islandbass

Thanks. The junk airbrush that I have is capable of doing non-detailed oriented painting. I am going to pick up some some green and black for the Green Lantern Theme. Oh yeah. What type of top coat did you use to protect the paint job?

That does look nice. Personally, I am not one to add grip to the handle. Perhaps it's my smaller hands but I prefer thinner vs. thicker handles.

Very interesting post about the sound the bearings made. I for one, actually like the low and soft whir/hum I hear from some of my casting reels. I guess what is music to one's ears can be noise to anothers. When it is really dark and I can't see, I actually use the sound of the whir/hum to know when my cast is near its end to stop the spool from spinning.

That is amazing! I was wondering if you can fill us in on the paints (ie, brand) used. I want to repaint my pflueger trion in a green lantern scheme, but I want use the same paint and clear finish you used. An airbrush, I take it, too? thanks!

Man, is that impressive work. I have been considering trying metal for lips on future crankbaits. Have you noted any differences in action between metal vs. lexan lips? Thanks. I don't know why, but I have a sudden urge to eat skittles.

Some of us carve, some buy and I imagine that some do both. Since you're starting, go with premade blanks. There won't be any fussing around with carving, shaping, or sanding.

You will experience other takes, that's for sure. The one you describe is just one possiblitiy. You will get what I call "nibblers" because they'll start at one on of the worm and gradually get to the hook. With this type of take, it is best to wait til they get the hook in their mouths. Other times it will feel like a tug and pull. Chances are they engulfed your bait in a more aggressive vs. "nibbling". Reel up the slack and it's game on. I fish rip rap 90% of the time and my choice is Seaguar Invizx at 6#. I can get away with it. I'm tempted to use braid as a main line with a very long fc leader, but I'll admit, I'm not willing to change what is kicking phanny for me yet and I'm too lazy right now. ;D

Thanks for the heads up. I am a big fan of their trebles and I would have bought such hooks based on their rep with their trebles. Sorry for the bad experience. BTW, were they colored hooks? No matter what, colored hooks are always going to be "duller" than their unpainted brethren. The unclosed eye is IMO inexcuseable.

Absolutely, I wish they made a 10:1 ratio reel when they charge the boat. You cannot get line in fast enough sometimes. No need. If you want an even high Line Recovery rate, use a spinning reel. 8-)

It seems that they no longer make it! Mine is blue and now they are silver. However, this is perhaps its replacement: http://www.abugarcia.com/prod.php?k=132590&sk=132590&p=PURC100U%20(1114410) It is the 101 with a line cap of 6/110. I imagine that the reel still weighs about the same. It is a great deal at about $34.00. I got mine at WalMart I think.

As with many other techniques that work on a boat, the drop shot is definitely effective from the shore. It is one of my most heavily used tactics when I target smallies from the shore, as a shorebound angler.

Check out the Cardinal 101a. It weighs 6.95 oz if I am not mistaken. Not a true UL, but it is small enough to serve UL needs. This is what I use on my UL setup and it's only about $34.00.

Yes, it can be done, but the challenge is to remove the epoxy. Not sure why you would think it would balance a rod, unless the rod is butt heavy. ;D Anyway, the weight reduction is probably measureable but not much.

Congrats! Looks like you're more hooked than the smallie was. Good for you! Gotta love those smallies.

None of the above. Take that $100 and spend it on your wife. That's just me. Now if this $100 is on top of the $$ you have allotted for your anniversary, then if it's a technique that demands sensitivity, spend more on the rod. If not, then put more on the reel. I think you can get more spinning reel for the buck than a casting reel. For example, a $79 sahara is a whole lot of reel for the money but a $79 baitcaster, forget it for an LP.

I can't wait to give those a try. Rapala DT6s have been my favorite until I started making my own. BTW, I'm a believer in the resurrection. ;D

