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Pimpin Ain't Easy
Post 11 Feb 2021, 20:42 • #1 
Emeritus
Joined: 06/10/05
Posts: 612
Location: US-MI
Hello,
I was a little nervous about pimping my own reels so I traded a sweet Valentine Reel to Bulldog for his pimping services.
I received 2 of them in the mail today and thought I would post some photos of my tinkering sessions.
I fish almost exclusively St. Croix rods (unless I am fishing a vintage Fenwick)
I think the rods match up really well in color and somewhat in balance. (I have another St. Croix rod on the way that should balance better with the first reel)


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Re: Pimpin Ain't Easy
Post 11 Feb 2021, 21:06 • #2 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
They look great Paul.
Have you tried different ways to grip the gold Ulucus knob? There are a couple of different ways to grip it with thumb and 2 fingers, including loosely hook your fingers over the narrow part and press your palm against the wide part.


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Re: Pimpin Ain't Easy
Post 11 Feb 2021, 21:57 • #3 
Emeritus
Joined: 06/10/05
Posts: 612
Location: US-MI
I have tried a few ways. I will go try the suggested method now.

edit, pressing the palm against it doesn't work for me. All other methods seem really nice.


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Re: Pimpin Ain't Easy
Post 12 Feb 2021, 07:08 • #4 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
the SLP Works all-black handle that I used on (both our) Samira Is the best-looking reel handle I've ever seen.


You ran into the same problems photographing the Avail orange acrylic knobs on the SLP Light double handle that I did trying to show them to you. The transparent knobs reflect so much light from the gold-colored shafts beneath that the orange is tough to show in a photo.
Still lighting just can't show the jewel quality of this set-up. The finished reel is stunning in hand.

Where double and single-counterbalanced handles really make a difference is light-touch fishing.
In fresh water, white bass, and in salt, male schoolie specs follow balls of baitfish. They push the lure toward you, sample and reject instantly. Both will also keep following and use their mouths to injure the baitfish and see how your lure responds before they eat in earnest.
With the light-following bumps, a counter-balanced handle gives you so much better feel and a chance to set before the instant reject. This is especially true fishing under the lights at night, where they have so much bait and can really be picky.
When you stop, the reel stops - gravity acting on the handle or rotor doesn't keep the reel inertia turning on its own.


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Re: Pimpin Ain't Easy
Post 12 Feb 2021, 09:19 • #5 
Master Guide
Joined: 12/11/20
Posts: 378
Location: Dallas, TX
These are killer modifications of already nice reels!


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Re: Pimpin Ain't Easy
Post 12 Feb 2021, 12:18 • #6 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/27/16
Posts: 2327
Location: US-IL
You definitely went to the right guy.


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Re: Pimpin Ain't Easy
Post 12 Feb 2021, 14:30 • #7 
Guide
Joined: 09/26/12
Posts: 159
Location: AB, Canada
I agree, your Pimp knows his stuff!!
Is that the Samira 2500? How does the Samira compare to the Libra SX in terms of feel, smoothness (inertia etc.)?


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Re: Pimpin Ain't Easy
Post 12 Feb 2021, 18:44 • #8 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
that's Samira 2000H, but plenty of capacity to be a 2500, and 45 mm spool diameter matches Shimano 3000 - both gearing and line pickup match Shimano 3000XHG, which is why I gave Paul a 55-mm-pitch handle, and went for 60 mm on my salt reel.

Libra SX is Tica's best effort, IMO - derived and scaled down from their offshore Cybernetic. The Samira is really nice and has great line management, weighs an extra ounce of pork, their worm drive doesn't quite swap ends like Shimano. They styled the Samira really nice, and it's as tough as any reel they make.

Paul's last two reels are slowed down - our orange handles from Oz Daiwa Custom Project are snowed-in at Cincinnati hub. I hope they can make it tomorrow so I can have something to tinker while iced in.


Last edited by bulldog1935 on 13 Feb 2021, 17:21, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: Pimpin Ain't Easy
Post 12 Feb 2021, 19:02 • #9 
Guide
Joined: 09/26/12
Posts: 159
Location: AB, Canada
I look forward to seeing more pics - just stay off the freeways Bulldog :eek


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Re: Pimpin Ain't Easy
Post 12 Feb 2021, 22:11 • #10 
Emeritus
Joined: 06/10/05
Posts: 612
Location: US-MI
I like the Samira and the Libra SX
To me the Libra is a more refined reel. Also, the Samira is not quite as free spinning I think due to sealed bearings (not sure)
Ron's new handle and knob made it seem more free spinning though.
This Samira 2000 is somewhat in between frame size of the Libra 1500 and Libra 2500. I actually have 2 Samiras and they will be used on Heavier smallmouth rods, the Libra SX1500 will go on lighter smallmouth rods.
My other Samira is a 1000. Same frame size as 2000 just smaller diameter spool.
I like them all. I couldn't pass up the 2 Samira reels I bought on Amazon as they were $60 each. These reels sometimes go for even cheaper than that. (normal price is about $85)


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Re: Pimpin Ain't Easy
Post 13 Feb 2021, 11:44 • #11 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Both Libra and Samira share a very nice roller-bearing IAR that is enclosed in seals.
Samira adds rubber seals at the shaft/rotor and at the drive bearings.
Paul, I think what made your Samira feel more-free-spinning was the added torque you're putting through the custom handle.

