islandbass

Sorry to hear you lost a good friend. He lives in your memories and theirs.

Man, that is a different ball of wax! Trial and error without a basic knowledge of density is going to suck. The density of water is about 1 g/cm^3 (gram per cubic meter) So theoretically, if you can make the overall density of your bait about the same as water, it should be neutrally buoyant. Another thing I’m guessing you’re doing is trying to make the lure neutrally buoyant before the hardware is added. If the trebles are too heavy, your initial calculations will be off and the bait which made will no longer be neutrally buoyant and would probably be a sinking bait. If I were you, I’d study lures that are already neutrally buoyant like a rapala husky jerk (balsa one might be a better test subject). They suspend out of the box. Take it apart and see how rapala did it. Subtract the weight of the lead to ballast/balance it and the weight of the stocks trebles to get the weight of the balsa jerk bare. At this size you now have an idea how much weight you’ll need for a similar sized jerk bait you carve. For fun, I’d try to see how I could calculate the density of my bait. Such physics and math would help pass the winter over a little faster. Good luck!

I figured that. My intent was to point out how “eye-rolling brilliant” my state is. They actually differentiated between salt and fresh water. The coast is actually far from Seattle but we have inland water that just happens to be salt water, ie, a sound. I know, strange name. In some areas you can go from salt water (not coastal water as in ocean) to a fresh water lake in minutes but my state makes that distinction. Annual Freshwater Fishing License: $29.50 Annual Saltwater Fishing License: $30.05 Annual Combo Fishing/Shellfish: $55.35 Ages 16-69. At least trout is included in the freshwater license. The joking point I was making was to not have PA give WA a hint to follow suit on the trout stamp but I’m all in if they followed suit on selling a 3 year resident license for PA’s price. ?

That sucks. I’d have to place blame on the lazy employee. However, if it were me and I was a mechanical whiz, based on your description of the problem, I would have checked that or asked if you had a backing. I’d let them know about your experience. Bet they’d correct that really quick and might even show you sign of gratitude.

I just looked at the PA license pricing and I can’t believe how cheap a 3 year resident license is. It is just a few dollars more than a 1 year combo (meaning salt and fresh water) license. $9.90 for the trout stamp sounds like a pretty good bargain but please don’t give my state any ideas, okay? The idea of a trout stamp is not on their radar right now and I don’t want it to be... Shhhhhhhh? not a word.... I digress but one thing that irks me about my state is that you’re not a “senior” until age 70.

No one here can really answer this to a certainty I’d be comfortable with. After all, if we’re wrong, you’d still pay the price if you were in the wrong. The best thing to do in my humble opinion is to call your states wildlife office and get the scoop from them. Take a name and badge number too. This is what would convince me to get it: ”A current Pennsylvania trout/salmon permit is required to fish for trout or salmon in Pennsylvania waters.” however, I think you’d be “safe” because the bass gear you have should indicate you’re not targeting trout. But if you get into it with a warden, at best he’ll believe you and at worst, he’d throw the book at you. it’s your word vs his and you’d probably lose.

Welcome back. I know they have bass there. ?

Good luck. Fair warning to you however on this journey you are embarking. This type of lure making is highly addictive. But also rewarding ?. Be sure to keep us posted.

Perhaps the easiest thing to do is search on google images for crankbait schematics. The adage no need to reinvent the wheel comes to mind. https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&channel=iphone_bm&source=hp&ei=F71aWq6_IoS8jwP-h4jwDQ&q=crankbait+schematic&oq=crankbait+schematic&gs_l=mobile-gws-hp.3..33i160k1.2907.13430.0.14317.32.27.4.7.7.0.307.2233.24j1j0j1.27.0....0...1c.1.64.mobile-gws-hp..0.31.1979.3..0j5j41j46j0i131i46k1j46i131k1j0i131k1j0i10k1j0i46k1j0i22i30k1j0i22i10i30k1j33i22i29i30k1.69.shMCWIMG_qM If if you have a good enough eye, you can use a crankbait that you want to duplicate as your template. For example, when I made my first flat sided crankbait, I used a rapala flat rap as my template so to speak. I would recommend you try a flat one if this is your first one from scratch. Less hassle and trial and error because the design is simpler. Update: i didn’t realize you wanted a program. As someone who can’t draw either, it might be even more trouble with a cad program lol. If you find a good schematic just print it out. Beats drawing ✍️

