Tywithay

I had a similar issue with my 5500 and the spool shaft wasn't seated fully. It made an audible click when I pushed it all the way in.

I take extras to a local paper company that recycles cardboard

Graphite prepregs are generally cured at 300° or more. It'd take a lot more than a hot car to damage the blank if it was properly cured at the factory. Fiberglass rods, especially older ones, are another story. Cheap epoxy can have issues as well.

Only spinning rod I've used in the NRX is the 852S and I actually think it fished pretty similar to the ML Elite, from what I can remember. I found the 852 to be a bit stiff in the tip section as well. I've been told the 902 fishes quite a bit softer. Imagine the Light Elite would be softer than the ML as well. I guess it depends what you intend to do with it which action would work best.

I thought the reel seat was too skinny. Made it very unclear for me, but that's obviously a personal thing. Hard to really say unless you hold one yourself. I had the 7' ML and thought it fished a little heavier. The guides and build quality were great, blank was light and sensitive, but it just didn't fish great in my hands for what I wanted.

A study done by Fish & Game found monofilament losing up to 20% of its strength after 100 hours of uv exposure. I'm sure some have better UV inhibitors than others, but none are impervious.

Heat won't damage the line as as much the UV rays. The fishing rod itself will outlive all of us, but some of the thread wraps and handle materials don't do as well.

It's a slippery slope. Congratulations on the new reel though. I really enjoy using my Curado DC.

You can get a used Metanium MGL for the same price as the Chronarch

They have the same reel for $139 at sportsmansoutfitters.com It is legit though. I've ordered from them a number of times.

Kansas has an average of 20-30mph wind during the summer. If I avoid wind, I'd never fish.

7'6" Heavy Curado with an 8.1 Tatula SV Think all told I have about $250 in it.

I suppose it's similar to the HLC, but the spool is only 14g, compared to 12.75g on the SV, so it is still plenty capable of lighter offerings. I used the Elite to fish for crappie with a 1/16oz jighead and a 2" tube and was getting more than adequate distance. I haven't had an opportunity to use my SV yet for comparison, but early indications tell me the Elite is far more than just a "Long Cast" reel.

The SV should throw light weights better in theory, though the Elite has done pretty well for me in that regard. I like the thumb bar better on the SV, but otherwise I prefer the Elite in pretty much every aspect. I feel like the SV is more of a niche reel and the Elite is a do-it-all.

I wouldn't necessarily say "better," plus there's an Elite that's geared towards pitching as well if you wanted to go that route. I don't know that DC reels do anything really great, they just do it more stress free. Plus it's fun to make it sing. Both are great reels and neither is necessarily better than the other. The Elite is more versatile, in my opinion, but it doesn't really do anything the DC can't.

What are you trying to accomplish? Elite is totally about distance, DC is about control.

M, MH, ML...they're all pretty much worthless. Lure ratings tell a better story.

https://falconrods.com/falcon-cara-rods.html

Don't buy one

Ark Viper for $60 on TW. I assure you there's not a better rod for that price.

I really like the Yamamoto 4" grubs, but they're super soft so they tear easily.

They use grease to make it quieter, buttery smooth, and more waterproof. I prefer oil so it doesn't collect dirt.

Was cleaning up the tackle cave and found this old sucker in one of my boxes. My grandpa sent me some money for my 16th birthday and I made my mom take me to KMart so I could buy my first baitcaster. Also my first reel over $100. I had always wanted an Ambassadeur and the green just looked cooler than the red ones. In the 20 years I've owned it, I've never seen another one like it. Used the crap out of it, but retired it about 6 or 7 years ago. It's a 5500C4 BASS Tour Series

For the bearings, you might search online for RC car websites. I bought 50 bearings for the handle knobs on my reels and I don't think it was more than $10 including shipping. Just don't recall which site, but there's numerous.

Tatula SV or Elite