Greetings!
My name is Drew, and I am currently working on my 9/0 senator. I purchased it used on eBay (with a full roller rod) in July, and I have used it twice so far (without catching anything, albeit) for land based shark fishing and it works good, but not great. So, I am going to be working on it over the next few weeks to make this thing look and work better than new.
I took apart the entire reel last night. All of the internals appear to be pretty well, nothing on the inside is rusted or corroded - I'm no expert, but I do know that's good. The drag washers are the stock ones, I plan on doing a carbon fiber upgrade (as well as on my other three conventional reels). Other than that, I think I'm going to try and remove the rust/corrosion from the hardware parts of it, if it doesn't work I will just buy all new ones from Scott's Bait and Tackle online. One of the screws that holds the little back harness in place (that the wing nut goes on) is bent, so I will probably replace that one - sounds like a lot of work to bend it, that's not necessary. If I replace it, then for aesthetics I will probably replace all external metal pieces with newer ones.
So I came here for a little bit of help. I would like some reassurance along the way, just to make sure I'm doing everything right. I would also like some recommendations - other than carbon fiber drag washers, are there any other good upgrades that would be worth my time, or no? After all that's done I am going to grease everything up again as well.
Thank you all for your help :)
Welcome Drew,
Look through the senator section for upgrading tips. You can sink a lot of money into one of these.
I would say the best two upgrades for this reel is a power handle and a stainless sleeve.
Black Pearl gears and an insert are the next level, but will hit you in the pocket pretty hard.
You can always stick with stock steel gears and upgrade to an insert. This is all up to you.
There were one piece aluminum frames available here at one time.
With the extra power of the insert kit. A frame would be a wise choice.
http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=17168.0
Hey Drew,
I got a little carried away with mine and ran into some serious issues getting mine back together. Everyone on the board was great and helped tremendously. My only advice would be not to put too much grease on the washers when putting them back in. I ended up sending mine to Bryan (one of the admins) and he got me straightened out. I will tackle another but plan on waiting a little bit. Best of luck.
Also one of Bryan's drag kits. Dominick
welcome!!!!
Welcome Drew! You put yourself in good hands above; you'll be building that in your sleep before Christmas!
John
Hi Drew, first you have to get together the basic material & tools to do the job starting with a good marine grease for lubrication & protection of metal parts. You can get the Penn blue grease & Cal's drag grease from SB&T when you order your parts. You will need Drag Grease such as Cal's. Just ask the members of the family here for all the help you need. Rudy
WooooHoooo....we got another to turn to the Darkside ;D....Welcome Drew.....Bill
Wow, thanks for all the helpful replies! Here are my initial responses, going down the line.
Shark Hunter: What exactly makes it a "power handle" versus the handle that's already on there? Is it lighter than a stock handle, more powerful, or something different? I will look into the gears you're talking about, thanks for the recommendation. As for the Black Pearls, I'm not sure how much money we're talking (since I haven't checked them out yet) but the X-Mas season is coming up! What's the difference between the gear sleeves, the black pearl gears/insert combo, and the stock gears/insert combo? Those frames are pretty nice, but what's the purpose of upgrading it? I don't have the one-piece frame in mine, it's got the support bars between the side panels. I'm seeing prices around $100-$120 for an aluminum frame - does this sound about right, or is there somewhere to find one cheaper? And what benefit do I gain from having one? Thanks for your reply!
Saaben: Good to hear, thanks for the warning. And thanks for the advice - can't wait to get this thing rolling, and I'm sure everyone on here will be a tremendous help!
Dominick: Where would I find one of Bryan's drag kits? One thing I am focused on is getting this thing into an absolute beast - upgrading the drag is a priority of mine.
alantani: Thank you for the warm welcome! I cannot wait to become an active member of your wonderful site
thorhammer: That's great to hear, I look forward to working with everyone here
RowdyW: I have a buddy in Long Island (I am in North Carolina) who's got some stuff he's going to send me, I believe it's Penn Blue Grease. Not sure he's got anything for the drag or not, if he doesn't I will happily purchase some.
TARFU: Lol yep, do you mean reel repair, Penn Senator owners, shark fishing, or all of the above ;D?
Once this is done, I m also going to (hopefully) re-do the rod. It's pretty ugly looking right now - an old Shakespeare stand up rod, full rollers (I like that part), blue foam grips, cream body, and purple and orange accents. I am looking into re-doing the guides since they're corroding and two are bent, and painting the rod a solid black color with silver accents. Black reel with silver accents, black rod with silver accents, only one thing left to decide on - the line. Since I'm using it for LBSF I am going to have 400 yards of 130 pound hollow core braid and then 400 yards of 80 pound mono, but I need to decide on a color. Any suggestions that would look nice? Thinking either clear mono and white braid, clear mono and blue braid, or blue mono and blue braid.
Will post some specs on the rod in a minute, I'm not near it at the moment.
Drew,
Let me slow down a little. The power handle I speak of is a solid stainless arm attached to a 5/0 Grip.
When you grab it, it feels like it was made for your hand.
The purpose of a solid frame is to prevent the post frame from twisting under the extra drag provided from an insert kit.
Fully tanked out, this reel will cost $400 in just parts. That is not including the donor reel.
I suggest you get into this reel slowly.
I don't want you to spend a bunch of money until you are more familiar with hot rodding. It takes Time, Money, Patience and Experience.
I suggest with just starting with a drag upgrade from Bryan or Scott's bait and tackle.
