garroyo130

The knot at 2:53. I don't mean doubled to begin with but its doubled at the point of the knot.

The mono/fluoro is doubled ... ill stick with FG

Having only played with an SLX before, I can't comment about performance. I will say ergo is great on them. However, for me the fact that they do not have dual pinion support (x ship) is enough to place them in a tier lower than the Fuego CT.

For the money ... Daiwa Fuego CT is still my pick.

For someone brand brand new, no kit. First thing is learning what a fish feels like and how to set the hook. Trick worm fished split shot on light line. With the very light weight there will be no doubt when a fish takes it and no wondering if it was a rock, weed, etc. ^ offset round bends for me

Spinning reels are hard to work on. Sometimes they shim the gear with spacers that don't even appear in the schematic. One shim off and you'll experience something similar to what you're describing.

A while back when I bought some fly fishing/tying gear they threw in some split shot. Haven't been able to find the brand anywhere, but its called Plomatic. The lead is super soft and a darker color than the split shot you commonly find in stores. Its good stuff.

Always back off crew here ... even if carbon drag theres a spring in there that i dont want to keep compressed unless in use

If you plan on keeping it for a long time, Shimano or Daiwa. Not that Quantum or others wont hold up but good luck finding parts when you need them

The 17 from a week ago is a bigger draw IMO https://www.fieldandstream.com/fishing/largemouth-bass-lake-record-texas/

^ Alot of places are seeing reduced foot traffic and keeping less stock than pre Covids.

Do you polish the teeth as well? I've heard of people doing that for added "smoothness"

What's the gear ratio on the box? If it's the 9.2:1 that's the one that everyone wants and those are VERY expensive.

The drag contact area is no longer polished and has worn like an unpolished one would. Edit - Actually ... now that I think about it the big ring rides on the top so the part that looks worn/hazy was not making contact with the drag washer ...

Sounds like its time to open it up or send it in for repair ...

So it felt rough as you spooled the line or after? Are you overfilled?

To make it a fair comparison, lets go yards cast to miles driven. I wonder how long it would take the average fisherman to put 100k yards on a reel.

Sounds like an issue with the line roller bearing. Unscrew it, clean it, and oil it.

I believe Bill Murphy states he used 2 rods in his book In Pursuit of Giant Bass ... that's as elite as it gets in my book

A Fuego is extremely reasonable

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-NEW-REEL-PARTS-SHIMANO-Line-Pawl-Cap-P-N-BNT1092-or-P-N-TGT0227-/113571937119?_trksid=p2349526.m4383.l4275.c1#viTabs_0

Even Eagle Claw shouldnt do that ... Still out of budget??

Nothing out of the ordinary on those reels that would require someone who specializes in them ... but as others have said @Delaware Valley Tackle is a solid choice

I don't think any of that would be covered under warranty. Don't see how you get a bent shaft or damaged pinion from normal operation without tearing it apart. I'd just find a reputable local company.

What would be considered consistent for trophy fish? 3 teeners a year for a couple of years?