Delaware Valley Tackle

You either got grease/oil where it doesn't belong or something is misassembled.

You may need to stick a hollow needle into the void to allow air to escape or the pressure can keep the epoxy from getting in or inject in multiple spots. When I do loose reel seats I drill two holes for the same reason.

Don't mess with ferrules. Splice it internally and over wrap it. If it's far enough down the rod to where it won't flex much you can get away with a graphite insert but old glass rods are usually pretty easy to find.

Braid is strong on a straight pull but has poor shock absorption due to the lack of stretch. If you get hung up or pull hard on a fish, pull the braid loose before casting yo be sure it didn't dig in.

The top should slip on easily but not be sloppy. I don't suggest arboring them to fit. They are sized in 1/64 in increments and available in half sizes (1/128 increments). The kits are an acceptable DIY repair

10# trilene xl

Armageddon

Stuff happens and I'm sure they'll make good. But I can't help but think if this was ABU or god help us quantum, it would be all pitchforks and torches. Lol

That's the business I'm in so I don't have a choice. Lol hence my disdain

Sure you could disable or convert the T wing but there's no advantage there. It works fine, just isn't the game changer they hype it to be. Just another way to skin the same cat.

Imo all else being equal I wouldn't pay $1 extra for the T wing. I have an original Tatula and like it, don't get me wrong. The T wing is gimmicky and unnecessarily complicates service.

That's how I receive rod blanks. Common practice. Just flex the rod a couple times(not past 90* and it should be fine.

Very few modern reels are 100% silent after being freed up.

20# handles well just use your drag and common sense to protect the rig.

There are two different causes for binding of wet spinning reels. Neither has anything to do with factory grease or viscosity. Contact me if you need help with a specific situation.

A lot of these terms have no clear definition and get thrown around with different meaning. No drag should be "locked down". That defeats the purpose. There needs to be some give to protect the weakest link in the system. Drag should be 1/3 of line or leader. 20# should suffice. Straight pull on a scale will tell you where you're at. Don't stress over it.

The 5 will pass that connection easily.

The rear hood is fixed as is the diameter of the seat. I'm afraid you're looking at swap or rebuild.

if I understand your post, there's no modification that will address the issue short of replacing the seat with another design. Not likely cost effective but possible.

Cover wise you might be ok but want to step up just due to the lure weight.

I'm not a fan of store combos in general. Especially ones that feature the reel. The best quality and appropriate rod is more critical to success. The daiwa rod may be fine for what you want to do. You'll just have to try it.

If you'd like an estimate you can send it in. Likely just needs cleaning. If not, I'll repair or return. I also buy reels for parts.

I cleaned out some of my inbox and sent a PM. I'm in if you want to call.

Where are you seeing bad reviews regarding longevity of a Curado?

The ROI will depend on the starting point and expectations as well as the users casting ability.