Rod/reel maintenance - inshore fishing

SWFinatic
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Re: Rod/reel maintenance - inshore fishing

Post by SWFinatic »

Here's the best budget rod I've ever found. Ugly Stick Elite Pro. Only available at Walmart and I believe US stopped making this model. I have the 7 footer. It has 11 guides and has great sensitivity. I have a Falcon Coastal (which I really like) and this Elite Pro has as good if not better sensitivity that my Falcon. Solid rod for the price.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Shakespeare- ... d/16794754
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Ron Mc
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Re: Rod/reel maintenance - inshore fishing

Post by Ron Mc »

SteveRetrieve wrote:Ron, how's that new stradic? Asking for a friend :D
They say the 2019 Stradic FL is the best $400 reel you can buy, but it costs $220.
In it, they re-made the Stella with less-expensive materials in most places, e.g., composite flier instead of titanium, wear-treated aluminum shafts in place of wear-proof stainless, a few bushings in place of minor ball bearings (worm gear rider). Most parts interchange with the Stella.
Labyrinth seals won't leak unless you leave it dunked overnight. And so smooth you can't tell it's sealed.
It has the shaft stiffness you need for crazy big drags, same big main gear, fine gear teeth throughout (greater gear mesh efficiency = less wear), uses the same over-designed roller bearing.
Both 4000 and 5000 are light enough to fish inshore, and tough enough to take offshore and abuse with kings.
What you gain with long-spool/oscillation is better casting with heavier lines.
I strictly use manual bail with braid, it's full-time anti-reverse with no option/switch, but that's easy to deal with a manual-bail mindset.
I hated the T-handle (interaction with loose line) on the 4000 and found a good deal on a Yumeya from Japan. The 5000 comes with a ball handle.
Image
Since I have 2 Rockfish rods, one with the Cetus and 4-lb test, was looking at 1000- to 1500-size reels to retire the Penn 4200SS my daughter grew up fishing.
2nd spot for the reel is a 6'6" Falcon Open Hook Special.
Here, my daughter's catching big sheepshead at the LHL marker 60 pass.
ImageI tried to justify buying another new Stradic FL here, but this small niche doesn't need all those great design features.
Instead, I bought the Tica Libra SX1500 with 6-lb copolymer, and a second spool with 10-lb braid.
Shown next to a Libra SX3000
Image For my money, the Libra SX is the best $100 reel you can buy (line capacity of the Libra SX3000 exactly matches the Stradic FL4000).
It has the same long-spool/oscillation, but uses eccentric gear. No seals (sealed bearings), so avoid dunking it, but incredibly smooth and balanced. The SX3000 and 3500 are the same reel with different depth spools - I prefer the shallow spool for flatter wind. I know of a guy who has over 15 years on the old Libra SA.
My SX3000 is 3 years in the salt now, and very happy with it for smooth function and adequate, finely adjustable drag.
I use a Salton spring scale to set my drags.
I clean the shaft spindle every trip and add a drop of McLube One-Drop.
TexasJim wrote:Ron: Reading your cork re-hab process reminded me! Do they make cork grips in flavors? Most of the flyfisher catch pictures have the guy posing with a big fish and the fly rod grip is in the guy's mouth! Seems like Crown Royal or Jack Daniels would be a good cork flavor. Or Amaretto, for the lady flyfishers. Or Cruzan Rum for me. TexasJim
Cruzan has touch of orange and good stuff, but the Matusalem 23-y-o is my go-to grog.
Karen Gebhart, my friend who began the Texas Trout in the Classroom program (I helped her set up the first tank).
Her health finally caused her to volunteer me, and I've been running the program for 12 years now.
Nice Guadalupe rainbow about mile 12.
Image
impulse wrote:Dirty little secret about braid... A lot of it is the same...
Impulse, you asked the question about braided line wear on aluminum oxide guides.
Was just giving my opinion about coated v. non-coated braided lines. I see no problems using thinnest non-coated braided lines on trolling reels for maximum capacity on smaller reels, but for casting spinning reels, I see advantages in coated braids resisting kink, and also recovering baitcaster backlash.
All of my reels are backed with braid for capacity, but still use working fluoro over the braid on most of my reels.
I don't always need to cast out of sight, especially close kayak fishing - also like to fish longer rods to keep weighted lures lifted above grass - the bonus is effortless reach around a T160 - and 20% increase in rod length doubles cast distance.
Last edited by Ron Mc on Wed Jan 22, 2020 2:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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impulse
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Re: Rod/reel maintenance - inshore fishing

Post by impulse »

Ron Mc wrote:
impulse wrote:Dirty little secret about braid... A lot of it is the same...
Impulse, you asked the question about braided line wear on aluminum oxide guides.
Was just giving my opinion about coated v. non-coated braided lines. I see no problems using thinnest non-coated braided lines on trolling reels for maximum capacity on smaller reels, but for casting spinning reels, I see advantages in coated braids resisting kink, and also recovering baitcaster backlash.
All of my reels are backed with braid for capacity, but still use working fluoro over the braid on most of my reels.
I don't always need to cast out of sight, especially close kayak fishing - also like to fish longer rods to keep weighted lures lifted above grass - the bonus is effortless reach around a T160 - and 20% increase in rod length doubles cast distance.

We're not so far apart. I just hate to see people getting sucked into paying a lot of money for a brand name when it's not justified by a quality or performance difference. I think the OP just learned that about Lew's rods... And I appreciate him bringing up the topic so we can all learn from someone else's experiences. It also applies to braid.
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Ron Mc
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Re: Rod/reel maintenance - inshore fishing

Post by Ron Mc »

agree, we both have deep experience pockets, with their pluses and minuses :mrgreen:
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impulse
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Re: Rod/reel maintenance - inshore fishing

Post by impulse »

That's the beauty of the printed word and polite discourse. I don't have to step into a pothole if someone else has written about it.

And hopefully, Lew's has a social media manager whose job it is to search out threads like this and take them to to the production department for a fix... Those photos aren't flattering at all.
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Ron Mc
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Re: Rod/reel maintenance - inshore fishing

Post by Ron Mc »

I think our OP should share his photos with Lew's and politely ask their recommendation.
It might lead to a good outcome. Possibly a discount on a replacement salt-specific rod.
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Wutevs
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Re: Rod/reel maintenance - inshore fishing

Post by Wutevs »

Was new to fishing and started off with ugly sticks GX2s. After about a year, I got some corrosion just like the OP. Also got a fractured rod guide. I think the fracture was due to the corrosion. I dropped some massive baller bank on two new $50 Lew's Carbon Fire rods and took steps to protect my investment; which basically consists of hitting my gear with the garden hose, letting it dry, and applying a little mineral oil.

I pour a drop of mineral oil on my index finger, rub my thumb, and then rub down the rod guides between my fingers. I only fish with 3 rods max so it takes about 5 minutes at most to lube up the guides. Mineral oil is odorless, tasteless, non toxic, and $2.00 at Dollar General. My Lew's rods are over a year old and show no signs of corrosion. In that year, both rods have gone on over 20 fishing trips in the hyper-saline waters of the Corpus Christi area.

Been working so far. Mineral oil good for hooks too. Hope this helps.
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