pbr276

And to answer the last part of your question no the handle does not get tighter and tighter when you catch fish. I have caught striped bass up to 30 lbs on my little 4000 and it was never a problem

I too just bought a new stradic fj. It will be used in conjunction with a similar stradic from just a few years ago. The cap opposite the handle is for changing from left to right hand use. The handle does unscrew for storage. I dont store it that way often but many of the guys I fish with also have these reels and I have never heard of any complaints about those threads. My other stradic is about four years old and has lived up to a lot of hard saltwater use. The only problem I have had with it is that the rubber on the handle is starting to rip. Otherwise I love it. Word to the wise. The recommended maintenance for this reel is to open the maintenance port(plastic screw below rotor cup) and squirt oil in. This actually keeps the reel working well however occasionally it is still necessary to open, inspect, clean and lubricate the parts of this reel. Unless you are good at reel maintenance I suggest a professional because these little reels have more moving parts than any spinning reel I have ever opened. Enjoy your new reel. Tight lines.