigger on a dedicated swimbait combo. Cardiff 301a and okuma 7'6 H guide select.

The 7'6 mh okuma gs has a rating of 1/2-5oz.

The 7'11 H goes 1-6oz and the 7'6 MH goes 1/2-5oz. I'm in the market for one of these myself. I happened to stumble upon iRod Genesis II rods last night. Look like some good sticks for not a lot of cash. Now I'm trying to decide.

They're $49.99 all the time from TFR. Secondly there is a reason it's an inexpensive rod. 1- being it has no warranty at all and 2- it's not a good representation of what powell rods are in my opinion. I bought three in the beginning and sold every one. Heavy and stiff sums them up. I'll add that I haven't tried the cranking rods but I did have 2 casting and 1 spinning diesel rods.

Personally I wouldn't want to fish spinnerbaits or 'chatterbaits' on a cranking rod. They both have heavier wire large single hooks and you want some backbone to drive the hooks. Also to pull free of snags and debris. If I'm fishing the edge of some pads and happen to snag a lilly stem.

I believe the quality control issues with the Veritas have been mostly ironed out. There was a bunch with breaking and guide issues but not so much recently. The powell has no warranty. If you break it then you are just out $55. Trust me when I say it's not that great of a rod. I just can't give the diesel the nod. Are you opposed to buying used? A bunch of good deals can be found in the flea market. Sometimes you have to be patient though.