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Re: They're Blue
Post 13 Oct 2020, 07:12 • #26 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 04/20/07
Posts: 8920
Location: US-ME
Done or not done, that's a pretty ambitious project as tackle-tinkering goes. I used a scrap of leather as a pad last time I spooled mono on a spinning reel for my grandson.


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Re: They're Blue
Post 01 Nov 2020, 09:50 • #27 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19077
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Steve, this is one of the funnest reels to cast ever, and I'll keep having fun with it.


______________________________________________________

Finally got my Sakuma copolymer from UK.
Pretty fine, 16-lb is the same diameter as 12-lb Seaguar fluoro and 40% thinner than mono.
This is the go-to line for most tournament casters, and the price was a fraction of Seaguar, even with UK post.

And it's really hard on the outside. I had 400 yards to load on the deep spool.


Tom, you were asking about thumb glove - the line is so hard for this operation, had to cut a piece of bicycle innertube to make a thumb glove.

Image

To get a perfect level wind in 400 yards, from R to L I'm pushing down with my thumb to make a side-to-side tight, intimate line lay;
from L to R, I lift the line and move it quickly across the spool.

May have to come up with a thumb glove to cast this hard line.
______________________________________________________

ok, back from first casting trials.
Right off, the mass of the mono on the deep spool needs a lot more mag than the shallow braid spool.
Not surprising, there's a lot more inertia to brake.

I began the mag response on the 6500 about where I have the 5500 set after casting - was able to relax the mag on the 5500 from my starting point.
From this starting point, I had to make 3 major increases on the 6500 mag with deep spool and mono. I was constantly getting minor backlash - the kind you can pull out in a couple of spool turns, and extra effort got me one significant backlash that required stripping the spool down.

I was casting the same lure, 1/4 oz, and a second with an additional 1/4-oz on the swimbait hook. So my lure wind resistance was pretty constant, but I doubled the weight. My cast distance was a bit shorter than with thin braid and shallow spool.
I basically got the same cast result with either weight, which was kind of surprising.
This set-up is for the surf, and what it really needs is a longer rod and more weight that will keep sailing.

I'm spoiled by the braid spools, and generally the behavior of the thin, limp braid next to the stiff coiling mono.
Though the mono is easier to deal with backlash.

Stacking - the mono is pretty well-behaved on the wide spool, but you do want to ooccasionally clean it with a quick hand-level-wind between every half-dozen casts or so. As far as the line abraision, probably don't need a thumb glove - I still have a thumbprint after 15 or so casts.
________________________________________________

After all that, since I have a fishing trip in two weeks, I'm going to swap the 6500 back to braid - easy to set up, have to load the spool.
Will take this reel for back-up to the 5500.
My spool-swapping strategy also worked - left enough room on the spool I could wrap my 25-lb fluoro shock tippet with knots and still remove the spool.


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Re: They're Blue
Post 27 Apr 2023, 08:42 • #28 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19077
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
My 5500CT has been modified with Zzeta side plates - no bait-feed clicker or spur gear with this set-up.
My 6500CT has the Blue Yonder side plates with bait-feed clicker, Mike's dual ball-bearing spur gear and Avail ball-bearing L/S bullet.


But the real reason I added to this thread was another reel just off my bench, that's closer-allied to these surf reels than my other finesse Ambassadeurs.
Shopping in Japan, I stumbled across a rare new-stock Akios Sportcast LW frame.
These barstock frames were a limited run, only offered and sold out in Apr '21 (nobody is letting them go).
They were only made in 6500 width, so I decided to build a custom 6500CS Rocket from parts.


While I was getting my parts together, I solved a design problem on the Akios frame.
The problem was free play in the top line guide bar, allowing both ends of the line guide bar to both rock and rotate to their freedom limit -
- the retaining yokes on both sides have larger diameter and smaller key than fits in the line guide groove.
(though these photos show already fixed with my mod)

I solved it with parts from McMaster - square section 4x1x1-mm o-rings, and higher-torque hex-socket flat screws that let you compress the o-rings.
The expanding o-ring fills all the gaps, and pins the bar centered and perfectly aligned - it's rock-solid now.

My custom 6500CS has Avail mag brake and my favorite 2-6-pt centrifugal.
RocketReelCo stainless drive with ball-bearing main shaft.
Fourteen ball bearings total, including 5 on the spool, and 4 on the LW.
The handle is Whiplash Factory, and matches the silver-blue side plates exactly.
Avail trim; Valleyhill dual-BB worm gear and B-trap drag washers; Kagawa dual-BB idler gear.
The ball-bearing L/S bullet is made by ReelCustomReels, who has a website and sells on ebay.


The frame lowers the spool 8 mm closer to the rod, but the real beauty is the thumb access, allowed by the barstock stiffness.
Avail 5-mm-deep spool, I plan to load it with 200 yds PE#2 X-braid, 36 lb YGK.


Also, like the CT frames, it has a 78-mm foot, so the only rod for it is my RH Customs two-hand 8' surf-lure rod with split reel seat.


Haven't loaded the braid yet, but I did set the mag brake casting 1/8 oz with 6-lb YoZuri hybrid.
I was getting 100' casts on the under-loaded rod, rated 1/4 to 1 oz.
It will never cast distance with the CTs, but will be a lot of fun to fish, both surf and inshore.
People with stock Ambassadeurs probably aren't going to try casting 1/8 oz...

Here's my family of custom Ambassadeurs
4500CT, 5500CT, 6500CT, 6500CS Rocket
4600 Express, 4500C, 1500CI.


Last edited by bulldog1935 on 28 Apr 2023, 07:10, edited 4 times in total.

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Re: They're Blue
Post 27 Apr 2023, 10:27 • #29 
Master Guide
Joined: 09/23/18
Posts: 614
Location: Eastern Wa
Nicely done Ron! Good solution on fixing the play. Thats amazing being able to cast a 1/8th oz lure on a 6500. Gorgeous lineup of outfits.


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Re: They're Blue
Post 27 Apr 2023, 11:06 • #30 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19077
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Thanks Mike.


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Re: They're Blue
Post 27 Apr 2023, 18:10 • #31 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 05/22/16
Posts: 1760
Location: SJC
Wow !


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Re: They're Blue
Post 03 May 2023, 10:57 • #32 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19077
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
I spooled it up with braid today, and got a chance to cast it with my target 1/4 oz and 1/2 oz.



Single-hand with 1/4 oz was 100', and two-hand 130' -
Single-hand with 1/2 oz was beyond 120', and two-hand would have left my 150' wide back yard -
- actually quite close to my custom 6500CT (same spool, etc.) with my same standard-weight lures -
- not quite what my 5500 CT will do (2-hand with 1/4 oz goes into the neighbor's back acre), but very respectable for a LW Ambassadeur.



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Re: They're Blue
Post 03 May 2023, 19:30 • #33 
Master Guide
Joined: 09/23/18
Posts: 614
Location: Eastern Wa
That will work!!! Nice setup.


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