Since day one, lol. I thought I was the only one nerdy enough to do that. I’ve done the googling thing too.

I do this and I did this before tennis elbow. As much as a rod with a “long” butt gets in the way of one handed casts, it’s a blessing when needing to make two handed casts. I do this to reduce fatigue on my casting arm and that second hand on the butt really aids in that.

The most "natural" way to go. Welcome to BR. I'd best guess that the 6'6" rod would probably have a more light saber like and "lighter" feel and I'd bet she'd choose that one. With that said, I'd let her decide which MH rod she feels most comfortable with give her that one.

White feathers if you can find them. chicken feathers have great action. Bluebassers material recommendations are solid and inexpensive.

That’s not being an idiot. That’s being a hands on trouble shooter who examined, diagnosed, and solved the problem. If you ask me that’s being smart. Hats off to you!

This!!!!!! 1 x 10^∞ Most of the low land lakes are closed for the season until April, so if I want to fish, I have to switch gears and target salmonids. However, the prospects nearby suck because of poor fish management very low fish numbers. It's one thing to go fishing and get skunked, and it's another to leave a warm bed, battle cold, rainy miserable conditions (pacific northwest) to target species that are all but extinct, risk your car getting busted into by meth fiends, then return home chilled to the bone skunked anyway, ano NOT even have one bite. Sux with a capital S. I hope to tie some jig flies as some already have (never does this yet) and maybe pursue other interests such as music composition and maybe play an old school video game or two (galaxian, rygar, contra, mr. do, donkey kong, lol). I tried the "modern" games like Black Ops with my 13 year old son, but the game cheats because I still get killed even when I'm blasting someone or a zombie point blank (translation - still I missing them, lol!). Ha! I get that call 99% of the time, but it happens when I'm less than 3 blocks from home on the way home. It's like clockwork. "Babe, can you grab some french bread for dinner tonight?" Toilet paper, paper towels, dinner... I've even called ahead of time, and she'll say, we don't need anything. Then, as mentioned, 3 blocks from the house and, "I forgot. We need.."

Well said burro. That’s my philosophy on the role of “lower end” reels too. If my son when he was about 6 had dropped my symetre into the drink (and he had a knack for accidentally throwing rods into the lake) I’d probably nearly have a cow and jump right in to save it, lol. But if he dropped the sweepfire Daiwa, I could let it go much easier. He has left Spider-Man, Superman, and the top half of his Batman rods at the bottom of the lake.

You didn’t bash Pfleuger IMHO. You just shared your experience but I am curious as to why it didn’t last longer. I have a Trion bc reel about 8 yrs old and even older reels that are still alive and kicking today. To the topic, I have a low end daiwa and I like it, as it does its job. It served as my kids spinning reel and I use it for trout, and pan fish and dropshotting UL. However I’d pick the Trion for only a few $$ bucks more. You might also want to look at the Shimano at that price point. The good thing about spinning reels is you get good bang for the buck at $40-50. Do your research by comparing the features each has side by side and just as important if possible, try them in hand with the rod you intend to pair it to. Good luck. ?

