NBR

My experience is that higher priced batteries last longer than their lower priced brethern but when you consider cost per months or years of use the lower priced unit are at least as good. I have been using Wal Mart's with good success of about 4 to 5 years life. I take good care of my batteries by charging as soon as I get home and maintaining proper water level with distilled water.

Your comment about the line spinning on the spool has me confused. I was trying to think this through when I decided that you meant the spool was turning from lack of drag pressure. If this is the issue then tightening your cast control enough to prevent doesn't present a problem.

I have reels spooled with mono that has been on for 3 years or more and the line is just fine. I just pulled some mono off of a reel that I have had since the 1940's and I am sure the line has been on the reel since the late 50's or early 60's. The line appeared to be about 12# and I could not break it. It did have some serious memory problems. My tackle is always stored in the cellar so there is little temperature change and no sunlight. Like someone else said, I change when the line level on the spool gets to low. Also I don't fish T's so I am not concerned with $'s, points nor trophys. If I fished T's I'd change more often just because of the confidence factor.

I alternate from a BPS with the hump and never notice the difference.

Check with the Oklahoma DNR. They will likely have a staff that tells you what to plant and how to manage you pond with little or no cost to you. Any other route will likely put you into failure, fines or both.

It is my understanding that you have no obligation to pay for or return items sent to you without your order. Use it and don't pay or return.

Big spools are more economical. I have used them for some time without any problems. Mono needs to be stored in moderate temperatures and away from sunlight. I just took old line off of a reel that I had not used in over 40 years. I was surprised that I could not break by hand what appeared to be about 12# mono. I am not endorsing using line that old. I use more Trilene XL in 12# than any other so I buy a big spool every few years and use smaller spools of the other lines I use.

I have several BPS reels and they are just fine. I don't understand why you would want to sell your old stuff at probably less than 25 cents on the dollar if it functions well. I too have a mish mash with a few combos and the mish maashes work just as well.

I can't help you much but I have a Langley Streamlite Model 310 that looks very similar except my reel is black and without something to judge by mine appears a bit smaller. I think my reel was my second one and as best I can recall I got the reel around 1947. It was matched with about a 4'6" steel hexagonal cross section rod. I replaced the reel with a Pflueger Supreme reel in 1951 or 1952 that cost $35.00. A full weeks pay from my summer job. In those days it was a toss up between the Pflueger Supreme and the Shakespeare President as to which was the best reel. No one today would give a nickel for either if they had to fish with them. My guess is the Ambassador is much newer since it has a star drag and what appears to be a spool release for casting.

When baitcasting I palm the reel during the retrieve so I switch hands, some times before the lure hits the water -think buzz baits. So I cast right and retrieve right. If I had left hand baitcaster I'd still need to move my hand to palm the reel. With spinning tackle I don't palm the reel so I cast right and retrieve left.

IMHO any current BC reel in the $85 + range is an acceptable tool. It might not be as smooth, pitch as well, cast quite as far, last as long or handle light baits as well as some of the pricer models but they are pretty decent. A friend I have fished with for many years thought he wanted a bait caster some years ago so he bought a Quantum and paired it with an Uglystick. He didn't practice so when we went for our annual trip he backlashed often and put the rig away. He was sure he needed to get a more upscale outfit so he bought a Curado just as they came out with the $200 version and matched it with a St. Croix rod. Again he did not practice and that high end outfit was just like the other medium priced gear. He had backlashes. I bet he hasn't used his baitcasters a total of one hour in three years. Backlash prevention is aided by the reel and controlled by your thumb which is educated by practice. The moral of this is that whether you go with a mid range or high end equipment unless you practice you won't like the baitcaster. Most that I know who have made the switch and practiced now prefer bait casters.

While the reels you mention are fine. I would look at the BPS combos. While I have outfits that are superior, I have also paid a lot more for them. BPS combos have always seemed to be a good value.

You should be just fine without blowing it out which might cause other problems. Motors sit out all winter in very cold temperatures without problems. Just drain after each use. You might want to be sure you don't have in water in your lower unit.

Yes it is possible. You can drive a carpet tack with a sledge hammer but there are better ways. While I much prefer bait caster there are some presentations better suited to spinning gear. First to my mind is a lure less than 1/8 ounce and the second is skipping.

