S Hovanec

Not wanting to sound like too much of a Richard, but I'd prefer to not discuss this technique on a public forum.

Picked up a scroll saw to try something new. Have to try something to one-up that grip on Clayton's swimbait rod! Building a Dogfish Head Beer themed SCV for a friend. The logo. My first practice attempt at an inlay of the logo. I don't think it was an epic fail!!

For the first time ever, Merc is on my radar with these V8 offerings. I'm seriously considering the new 250 Verado when I upgrade boats in a few years. Actually i'm hoping they reconfigure the 2075 Tyee to take a 300 just like the 2075 Pro-V.

Don't feel bad. I just needed to vent some more after i started venting to @.ghoti. Iast week on the phone. We got interrupted by the wife's birthday dinner.

Go talk to someone at your local tackle shop. They should know someone that does that kind of work.

The only thing I found Nanofil good for is pull-loops for wrapping guides. Even with thread being the only thing it touches, it'll be frayed beyond use after about 18 guides.

Actually, yes. It's part of your dealer contract along with a five figure opening order. Like St Croix, NFC dictated what a dealer can sell their products for. St Croix's pricing is MSRP for retail customers and 40% off MSRP for wholesale, no exceptions unless a model is discontinued. I seem to recall NFCs wholesale being somewhere in the 25% off range and dealer cost was 45% off. So basically the general public can buy them for less than their dealers. I can't speak for their current practices as I've given up promoting their product.

Depends.....lol

Any NFC I have in stock, I will never be able to sell without taking a loss since they now sell direct for less than wholesale price. They're also throwing the bone to their distributors that have inventory. Why order from a dealer and pay wholesale when you can buy direct for less. The other issue is backorders. I've had customers cancel rods because of their order fulfillment time.

I flat out refuse to fish the bay. If the lake is unfishable, I go back to camp and crack a beer.

My experience too. Anything with the SS304/Minima type tips are trouble. I've even seen grooving on running guides.

Braid will not groove any of the ceramic ringed guides. The problem lies with metal rings, especially on rods fished in dirty water. Sediment from the water gets deposited on the line and turns it into an abrasive string sawing away as you reel.

No lie there. I have at least a dozen in the rack waiting for me!

IMO, NFC is screwing with the custom builders. Every time they have their 50% sale, I get a bunch of calls from people asking "what I can do for them" on a custom NFC. They expect my price to go down because the blanks are on sale. Newsflash, my price stays the same when they go on sale and I'm not going to adjust my price and make less because of their sale.

They must be some more current models because at one time you could buy 3 Kistlers of the same model/action/power and wind up with blanks from 3 different manufacturers, none feeling remotely close to one another.

I use the Simms but i also apply a couple coats of anti-fog on my glasses. It keeps them fog free.

My Eternity arrived today. I must say, I like it more than I remember liking it at the show.

I use them for tube rods.

I've built a few of the older RX7 610MXFs and they were more powerful than what I like in a DS rod. The Eternity felt more like what I like.

Mostly vertical. And yes, I fish weights way over the rod rating!!

Finally pulled the trigger on a ETES610MXF. It should be here next week!!

Not yet.

Let me get this new idea ironed out and you'll have something quite unique!

Dropshot Shad Shape worm (natural shad color)

been kicking around the idea for years of removing the tubes in my Lund. This may be the year I do it as I recently took up the floor to troubleshoot a fuel gauge/sending unit issue.