That will push the reel in the 20lb drag range with just that single item.
This might be the only upgrade you need. It is all a personal preference.
Then when you get more comfortable, step up to a power handle, then maybe a sleeve. Take little steps.
If you need anything, just drop me a PM.
Daron
(http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm11/ddyer2/PTDC0046_zps2u1mr5hv.jpg) (http://s292.photobucket.com/user/ddyer2/media/PTDC0046_zps2u1mr5hv.jpg.html)
Sounds great Daron, thanks for the advice. I was originally going to just go with a heavy cleaning, drag upgrade, servicing, and new external metal parts (strictly for aesthetics). I didn't even know there were this many add-ons - I've got the entire thing disassembled in my "workshop" at the moment, I want to get a feel for this thing inside and out before I do anything to it. After that, I'll get a drag upgrade, put it back together, and hopefully fish with it. Eventually I'll add new gears, handle, frame, etc if I decide it's worth the extra cash. I've got a little over $100 put aside for the project now, so that should get me at the very least hardware and drag upgrades - plus some work on my rod.
check pm; lets see the rod
Drew, you may as well get used to the site. I apologize for saying off hand to get something from Bryan when you are new to the site. Start on the home page. Scroll down until you see "Ultimate Upgrades by Bryon Young. Look to see what you need. Send him a PM and let him know what you need. Easy peasey. Dominick
I still have a handful of the insert drag kits available. They will fit either stock penn gears, or stock fitment Black Pearl gears. I also offer a couple of different designs of all stainless power handles. The handle arm in Daron's picture is one of mine, and the knob is from Alan Tani.
Thank you to everyone for the help. The plan is to go with carbon fiber drags first and foremost, whether they're from Bryan or someone else. Can anyone recommend a way to get the most drag I can out of the reel (and still be feasible to use, obviously). Should I grease the drag washers or run them dry? Is there a drag system that works better than Bryan's?
I am looking into a new handle, and eventually will get new gears in it. I'm determining what screws/metal parts I need for it right now so I can get those ordered
Thanks again to everyone for your help. Eventually, I would like to purchase one of every size senator (1/0 through 16/0, it skips a few like 5/0, 7/0, 8/0, 11/0, 13/0, and 15/0 I believe) and find time and money to rebuild them, plus rebuild an old rod for each of them. Some day, some day :)
Quote from: biggiesmalls on November 30, 2016, 12:02:05 AM
Eventually, I would like to purchase one of every size senator (1/0 through 16/0, it skips a few like 5/0, 7/0, 8/0, 11/0, 13/0, and 15/0 I believe) and find time and money to rebuild them, plus rebuild an old rod for each of them. Some day, some day :)
Unfortunately it appears that there is no cure for this illness...
Sid
Quote from: sdlehr on November 30, 2016, 12:14:19 AM
Quote from: biggiesmalls on November 30, 2016, 12:02:05 AM
Eventually, I would like to purchase one of every size senator (1/0 through 16/0, it skips a few like 5/0, 7/0, 8/0, 11/0, 13/0, and 15/0 I believe) and find time and money to rebuild them, plus rebuild an old rod for each of them. Some day, some day :)
Unfortunately it appears that there is no cure for this illness...
Sid
Who said I wanted to be cured ;)
Welcome aboard, Biggie!
I like your enthusiasm... now get dirty! ;)
Enjoy your new addiction... I mean hobby.
Dom
Hello everyone! OP here.
I am hoping to purchase new parts sometime by the end of the week, so that it can be rebuilt and respooled soon. I am also going to be working with thorhammer (hopefully) to do some work on the rod. Mainly re-coloring it and possibly replacing some of the guides on there, if they're not looking too hot. Did I mention the rod's white, orange, blue, and purple?
So, I need some advice on which way to go with the part to purchase. At first, I was planning on buying:
- Drag washer kit from Bryan Young - $37
- 4-1/8" molded tubber T-bar handle and arm blank from SmoothDrag - somewhere around $35-$50
- Penn 114H SS gear sleeve from Alan Tani on Scott's Bait - $38.40
- Penn 114H SS dog from SmoothDrag - $3.50
However then I found a kit from SmoothDrag for $105 even, made for the Penn 114H (which seems to be the same parts as used in the 115). The kit has stainless steel main and pinion gears, a carbontex drag washer set, a flat metal washer set, a stainless steel pinion yoke, and a stainless steel dog. It's the second one down on this page: http://www.smoothdrag.com/gear_sets.html
My "budget" on this project is $130 - I saw budget in quotation marks because after the holidays, I got a little extra cash so I might be willing to chip in a bit more money. Not a lot though - to stay on the safe side, let's say I have a $150 budget for everything - getting the reel spooled, recoloring the rod (not putting on new guides, I'll include extra if I have to do that since it's a bit more expensive), and fixing up the reel.
So far, I know that the reel will have 60 pound mono, with a 100-yard topshot of 80 pound. This shouldn't cost too much money, and I am going to be getting it done at the local tackle shop - so I'll probably pay by the yard for it. I have heard that there should be a little bit of braid underneath the monofilament so that the spool doesn't get warped - is that necessary or no? I've got an aluminum spool if that helps with anything.
