Delaware Valley Tackle

Exactly what I was going to suggest. The best rod you can afford topped with an economical good bang for the buck reel. Pflueger is hard to beat in that category trion >

Drop shot is a terminal rig with lots of variations. Let cover, weight, line etc determine the best tackle for the circumstances just as you would a t rig etc.

Multi piece rods get a bad rap because many are made from low end blanks to begin with. A quality travel rod will fish as well as anything comparable components wise. We routinely land 8#> steelheads on 3 and 4 piece ML rods.

Some in/out play is normal. You probably just never noticed it before. If you're really concerned I'll be happy to have a look for you.

It's going to take some serious convincing for me to buy into lure weight having anything to do with what bearing to use. Marketing is one thing but that's wayyy out there to me.

I don't get the noise concern honestly. Ceramic bearing sound is no worse than the D.C. Whine people claim to like. It's like hot rodding a car and keeping the stock exhaust.

When compared to flushed and properly oiled stock bearings, barely.

Those you tube free spool videos are a complete joke. Unless the bearings you have are worn out you won't see much difference on the water once they're flushed and oiled correctly.

I could care less what equipment a "pro" uses. They're salesmen. That's not a knock by any means just a fact. In some cases they don't even use the stuff they promote. "Pro sports " are advertising vehicles. Keeping that in mind lends perspective to the content. I give more weight to the feedback of members here than I would to anything from coverage of any tournament.

I'm with ya 1000%. These "warranties " are really insurance policies with the premium hidden in the price of the rod.

I'm catching up after the holidays. Probably about 3 weeks on new arrivals. If you have a deadline for a trip or something let me know and I'll try to schedule it in.

The low pro reel has way more free spool than the ambassaduer. More brake and more thumb till you get used to it. Ditch the Fluoro for s soft mono like trilene xl. Pull off a long cast worth of line and tape the spool down. Practice lob casts with a heavier weight. Go from there

Short answer Yes

I tune a lot of reels but don't over sell or make crazy claims regarding casting distance etc. in order of cost effectiveness my recommendation is: deep cleaning drag upgrade super tune(on appropriate models) model specific adjustments spool bearings misc i do all sanding by hand and polish with a soft buffing wheel. I'm a one man shop and do all the work personally. Feel free to call or email to put your mind at ease.

Unless you're using crap guides I don't see how you'll build an Immortal for <$100. But at any rate, a good custom build will give you more for your money.

I'll be happy to help if you'd like. If you send reels provide your screen name and I'll apply a members discount. As for Super Tuning, damage can occur if you're heavy handed but my process is very gentle. Contact me if you have any questions. Mike

What is a slipping noise? Is it actually slipping? I'll be happy to have a look if you need.

The AR is likely just dirty and should still be replaceable. I'll have to see the handle to see what's up there.

Why would anyone spend $60,000 for car, $70,000 for a boat, $25,000 for a motorcycle, $500,000 on a house.....????? Because they can, and they get joy from doing so. Buy within your means and enjoy the fruit of your labor regardless of whatever price point that may be at.

Only if the threaded barrel has a groove top and bottom. I don't think that's the case with that seat. Worth a look though.

An unarguable manufacturing defect. I'm sure Powell will make good.

That's not a normal motion for a reel. Stop doing that to your reels. It doesn't tell you anything one way or another. I'll be happy to look over anything you'd like to send.

The Shimano AR is head and shoulders above the rest being self contained and ungreased. The others will hold up though with regular maintenance.

You can't accurately make blanket statements regarding blank materials. Each has pluses and minuses and a lot of other aspects go into making a blank and rod. Focus more on power, action and weight of potential purchases.

St Croix are as well built as any or better. As with any high modulus rod the LTB won't be tolerant of mishandling or misuse. This includes, high sticking, rough handling, snap casts, poking snags etc. if cared for and used with proper technique it'll perform well