zenbasser

i've brought swimbait gear on 1/2 and 3/4 trips. Using that type of gear for calicos, cudas, bonito, and yellows is fun. That same gear just plain sucks for rockfishing, deep veritcal jigging., A long rod (anything over 5-6ft) works against you. Adding a couple of pounds of lead, drop that to the bottom a few hundred feet, then winching that lead back up using a reel with a tiny spool diameter is just plain work. A high-speed ratio 7:1 ratio, plus small diameter reel, plus 8-ft rod is the exact opposite outfit I'd use for rockfishing...you'll be cranking all day just to wind up a few yards of line.

Cardiff and Conquest are at opposite ends of the lineup in terms of price and build qualtiy. Split the difference and go Calcutta D series, done. Narrow frame Calcutta 300D or 400D is way more comfortable to palm over extended periods vs a wider framed Cardiff 300 Narrow spool in Calcutta D has less line-out friction than wide spool Cardiff, which benefits casting performance. Calcutta D has the oversized gearing that the Conquest has; Cardiff does not. Oversize gearing = more cranking power.

if you're not in a particular rush, keep your eyes open for the glide hustler coming out in a month or two...

the gears dont move during a cast, so there may be more than one area that needs attention. if noise during casting then i'd check the spool bearings and look for spool rub, atypical wear on the spool rim if it touches the reel frame. if noise during retrieve then i'd check the condition of the anti-reverse bearing and with X-ship both pinion support bearings. shimano USA doesnt mention it but one feature that was touted overseas is that the reel can be hosed off and has been engineered to allow water to drain: from my observation as an owner of the 300D/400D i dont think complete drainage is guaranteed

gotcha, i'm always interested in spool swap mods so thanks for clarifying...

so a calcutta 400B spool was swapped into a TE...how did that happen?

the main differences between the 300E and the 300EJ are the handle type and the gear ratio. that's it. the power handle and faster gear ratio on the 300EJ were spec'd for shimano's saltwater jigging system. which is better depends on how you plan on using the reel...

this problem is due to the weight distribution of the handle, not the reel. it has happened to me with a couple of reels including the luna and calcutta. the simple fix is to use a double knob handle...

anyone have recommendations on what stripper, thinner, mineral spirit, etc to *safely* remove the factory paint from a slide swimmer? i've tried wet sanding with 1500/2000grit with good results but looking for something that will take less effort...

so for the record, just what exactly is the retail price for a new deps slide swimmer 250SS? probably not the same price from shop to shop, or year to year... fair might be defined differently if you're buying or selling. can anyone here nail down the fair price?

might be too late. in the last pic, behind the gill plate that black dot is a part inside the body that moves/vibrates...

out of curiosity, what was the original color?

seems deps will be using ABS resin for the body, changing skin type, colors, etc and adding a new "feature"...not sure when these will be released or if this version will be replacing the existing type? some screen grabs: http://imageshack.com/a/img163/5563/1y3f.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img824/7149/wj9a.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img716/721/agt5.jpg

have worked on my own reels since the mid '80's, starting with various ABUs. about the late '90's i got into JDM reels, mostly Shimano and Daiwa. at the time, neither of their service centers would service JDM reels, so i gradually accumulated a good inventory of JDM along with USDM reel parts... one thing i suggest picking up are all the parts you hear or read about getting lost. bearing retainers, e-clips, frame screws, washers/spacers, etc. these are cheap to buy and keep in stock, and NOT having them on hand can make a simple job turn into a PITA or have the reel out of commission until you get the part replaced. the stuff that gets expensive are the aftermarket "tuning" options, especially JDM parts