Delaware Valley Tackle

Moving baits with heavy hooks like blades and spinners get thrown on the same rods as jigs n plastics of similar weight. For me that is.

Whether or not a rod is a broomstick is more about power than action. The difference between fast and XF isn’t night and day in most cases. You have your drag to help here too.

Could be something not seated quite right. Impossible to diagnose sight unseen. I don’t buy the gear tooth alignment theory at all. Touching parts won’t disturb grease to cause symptoms. I can’t say definitively what it is but assure you it isn’t any of these

The only thing I’ve seen with graphite is high heat causing failure. Even a hot car shouldn’t affect a graphite blank.

12# of drag is more than enough for any bass fishing application. Actually 7-8 is good enough.

Lately 90% of my spinning applications see a ML F or XF

Sometimes things just aren’t seated just right.

I wouldn’t say I build them any differently. There are always details and fine tuning considerations for a technique specific build.

Aluminum alloy is actually harder than brass. Locked drags, heavy braid and pulling snags is more likely the cause of damage than the material of a gear.

I don’t have hands on with their finished rods and I know you’re looking at casting rods but looking at their blanks, the M1 medium extra fast spinning is the blank I’d pick for a jerkbait rod.

See if the pinion yoke is upside down keeping grit from engaging the spool pin. The spool spins freely with clutch disengaged, correct?

It’s not mandatory but I like to have reels handy for service, re-spooling and dust free dry storage. Also makes rods handy for cleaning and inspection for chipped guides etc.

The guide train on spinning rods is critical to casting. Less than optimal guide sizes or spacing will kill casting distance. Spool size to an extent and especially line is also important. Fill spool full to just below the bevel at the spool rim. Lighter, more supple line casts best. Of course the rod must load properly with the weight being cast. The reel itself is actually way down the list of things to blame in this scenario.

Saltwater corrosion is the WORST.

Make sure everything is clean and dry. For extra peace of mind, wipe down with Armor All etc. store rods vertically or horizontally supported by butt and midsection. Remove reels, back off drag if you want and store boxed, drawer or covered (I use old socks). Don’t worry about cold just keep stuff dry.

I had couple of the Denny Brauer flipping reels come through. I wanna say they had a locked drag and no level wind

Just don’t get cocky. Many if not most reels have a “gotcha” of some kind in there somewhere.

The height of the opposing ramps on the clutch determines how far the pinion lifts. Some pinions are little deeper and need more lift to clear. It’s minutiae. The basic premise is the same.

Treating guides and exposed reel parts with anything to shed water: WD 40, reel magic, Pam, KVD… you get the idea

“Felt” for lack of a better term, drags work but Carbontex is for sure a legit upgrade. It doesn’t affect max drag to a high degree, but it is smooth, consistent and durable.

Salt water corrosion will likely require a little extra effort. Not ideal for a first diy attempt. Send at your convenience with this form: https://www.delawarevalleytackle.com/assets/docs/DVT_Work_Order_Typewriter.355184012.pdf

It’s a fine line prepping reels to ship and sit on a shelf vs top performance on the water. My recommendation for any new reel is fish it hard out of the box, rule out any warranty defects, put a season on it and send out or diy a deep cleaning. Oil bearings and other interim maintenance as use indicates.

The fat handle is key too

Those screws aren’t deep at all. It’s that darn loctite they insist on using. The red stuff on the older reels was a real PIA. I rather have a .25 oz heavier reel than deal with with the soft mini hardware used now. Truth be told it’s probably more about cost than weight.

Casting, balance, bait working all factor into handle length. You can add personal preference to the list if doing a custom.