Drain and refill the lower unit. Make sure the batteries are fully charged and be prepared to charge them every few weeks during the winter. Make sure all of the water is out of every part of the boat. This comes from experience when I had a through hull fitting pop after a winter. Treat the gas in the tank and run the engine with muffs long enough to get treated gas through the system. Fog the engine. If stored where critters can get at it put several cans of moth balls in varios spots to keep the critters out.

I have a Pflueger's. a BPS or two, 2 Rick Clunn's. I don't find the crank removal and reinstall much of a problem. In a way some what handy since you don't need tools. I do have other reels and I wouldn't let the crank removal keep me from buying another of these reels.

I have a 1989 Merc 150. Which is nearly the same motor. If the charge in my cranking battery is low it starts hard if at all. I charge all three batteries (2 TM's and 1 Crank) after every use and have no problems. The alternators in the older motors don't put out a lot of amps. If the battery is low you have to run the big motor at planning speeds a long long time to bring it to a level capable of cranking for a start. Some times mine sounds like it is cranking just fine but won't start. Charge the battery and it fires right up.

Different line, different people. I have no idea which reel would cast the furthest. If you traded rigs and got the same results then its a maybe.

Thousands and thousands of boats with out special dampening for the batteries and no outcry for improvement I would think it was not a big deal.

I would not seal it. You will never get a perfect seal. Opening the lid won't get the fumes out. Gas fumes are heavier than air and settle to the bottom which coupled with a deep hull is the reason inboards have a blower. The blower intake hose is located right at the bottom of the bilge. You open the hatch on an inboard so as the blower pulls out potentally fume loaded air it is replaced easily with outside air. I don't know of an outboard powered bass type boat that has a bilge blower but all I know of have vents. One side has the scoops to pull in air going forward and the other side the scoops are reversed. The gas tank must be vented. If you are using the removeable tank the little screwy thing on the top of the cap is a vent. If you are going to have a fixed tank in the unit hook up a vent with gas line rubber tubing to a vent near where you will stand when filling the tank. Helps to be able to see the tank vent(s) when fueling. You must have a vent or your tank will pull a vacuum and the motor will be starved of fuel. There are little vents made for this purpose. Anytime there are electrical circuits and gasoline near each other there is some risk but many bass boats have the batteries and fuel tank in the same general area. If I were you I'd contact the local boating police. Here in New Hampshire it's called Marine Patrol. The Coast Guard or your local Power Squadron could be great sources of information. Marine supply dealers could also be a good source of information but be sure you talk to someone with a great deal of experience. You need some type of vent for the compartment since when charging the batteries give off hydrogen gas which is every bit as explosive as gas fumes.

Unless it is exposed to sunlight and ozone mono lasts a long time with out degrading. My outfits are in the boats rod box or stored in my cellar tackle room. I have outfits that have not had new line in 3 or 4 years and I have no problems with break offs. I do watch the ends for frays and cut off the bad line. This can result in needing to respool or tie on new line. I don't fish T's so that doesn't enter into the equation and the lakes I fish have very little wood and few weeds so I don't need to horse fish out of heavy cover.

You can leave them in the boat all winter and either keep them plugged-in or plug them in once every 2 to 3 weeks. If you take them in you don't need to set them on wood. That was true before plastic battery cases. Make sure the water level is as required.

Calm conditions, let it lie still until all the ripples fade, move just enough for the slightest ripple, let it lie again, let the ripples die then whoosh, whoosh, whoosh back to the boat. Windy conditions, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh to the boat. The windier it gets the more agressive the whoosh.

Since the spinning reel has no high or even medium rpm parts my opinion is that ball bearings only add to a feeling of smoothness and do nothing for casting. Bait casters are a bit different but I belive that only 2 or 3 bearings add to castability. All the others make the reels seem smoother but do little or nothing for castability. Some of the bearings might make the reel last a bit longer with less wear than a bushing. The roller bearing is critical to instant antireverse. As I recall I recently read that all makers used the same quality ball bearings. I believe Reel Mechanic contributed this but I'm not sure.

Check the GVW on the truck and see if it is capable of pulling the load. The dealer can assist you.