redmeansdistortion

Gear ratio doesn't mean much, inches per turn is more important. The 5.3 in the Abu pulls in a similar amount of line per turn as a 6.x (~24 to 27 IPT) gear in a low profile, and the 6.3 Abu pulls in what a 7.x (~29 to 32 IPT) does in a low profile. They have much deeper spools than many of your low profile reels. I feel a 7.x would suit you best, just a pinch faster than what you're used to in your Abu reels. You should be able to cover a wide range of techniques with that.

Quick question. When you fed the line through the TWS, did you go over or under the metal bar in front of the spool? If you fed it under, you're getting a lot of friction on the line which can result in a backlash. The line should go over that bar.

Charlie's 1.5" slider paddle tail grubs are killer on everything from panfish and trout all the way to smallies. I run a 1/16 head when fishing the smaller fish and a 1/8 for the smallies. That black with chartreuse tail and crawfish are my go to colors for smallies and for trout I like hot pink and white.

A friend of mine did that back in the 80s at a large department store. Turned out the cashier was big into fishing. He did 30 days in the county jail and got a $500 fine.

I'd like to redo an old 50s Frigidaire or something but with newer energy efficient innards. Chrome and seafoam green like a '57 Chevy.

I get many inquiries about repairing lower end stuff. A lot of those customers want to penny pinch which I understand, but if you can go buy a new one for another $10 or $20, that's the route I'd go. My usual suggestion is to go buy a new one, but I do get a few that still want theirs repaired and serviced.

New trout setup. Daiwa Alphas Air Stream Custom with a 4'10" Major Craft Troutino. I live this little setup, a lot of fun to fish. Both the rod and reel together weigh less than my Penn Fierce III 1000 spinning reel. And my custom 4500, probably my new favorite in my arsenal. Chromed brass frame from a 4500C, lightweight spool and single bearing level wind from a new production 4600 C3, and ultralight Bakelite brake blocks. She's a screamer.

I mostly fish trout even though I live near the best smallmouth lake in the country. Since I have no boat, trout fishing is much more accessible for me since I'm fishing in waders or on the bank.

Daiwa Alphas Air Stream Custom with a Major Craft Troutino 4'10". $450-ish

Before you upgrade bearings, flush out the factory bearings and add a drop of good oil and see how you like them first. I find factory bearings to be sufficient in most reels. The only times I really recommend upgraded bearings is if you're running a surf fishing outfit where swinging for the fences is the norm or for fishing ultralight (see BFS). Most reputable reels have decent bearings out of the factory in my experience. Bearings can be an expensive black hole with diminishing returns. Lord knows I've been down that road lol. On the reel end, maybe consider a trio of Fuego CTs one each in the 6.3, 7.1, and 8.1 ratios. That should cover all of your bases. The Fuego CT is very similar to the Tatula CT but without the T-wing. Some people love the T-wing but I find it too fiddly from a maintenance standpoint. From there maybe add in an Alphas CT SV 70 for more finesse applications, then splurge on the one high end reel you want.

Sounds like what I did too. Digitaka had a sale going so I grabbed a Daiwa Alphas Air Stream Custom 7.2R and a Major Craft Troutino 4'10". This is probably the lightest combo I've ever owned. Both the rod and reel together weigh about the same as my Penn Fierce III 1000 all by itself.

How do you like it? I've been on the fence about getting one for Steelhead but my Fuegos have been doing a great job.

You can find the Daiwa Alphas Air used on eBay for well under $200. Cheapest I've seen was $130, but often you will see them around $150. It comes in two ratios, 5.8:1 and 7.2:1 and weighs a bit under 6oz. It holds about 55yd of 6lb mono. That reel retailed new for ~$300 IIRC.

You don't need any fancy bearings with these reels. The OEM 4x10x4 bearings used in models such as the 5500 C3 work plenty good. They usually run somewhere around $6 each depending on where you get them.

That sounds like a winner. You're right that stuff is very abrasion resistant, I run it on my steelhead float rods. God knows how many logjams I was able to see my way out of with that stuff. Since this setup will see the same conditions, I think this is a great choice. Thank you very much for the recommendation.

My bad, I mixed up the Alphas Finesse Custom with the reel I bought, the Alphas Air Stream Custom.

I'm very familiar with the mechanics of a baitcaster and how to set one up after using them for 30 years. I just asked what type of line to use with a finesse baitcaster, that's all. So far I'm leaning towards something from 0.17mm to 0.2mm in diameter. The spool doesn't hold much line, but my casts will largely be inside of 30ft or so. Remember, this is for fishing around docks and brush choked streams where shorter more accurate casts will be needed. A lot of those streams I fish aren't more than 15 or 20ft across with lots of brush on the banks.

Are you using any leader material?

I just purchased one of these a few days back along with a Major Craft Troutino 4'10" for the purpose of fishing panfish and stream trout. This is my first finesse baitcaster and I'm kind of at a loss of which line to run. I'm not averse to mono, braid, copoly, or fluorocarbon, I'd have no trouble running any of them. So far, I've been looking at 10lb Sufix 832, 4lb FC Sniper, 4lb P-Line CX, and good old fashioned Trilene XL. I'm sure there are better options out there that I'm missing so I'm hoping the crowd here can steer me in the right direction. Casting distance is not a concern as this setup will be used in smaller brush choked streams and dock duties at the marinas that dot the Detroit River and Lake St Clair.

The spool on the Air Stream Custom is ~8.5g 31mm spool. Should be plenty good for my uses. From what I've read, the spool is interchangeable with the Pixy spools. https://www.daiwa.com/jp/fishing/item/reel/bait_rl/alphas_air_stream_custom/index.html

Is this the newer (90s to early 00s) 5000 with the palming side plate? If so, the 4x10x4 bearings are a direct swap for the spool bushings. If it's the older style (late 50s to early 80s) with the dual spool tension knobs, Boca makes a set of bearings to replace the bushings, but additional machine work is required on the spool shaft ends for them to work properly. If you can provide a pic it would give us a far better idea of what's needed.

I just ordered one of those myself along with a Major Craft Troutino 4'10". This will be my rig for panfish and stream trout. Total combo ran me $360.

Lamiglas makes a nice panfish stick too, the X11 Ultralight. I have the casting version paired with a Fuego CT outfitted with a Ray's DIY spool. It's a nice little combo. https://www.lamiglas.com/collections/x-11-freshwater-trout-panfish

I use the Reel Speed pliers available from Dawn at Smooth Drag. Super simple to use but I don't believe many pairs were made.

These would be fantastic reels for musky fishermen. Some of the really hardcore musky guys I do work for will often go through a set of brass gears once every season or so from burning bucktails. Some of those reels I have upgraded because there are stainless gears available for them. Stainless does tend to sound a little geary due to it being a harder material than brass. If anybody happens to get one of these Okumas and can hear the gears, you shouldn't have to worry as that's the norm for that type of gearbox.