The rod is going to be painted over completely, I plan to use this stuff in "skid mark black" (http://www.colorbondpaint.com/collections/car-interior-paint-car-upholstery-paint/products/seat-stylin-7) for the foam grips and plain black Rust-O-Leum to paint the rest of the rod. I plan on polishing the guides and the reel seat and keeping them a chrome color, while the rest of the rod will be black. If I feel I can work it into the budget, I may get blue accents painted on the rod - but that's not a main concern at the moment. Thank you to John (thorhammer) for helping me out with this part - I didn't forget about you, I'll send you some pics of the guides (and entire rod) later tonight :)
Sorry for my incredibly long post - but in the end, what I am asking is this - should I purchase an entire stainless steel internals kit for $105 (includes drag upgrade, my main priority) along with a new handle, or should I just purchase a stainless steel gear sleeve and dog, as well as a drag upgrade kit (maybe not from Bryan to save some money, probably from SmoothDrag) and new handle. I will look for a handle arm cheaper, the grip I'm wanting is only $18. Which would be more worth it to purchase, in your opinions?
Thank you to everone who has assisted me.
I'd get the kit and then the handle you absolutely want, even if you have to a wait a minute for it. Call me this week. There is a better can than rustoleum fur this if you aren't going to put a clear fiiish over it. I'll see where I may be of assistance if saves you a few bucks.
John
There are many different directions you can go with your build.
The Kit from smoothdrag is a nice addition, but it is missing the most important upgrade, which is a stainless sleeve.
That is the core of the reel and the most important in my experience.
I would go with stock everything as long as the sleeve was in there.
These guys know what they're doing. I've learned a lot from all of them. You can spend a LOT of money on parts doing a build. The parts these guys put together are the best, and tested. Take some pics along the way so we can see your progress.
I just completed a build on a 113H. I think you'll find that sometimes you may run across some minor fitting issues with new parts. Just take your time. I had to take mine apart a few times to figure out what was going on. Once it was done there was a lot of satisfaction in the fact that I did it on my own. I did a lot of studying though. I read most of the related threads here on AT. And, the expertise these guys put into their tutorials was invaluable. I probably would have never attempted a build without the folks here on Alantanti.com. Good luck, and keep us posted on your progress!
I wasn't paying close attention. I thought the kit had the SS sleeve. I agree 100percent with Daron. Sleeve and drags before all else and you have a very very capable reel. If you go braiding it and put on a power handle there is a chance you will round off the brass sleeve. The second 9/0 I got had this damage.
Get those pics of the rod up and let's see what you've got to work with.
John
Okay, so no to that gear kit then - since I can't afford the kit and the sleeve. So I will probably be purchasing the following for the reel:
- Stainless steel gear sleeve and dog
- New handle and arm
- Carbon fiber drag set
As well as a few new screws, since a few of them are bent. I will be removing the dirt, rust, and/or corrosion from all of the metal parts, internal and external. Then I will attempt to polish all the external parts as well, for aesthetics. After that's complete, I guess I can finally start putting this thing back together :)
Pics of the rod coming shortly. The rollers are bent in a few spots, but only the wire on one side - they appear to be fine, replacing them doesn't sound worth it - since I could just build my own rod for a little bit more money.
have you opened it yet? you may have a steel gear already.
All the gears are brass.
How do I add images?
Figured it out. Here are the guides, including the tip top. Missing a picture of one of them
Quote from: biggiesmalls on January 03, 2017, 02:51:06 PM
Okay, so no to that gear kit then - since I can't afford the kit and the sleeve. So I will probably be purchasing the following for the reel:
- Stainless steel gear sleeve and dog
- New handle and arm
- Carbon fiber drag set
Regarding the drag, are you looking to increase the drag capacity from a stock 9/0, or just upgrade to modern materials? Bryan's kit is a 7+1 drag system, and would give you a lot of drag power. If you just want modern materials, you could buy stock HT-100 drags from MysticParts for 11.05 plus shipping.
https://www.mysticparts.com/PennParts/Parts/6-114HSP.aspx (https://www.mysticparts.com/PennParts/Parts/6-114HSP.aspx)
I'm not trying to talk you out of Bryan's kit. I have a couple of his 5+1 kits in jigmasters and they are great! But if you don't need the extra drag, you could save a few bucks. The stock drag washers in a 9/0 may be adequate for fishing 60-80 lb test.
With either Bryan's kit or the stock drag washers, I would make sure to lube them with Cal's drag grease or a similar product.
"Edited as per Moderators to correct Scott's Bait & Tackle over to their new store name Mystic Reel Parts / www.mysticparts.com"
I am looking to upgrade my drag capabilities in this reel, so I plan to go with a heavier drag system. Will the one from Smooth Drags give me any extra drag power? It's $19, which is about half of the cost of Bryan's. It looks similar to Three Se7ens (dont' think I spelled his username correctly), which was able to put out 65-70 pounds at max - and worked pretty smoothly up until 30-35 pounds. So hopefully this $19 kit will at least increase my max drag output to something close to that. I am going to send them an email tonight to see what I can expect to get out of the reel.
Once I decide on the drags, I will place my order. I'm going to order a 4-1/8" molded rubber handle and a new arm, a stainless steel dog, some Cal's universal reel grease, and probably the drag system from Smooth Drags. I'll buy a stainless steel gear sleeve from Scott's Bait and Tackle. Should put me at about $110, give or take. Which will give me $20-$40 for some paint for the rod, and hopefully I can find something around the house to polish the metal parts of the reel.
Does using vinegar and a cotton ball, then fine grit sandpaper (for the especially hard-to-clean parts) sound like a good idea for cleaning everything? Obviously a heavy rinsing with freshwater after using the vinegar. I think the only parts I will buy new are the screws that go into the rod harness (since one of them is bent, and having one new and one old would look weird) and then any parts that for whatever reason will not get cleaned.