I love it when this topic makes its rounds here. Here is the scoop: A RH reel is designated as such because the right hand will turn the crank. A LH reel is designated as such because the left hand will turn the crank. A person’s hand dominance is not a factor in this designation. It could be a mistake for a person being a bc reel to assume RH reel for a RH dominant person and vice versa. This doesn’t apply to spinning reels since the handle can be switched. Everyone is wired differently that generalizations such as, “A LH reel is for left hand dominant people only,” or “A RH dominant person in theory should use a LH reel because like in baseball a RH dominant person catches the ball with his LH and throws (and therefore theoretically should cast) RH.” This is definitely not the case, so it comes down to what is comfortable to you. One side should feel feel more comfortable than the other and if it is doesn’t, consider yourself fortunate to be ambidextrous. The wise angler would strive to be proficient to use both. That way, when the sales too good to pass up come, they won’t ever fall victim to saying, “Aw, shucks. That’s a killer price on that Metanium or Steez but the handle is on the wrong side,” lol.

If you already have braid on your spool, you’ll need to remove it first. Next, tie mono to your spool, perhaps just enough to cover the spool with one line of the mono or just a little more. Attach your braid to it. This is the mono to braid way. Some choose to not to use mono but put a small strip of tape usually painters tape to cover the spool but not allowing the sides of the spool to have tape. Spool on your braid. The tape with will prevent the braid form slipping. Hope that helps.

I borrowed a book from the library about spinner fishing for steelhead and salmon. I think the author’s name is Jed Davis. I believe it had chart but since it has been quite some time, I think a good rule is to find a single hook with about the same gap. This is a link to an article that has recommendations to when changing from treble to single hook. https://www.saltstrong.com/articles/how-to-replace-treble-hooks/ I think Janns also has a hook sizing chart at their web page. I also like to use siwash hooks for a number of reasons. They’re strong. If they can handle king salmon, they’ll handle any warm water fish. They’re economical and therefore easy on the wallet. You can also buy them with the hook eye open. I like this because all you need to do is press the hole shut with pliers to attach it to your spinner. You won’t have to feed it through the split rings. I like to use Gamakatsu siwash hooks but any reputable hook make like owner probably make decent ones too. Lastly on the barrel swivel. You don’t need to go too big. I think size 10 will work for inline spinners up to size 5 Blades. There is one exception to this for me and that’s if you are making them for someone who might have trouble tying knots, eg bad eyes, arthritis, etc., then don’t hesitate increasing the size of the swivel for their sake.

Okay. When I get the chance I’ll try that knot out and see if anything can be done about it.

What knot are you trying to tie? My recommendation works when knots like the improved clinch knot, but it isn’t fool proof. As my knot gets closer to completion I reposition the knot location before it falls into that unwanted spot before the knot is completed. As I mentioned It isn’t 100% foolproof though. ?

That’s a good middle ground to start. At this diameter, the wire is still thin enough to shape by hand. To the OP: When I make my spinners, I will usually incorporate a split ring to hold the hook in the rear and a good small barrel swivel at the front. The ring enables me to change the hook without having to break my spinner. In my neck of the woods sometimes a single hook is required in rivers. The split ring allows me to switch a treble for single hook on the fly. The small barrel swivel you can guess is a built in line twist regulator.

If you mean by this that as you cinch the knot down it somehow finds a way to get caught in the split? If so, I can definitely relate. It can really be irksome. The way I get around this is that I don’t finalize (cinch down) the knot until I move it to a part of the split ring that is safe. This is the only way I’ve gotten around it whether they’re round or oval. Yes, at the end on the knot making process. If I start making the knot in a safe section, the ring will almost always slide around until where the knot is where you don’t want it to be.

I don’t think it’s a fake or false hype when it comes to Shimano reels, and particularly the curados. There is decent bang for the buck and when you read testimonials from Shimano users here (or the Daiwa users), they’re typing from the heart. They bought them, use them, love them and are sharing it with us here. May their passion and enthusiasm for what they use and like not be confused with hype. With that said, we can all relate to how you’re feeling. I was actually like that about Shimano and other makes while I was fishing with my Walmart special spinning combo. The best way to dispel the hype is to use one for yourself so that you can make an informed decision. ?