Tica is bad about matching handles to drive ratios; instead, they use the same handle pitch for common sizes.
Libra SX 2500 and even the 3000 come with silly-long 65 mm handles for the 4.6 gearing - I always shorten those to 55 mm.
All the 1000/2000 size Tica reels, and including the smaller Cetus, come with 50 mm handles. That's not enough length for the 6.2 gears on the Samira 2000H.- and the 50 mm is too long for the little Cetus with its 23"/rev line pick-up.
This is a 37 mm pitch on Cetus


55 mm custom on Libra 3000, next to the stock 65 mm handle


The way you look at handle pitch - with a longer handle, you're putting in more torque and effectively slowing down the gears, because you move your hand farther to complete a rotation.
Shorter handle, you reduce the load on the gears, and effectively speed them up because you can spin fast.


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Re: Pimpin Ain't Easy
Post 13 Feb 2021, 16:43 • #12 
Emeritus
Joined: 06/10/05
Posts: 612
Location: US-MI
Just thought I would add, my other stock Samira also seems a little more free spinning just from playing with it. I have not even fished it yet.


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Re: Pimpin Ain't Easy
Post 13 Feb 2021, 17:22 • #13 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Those double handles sure make for good balance on the main gear if you're fishing light.


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Re: Pimpin Ain't Easy
Post 13 Feb 2021, 17:45 • #14 
Emeritus
Joined: 06/10/05
Posts: 612
Location: US-MI
Hello Eastslope,
I just noticed I didn't exactly answer your question.
The 2 reels Ron worked on are
1. Tica Libra SX2500
2. Tica Samira SAAT1000h

Once I got them back, I swapped the Parts from that Samira 1000h to me Samira 2000h
My 1000h is now stock. (for now)


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Re: Pimpin Ain't Easy
Post 14 Feb 2021, 15:37 • #15 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
The spool diameters are the same on my Samira and Paul's - the difference is spool depth. The line pick-up rate is 36.7" per handle crank on both reels.
The 2500H is the same spool body with 2-mm larger diameter spool, and pick-up rate of 38.8"/rotation.
I didn't see his spool empty, but I searched both sides of the Pacific for a 1000H spool for braid use, and nobody seems to have them - TicaAmerica say they've never supported the 1000H size, dealers in New Zealand and even Taipei couldn't find a spool for me.

My 2000H spool held 145 yds of 10-lb Seaguar Tatsu fluorocarbon for salt ML - a perfect match for the line -
- and also perfectly matched with 7'7" 13Fishing Omen Green ML to throw 1/16 oz to 5/16 oz.

The 2000H spare spool (from TicaAmerica) held a full 200 m of 22-lb X-braid, plus another 20 yards of 30-lb braid base wrap - nice to have the quite accurate Pattaya line capacity calculator for planning these things. The result will definitely fish, but would have a flatter line lay result on the 1000H spool with 170 m of the X-braid alone.
On the same rod, the braid will throw 1/16 and 1/8 oz just a little farther.


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Re: Pimpin Ain't Easy
Post 16 Feb 2021, 12:06 • #16 
Guide
Joined: 09/26/12
Posts: 159
Location: AB, Canada
Thanks Gentlemen, plenty of good information to consider here. I was not considering any modifications to my reels, but perhaps changing, or rather right-sizing the handle (pitch) may be beneficial in achieving what I might perceive as a smoother operating reel.


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Re: Pimpin Ain't Easy
Post 06 Mar 2021, 11:56 • #17 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
fishing for oohs and aahs.

Here are the last two reels I returned to Paul, Libra SX3000.
The karin kobu wood knob was deeply discounted and closing out at Japan Tackle.

the all orange-anodize variant on his SX2500, on the right, is worth showing, as well


Last edited by bulldog1935 on 08 Mar 2021, 07:42, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Pimpin Ain't Easy
Post 07 Mar 2021, 22:34 • #18 
Emeritus
Joined: 06/10/05
Posts: 612
Location: US-MI
Both of these are even more beautiful now that I have them in my hands.
I am dreaming about buying another Libra 3000 so I can pimp it like your rainbow one.
Thanks


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Re: Pimpin Ain't Easy
Post 10 Mar 2021, 12:14 • #19 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Eastslope wrote:
Thanks Gentlemen, plenty of good information to consider here. I was not considering any modifications to my reels, but perhaps changing, or rather right-sizing the handle (pitch) may be beneficial in achieving what I might perceive as a smoother operating reel.

The bad news, Paul and I have used up all the IOS hex-shaft adapters for Daiwa RCS/SLP handles until IOS batches another run (Hedgehog is OOS).
I have a "preorder" through another Japan vendor in case they can find odds in stock at IOS.

________________________

ok - never mind on the OOS IOS hex shafts - I found a Japan vendor - FishingShop.kiwi - with a good enough relationship with IOS they're machining more of these to fill my order. Kirill has the best English I've found in Japan, and his price shipped is the same as Hedgehog before shipping.
As long as I'm editing, here's my Cetus with the Daiwa Daion knobs replaced with Avail smoke and champagne gold.


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