One last thing - the reel is spooled with some old dacron line, can anyone think of a possible use for it? Seems like a lot of line to just throw away, but I'm going to get rid of it all anyways. Maybe I can save a bit of it and double, triple, quadruple, etc. it up to make a tail rope. Or maybe something for the kayaks. I don't know, anyone have any ideas?
Quote from: biggiesmalls on January 05, 2017, 01:39:18 AM
I am looking to upgrade my drag capabilities in this reel, so I plan to go with a heavier drag system. Will the one from Smooth Drags give me any extra drag power? It's $19, which is about half of the cost of Bryan's. It looks similar to Three Se7ens (dont' think I spelled his username correctly), which was able to put out 65-70 pounds at max - and worked pretty smoothly up until 30-35 pounds. So hopefully this $19 kit will at least increase my max drag output to something close to that. I am going to send them an email tonight to see what I can expect to get out of the reel.
I think the $19 Smooth Drag kit is a 5+1. If so, it probably gives approximately the same drag power as the stock drag washers. The Smooth Drag washers might hold up longer, but I've not had problems with stock Penn washers wearing out myself. The stock (HT100) washers are sometimes a little ragged around the circumference, even when new though.
Bryan's drag washers are a 7+1 kit, and would give considerably more drag than a 5+1 kit.
Adam's (three se7ens) drag insert is a different system. It takes advantage of both sides of each drag washer, and therefore gives higher drag numbers with the same number of washers as the other designs. It would likely give you the most drag power of all the options.
You can forget about sandpaper to clean up your reel unless you don't mind scratching everything. Try a little 4/0 steelwool (that's 0000) on the chrome and an old tooth brush with mineral spirits or some household degreaser on the rest of the parts. The vinegar will just remove the green stuff. A 15 minute soak should do it. Rudy
So it sounds like the Smoothdrags system isn't going to give me much more drag than the system in the reel now. I sent them an email, so I will see what they say about it. Not sure if it's a 5+1 or a 6+1 system.
I'll start gathering some steel wool, toothbrushes, and vinegar - since there is some green corrosion on the spool and a few external parts. Is the degreaser for getting off the Penn blue grease that's on the parts, or just generally cleaning them?
The reason Bryan's kit is more is because he has thinner drag washers made to accommodate a 7 stack. The normal stack is only 5.
Dawn's kit is just the Carbon drag washers and not the metal washers.
Adam's insert kit is a totally different animal. It uses an Insert in the gear with versa drag type washers to double up the power.
My go to for polishing up that reel is turtle wax chrome polish. Found at any auto or department store.
Here is a regular stock 5 stack.
(http://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag93/darondyer/IMG_2780_zpse65fca52.jpg)
This is Bryan's 7 stack kit.
(http://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag93/darondyer/IMG_3059_zps8jbxotdc.jpg)
This is Adam's kit with the insert already in the gear.
Another thing, If you are upgrading to the Black Pearl stainless gears, you will need a stainless yoke. Dawn at Smooth drag and Scott's has these.
(http://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag93/darondyer/IMG_3136_zpsf1t76tmn.jpg)
(http://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag93/darondyer/IMG_2920_zpsgbyvkp3b.jpg)
You can use all kinds of stuff to polish your reel up. If the corrosion has eaten through the Chrome. You are not going to bring it back.
The Chrome polish works for me.
It can turn this,
(http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm11/ddyer2/IMG_3213_zpsgs9bwder.jpg) (http://s292.photobucket.com/user/ddyer2/media/IMG_3213_zpsgs9bwder.jpg.html)
into this,
(http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm11/ddyer2/IMG_3215_zps3s4r3fgp.jpg) (http://s292.photobucket.com/user/ddyer2/media/IMG_3215_zps3s4r3fgp.jpg.html)
Thank you to everyone for the help. I will be placing my order tomorrow, figured I might as well splurge (payday tomorrow) so I'm going to order a 7-stack kit from Bryan :P. I'll give him a text/call some time tomorrow and make sure he's got one ready.
I don't plan on running stainless steel gears - just the gear sleeve.
Turtle wax chrome polish - got it. I'll pick some up from walmart tomorrow or saturday.
All following are my opinions, taking into account your budget, existing and future plan, and my knowledge of having lived and fished in that exact neighborhood (Crosswinds, just past CFA, to be exact)
Island Tackle should have Never Dull if you really want to take it up a notch after the compounding, lasts forever if you keep it sealed and great on any metal. Not sure how good your plates are but automotive head light restorer or marine vinyl (Isenglass) polish will help if they are faded. The last should be also had at Island tackle. If I recall you are over by CFA so a straight shot over the bridge, I expect you know where it is.
If you are getting Bryan's stack, handle and sleeve upgrades, IMO you should load 500 yds 100 lb braid and top with 80 mono the rest of the way (this is how all my are done). If you load straight 60 mono as you mentioned, that is actually at the lower end of the reel's design capability in stock form, so you will actually be wasting money building a 50 lb drag reel to fish light line. If you back with braid you can fish two classes heavier on your upgrades which would by the 1/3 rule should give you a very easy and smooth 30lbs drag with Bryan's stack (if I recall). You will then have plus 700 yards heavy line to work with, which may be half way out or more just to drop your bait. Even if the fish doesn't run a yard, you need to be able to lay the hickory on with the gear to get him in 400 yards quickly for a healthy release. I caught a bunch of spinners and blacktips in the CB surf drum fishing; the 5 footers are always there as you know. They are an easy enough fight in the surf with heavier drum tackle; HOWEVER, we have seen healthy tigers at the Marriot reef just offshore, and a diver friend of mine has seen big bulls in Snow's Cut...better to go heavy in general and especially at night, regardless of where you are fishing.
