flechero

If you are fishing team events or divisions, where you are not competing against the boater, a good boater will leave you good water and targets as you fish along. (or at least I and my friends do) And you guys can discuss what's happening as it does. If you are competing against him directly then you are best off to use different baits and watch his locations casted to. In that case, getting front-ended (and silent treatment) is going to happen. :-/

Spoiled by Daiwa huh? Wish I felt that way. I don't normally dog any brand... My 50 MG's were all like butter and my 2 Daiwa purchases last year were both flops right out of the box. (and yes, one was a TD-Z) And the whole lot of TD-Z's that have been complained about recently from the cabela's sale... I fail to see how Daiwa is doing any better than Shimano... and honestly I think Shimano sells way more reels so the % of problems is likely lower. No brand is perfect- and all reels should work out of the box. All this thread has done for me is to reinforce the need for better QC in both companies.

I have 4 50 MG's and none were like that when new.... after a very hard year for fishing one of them it is just now developing what you describe.... I just think it's time for ReelMech to clean and relube it. I think you bought one that has been on the shelf so long it needs a lube job. Just sounds like you have had a run of bad luck...

I was going to type it out but remembered ReelMech's article.... http://www.rod-crafting.com/articles/rod-tip-repair.html

Your post is no different than someone praising Loomis or St. Croix, I'm sure it's fine with Glenn and the mods. Congrats on the new rod. IMO, all custom rods should be made for the customer as your's was... that's why it's custom. (but many "customs" are not) Can't wait to see the pics.

no, you are fine. crappie lures can be deadly in some lake with lots of them... I have the Mattlures crappie and love it.

I wish my memory was better... there was a link from one of the threads not too long ago, to a custom crankbait maker's web site and it actually listed special occations as an idea for personalized crankbaits. Hopefully someone will remember it and be able to steer you in the direction. Great idea, I hope you find a way to make that happen.

The absolute best tip you can give is a referral or second order if you really like the rod. A monetary tip, while very generous, isn't necessary IMO.

260 grams is over 9 ounces... too much $ for 'so much' # in my book.

To Glenn's point, to know Ronnie, I'm not too surprised... he's just that solid of a guy. I had the pleasure of hanging out with him at fork... he is the real deal. *** Hey Alpster, did I mention I am also thinking of rodbuilding???? want my address????? ;D ;D just fooling around- but that was classy move!!

bassripper, A spiral wrap will do several things... it will reduce some of the chances of a rod failure, it WILL reduce user fatigue, it will balance better and be lighter due to less guides and more. They are not any more difficult to set up than traditional rods, just a little different. I like and recommend the "simple spiral" even though I build a variation for my own rods. It's pretty much foolproof and it is the bomb, according to everyone I have built for or let use one. If you need help, let any of us know. Lobos 69, We aren't about spitting contests here... and especially in this section... any exchange of ideas or info is just that. Some things we may do differently but we each learn from the other's methods and that is always good. -keith

Ceph- Some companies do use the same blanks for both, while some don't. If you scroll up and see my first post. Bassripper, Makes more sense now that all the facts are in. Try calling Mudhole on the phone, I have done it a few times when I only needed guides.... they sent them in a little padded envelope for under $1.00

Please don't misunderstand me/us... the reason I advised against it is because he said he was going to use it for a finesse rod with a CU100D which he already has... but IMO it isn't a finesse reel so the plan as a whole isn't going to be what he wanted. He could by a very nice new blank for the CU100D for way less less than a new finesse reel. My response was only motivated by money in this case. The fact that I think the blank is too light for me to use a casting rod is not a factor. I'm all for experimenting- I have purposely busted rods just to see how strong different single footed guides are and lots of other crazy stuff... much of it, I won't ever admit to! ...lol Experimentation can be half the fun!

