Delaware Valley Tackle

I just don’t get the split seat on any production rod. They’re such an acquired taste. The Eva spacer might save the day there. There’s never been anything wrong with ST Croix blanks, it was always the grip length that made people squawk about tip heaviness. It’s a trade off imo but this will serve the masses better.

No

The ceramic lightning are ABEC 5 more than enough for fishing reel speeds. If I’m building a no holds barred BFS reel I’ll go all out with the 7s

The revo and PQ are built on the same platform. Pick whichever one has the features that appeal to you.

100-120’ is a long cast. 75yds of mainline allows for retying and buries the connection knot.

Sounds like a textbook example of a Medium power jig/worm rod. I have a line on a bunch of <7’ Loomis rods. PM me for details

The take away is that higher ratio reels don’t necessarily retrieve line faster. A higher ratio with smaller spool may be equal or even slower than another ratio. IPT figures weed this out. The fact that IPT changes with spool level is interesting to keep in mind but little consequence when comparing reels. Thin line on a wide spool lessens the phenomenon while heavy line on a narrow spool exaggerates it. Spool depth only affects capacity. The only mechanical advantage to ratio/IPT is in a deep cranking reel where 5:1 or 18-20 IPT. Same holds true for other high resistance baits like heavy spinner baits with Colorado blades. Otherwise it’s personal preference. I like faster reels for buzzbaits to get them on plane easily and for jigs/plastics when the fish swims right at you. How fast is up to you. Reeling in faster to get more casts in a day I’m not sold on.

If brand new reels have any symptoms at all return for exchange.

Isn’t the purpose of DC braking to minimize backlash on long casts? Pitching requires little if any braking.

No braid is buoyant as to float a bait off the bottom. Straight fluoro will sink a hair faster.

Pm sent.

My Dad was a poker player and always preached “only bet what you can afford to lose.” I looked at tournaments the same way. I invested what was reasonable to me for a day out fishing trip. If I got to defray the cost, great, break even better yet and make a little, fantastic.

Tournaments are boring as a spectator period. The recap show like MLF All Angles is tolerable and tells the whole story.

Reel Magic and other silicone sprays degrade the line slightly. The negative effects your Buddy is talking about are greatly exaggerated though. KVD on the other hand is a polymer that bonds to the line, conditioning and protecting. KVD is the way to go.

If the lure weight will load and cast the rod, absolutely.

I use a regular Albright with no problem and better yet straight braid.

This worse than the line threader Dave Mercer is hawking.

Forget the labels they’re all subjective. 1/4-1 oz is a broad range which could be versatile IF its accurate.

They’re fine

It depends a lot on the brand and model. A St Croix MH is pretty stout by comparison for example. The size of the baits, cover and fish size matter as well.

Have you weighed these yourself? I find it hard to believe a 7’ sc2 with aluminum oxide guides came in under 4oz.

I did reply with the tracking that showed it delivered. Call me directly.

I highly doubt the line is the reason for your decline in catch rate. Mono is used as backing to keep braid from slipping, not visa versa.

And we’ve still got a month until ice out

These are some real first world problems.