I'd replace those guides; not sure they are rated for your intended application. We can discuss if you like; not sure of your timeline or equipment to wrap a rod either for your existing one or for a new build but I can share some equipment / finish tricks to keep you economical if only doing a couple of rods. IMO spend $25 on new turbo guides and gimbal for that rod and fish the crap out of it.
BTW, tool / farm implement paint from Tractor Supply is the most durable I've found if not using a clear top coat like Voodoo CP Ultra. Just let it cure for a couple of days. Rustoleum will chip easily. Prime blank first.
John
Also, make sure you have the harness and belt in budget if you don't have it, otherwise your sweet setup at 30lbs drag may take off in the dark after a bit.
Wow, a lot to think about now. I'll just go down the list I guess :)
I'll look around for Never Dull - looks like Walmart has a can of it for like $5. That should cover cleaning all of the parts, I have to go back and look but I don't think anything is faded on it. If so, I should have head light restorer in the garage that I can use.
I am definitely getting Bryan's stack from him, going to give him an email tonight with my info. Handle upgrades and sleeve upgrades as well - or course ;). I like the idea of loading some braid on there, I need to talk to Intracoastal and see how cheap they can get me that braid for. I am going in when they open back up (they're closed for inventory for the next few days) to get a few Penn Battles spooled, hopefully they can get me spooled up for cheap enough.
I'll gladly take you up on your offer about the rod - I'm responding to your PM now. I just realized it doesn't have a gimbal on it, seems very odd for such a heavy rod. I believe it's a 40-80 pound blank with the rod.
So to paint the rod, I've got to prime it, paint it, and depending on the paint clear coat it. I'll probably go with whatever's cheaper. Can I use plain clear coat on there with Rustoleum, or do I need the Voodoo stuff?
I've got a shoulder harness right now, planning on getting a belt before I get out on the water again.
Alright, project is officially in full effect! Just spent $45 at Scott's Bait and Tackle and another $37 from Bryan, plus placing another $45 order from Dawn at SmoothDrags tomorrow. I'll have my new gear sleeve, drag kit, some reel grease, handle arm, handle grip, and SS dog by a week from today.
I've got to pick up some metal polish from Walmart, and then when I decide on new guides for my rod I will order those along with an aluminum gimbal and possibly some new foam grips. Thorhammer has offered to work on the rod for me, he's keeping my rollers in exchange for the labor :). After that, I've got to get the beast spooled and then I'm set - until I cough up the money for more SS parts and a one-piece frame!
Can't wait to get this thing finished. By the end of February I hope to have a completed setup (save for SS gears and aluminum frame). I'm off with some fine steel wool, toothbrushes, and white vinegar to clean up all the parts I've got. Will post pics at some point.
Take pics along the way! It's fun and helps me learn when I see everyone's build pics.
Good news - got my parts in today! Few questions, and I've included a few pics:
1) The stainless steel dog that I ordered from Dawn does not fit the 9/0, so I will return it. Do I need a SS dog with the SS gear sleeve, or was that something that I had no reason to buy? If I do need one, where would I find one?
2) Can I expect to get a few bucks for the old parts that I'm replacing in my reel? I was thinking of listing the old drag set and arm/handle on eBay - of course, any members on here that want it please let me know, I'll gladly send it to you for the cost of shipping.
3) How do I remove the old gear sleeve from its bridge? I've included a picture, I don't have any clue how to get thing off and I don't want to break anything.
4) What's the small pin that came with the gear sleeve? It's in one of the pictures.
That's all I've got for now. I need to figure out spooling (thinking 100 pound braid and then 150+ yards of heavy mono), get my rod done (don't worry Thor, I didn't forget about you - check your PMs), and get fishing. Need to get my rigs ready for the season, planning on getting out there no later than April, and to top it off I've got a new spot - turns out my friend's grandparents have a private section of the local beach and they're letting me use it :)
Okay, I have to download the pictures on to my laptop, will post them around 7:00 tonight.
That small pin is what is holding your old gear sleeve on. It needs to be tapped out with a small punch.
(http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm11/ddyer2/PTDC0042_zpsukx36ip2.jpg) (http://s292.photobucket.com/user/ddyer2/media/PTDC0042_zpsukx36ip2.jpg.html)
Gotcha, going to go get it out now. In that case, I don't need to worry about posting any pics yet then. I'll take them this weekend, when I finally get my reel put back together.
Can anyone comment on the use of the stainless dog on the reel? I don't even know where I saw that I would need a SS dog, do I?
One final thing for tonight - can anyone comment on the use of the east Asian braided lines (Hong Kong, China, Japan)? Thinking about ordering 1,094 yards of this stuff in 100 pound test (.02165" diameter) for backing, and then for backing again when I need to replace it (in a few years):
http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-Strands-Dyneema-Spectra-Extreme-Braid-Fishing-Line-Green-100M-300M-500M-1000M-/371237842380?var=&hash=item566f7fedcc:m:m4c9Blfkl40qIu_OgK_obeg
There was a three or four page long discussion of it on Texas Shark Fishing's forums, and it looked like everyone there who had purchased some and tested it saw that it worked very well doing dry tests with it. I don't know how well it will hold up out on the water though. Planning on spooling my other reels with this stuff if someone tells me the stuff works well. Does the stuff cast well, or should I stick to using it on the yakked setup?