How do you like this new sign at my boat storage? The funny thing is that I saw it on the Texas fishing forum first... and that prompted my trip over there last night. It's facing the main road for all to see. I have to admit that I laughed pretty hard but at the same time I was shocked... I don't think I'd have the "brass" to put that up. My only guess is that the cameras (on each building) caught women backing when the gate and both buildings were hit. Let me add for balance that i have seen several guys there that also need backing lessons.

That means you are back home from the dessert.... Awesome, glad you made it home safely!! And thanks again for your service. (sorry for the hijack)

You shouldn't have any trouble with that reel and 17# line. I'd start looking for another explanation. Could be a problem in your set up of the braking system or a reel in need of service... could even be your casting. (don't take offense- you said the reel was pretty new and didn't say if you were new to baitcasting)

I prefer non floating plastics, because the real lizards and craws (I used to catch) were always on the bottom. So it always made sense to me that if they live on the bottom, the fish were used to seeing them and eating them on the bottom. I can see using floating plastic over weed beds but I still don't - for the same reason.

Out of those two, I'd get the med power. Unless you are fishing real big crankbaits, the Med. should be plenty of power. If you are really going to use it as a crankbait rod, why not look into buying a crankbait rod? (that would be a moderate or a mod-fast) It would be a more forgiving rod with treble hook lures and would cast lighter crankbaits easier than a fast action rod.

Even better... if you can build it, you are going to spend much less still. Let us know if you have any questions along the way, and if you don't still post your progress with pics in the tacklemaking section!!

There isn't a "wrong" way to fish it, some times little differences can help. But do consider that one of the great benifits of the "traditional" c-rig is that there is a slip sinker... meaning that when a finicky fish picks up your bait there will be no resistance as he begins to swim off. You can also add a ticker and /or a bead which will add sound, or you can fish it quietly. (no bead or ticker) Years ago, I used to fish them as you do but when I finally tried the "traditional" way I started catching more and bigger fish. Such a difference that I now carry a dedicated c-rig rod with me all the time, rigged and ready. Give the "traditional" way a try, you might decide that you've only been cheating yourself!

You'll be hardpressed to find a spinning rod to feel like you are used to for flippin... but you could have a custom spinning flippin stick made on a true flippin blank. As long as you didn't want many decorative extras ("stealth") it wouldn't cost as much as you think.

any of the craft stores like hobby lobby sell it, but I don't think it's uv, I think it's the hold to the light and "charge" it kind. I used to use it on a few saltwater flies I tied, for eyes and heads. It doesn't work great but will last a little while. I'm sure you can find a better paint than I did but if not, the craft store option is out there.

It will work, but you most likely will not like it... it will feel like an ultralight... the CU100D is not a finesse reel either so you are almost going to have to buy a reel to go with the new rod - defeating your purpose. If it were a heavier spinning blank I'd be 100% behind your idea. I built a 3C66MLF (med-lite casting) as a spinning rod... as a casting rod, it would be a super finesse rod and it's rated heavier than yours. Good luck, either way!

The blank doesn't know if it's a spinning or casting blank, so yes you can build either blank as either type of rod. **BUT one thing many people don't consider is that the design of a spinning blank is often times different than that of a casting blank... which is why the ratings are different. A few are the same and would be listed in a catalog as "casting and spinning blanks" and all in one category. Generally the spinning blank is softer through the middle and butt sections. (don't confuse this with faster or slower, it's a power issue) You can tailor the blank choice exactly to your needs if you know what your looking for... ex: I don't like the feel of most spinning rods so I build all my spinning rods out of casting blanks, in the power and action I want. That's one of the coolest things about rodbuilding, you can make anything you want.

Most of us tape guides on... both for testing and wrapping. Once we start wrapping the (nylon) thread the tape comes off. The tape only holds the guide on the blank until the thread is far enough up the foot to hold- then the tape is peeled off and thread goes over the rest of the guide's foot. My only hesitation would be that he said he "thinks" he can build this rod. I'd suggest talking to him a little more about specifics and get a comfort level with him. There are lots of good rod buiulders out there and no reason you should have reservations about your new custom built rod or it's builder.