Delaware Valley Tackle

You didn’t tear it all the way down if the worm gear assembly wasn’t taken apart and cleaned. The exposed nature of the worm gear makes it more critical to service than anything you have to split the cases to reach.

Red is visible to bass but disappears quickly in low light then appearing black. I can see it being attractive in shallow clear water where bass congregate in spring.

Split grips originated with custom builders like a lot of innovations. If memory serves around early 90s and credited to Dale Clemons. The intent was to aid two hand casting with a better , more consistent grip on the bottom. In modern production rods I argue the motivation is saving money on grip materials especially cork regardless of the marketing claims. Style always plays a role in design too.

If they’re inside in a warm dry spot they’ll be fine. If they’re in a shop or garage that will see fluctuations in temp and humidity oil them for sure.

They do with lure weight rating.

They do. You can get them smaller than you’ve ever seen

Modern braid and modern guides play well together. It’s never been actual braid that damaged guides but the gritty contamination.

I think St Croix used/uses them. I use them on float rods that have constant line going in and out with no issues. They are super light and tough. They can make a harmonic buzz with course braid running through.

If it works I wouldn’t worry too much. It’s rather common for identical reels to feel a little differently. Lube it up and just keep an eye on it.

Ya, not a fan either. I love Perfect Solution also but for a few DIY reels, Simple Green concentrate and acetone are plenty good and readily available.

I used to get bites hitting the backside of targets as we passed by. If he’s moving fast you might need a heavier weight to get the bait down quickly or leave the bail open so there’s slack and doesn’t pull the bait away as the boat moves along. Also, don’t be afraid to throw up real shallow while he’s hitting the deep pilings.

That’s an easy fix if you’d like to contact me

As enjoyable and effective bait casting is, spinning tackle still has its place.

Looks good. The Rx6 is a good choice for a first build. A good quality blank , affordable enough to not stress over being your first crack at it.

Bass don’t know what they’re eating for the most part. I think it’s the vibration and flash that make them like spinner baits. As long as the color is visible to them in the water and light conditions I don’t feel it matters much. The research I saw said that bass see chartreuse as white so it probably only matters to us.

I feel the whole discussion of “balance” is one of if not the most over blown beat to death discussions in rod building and bass fishing in general. You take a light, crisp blank, layout a guide train with the smallest, lightest and least guides then place the seat to have a handle length that will supply some leverage braced on the forearm but not so long as to snag pockets or poke you in the ribs and you’ll have a good performance rod that’s a pleasure to fish.

Tackle Tour should be taken with a grain of salt. They have some good info but sometimes nerd out and get really into the weeds.

Mag seal has zero appeal to me. Grease on the seam has helped kept reels running for 20 years plus.

I like a glass rod for deep cranking. A good one like that will still transmit feel and have some power

We’ll talk tomorrow. It’s not defective, rest easy. If I don’t pick up leave a message and I’ll get back.

It’s a minor adjustment and easy fix. Actually had nothing to do with the drag itself.

Yes, the AR is just over lubricated. Just be careful handling the AR assembly. Pluck it out in one piece and don’t spill the pins out.

Contact me and I’ll walk you through the fix. 973-459-2835

The DC system is user friendly, but would argue not thumb-free. At least not if used to it’s fullest.

There’s no undeniable advantage to any of those in this scenario. For lack of anything better, I’d start with one of the 6.x:1 and see if I liked it.