Ruff Rider Live Report 6/23-6/24

[TOP SECRET]

I wanted to start this report off early so that I could share with everyone my Tekota 800LC drag replacement experience.

If you read my report last week, you saw that my brand spankin new Tekota 800LC had a drag that was equivalent to a pink barbie fishing pole. I had the option of sending the reel back to where I bought it from and getting another tekota with the same lousy drag, or replacing the drag myself with a new carbon fiber system. I decided to replace the drag. I ordered the Dragmasters carbon fiber kit from tunasreeltroubles.com. I was really nervous about doing this and possibly ruining my new $200+ reel, but tunasreeltroubles.com had pretty detailed instructions on how to do everything.... at least I thought they did... when I opened the webpage to do the install today, I realized a lot of the pictures were no longer valid and didn't show up... yikes! But it was enough to get me started.

The reel:

This is the side of the reel I worked from:

The first step was to remove the small screw holding the handle nut plate on and remove the nut plate, then unscrew the handle nut and remove the handle

Parts laid out:

Next remove the keyed washer and prepare to unscrew the drag star all the way off. I say prepare because there will be the click pin that will come flying out when you unscrew the drag star, so get ready for it and cup your hand around the drag star. The click pin is tiny... I mean really tiny

Parts laid out:

Next remove the 4 washers, keep them in order as they'll need to be put back in in the same order

[TOP SECRET]

Next remove the four screws along the outside of the cover plate and the two screws on the center plate.

Pull off the cover plate

The inside of the reel:

The bearing dust cover, washer, bearing and clutch tube all fell right out

You can see the black "grease", that was more like gum

The drag washers and discs fell out pretty easily all gummed up ... did I mention this reel was brand new and only used a couple of days?

The black discs are the drag discs that need to be replaced.

The drag washers all need to be cleaned

Take this time to spread some grease on all the movable parts, but NOT your the new carbon fiber disks or drag washers

Next place the small carbon fiber disk on...

Then pop this piece on (no idea what it's called)

Then pop on one of the three larger carbon fiber discs

Then a keyed drag washer

Then another carbon fiber drag disc

Then the eared drag washer

Then the last carbon fiber disc

Then the final keyed drag washer

Put the clutch tube back on so that it locks into the drag system.

Now put the cover plate back on and you should hear it click into place

Push the bearing back in

[TOP SECRET]

Place the brass washer back on

Now place the four washers back on if you accidently forgot to keep them in the order, just make sure you place them cup to cup, like ( ). You should be able to see a gap between all four of the washers.

Next place the last washer on, making sure the grey (nylon I think) side is facing up. And place the click pin back in it's hole...

At this point my camera died, but the last steps are to press the click pin, start screwing on the drag star, and using a small screw driver or allen key down the shaft hold the click pin "in", so that you can finish screwing the star drag in without the click pin falling out. Tighten the start drag down to where it just begins to get tight. Let go of the click pin. Check to make sure the click pin didn't fall out by adjusting the star drag and see if it clicks.

Lastly put the handle, handle nut, and handle nut plate back on.

It was very easy and took maybe half an hour. I won't know how it works until this weekend out on the lake, but it felt nice and smooth when I hooked it to Theresa and made her run with it (oh the fun we have )

Nick

[lakebound88]

That's very good Nick. I saw too his site was missing pictures, I will now order the kits thanks to your post. My 60OLC have been horrible since day one. Makes it even tougher for our little fish down here!!! Order the kit this morning!!!!

Nick

[ Post made via Android ]

[TOP SECRET]

Yeah I have a couple of penns that have had bad clickers for years, now I think I might try to tackle those too!

[ Post made via Android ]

[lakebound88]

I have done the Penn's. They are pretty simple. I was afraid to ruin my tekotas because of what I paid... I mostly run Okuma on everything but two of my four dipsys .. slowly going to turn everything over to convectors and clarions..

[ Post made via Android ]

[Dirty Goose]

AWESOME!! GREAT JOB NICK!!

[jj7leaf]

Not to ruin your report for the weekend but this should be a sticky somewhere. I run all tekota's and have only had an issue with one drag that was sticky, opened her up and a little cleaning and it runs great but I have heard alot of guys refer to issues lately with the shimano drags and this would help alot of them in the future.

j

[Tackle Buster]

My question is, How is the knot holding up lol

[TOP SECRET]

My question is, How is the knot holding up lol

haha the knot held up wonderfully! Because of the aweful drag locking down last week, the fly leader actually broke before your knot did

[TOP SECRET]

Not to ruin your report for the weekend but this should be a sticky somewhere. I run all tekota's and have only had an issue with one drag that was sticky, opened her up and a little cleaning and it runs great but I have heard alot of guys refer to issues lately with the shimano drags and this would help alot of them in the future.

j

Yeah I have three Tekota 600s and they are beautiful, the 800 though was terrible out of the box. I've heard it is more common with the 800s for some reason.

Nick

[Tackle Buster]

ahhhh sorry to hear about the drag, that is a shame. I've had good luck with mine but we just catch little fish told you I will guarantee that knot until it breaks.

[TOP SECRET]

Hopefully we'll find out this weekend how the new drag works on a 30lb king

Headed up to the lake now, looks like the lake has really warmed up since last weekend;

Wave forecast is looking iffy for Saturday and decent for Sunday:

SATURDAY

NORTHWEST WINDS 10 KNOTS OR LESS BECOMING WEST. WAVES

1 TO 3 FEET SUBSIDING TO 1 FOOT OR LESS.

SATURDAY NIGHT

WEST WINDS 10 KNOTS OR LESS BECOMING SOUTHWEST.

WAVES 1 FOOT OR LESS.

SUNDAY

SOUTHWEST WINDS 10 KNOTS OR LESS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS

IN THE AFTERNOON. WAVES 1 FOOT OR LESS.

With any luck it will lay down in the morning, might turn out to be the first rough day we've had out of Sodus, guess we can't complain too much. (but I still will )

Good luck to everyone that heads out this weekend, stay safe and good fishin.

Nick

[Daredevil30]

I'm glad to see you fixed with know problem.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[lumberman]

i will be out there sunday aboard the MISS LIZZY. hope to get some silver.

[TOP SECRET]

I call it my "big weenie fly catcher" Thought i'd try running it off my rigger ball tomorrow with a bare fly with hook a few feet behind it.

[ Post made via Android ]

[ray koziatek]

i smell stupid

[Mortigan]

[Daredevil30]

That's geniuse Idea we were doing that last week with a bigger dodger and it seem to help us with the fish better we ran the hook a little ways behind it.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[TOP SECRET]

i smell stupid

Careful it's contagious

[BAZOOKAJOE]

How did you guys make out with that rod butt cushion?

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[TOP SECRET]

How did you guys make out with that rod butt cushion?

[ Post made via iPhone ]

LOVE it! Well worth the money, I wish I had gotten the larger version though. It's amazing the difference it makes when fighting a fish on wire or copper where it's a long battle. Theresa doesnt have a black and blue spot on her hip on Mondays any longer!

[ Post made via Android ]

[Reel Outlaw]

i smell stupid

you had me do something like this on Seneca Ray

[ Post made via Android ]

[TOP SECRET]

That might be how Ray knows it's stupid lol That or it's his secret weapon

[ Post made via Android ]

[Reel Outlaw]

O he has a few secrets lol

[ Post made via Android ]