S Hovanec

I've never been able to ship anything 7' or greater for less than $30, no matter which of the big 3 used.

Depends on the local regs. We have lakes in PA that are electric only, 9.9 max and 20 max. All of those, you can launch a boat with a bigger motor as long as you don't use it. We also have some reservoirs that are electric only and forbid gas or gas motors, so if you have an internal tank, you can't launch even if you remove the motor.

What he said, or a tiny drill bit spun by hand to clear the guide.

They do one better too. Cork pattern printed on paper wrapped over a low density particle board type material (not burl cork). It does fall apart once it gets too wet.

DOH! I usually pick up on that stuff too. Guess I missed it!

It's the opposite for me. I have trouble getting people to go with me most of the time. Maybe that says something about me? Lol

I agree, and i dont care for minimas for that reason too. The reason recoils were selected was their resiliency. On a rod where ice buildup could be a problem, a little tug and flick of the guide clears the ice and it snaps back into position. Now to contradict myself, I will be using Ti framed Minimas on an upcoming personal build, just to see how light I can build it. It is a first gen MHX HM 7'2" dropshot.

Also, make sure it's actually all cork before you start sanding. I've done more than a few repairs that were cork veneer over foam. Looks pretty good. Had me fooled til I put it on the lathe and run a razor blade through it!

The majority of my stuff comes from Bingham Enterprises. Karen didn't have those guides so I tacked them on my Mudhole order. Mudhole has some winding checks and butt caps I use that are exclusive to them and I also had a customer that wanted a MHX blank. With 2 suppliers out of the same guide, my guess is that they're back-ordered from Angler's Resource......and on a slow boat from China!

If memory serves me, I have about a half dozen of those. Problem is, it would cost as much to mail it as the guide costs!

I have a bit of a problem. I'm embarrassed by how many blanks I have too!

Yep. Waiting on a couple BKWAG6s right now. Thought I had them, but NOOOOOOO. When I place an order, I usually order a couple extra in various sizes that I use, to build a small inventory. I now have about 500 guides laying around the shop, but not the couple I need for this particular build!! What are you waiting for? I have a pretty good selection of blank Alconites.

I use 12# with 6# or 4# leaders. No 12# on the spinning reel, just the centerpin. I use 8 or 6 with leaders on the spinning reel.

I think the M won't be gentle or forgiving enough with the 4# and 6# line you will be using. Just my opinion tho.

I think I would have accidentally put the boat in gear with the motor trimmed up and gave them an outboard shower as I was leaving.

I prefer ML for the Erie tribs. I have a 8'6" ML Avid I use with a spinning reel and a 13' ML Talon I use with the centerpin.

Finding a blank for that might be a tall task.

Another dark place you sent me was with that 7pc fly rod. I haven't used import snakes since. They required more bending and tweaking than a little. Nothing but Universal Snakes after that.

Even though I said they are fugly, I have to admit they look pretty OK on this build. In person, they are almost the exact same color as the blank.

I've been told I need to learn to speak my mind instead of holding it back!

When I started this build, my reasons for disliking Recoils were different (and fewer) than they are now. First off, I hate guides without ceramic inserts. I can't stand the thought of metal rings touching the line. Next it is that they are fugly and expensive for all they are, wire guides. Also, they are short. Their height is insufficient for laying out the rod using the ring sizes I wanted to use. Plus, they're FUGLY. After I got over the obstacles in my head, I started prepping them to be wrapped. These guides cannot be filed, ground or manipulated in any manner that will allow a smooth ramp from the blank to the guide foot. They are just wires, welded together.......round on all sides. can't make them lay flat on the blank. Because of the material type and shape, they are also thicker than stamped guides, meaning the foot profile is higher, thus creating a steeper ramp for the thread to try to climb. When I tried to wrap them, that's where the next problem popped up. When I put a wrap of thread on the foot, the steepness of the ramp made the thread push the guide towards the tip. I tried placing a rubber tube in front of the guide to hold it.....NOPE. I tried a wrap of tape on the guide foot to hold it....NOPE. I tried a wrap of tape AND the rubber tube......NOPE. after a few attempts, I got the stripper guide to stay put. The next reduction guide required a spot of super glue to hold it still til the thread was up the ramp. The third guide went OK with tape holding just long enough. Now on to the single foot fly guides. Those little sons of buzzards were about the death of me. Multiple attempts with tape and bands were unsuccessful. Then I took one of them and ran the ramp across some 80 grit to give the metal some teeth. that, combined with a band in front to hold it from sliding was the ticket. Only had 5 of those to do! With everything wrapped up, its time for finish. Not so fast......it looks like Ray Charles put these guides on. OK, lets adjust them. Have fun with that........They're ELASTIC! Move that one a little to the right, that should do it........NOT. It snaps back to where it was. You have to overadjust the freaking things with the hope they will go back to where you want them! Plus, they're fugly.

I use one almost every time I'm on the water. On the rare occasion, I use 2. I used to attach it to the bow eye, but it became difficult to retrieve and sometimes interfered with the trolling motor. I now attach it to the front cleat, and when I use 2, the other one is on the rear cleat. The one I use will slow my drift to <1 mph in 1-2' swells and 10mph winds.

Blank: Rainshadow SB720-4 in TiChrome color (6' 4pc.) Rings: American Tackle Guides: Recoil spinning guides and single foot fly runners (Black Pearl color) Hook keep: Kigan XLA in TiCh finish. Winding check: Mudhole dimpled (red) Butt Cap: Mudhole (red/silver) Cork: Wave burl Thread: Prowrap Silver Shiner and Gudebrod Red metallic Finish: ThreadMaster and TM Lite Decal: Decal Connection red over silver. Measurement marks are located at 16" and 20" from the butt. I started this rod sometime in December of 2015. Got the grip turned, then some other projects came up to put this one on the back burner. Last May I picked it back up and tried to wrap those #$&&+***$&## Recoils. After some more cussing, I put it back in the bag and there it sat til last week. Steve asked if it was possible to have it done for a trip he was leaving for tomorrow. I told him "In theory, it was possible.". Last coat of finish went on the stripper guide on Thursday and he was able to pick it up today. I hope the red pops out in the sun as nicely as it does under my crappy dungeon lighting.

I bought my 16' Sea Nymph without a ride. Just ran the 25hp on the muffs. Wasn't putting out a ton of money for it, so if there were problems, it wouldn't be a big deal. I knew going in that the floor had a soft spot, so a rebuild was already planned. I bought my Lund without a drive too, but I ordered it new.

I've said it before, the only reason I build with Ti frames is because I like the color!!