Tywithay

The one under the cast control spins when the spool is spinning, not sure about the pinion. I think the bearing in the pinion only comes in contact when the reel is under load.

There's technically 3 bearings along the spool shaft. 1 in the non-handle sideplate, one under the cast control knob, and another on the pinion.

The best casting fluoro I've found is Seaguar Invisx. What you get in casting ability and handling, you give up stretch and abrasion resistance. Most lines that are abrasion resistant don't cast nearly as well. Finding a good balance is the key to me. The best I've found, hands down, is Tatsu; it's nearly perfect. Sniper is pretty good in all those categories. Shooter is very good with the abrasion resistance and stretch, but it's pretty stiff; this also gives it greater sensitivity. What do you value the most? Casting ability? Stretch? Abrasion resistance? Sensitivity?

I disagree with working "better." They both work equally well. Both have their pros and cons.

I like 8lb fluoro, either Tatsu or Sniper. With a MH rod, I'd suggest 15-20lb braid+leader though. Not really soft enough to handle light line, in my opinion.

The knob bearings are 4x7x2.5. I usually keep a couple shim washers on hand in case there's a slight discrepancy with the bushings vs. bearings. Shimano uses 3x10x4 for all the spool bearings.

The FJ is the smoothest of the Stradics, in my opinion. The CI4+ is smooth too, it just has a different feel to it. The carbon frame transmits vibration much better than the aluminum FJ frame, so you're going to feel the gears meshing a little bit more. Some people confuse that with not being as smooth. Once you're out on the water, it's not nearly as noticeable.

Depends on the situation. If I buy a reel and already have plans to go fishing, I spool 'er up and get after it. If I have a few days between fishing trips, I'll tear it down and clean/relube everything properly.

We're finally getting some 60 degree weather this weekend and I intend on working them out. I don't know what the "break in" period is for the two. May not see real differences until I can get more time on them. I will definitely try to focus on the differences, if there are any. I can tell you without a doubt that the Ceramic Lightning (Abec5) are quite a bit louder than the OS7's. It makes sense though, given the slight difference in tolerances of the ball; a smoother ball should be quieter. Whether or not that affects performance remains to be seen.

I believe Shimano has multiple sources for their bearings, or perhaps their source gets them from multiple manufacturers. I've had some that were blank, some that had inscriptions, some had removeable shields, some didn't.

Ease of casting is the biggest gain anyone should see. Distance shouldn't really change a whole lot. A spool can only spin as fast as a spool can spin (say that 5 times fast). A standard bearing can spin faster than any cast could get it going. A higher quality bearing spins the same speed during a cast, it just achieves that speed easier because of the lack of friction.

This is true for distance casting with weight on the end of the line. However, I've found when using lighter baits the lower initial inertia needed to move a higher quality bearing can be beneficial.

I thought they fished a bit heavier than the ratings. As posted above, they are a bit heavy but not overwhelming, and tip heavy, but again not the worst rod I've handled. Pretty good rod for $50-$60ish, as they're going for at the moment. That 7'3XH is going to be a broom stick, but it'd work for punching heavy cover.

I have 3 Tatula's with OS7, and 1 with ceramic lightning. I noticed a difference over the stock bearings for sure, which were cleaned with the shields removed. Winter set in too fast to get a good feel for the upgraded bearings. The great thaw is coming so I'll know soon enough.

Guides are made of metal, which transmit vibration. You do lose a small amount from the epoxy and threading, but when the epoxy hardens, it transmits vibrations as well. In reality, any weight you add to the rod between your hand and the tip is going to dampen the vibrations slightly, but they're a necessary evil, unless you want to fish a rod with no guides except for the tip. Cork and EVA don't completely kill vibrations like your hand will. If the rod has a foregrip, the foregrip itself won't stop the vibrations completely, unless you're holding it by the foregrip. It certainly won't help transmit anymore vibrations to your hand behind the foregrip though. There's some good stuff on this on rodbuilding.org by guys that have built rods for years (http://rodbuilding.org/read.php?2,384767,384795). For the most part, they've found zero added benefit in performance, other than possible weight savings. Some claim it aids in two handed casting, but I have found that to be a complete hunk of poo in my experience. Seems that is more of a preference thing. I, personally, hate trying to hold a tiny butt end with my off hand, almost feel like I should have my pinky up trying to use a dainty little grip to hold it. Give me a full grip.

If the cork was halfway up the rod, it might dampen the vibrations. On a full grip, the cork is behind your hand; there's nothing left for it to dampen. Grab a tuning fork by the very tip and strike it, you'll feel everything. Now keep holding that end, but put your other hand a couple inches up the handle and strike it, which hand gets the vibrations? The vibrations transmit from the tip, through the rod, to your hand on the reel seat, then they stop. They don't go back into the handle, then bounce back up the rod. Any small amount that get past your hand would be lost because you aren't even holding the rod at that portion. If a builder goes with a very minimalistic design, say for example the Shimano Cumara; the weight savings could lead to a more sensitive feeling blank due to the lack of weight. You'd concentrate less on the weight and feel more of what's going on. It has nothing to do with more vibrations transmitting anywhere though, your hand deadens everything behind it. It's not a matter of agreeing or disagreeing, it's a fact.

I had sticky drag issues with my Smoke that I felt cost me fish. It wouldn't always start smooth and took too much to get it going. Then I'd turn it down and it'd freespool. I always had more line management issues with the Quantums as well. The propulsion lip on Shimano seems to be a real thing that works. I've had a couple Daiwa's I liked as well, but I'll take a Shimano spinner just about every time unless I'm getting into the higher end Daiwa stuff. Won't use Quantum anymore.

Kistler offers a choice on the KLX and Helium. I believe Duckett offers both for the Magic series as well.

I don't really agree at all. You don't have your hand anywhere near the exposed part of the handle during the retrieve. Your hand on the blank anywhere above the split part of the handle will dampen a lot of the vibration, anything else will be negligible; and you wouldn't notice it because you're not touching back there. The only real gain is a minute amount of weight savings.

I don't know what brand the stuff I use is, but it's a can of foaming engine degreaser. It cleans as well as anything I've ever used and was relatively cheap.

I feel like a split grip is a downgrade. I've switched all my casting rods to full grips recently. It'd have to be a good rod for me to use a split grip. When casting with two hands, the short little grip is awful. I like a full handle to grab and let it rip.

Why does everyone seem to think the Chronarch E is going to be discounted because of a Curado? Unless they come out with the new Chronarch G (which they likely will at ICast, if not at the classic), it'll probably stay for a bit. The E has not been discontinued yet, like the Curado G has.

I'd opt for the Tatula, or try to swing the new Curado as well.

I don't recommend acetone on any bearings. A lot of them have plastic cages, acetone can turn them to goo inside your bearing.

BPS isn't a major seller when it comes to reels over $100. Places like TW, that deal in volume of fishing only, will have a fair amount. Either way, they're going to be tough to find for a month or two.