The "These lures and this gear sucks thread" - from our members

[MuskieBait]

For those who like to clean and re-grease their drags stack...

The older Pflueger spinning reels (the ones I have are Solara, Trion and Medalist) have a design flaw in their 3-piece spool system.

Basically, you cannot remove your drag stack unless you unscrew and remove the top piece of the spool. By doing so, you will have to essentially say goodbye to your spool of line because without the top piece, your line will come off the spool and unwind. Not too bad an issue if you spool with mono...but you definitely do not want to lose 100-300 yards of braid.

In my newer Pflueger reel, the bail arm rust much easier than older models (new: Medalist vs. old: Solara and Trion). In the older model, part of the bail arm piece is made of some corrosion resistant metal...perhaps stainless steel. I've had one reel for over 10 years and no sign of rust. In the newer model, part of bail arm piece is made with a poorer corrosion resistant metal. The surface is plated but the plating is not very corrosion resistant either. Basically, the underlying metal corroded and the plating chipped off. It was essentially one trip to the saltwater and it was done. If you fish your reels rough (in the rain, dipped in the water, dropped into mud...etc), I would expect that bail arm piece to corrode after 2-3 years of freshwater exposure.

Otherwise, Pflueger has great waterproof drag system, felt drag washer and more technology for the dollar than any other brands.

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(10-29-2013 05:22 PM)Giuga10 Wrote:  The smallest size of kwikfish tends to burn out extremely easily. Like they have to be worked at an extremely slow pace to refrain from spinning out of control, claims to be a good size for trout but when I used it in the river, even in the slow pools it would burn out at a standstill. Stick to the bigger sizes.

You are working them way too fast...they are best worked drifted back into likely holding areas instead of cast and retrieve...

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Another thing...

Do not use Berkley Vanish or Seaguar InvisX fluorocarbon FISHING LINE as a LEADER. Fishing line is not the same as leader material. Fishing line, although it is fluorocarbon, has a different formulation that makes it more supple (flexible)...but it also makes it less abrasion resistant. Lost too many big brown trout trying to bottom bounce with the fluorocarbon fishing lines. Even Trilene XL was more abrasion resistant at the same diameter. I thought I would improve my landing ratio by changing from Trilene XL to those two fluorocarbon lines...but they were both a big step BACKWARDS.

That mistake was where I learned an important lesson...don't try to save money when it comes to your fishing line. $15 for 300 yards of 100% fluorocarbon seems like a good deal...until you start losing fish after fish after fish to the nasty zebra mussel encrusted rocks. Fluorocarbon line is not the same as fluorocarbon leader...and hence the huge difference in price.