FishTank

Sorry..... Not sure what I was thinking. I was probably thinking pinion and main gear which was what was wrong with the few I have worked on. Getting old these days. The ones I had seen had been stripped from having been used in heavy cover with braid, among other issues. I will stick with my advice on replacing the reel. Good luck.

Another thought would be to buy a used reel from ebay and use it for parts.

Just a thought..... you are looking at about $40 in parts with shipping for $100 or less reel. You will also need the main gear if you are getting the worm gear. I wouldn't waste the time and money. Also, when I have called for guys whom I have worked on BPS reels for (only a few), the parts are very hit and miss. Bearings and drag washers use be had but after that I haven't had much luck. My usual advice is wait till spring and get a new one during their sale.

For drop shot, I don't think it makes a difference. I have tried them both. I do tend to loose a lot of them so tungsten is a good choice for the small lakes I fish.

The Shimano Bantam comes to mind. It has a smaller profile, smooth and is built like a tank. I would say it's close to a 70 size in Shimano's line up.

I would keep them. I tried the 8.5:1 and didn't care for the speed. It was almost too fast so I got the 7.4:1 instead. I also have both the 6.2:1 and the 7.4:1 Curado K's. All of them are great reels. I find the DC reel to a useful tool but not an upgrade or improvement on the regular K> It is a little smoother though. The DC is nice for windy conditions but for most of my day to day fishing the K's are fine.

I would go with suggestion as well. The Stradic is the best bang for the buck. If you can save $150, be patient and save up the extra bucks for this reel.

Amazon has 200 yard spools of 8lb and 15lb Tatsu for $30. They sold out of 10lb. This is the cheapest I have seen it in a while.

I have a couple of them I bought a few years ago. I haven't fished them much lately but when I first got them they seemed to work great. To tell the truth though, I haven't caught too many this year on any lipless crank.

Tool? The extra spool came with the reel when I bought it. Depending on the reel, you can order them from the manufacture to match the reel you have. What reel do you have? You might post a picture to give us a better idea of what it is exactly you have going on.

I haven't ordered from TW in a while. I have found other outlets closer to me that can get things to me faster. TW is not at fault. They are just that packed with orders, which is great but I tend to need things quicker than they can get it to me. I just hope in the future they will grow in a way that can get things out quicker. On a side note, I have talked to people I partner with at FedX, UPS, USPS, Target, Amazon and even Customs for EMS, LTL deliveries, and DHL stuff and they all say the same thing...... Businesses are finding ways around shortages by limiting the amount of over all sku's that they ship or carry on hand. This allows for more of the main items they sell to be available and it frees up more trucks for shipments (supposedly). For a weird example, Target by me only carries 2 types of my daughter's favorite Cold Brew, when they use to carry a bunch of brands and flavors.

St. Croix Avid 7' Med Fast. Most moderate rods for spinnerbaits don't really set the hook well for me.

The reason I mention it is that I have the 783C GLX, 844C GLX, 853C NRX, 803C GLX, 802C NRX and the 873C NRX. I also use to have one of the GLX Crankbait rods. All of these rods to me are/were too sensitive for the baits I mentioned. Fishing these baits is like fishing with a tuning fork, especially with crankbaits. I would often find myself setting the hook to soon and missing fish. I also have the 903C IMX Pro Crankbait rod and this rod comes close to being too fast and sensitive. I actually like the St. Croix Legend Glass better. With all that said..... I have used the 783C and the 844C for the baits you mentioned but they would not be my first choice. They are very versatile but in the NRX line up, the constant vibration of the baits all day would get to me, especially based on my old experience with the GLX crankbait rod I had. I also have the 844C IMX which is my dedicated topwater rod and the 783C GLX is my dedicated jerkbait rod.

I have an older Shimano Stradic that has a ding on the spool and does snag braid but it comes with a spare spool. I have the good one set up with braid and the dinged one set up with FC.

The drag clicker washer may be turned over the wrong direction.

Just check that the drag clicker washer isn't turned over the wrong direction.

12lb Tatsu would do the trick for what you are after and I would also suggest the Steez CT. Great reel but I have been using mine on a 802C NRX (a little lighter than the 843C) with 10lb. On a side note, any vibrating bait on that sensitive of a rod will drive you crazy. You can do it but I wouldn't use it for crankbaits, spinnerbaits, or buzzbaits.

Not sure of the price range but.... G. Loomis IMX 844C and a Shimano Chronarch. This will do just about whatever you want... Frogs, jigs, topwater, spinnerbaits, and even bladed jigs. Very versatile set up.

I picked up a 3000 Vanquish at Asian Fishing Portal. Its super light and a pleasure to fish towards the end of the day when my hands get tired. The drag is super smooth but if I need to tighten down, I think it would bring in a good sized grouper. Amazing reel.

Which Symetre do you have?

I would also check out the Shimano Bantam

I have an 803S coming in for a warranty replacement. Can't wait. I am not sure how it it could be better than the original.

@bulldog1935 Can you explain the difference in all of the current Steez reels while we are at it? You made some good points above. I have been wanting to ask this for a while as Daiwa doesn't give you much except new marketing catch words with each new reel. I have the Steez SV and CT and have fished the A. All three feel and fish differently. I know this is a big ask but I have seen different and even incomplete info. It would be nice to have it in one post for reference.

I agree with Catt above. For jigs, 100 size reel would be better if you are wanting to palm the reel. Now what about retreive speed. Is a round reel going to pick up line fast enough? My thoughts on a set up..... Outside of the original budget but a 100 Calcutta B (if you can find one) and a St. Croix Avid 7' MH Fast. This set up should last a lifetime.

My backpack for bank fishing and my kayak contains one Plano 3600 and a double sided Plano worm stowaway box (these can be hard to find). The 3600 contains 3 topwater baits, 3 jerkbaits, 5 crankbaits, a few misc. baits and 3 jigs. The two sided box has spots for terminal tackle on each side and space for about 12 bags of soft plastic total. I also keep sunscreen, a water bottle, pliers, Keitechs and sunglasses in my backpack. About the only thing I don't bring are spinnerbaits and swimbaits.