S Hovanec

Depends on the size of the boat. A 115 will do just fine on a 17' boat but will be a dog on anything bigger. Big motors go fast, but also help with holeshot and get you on plane faster. Just because you have it, doesn't mean you need to use all of it all the time. Take that 115hp for example. To achieve that 45mph, you will have to be running at 5500rpm. Put a 150 or 200 on it and you'll be cruising at the same 45mph at only 3000-3500rpm. An underpowered boat at WOT will burn more fuel than a properly motored boat at a lower RPM.

First coat is Threadmaster Light, for penetration. Second coat is Threadmaster regular, to cover the bare threads from the first coat.

There is a good margain, if builders would charge what their time and work is worth and stop trying to recruit the Walmart crowd into a custom. A custom built on the same blank with same materials should NOT cost less than the factory model.

Rod companies watch custom builders to see what is trending and what they can rip off next. I saw my first rod with micro guides at the ICRBE in 2006. Steve Gardner built this really nice rod with these teeny tiny guides. Smallest I've ever seen. It took the manufacturers about 3 years to start marketing the micro guides. Problem that the general fishing public, or the rod companies for that matter, fail to realize is micro guides are NOT for every application and that's why many hate them. Split grips appeard in the custom market years before they were on manufactured rods. I believe Rich Forhan started that trend. Now its hard to buy a rod without a split grip. What would be nice is if the makers of mass produced rods would learn a little fit and finish from the custom builders. Gaps in wraps, sloppy finish, poorly fitting cork, glue squeezing out between the reel seat and cork....and that was all on one single NRX!! If someone is gonna pay that kind of money for a poorly executed build, why not consider custom and get a great product for the same price!

I'd bet the flavored oils you buy at the drug store for making hard candy would work.

I use the finesse weights and I make them myself. I lose too many to buy them! For deep or heavy water, I use the 1.25oz and up pencil sinkers, which I cast myself also.

Every time my wife and I take the boat out, all 3 are with us!

I'd take a 2075 Pro-V over a 621 Ranger any day of the week. Are there entry level tin boats? Yes, just like there are entry level glass. Every company makes them.

Thank you. I take them with my phone. when I have a project I want good pictures of, the guy that built my website takes the pictures with a real camera.

That is a really poor pic of the RodGeeks decal. Its much sharper than the pic shows. I must have been shaking when I snapped it.

Repo'd LJB on Sunday to apply the decals. I must say, black on pink really pops.

Please tell Lund that their aluminum boats are entry level so they'll lower the prices and I can upgrade from my 17' entry level Lund.

Send it back

If you're doing a split grip, it will show. Send it back. Full grip, build on!

If it would be underthe grip, i'd ignore it. It does look significant, not something that would buff out with scratch-x or a similar product. I'd call the manufacturer or supplier. IMO,it shouldn't be a warranty thing, it's something that should have never been sent in the first place.

I have a real nice 7'2" ML RX8 I'm trying to sell. I just want my money back out of it and to do that, I have to have a $200 price tag on it. Just delivered a 5' UL RX7 on Saturday. That one was $198 out the door. Unless you're really good friends with a builder, I doubt you'll find a $200 custom. If you do, He's just making it harder for other builders to get what their work is really worth.

Getting bit by the bait monkey isn't so bad when compared to the bite of the Boat Monkey!

I'd be looking at an off shelf Avid before trying to spec a custom for $200. IMO, you're not getting much rod in a custom for that kind of money.

I have nothing to judge it by as I own no other JDM stuff. Prior to this, my best spinning reel was a Sustain 2500FD. The first thing I was surprised to see was there is no anti-reverse switch. Makes no difference to me, but it would be a deal breaker for some. It has a rubber seal on the handle where it screws into the body, another first for me. The drag knob also has a seal. I can't remember if my Sustain has that it not. I LOVE the shallow spool. I only put 50 yards of braid on my reels, so this one won't require much backer. It supposedly only holds 115yds of 4#. It may be a few weeks before I get it on the water as I haven't even started building the rod yet! Its going on a 5S610MLXF-B extended to 7'. Split Tennessee grip and Torzite guides. If the CI4 didn't look so good on my NFC DS610, I'd consider getting a C2000HGS for it.

That's my new dropshot reel, for a rod that has yet to be constructed.

As long as it's vector, they will print it.

When I first started building, I just used text without any images and all I'd send them was a word document with what I wanted. There was no set-up charge, unless things have changed. Now I have a couple friends in the sign and graphics business and they prepare all of my artwork for Decal Connection to print. If your graphics program creates a vector image, that is what is needed.

It's here!!

It was in my mailbox when I got home!!

Burl cork is composed of ground up natural cork and a bonding agent. Some are dyed different colors. Typically, burls are heavier than natural cork, but some of the new models are getting much lighter.