VanderLaan

I got scammed last summer on a CP reel and drift rod. Same scenario, responded to a post and they PM'ed me with a package deal. Seems that second party transactions are almost always a scam.

I have a Iwata Eclipse that works great. A Neo is a cheaper, good quality starter gun. I would urge you to get a gravity-feed brush. You can get a bunch of accessories at Harbor Freight. Google DIY brush cleaner recipe and use a ketchup/condiments squirt bottle from Walmart with q-tips (buy the big box) to clean your gun. I use Createx paint. Good gow paint is difficult to find and can be hard to shoot due to it typically being thicker than regular paint. I have tried the craft stuff, but it is a PITA to thin it. There is also glow powder that you can mix in the paint. I just buy glow spoon blanks from LPO and paint over them. Be sure to set each color with a blow dryer (if you are using water based paint). I seal my spoons with a few coats of automotive clear in a rattle can. I got mine at Menard's. Works pretty good. Would second the madriver recommendation. Carl is a good guy to work with. He has an eBay store. Has all sorts of spoon tape - UV, glow, real fish, etc. Lure Parts Online also has spoon blanks, tapes and ladder backs.

Thanks for the insight.

Got it. Thanks for the insight. Always considered the carbon upgrades to be cheap insurance.

Thanks for the response. I like my Convectors and would be happy to buy another pair. Are the drag upgrades no longer needed for Convectors?

Looking to add another pair of wire divers this year. Was doing some research on the Coldwaters and found some threads on sticking drag issues. I primarily run Convectors and have upgraded the drags. Saw a few older threads (2021-ish) that said Okuma was supposed to upgrade/address the drag problem. Anybody know if Okuma has followed through? Any thoughts on Coldwaters as diver reels? Would I likely be just as satisfied with upgraded Convectors? I am on a somewhat limited budget, so the better half won't appreciate any suggestions to spend more money. 😉

Thanks. That's what I am thinking of doing. All wire? Other than fleas or cost, is there a reason to run braid instead?

Thinking of adding two more dipsy rods to the spread. Current rods are 9'6"/MH/wire. Have read where one would want some tip separation. Is this overblown or should I be looking for shorter/longer rods? If shorter, what's the shortest you would go?