.RM.

Nice looking rods, enjoy them...

coolhandlala, As a custom builder, I have to agree with Raul 100%. I love that quote.. You bought 2 of them, oh yes you are affiliated..... Tight Lines!!!

Personal preference..Shimano®

Only when trying to balance up a system.....

Place the reel on the rod, even run the line (if the reel has some on it) through the guides. Now hold the system as she would when fishing, and let up on the grip to let the system float in the hand. If the rod tips down you are tip heavy (reel light and doesn't compensate)), if the system tips up you are butt heavy (reel heavy and over compensates). You can use the index finger the same way moving it (as a fulcrum) until you find the system's true balance point. Some anglers don't mind the fact that most all combos are at some point tip heavy, while some prefer neutral balanced. To reach a neutral balanced system you will need to fit the rod with a reel that does this or take the system at hand and balance it, this can be achieved buy doing some system modifications. Balancing Your Fishing Rods...(To Weight or Not To Weight) Balancing Your Rod....(Step By Step) Just a custom builders .02¢ Tight Lines!!!!!

The O/S Drive and O/S Pinion gears are the reels fail-safe gears. When the worm gear gunk's up and the pawl starts to jam, is a sign of a greased worm gear. When the line carriage finally does jam and won't move and the angler keeps cranking those 2 gears will strip their teeth. Only one drop of oil for the worm gear and one drop of oil on the pawl when replaced back into the line carriage.. Just my .02¢ from the bench... Tight Lines!!!!

Here is all the info on maintenance for the Garcia® lines.... Service & Maintenance Good Luck & Tight Lines!!!!

Yea OK, and look at how well it is working now... Do what you will.... : Good Luck & Tight Lines!!!!!

Rinsing a reel with running water from a hose, is just like dipping the reel in the lake....I'll bet the manual said if you used the reel in salt water to rinse the reel of with water. But you shouldn't have had to do that if you had just cleaned and lubed the reel the right way. I'll also bet the manual didn't say to apply "abu garcia lube all over the moving parts and such". If I were you I would break the reel down and clean (all of the abu garcia lube) out of the reel and re-lube the reel the right way. Do that and your issues should be resolved.... Good Luck & Tight Lines!!!!

I agree 100%.. Oops!

NO! NO! and NO! :

Sorry for the replies, I yield to all of you..... 8-)

According to my spec sheets for builds on that blank..I used 5.5 tip top, and 13.5 ECS seats.. Hope that helped......

Then you also need to do some quick reading..Try this.....Basic Baitcast Reel Setup 101 Good Luck & Tight Lines!!!!

You can use the blanks specs, usually they will give it in them, or you can measure the tip yourself with a set of calipers they are measured in 64ths. What is the blank (power and tip action)?

BrianinMD, Sounds like you need to do a little reading... Try this ..Basic Baitcast Reel Setup 101 Good Luck & Tight Lines!!!!

I would worry about the rod more than the reel........Tight Lines!!!!

Because of the new alloy the frame is made from (salt resistant), the 10 HPCR bearings that it has (around $10+ msrp each bearing),

dolf, Depends on the size of the single foot guide I'm wrapping. Anywhere between 2 and 4 360° wraps around the guide leg...Basically what you feel is strong enough for the rod your building. One thing I will say it does take lots of practice to get right.... I just got done doing 8 number 5.5 guides with locking wraps, and my hands were cramping from it when I got done.... Good Luck & Tight Wraps!!!

dolf, Please remember that all we say here is to help so that you don't make the mistakes that can run you out of the art of rod building.. As far as the locking wrap goes it is used on all of the single foot guides that I mount. It was the result of a lot of work by Rich Forhan and tested mainly for rods that were placed into and removed from rod lockers on boats. Before I started using it I was using just a blocking wrap on my single foot guides... Yes there is a picture tutorial the original article is located here..... That article brings the threads down from the top and behind the rod. If that confuses you I wrote a follow up that take the thread up and in front of the rod, it is here...LOCKING WRAP A SINGLE FOOT GUIDE....My Way! Hope these help, and keep us informed on your progress.... Tight Wraps!!!

I think I understand were he is coming from. The west coast lakes all have big bull (double digit) Florida strain LMB's. He's probably hunting double digits all day and feels he needs a lot of drag.... I know I did when I was living in San Deigo up above Hodges.... FROG, You can do the drag upgrades, but impo they aren't going to give you much more than a couple pounds over the max anyway.. I always placed my thumb on the spool to help when I needed more. Just my .02¢ from the bench..... Tight Lines All !!

Keith I agree 100% with you...... From what I have read here though, the builder must be experienced because of the components he has set himself up with. The builder must feel that his abilities to actually build a really good rod must come from just the components he uses, instead of the combination of setup, wrapping/finishing practice and then components. The first rod I built 15 years ago was a kit, had aluminum oxide guides and wasn't a bad rod but they didn't get lighter and better for about 15 to 20 more personal rods, each time going to the next level. All the time the wraps and finishing processes got better, plus learning the proper way to balance and layout the components... I can see no reason to spend a large sum of money for the first rod build, but that's my .02¢ Good Luck & Tight Wraps All!......

The failure of the line carriage to move has always been caused buy dirt and grim build ups in the worm gear and the pawls in ability to cut through it all and not make the transition properly. Cleaning and lubricating the worm gear, pawl, and line carriage properly will prevent this.... The only LP Garcia' we don't touch are the Eon's or Older Discontinued Low Profile Reels (i e XLT's etc.) We service all of Garica' round reels and any of the Revo series... Just my .02¢ from the bench.... Tight Lines!!!!

Which Citica 100 are you upgrading? If it is the CI 100DSV I carry them here... in the Extreme (X-CT200) & Carbontex (CT200) Good Luck & Tight Lines!!!!

Don't tighten anything!!! That cap will crack if tightened to much.. Take the cap off and check the line carriage pawl, if there is a buildup on the base of the blade then clean it with a tooth brush .. If when you get the pawl out look at the blade if it is worn to a crescent shape then it is time to replace it..... NOTE: only oil goes on the worm gear if your not using it there already.. Just my .02¢ from the bench.... Good Luck & Tight Lines!!!!