Thanks for the info Lpquick, learned some good stuff from that. I was told it was like a dry lube with suspended particles in a liquid but I guess I was informed wrong. Good write up , glad to find out the correct info. Most of this is definitely true as I have seen it first hand.

I'm not sure of the viscosity of it but I don't believe that's as important with this stuff as normal oil. After dipping bearings in it for a few minutes I lay them out on a paper towel and then blow out the excess with a can of compressed air. This leaves a very thin film and they appear dry. It le...

Penn grease is some really good stuff. I have been using it for the corrosion protection for fishing saltwater so it should be great for freshwater only. Reels are very smooth while using it and its cheap and readily available. For drags use Cals or Shimano drag grease. Been using the Shimano grease...

I own the 7' H Cumara and I love it. One of my favorites for versatility. I think it's lure ratings are off a little though, should be 3/8-1 3-8 or so. I love throwing frogs on it, never seem to miss fish on it and can haul them in just fine, even in very thick hydrilla. Spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, squ...

I was just messing around on the Shimano website, and I noticed that the ratings for the medium power fast action Cumara casting rods are pretty similar to the ratings I have seen for many medium light casting rods. Has anyone tried the CUC68MA or CUC72MA? I would think that these could be some pre...

The exsence DC, CH D, and antares are big reels compared to 50 sized reels. The antares is probably the biggest out of them all. The NEW Antares palms bigger than a Z2020/Z200 for some. Like most things, everyone's opinion is different. I have tendon problems in my hands which is why I prefer skele...

Antares HG. Just bought one for frogs. Exsence would be a good choice to but the Antares is 1/2oz lighter. Not sure about casting comparison but don't think it would be much different.

Another survey taken. Good luck with your course.

I use Naptha. Very good and leaves no residue. I mount my bearings on a spindle and use my Dremal tool to spin them at high speed in a small jar of Naptha. Fast and clean. +1 for this suggestion. Works a treat and you can also use acetone too. Great idea with the dremel. For shielded, greased beari...

The shields on Shimano bearings are usually pressed in shields making them difficult to remove. I use a small pick and try to pick out the shield against the inner race. You have to dent the shield inward first to make an edge to pick on.I have messed up a few bearings in the past but not many, it c...

I have a 1L Eumax and I believe it cost me around $150 on EBay. I used to use it all the time but not much anymore, don't have the need. It is handy though when needed. A cheaper/smaller model is all you would need for bearings though. Another option would be to remove the shields.

With shielded bearings an ultrasonic is the way to go. I only buy the shieldless bearings now for ease of cleaning. Blasting them with brake/carb cleaner to get them spinning works quite well without the need to buy an ultrasonic.

I use brake cleaner or carb cleaner and then acetone to remove any residue on ARBs

I bend the tip of a paper clip over to make a L shape. Make it as small as possible. The spacer doesn't give you much room to grab the edge of the bearing, just enough to still get it out though.

The spool bearing is the outermost bearing when you take the cast control cap off. The other supports the pinion gear and has a larger inside diameter than the spool bearing and does not effect casting. There is also a small plastic spacer in between them that makes it a little harder to get the spo...