Delaware Valley Tackle

That setup is fine for spinnerbaits and pretty much any single hook bass bait. I'd look for a 7' MH/Mod cranking rod and match it with a Revo Winch, Curado E5 or PQ in 5.3:1 Beat me to it RW

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A little faster reel is nice for taking up line when the fish swims right at you with the jig. Either way you won't go horribly wrong. FWIW, I'd scew the budget toward the rod for "feel" techniques like jigs and plastics. Pick up the highest quality 7' MH/F rod your budget can tolerate.

You done good.

Each brand has their quirks, but Pflueger reels are good quality on par with the Revos, another Pure Fishing label.

I agree taht the PQ comes with decent bearings but if you saw no difference between stock and the bearings in question which are the Orange Seal ceramic hybrids, something is off. First off, I almost always run them open. The seals are meant to be non-contact but that's not always the case just due to handling. I also test and clean every bearing before installation. Regardless of brand or rating you get a dud every once in a while. With this said, the advantage gained at the end of the day will vary depending on the individual reel and the users casting.

The slower action allows the fish to eat the bait without pulling it away on the hookset. Then the action works as dsecribed by cushioning surges and jumps not giving the fish slack that can be used to shake loose a heavy bait. I also prefer a fast action soft tip rod for top water lures. A Mod-Fast action makes ripping lipless cranks through the grass a little easier.

If you think about it, the first line guide is on the level wind. There's really no need to go any larger than that. The exception being if you're using a large off shore reel and need guide height to make a smooth transition and keep the line from cutting into a fore-grip. Rod building isn't rocket science, but more goes into designing a truly high performing fishing tool than just gluing up the components. You can certainly come out of your first build with a perfectly fishable rod and that is very rewarding as stated above. It depends on the goal for a specific build if the timing is right to take it on yourself.

Most reel seats come in 16 or 17mm size. Some now in 18. The grip can be sized to fit you specifically by turning down. You may want a window seat which is measured to fit right at the spot on the blank. You said spiral wrap so this must be a casting rod. IMO 16 is WAY to big to start on a bass rod and the 6's can be cut down to 4's which many refer to as micro. They will pass a braid to leader Albright no problem. The Batson blanks are nice but weighing it down with heavier than needed guides cuts into the performance. If you stay with 6's, srping for titanium guides to save as much weight as possible.

The PQ comes in 5 different gear ratios. You simply order the gearset from them. No need to try to fit revo parts. While the BPS reels share a fair amount of tooling and design feature with Pure Fishing (Revo, Pflueger..)there are differences in materials and some tolerances etc. If you want a Revo, buy a Revo. The PQ is a fine reel and good value at the price point. My suggestion would be to flush and lube the stock bearings in the PQ, put the bearing and gear set money in a pool and buy an other PQ in the ratio you want when they go on sale.

The softer tip may load and cast a little better than another fast action but won't make up for jumping fish throwing a trebel.

There is always an implied warranty of merchantability. If the rod is truly defective any decent manufacturer will make good or be gone from the market. I'd like to see all these replacement programs fall by the wayside and see rods sell for what they are worth based on their own merits.

A turn in IPT is 360* turn of the handle crank. Sounds like the OP is making 1/2 cranks resulting 1/2 IPT.

There are no guarantees in fishing. Even though it's seasonably mild, it's still winter and fish are in wintering spots. That's probably the deeper holes with cover near travel lanes to shallower water. Even when you find them the bite will probably be slower than novices or kids will tolerate well. Be patient until April and put them on some stocker put & take trout. Late April early May the sunnies will move shallow again and you catch them on every cast. Look for small ponds and creeks so the kids don't have the restriction of the boat. Give me a yell closer to spring and I'll see we can put them on some fish.

The SX is the most refined followed by the PQ & Orra. The PQ has dual breaking so you may give it the edge for that. The enigma is a distant 4th not in the same class.

x2 good advice

Simple Green (and generic equivalents) is an environmentally friendly cleaner/degreaser and is commonly used by almost every professional reel tech I know. All of the folks I know in this business are environmentally conscious and practice responsible handling of products and waste. I don't personally know the person you referenced but would be glad to answer any questions about my own practices.

IMO the benefit of carbon fiber graphite over fiberglass is the strength to weight ratio. Scrims, resins and processes all factor in as well to put together a high performance rod. If the end result is a more powerful blank at a lower weight, it stands to reason that the recovery speed and hence the ability to transmit feel will improve. "Sensitivity" as well as "balance" are two terms that are over thought, they are part, but only part, of the big picture and are subjective. Perception is reality and each persons perception is different from the next. Long story short, you are right that claims of im proved sensitivity are to a degree unprovable and can be considered puffing by manufacturers.

Make sure the AR sleeve is installed right-side up (I think the fat side is the top facing the spool).

I throw pretty much anything <3/8 oz or <10lb line on spinning tackle. This would include my smallest cranks and tiny traps.

Don't get into the habit of switching hands if you haven't already. Lefty reels are not all that hard to find. Hold out for what you want.

The Smallmouth designation is just marketing the same as any other technique specific label. I think the smallmouth refernence pertains to the lighter powers predominant in the lineup due to the smaller baits and lighter line typically thrown at smallies.

The lure weight ratings on a rod refer to the weight required to load the rod properly for efficient casting. Exceeding the rating by a large degree on either end can make keeping contact with the bait difficult but doesn't affect sensitivity as it is normally traditionally thought of in term of detecting bites.

IMO this is another example of the confidence in your tackle having a psychological affect on your concentration. Competitive fishing is 90% in the head and instinct. A lot of these guys are so organized they border on OCD, which works in their favor apparently. Years ago when we raced dirt bikes, 6 of us had the exact same make, model and size of bike and when we would switch with each other, we all HATED the other 5. No 2 felt the same. To some extent, I see the same with reels that I own and work on. Each has its own personality to some degree so I see no need to have identical setups laying around. Not mention, It's hard enough to explain to the wife why you need more than one "pole" lol, it'd be harder if they were all the same.

For deep cranking the specific cranking reels like the Winch, are worth the extra IMO. Beyond that the STX is only a few dollars more and worth it just for the added braking. The SX is a fine reel if you can deal with the mag only breaking.