.RM.

If I were going to build or buy a new dedicated flippin rod it would be in the 7'6" to 7' 10" length with a med heavy to heavy power and mod fast tip action (for the braid)... Tight Lines All!!!

Just another thought.... 8-) If the reel was stored with the drags cranked down tight then I would be looking into new drag pads for the reel. They would have compressed to the point of not having any when the reel is fished and they first break lose... Good Luck & Tight Lines!!!!

IMPO, stick to Fuji® components on your rod and you cant go wrong...

The ferrule can crack and get lose over time but it will take some heavy (fish) lifting or high sticking to get to that point. On my old T flipping stick builds, I would recommend checking the ferrule fit and finish each time out with the rod. Go fishin catch a bigun...... Tight Lines!!!!

Actually flechero and a lot of the other builders right here in this forum can do a bang up job for you.... Good Luck & Tight Lines!!!!

Not one bit weird. Only says that you care how well your reels and rods are maintained. I will wipe mine down 3 to 4 times a week just to keep the dust off, even the ones not being used. The reels get serviced 2 times a season in the beginning and end even the ones not being used. The rods all 100 of them get wiped the same first with a damp cloth, then with a silicon gun cloth... Tight Lines!!!

The difference is the frame material (one is Titanium, one is Stainless Steel), so it would be a decision that is made on budgetary/weight considerations.. Good Luck & Tight Lines!!!!

If you are truly having a rod built these are questions for your builder, you will only get a general consensus here....If your having the rod built from e-mails over the net well ... Good Luck & Tight Lines!!!

I have 2 setups that are the original white tubular glass rod and 33 series reels that I use to use for dock skipping and sling shoting... Tight Lines!!!

I really like mine. I have one of the first season Revo S-L's, like it a lot haven't done anything to it. The reel is still smooth, quiet, has a great drag system, and, the spool brakes work excellent for the way I setup my reels. Don't know anything about the Bionic brade rod can't help there.... Tight Lines!!!

Either of those are quality reels, I would try and find a store locally that carries those reels and go handle them, crank um up. It is ultimately your choice ... Good Luck & Tight Lines!!!

Some great news. ;DNow time to go stick to some big fish in the Santa Anna river lakes... But wait, what happened to mjc the original thread poster, did he get his rod replaced? :-? Tight Lines!!!

Oops sorry I offended you.... Designed - yup on paper. Engineered - yup again on paper and blanks brought in from China using their specs or (maybe even still by Batson).. Inspected - aww shucks again the blanks from the manufacture of them... Now Just Trey' fancy way of saying ASSEMBLED by workers in the us, never argued that point...In rod building especially those companies that mass produce tend to use that phrase (handcrafted) to loosely.. define:handcrafted Something that is built by and with hand and hand-held tools rather than an assembly line process (ie mass produced). My point such as Kistler Rods... I want to add one more point. I don't know how many rod builders I have spoken with about wanting to go into mass producing. I have researched over the last 15 years in building, a lot about the rod building industry. Unless you have had the chance to sit with the Kistler family at their dinner table to listen to Trey and the ides and marketing habits he has then I wouldn't believe to much about what you read on the co website, or the forums that say this is the word.. I'm done just the .02¢ of an old custom rod builder, again sorry I offended you...

Not exactly true.....Rod Blank (Intel-a-Matrix® carbon fibers) - Built in China to Kistler spec's (the only component made in that country also reason the "Made In China" sticker is on the blank) FUJI® SIC Silicon Carbide Guides - Japan FUJI® reel seats - Japan Premium quality burled cork fused with soft EVA foam - US The rods are NOT handcrafted here (as stated the only component made here is probably the burl/foam grips) the rods are ASSEMBLED here that's it, and the reason for the flag in the forgrip area under an epoxy finish..... Tight Lines!!!!

Like flechero (an excellent builder) stated mostly customers preference. Builders have opinions on what they would have if the rod was being built for them. But the really good builders when talking with a client take more of what the client wants than what they would have into consideration. The really big problem would be if the builder isn't setup to put foam grips onto rods because of the way they are fitted..... I don't own a rod with foam. Even my Quantum® Big Cat catfish rods don't have foam, not because I don't like foam just because every rod I have owned/used in my lifetime has had cork fore and aft, now only burl/cork aft and very limited... Good Luck & Tight Lines!!!!

As far as those drag systems I believe that dodgeguy is the leader of the Pflueger posse, he would be the one that knows how those drag system are set up.. Tight Lines All!

Set your drags spring washers in the following orientation... Like this......() Not like this...(( Good Luck & Tight Lines!!!!

With the strict tolerances that Daiwa uses in that reel, there is no real need to upgrade bearings. The multi disc drag system is next to none, so no need to upgrade those either... It is just a great fun time ML/FW, L/SW reel.... Tight Lines!!!!

RW maybe something along the lines of an AVC68MXF, or AVC69MLXF only spiral wrapped for stability... Tight Lines!!!

Thank you for the kind words... Aren't those Sol's fun reels...... Good Luck & Tight Lines!

Great! Now just watch how you treat the reel. Many bank anglers and boat anglers don't take into consideration as to how they treat spinning gear. That bail assy is the most vulnerable to damage (bends/breaks) when dropped or just laid in the wrong place. This is as you found out usually the reason for bail closing failures.. Tight Lines!!!!

.02¢ from a rod builder.... A break that far into the tip action and repaired would change the action to extra, extra, fast tip plus make the rod super tip heavy. Just taking a tiptop and adding it to the broken spot would change the tip action to extra fast. The power (backbone) of the rod would change to heavy..... Time to get another... Good Luck & Tight Lines!!!

Oh sorry, I guess these aren't the same Heartland® rods http://www.daiwa.com/Rod/freshwater.aspx right below the VIP rods...

Yup they've got it...... Tighten drag to max, push black disk toward drag star, crank handle in reverse... The important part is remembering how they all go back together.... Good Luck & Tight Lines!!!

While many if not all anglers that do mostly spinning will tell you never to crank the reel to engage the bail (do mostly to line twist). I will tell you right now ALL spinning reels are setup to engage the bail when cranked. What a bail refusing to engage when the crank is turned tells me is that your reels bail wire is probably bent out of shape and is putting to much bind on the bail arms (pivot points) usually the proper bend in the bail wire will release the binding that is going on. Now if your reel did this right out of the box, I would return the reel for a replacement... Good Luck & Tight Lines!!!