This is just my personal opinion Biggie, but I don't do braid when shark fishing.
100lb braid will cut like thread if it touches a shell or another shark with tension on it.
If you want the capacity, go with JB hollow core as backing, then a mono top shot.
I usually only do this on my bigger rigs. I run straight 80lb mono on my 9/0's.
I don't have near the capacity on a 9/0, but I have the groceries to put some serious drag down if I have to.
I've been at this game for a couple years and I've seen guys get cut off with 100lb braid too often, especially from shore.
Run top grade mono, Like Sufix superior. It has worked for me in the past.
JMO
I've heard two conflicting opinions from both members of this board - thorhammer has recommended i go with braid and a topshot, while Shark Hunter is recommending straight mono.
Thorhammer's reasoning was that since I've already spent over $100 on this project, fishing it with straight mono is kind of pointless since it's not pushing the reel to its true potential. With all these drag upgrades and new gear sleeves and power handles, upgrading the capacity doesn't sound terrible.
However...
Shark Hunter's reasoning was that even 100 pound braid is easily cut off, especially when you've got a lot of it out. Straight 80 pound mono was the recommendation given. If I might ask, where do you fish? I will be fishing off of Wrightsville Beach, where quite frankly I don't know what the bottom is like far out - but I do know that at around 50-60 yards from the shore, we've got relatively clear shell-free bottoms, while further inshore is shelly and I don't know about further out - but I would guess it's pretty free of structure. I know our beaches are nothing compared to Texas - so perhaps braid is an option for me. Of course, I would go with 80 pound mono as a long topshot, probably 150-200 yards of the stuff or even more.
Any thoughts?
Though I know WB is all sand, I will defer to Daron on any matters for landbased sharking. No one has done their homework better.
biggie, to answer your question about using a SS dog. If using a SS sleeve you should use a SS dog with it. Contact Keta (Lee) for 9/0 dogs.
I'd be very leery of buying cheap braid on the internet, there's a lot of counterfeit name brand braid around too. Stick with the big online stores or better still your local tackle shop. If it's cheap,it's cheap for a reason. Sheridan
I only Fish Florida. Their beaches are riddled with shells. At 100 yards out, you can still see bottom.
My best guess is a 200 to 300 yard drop, you are only in about 50' of water.
When you try to bring a Shark over the last bar, He will purposely run into the bar and try to cut you off.
It is a much more Horizontal, than Vertical fight with the sea floor.
My very first Sharking experience was a 9/0 loaded to the brim with depth counter braid from the same source, you are seeking yours.
I didn't get cut off, because I didn't get any hook ups. My fishing partners did. several times.
I don't know if it was other sharks or what, but the line was cut clean.
This is just based on my experience in Florida. You can load your reel up any way you desire.
If I had to have more capacity on a 9/0, I would go with JB Hollow core and a mono top shot.
I spend too many hours preparing for my chance to use a knock off brand of braid or mono.
Mono is much more abrasion resistant then braid. That is why I use it.
Sounds like I will go with straight 80 pound mono for now. Should I go straight, or go 60 pound mono with 100 yards of 80 on top?
How big of a fish do you think that this could potentially bring in? My goal is to have a setup that can bring in a 10-footer under optimal conditions. There aren't a lot of sharks bigger than that - especially here (at least inshore). And a 10-footer here would likely be a catch of a lifetime, probably 8 is closer to the maximum size we're going to see on most trips.
Is Keta a member of this site? I'll check on here, thank you for the recommendation.
Talked to Keta, planning on ordering my dog tonight.
Looks like the capacity of straight 80 pound mono on a 9/0 is around 450 yards, and closer to 650 yards of 60 pound. One thing I need to take into account - how far my drops will be. I haven't managed to get anything in Wrightsville Beach yet - hoping this spring will bring me my first Wrightsville monster. However fishing off of BHI, which is an island pretty close by, I don't think I made any drops over 100 yards; possibly 150, but not likely. So I'll have to experiment with it and see how far I have to take out baits in order to catch anything that will pull hard on the 9/0.
One other thing I need to pay attention to - there is an ordinance at Wrightsville Beach that says:
"No person fishing from a pier or the shore within the town limits shall bait or cause to be used any bait which attracts sharks of any type to the shores or piers. This section shall not prevent regular and normal fishing now done on piers and shores of the town, except to the extent it affects the baiting and luring of sharks to the waters of the town."
Now, I'll be mostly fishing from a private access, meaning there won't be anyone to snitch on me. I have also never heard of people being caught for shark fishing here. And if I were to get caught, I can just say I'm fishing for tarpon or something. In addition to this, I'll probably move the kayak up into the garage by the access, just to be safe.
I hated WB....cant take beer on beach....dogs on leash....parking insane....surf only in zones...and no cast nets on pier. I think they don't even want you fishing on the fishing pier if you read all the pier rules. under your aforementioned ordnance, technically you wouldn't be allowed to clean fish on the pier, as it would constitute chumming. I've seen no telling how many sharks under cleaning tables.
Yeah, it's not great honestly. I figure I'll try it out and see what happens, it's a private access so shouldn't be a lot of people around.
Any kind of bait is going to attract some kind of fish, and pretty much any smaller fish will attract sharks in. So it's pretty stupid to expect no shark fishing. I'll just hide the yak and say I'm fishing for big rays, tarpon, or bull reds if I get caught.