Hey guys! The Pink Salmon (aka humpies) are entering some of the river systems in Western Washington right now and they will be coming in the millions this season. You all know that I am a bass angler at heart, but I cannot ignore the good eats that salmon is. Brown's Point is a location that many of these salmon will pass to reach their birthplace in the rivers. Imagine yourself with access to catching salmon without a boat, from the shore, AND without the need for waders. Browns Point Giving It Up on Wed 08-12-09 Report 8:20 PM - Fast Approaching Nightfall, Patches of Pink Amid a Cloudy, Gray Canvas. Got to Brown's Point at about 8:20 pm with my son. That is when I realized that I brought the wrong Curado D reel. I brought the Curado D that was less than 2/3 full with 8# mono. Doh! According to the people I talked to on the way down to the beach, the fishing was slow and a bit tough. Fortunately for me, I had my good luck charm (my son) with me. I also started to think that the 8# test just might be my ticket to getting into the fish. The challenge and game plan would be to play the fish properly so as to not break the line. 8:25 PM - First Cast First cast made. I offered the first retrieve to my son, but he declined. He appeared to be more interested in eating his snacks and guzzling soda than wanting to catch his first salmon. I didn't blame him. 8:30 PM - First Hook Up My buzz bomb got hammered and I drove the hook home as I said quietly, Got em. The pink fought with great vigor. Unfortunately, by way of my impatience and some fear that my line might break, I did not heed my game plan to play the fish. The end result was a lost fish that took advantage of the barbless hook restriction as I attempted to horse it to shore. The pink salmon tossed the hook with authority. That all too well known sinking feeling settled in as the belief my best chance to land one crossed my mind. Double Doh! 8:40 PM Second Chance I was blessed with another good strike and set the hook. This time I played it right and eventually landed this pink with someone's net. Ah yeah, first salmon of the season. I apologize for the bad pics. The salmon kept squirming. 9:00 PM Packing Up and Heading Home I decided to head home so that I could clean the salmon. Not a bad for a 40 minute outing, especially that my pink and one other were the only two caught in this period. I think I am going to stick with the 8# line the next time out. He isn't squirming anymore. Conditions Light, Occasion Drizzle, Overcast Skies and Windy Gear: Lamiglas 8'6 Rod, Curado 201DHSV with 8# test (oops!) Lure: Pink Buzz Bomb

Well, if you're going to take them you have to expect that their attention span is going to be no more than 15 min. esepcially if they aren't catching anything. If the bucket of gravel is merely there to keep them occupied while you fish, then I would say it is not a good idea. You might as well leave them in front of the TV. Matter of fact it would probably be better if you didn't fish at all and gave them 100% of your attention. It will show your dedication to them but more importantly they can fall in (even from the shore) while you're "working" a lure in an instant. Invest in life vests too. If their attention span is indeed short, then there's no point in bringing your gear. ;D You'll be spending more time lugging it around unfished and untangling line or tying on baits. Let them fish for as long as they can bare and call it a day. I tend to choose lakes that have playgrounds, and I bring a lot of snacks and drinks. As for lures, I have learned that the great barbie and snoopy rods don't fare too well with baits that need to be moved relatively quickly like a crankbait or spinnerbait. Their really low line recovery rate is perhaps the culprit. Have fun with them.

I've not done it myself, but I believe it was Terry da Bassman who I think brought that concept to fruition. http://www.tclarkcustomlures.com/bups.html

The "white" braid is going to be end result of just about any colored braid out there. Braid, at least power pro and stealth that I have used have always faded from whatever color it was initially to white. So choose your braid and shortly afterward, it will be white. I don't know if the fused lines fade, but I know that stealth and power pro will.

Hmmm... I think there might be something wrong with that setup. Send it to me and I will gladly try it out for you to make sure it's a good combo. Joking aside, that really sounds like a sweet setup. Congrats. If this is your first rig, it is going to probably be very hard for you to fish with lesser rods.

I didn't get one of those, but I did get a MagTouch. They really look nice.

My best guess is that there might have been some wear and tear on the line at the knot. Whenever I have breakoffs, I almost always examine the end of the line to see if I either broke the line before the knot or if the line broke at the knot. It is hard to say for your case since you don't have a pic of your line.

While we're on the subject of finishes, does any one know what a company like Rapala uses? The coats on their lures does seem to be very durable, even on the balsa lures. I was able to look into a DT 6 that I broke (my fault) and the layers were: Top Coat (thin) Paint Job A very hard white colored shell (maybe this is what gives them their durability Balsa Very interesting. BTW, I am a dev con user and have not yet had an issue with it.

I am not a lure builder, but I know how a fly is made. You see, sometimes a female fly and a male fly meet on the same pile of dog crap. They talk, share some feces and eventually one thing leads to another.... A couple days later, a fly is born. Simple really.... ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D Would you let us know what lure type you're interested in to narrow things down a bit, Plzzzzzz? We could better help you tooooooooo.