If you use a premium monofilament, I think its closer to 650 yards on the 9/0.
The diameters of modern mono are smaller than the capacities originally listed.
I have ran 200 yard drops and the spool was still 3/4 full.
I hot rod my 9/0's to the hilt. Black Pearl gears, Adam's insert, Frame, ss sleeve and double dogs.
I usually run my longest drops on a 12/0 with straight 100lb and a 14/0 with 130lb. They both hold 1000 yards.
As far as catching a 10 footer with it. Anything is possible. This Hammer was 89" and I felt a little outgunned with a 12/0.
(http://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag93/darondyer/IMG_2904_zpsxwjwips2.jpg)
(http://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag93/darondyer/IMG_0051_zpsnrxnrpat.jpg)
(http://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag93/darondyer/IMG_0049_zpsuo79n9hk.jpg)
What kind of premium mono would you recommend? Since I'm saving money by not buying $100 worth of braid to spool up once, I don't mind putting a few more bucks into good mono. That Sufix line seems a bit too expensive for me - hoping to keep it closer to $20-$30.
The Sufix line you recommended is around .036 inches in diameter - which is similar to others, like 80 pound BBG which is .035 inches in diameter and the same pound test. I can probably get my reel filled with 600 yards of 80 pound BBG at the tackle shop for around $30. Is there anything that makes the Sufix truly worth it compared to BBG?
Also, anyone here use spinners often? If so, ever use a Penn Battle? I've heard VERY conflicting things about them, I've got two brand new 5000's right now and planning on trading them for a 3k and a 4k, plus buying a 6k - plus I've got a 10' Penn Prevail rod that I'll probably pick up a 4k or 5k Fierce for.
The 3k and 4k will mostly be for inshore artificials, plus some smaller live baits, and then 6k will see use with big reds, medium sharks, big jacks when I go to Florida (try to go once a year for a week in the summer), possibly some cobia, and if I run into any tarpon down in FL I want to be able to catch them. There's a 4-5 footer that lives off of my buddy's dock down there (his family's got a vacation home in Sarasota) that we haven't been able to catch for three years now - even though he's feeding right there!
Okay, a few updates. Firstly - I placed my order for the SS dog a few days ago, that should be here soon.
VERY fun surprise - after cleaning off the internals some, mainly the main gears, they appeared to be a silverish color, not brass. They had some really old-looking reel grease and some dirt caked on there, after I finish cleaning it off I'll post an update. If I have SS gears in this reel I'll be a VERY happy man - since I was going to buy them for it at some point.
I also found out why the chrome external parts weren't getting their original luster back - it's because the chrome is gone! It's all brass now, so I'll either have to replace the parts or get them powder coated. Considering my uncle, as well as my mother's friend (who wishes I were her son)'s husband are in the powder coating business, I should be able to get these done for a very reasonable cost, if anything.
Things were already going alright, and now they're going even better. Life's good, life's good :)
Well, I hit gold today - the gears are DEFINITELY stainless steel. So I've saved myself $75 or so that I was going to spend later.
At this point, the only upgrade left is a one-piece frame. Then again, I could just replace the rest of the internals with SS parts, and there's the option of double dogs, and two-speed...
But those are for another day :)
Silver colored gears do not mean they are SS. Whats the gear ratio? You could have Penn SS pinion gear & a Penn heat treated main steel gear which were standard in older Penn reels. Rudy
Thanks for the tip. I put a magnet up against them and it stuck - meaning the gears aren't solid stainless steel, they're probably similar to what you were talking about - SS plating with some other metal underneath. Oh well, at least they're working parts :)
No the main gear is probably carbon steel that is heat treated (hardened) & not plated.
Okay, gotcha. These gears will still work, correct?
The rod/axle on the bridge (tall part that the gear sleeve goes onto) shouldn't rotate, should it? Mine is not, I put the gear sleeve on and inserted the pin and it was having a very tough time rotating. Took it back apart so I don't do any damage to it
The bridge post onto which the sleeve slides should be solidly attached to the bridge. It should not rotate. If it rotates, it is loose. If the sleeve is having a rough time on the post it most likely is due to the retaining pin not being in the proper place. If it rotates fine until you put the pin in, the pin is the problem. The bridge post also has to be perfectly straight, or the sleeve will not rotate properly.
Sid
The BBG will work fine Biggie. I just know how good the Sufix is. I only use it or Exsum, which is very affordable.
Your Main gear is steel, that is why the magnet is sticking.
Fine tuning the stainless gear sleeve is a priority. It must spin freely.
You need to find the tight spot on the bridge shaft or sand the pin down a little.
Thank you all for the help. I'll try it again with the pin in, just to see if I can make it spin. It sounds like the pin is the problem though.
When you say sand down the pin, you mean make it thinner right?
Just polish it well. You shouldn't need to remove much material.
Well, have to find some sandpaper lying around. Will have to ask neighbors or something.
Haven't heard any updates about getting the externals powder coated yet. I'm actually seeing them tomorrow, so if I remember I will ask.
I really need to slow down my spending :D. I just spent $23 to fill one of my Battles with braid, plus I'm buying parts for my shark rod ($40), buying the 50H (another $40), getting the reel parts powder coated (???), and then I've got to buy a rod for the TR200G, a rod for the Abu, spool the TR200G, spool the Abu, spool the 9/0, and (maybe) spool the 50H. That's gonna add up quick!
Welcome down the rabbit hole, my friend. I may have some other bits around to help you out.
Quote from: thorhammer on January 22, 2017, 04:10:25 PM
Just polish it well. You shouldn't need to remove much material.
I had to grind a flat spot on my 9/0 sleeve pin for it to clear the post. I just remembered after reading the last few posts in this thread. I think it was a problem with where the hole was drilled in the sleeve. Before I did that I couldn't even get it all the way into the sleeve....
Sid
I concur with Sid. You just want a flat side on the pin, not the entire diameter. Go slow and try the fit often until it's just right.
-Mike
If I recall correctly I used a rat tail file and just ground a little crescent in the pin to clear the post....
Sid
Holy crap, I'm only being charged $50 to get the reel powder coated. My response was to him was "hell yeah", if you guys think it will work.
He said that powder coating adds 1/32" to the thickness of the material. I plan to get pretty much every external metal piece, plus all the screws, powder coated. Will this work fine, or are there parts that I should keep non-coated? Pieces like the side rings, star drag, etc.
Also - what do you all think about a blacked-out senator? I was thinking of doing everything but the spool black (keeping that the silver color). When my rod is done it will be all black, except for the reel seat (which I will get powder coated one day or another), the guides (I'm looking for black ones to see how I like them though), and the wrapping - those will be silver.
I'm supposed to let the guy doing my powder coating know by Tuesday, so please let me know if it will work or not!
Rings yes. Def not screws and I'm not sure but I'd be conservative about anything threaded.
Okay, so the rings are a definite yes, and screws are a definite no. The other parts I have out to get done are:
Spacing sleeve (possibly, the chrome is gone on it so it wouldn't hurt to have it done)
Star drag wheel
Eccentric lever
Eccentric screw (this one is scratched to hell, I will probably order a new one)
Handle screw (again, scratched to hell, will find a new one)
Stand
Rod clamp (mine is not the ringed one)
Frame posts (five of these)
Harness lugs (four of these, two have hook screws on them)
Complete rod brace assembly (I can attempt to take this apart and put it completely together, so that the threaded part stays protected and doesn't get powder coated)
Pressure plate washer & felt washer (is the pressure plate washer metal or no? If no then neither of these will be sent to him)
I will try and completely get the rod brace taken apart, will see what I can do on it at least lol. Where should I stand on getting the other parts powder coated?
Biggie, I'd be careful adding 1/32" to some of these parts, the clearance is much less than that. You may find that the spool no longer clears the rings, or the rings no longer fit the side plates. It can be done, but you have to be selective about it - not just which parts are powder coated, but also which surfaces of those parts....
Sid
Perhaps I should put the entire reel together, and send the whole thing to be powder coated.
I can just tell him to use a protective covering or something over the plastic side plates, spool, etc. And try and cover up the internals.
Would that work?
I don't know the answer to that, but it might help for the person doing the powder coating to understand how each piece relates to the others before things get too far.
Sid
Quote from: biggiesmalls on January 23, 2017, 02:51:40 PM
Perhaps I should put the entire reel together, and send the whole thing to be powder coated.
I can just tell him to use a protective covering or something over the plastic side plates, spool, etc. And try and cover up the internals.
Would that work?
No, he would have to disassemble the reel to clean & prep the parts. certain parts like the star wheel would need a plug in the threaded hole to protect the paint from entering the threads. A handle has to have the knob removed etc. All parts must be painted indivigually. It's not as simple of an operation as you think. Plus it has to be baked in an oven. Certain parts can be taped before spraying & the tape removed before baking like the ratchet & shafts on the ends of the spool. You need to do your homework on powder coating before having it done. Also all pitting will have to be ground & polished out because the pitting will look 10 times worse after powder coating. The coating will not fill any pitting only enhance it. These are just some of the problems you are going to have. Maybe you might be better off getting out a spray can of paint and do it that way.
Do a search for this thread: "Topic: More adventures in powder coating". You'll find some good information there.
Genral Maintenance Tips > General Procedures > Topic: More adventures in powder coating
-Mike
Quote from: PacRat on January 23, 2017, 05:22:28 PM
Do a search for this thread: "Topic: More adventures in powder coating". You'll find some good information there.
Genral Maintenance Tips > General Procedures > Topic: More adventures in powder coating
-Mike
It's here http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=9622.0
Thank you Rudy, Sid, and Mike. I read over that thread and it's shown me a lot.
I spoke with him (actually his wife) today, and quickly learned that putting the reel together and having the entire thing powder coated isn't a viable idea.
Sounds like I need to remove all of the chrome from the parts, and then have them powder coated. Silicone plugs on the larger threaded parts, and perhaps "sacrificial screws" on the things like posts, plus painters tape or something similar on the screws (if I choose to have them done).
I will speak with my powder coater more at some point to see what he would recommend doing, as well as explaining how the reel works - so there are no confusions between us about what parts do.
I am not having the handle powder coated, as it's already a black handle arm. I will probably send the screws to him though to get done. I'm blacking this thing out, save for the spool.
Well, this build is finally coming together. I've got the parts to be powder coated sorted out (won't ruin the surprise of the color scheme yet, I'll just post a pic when it's finished), will be bringing those in tomorrow. Rod was dropped off with John today as well, so that'll be done soon. Again, won't reveal details about that rod yet but it's going to be a BEAST. After the parts are done I will get everything some new grease/lube on it, throw it back together with the new parts, and get it filled with some 60# mono. And by then the new rod should be done too ;)
Will post pics as it gets done