flechero

If the prevailing winds are out of the SW, try the NE. If winds are from SE, try NW. The only problem is that most lakes don't line up perfectly for this method... so like has already been said, it's usually lake specific. Just call in sick 2 days in a row and try both! That way you will know for future reference on that lake.

Try going to where they will spawn... from there back straight out to the first good drop. If that fails, go to the second drop. Try t-rig or c-rig lizards. If that fails, try a red spinnerbait or red rattletrap along the outside edge of grass. If you still have no luck, buy some beer and get tan trying. ...lol

About twice a week in the spring, summer and fall. I'd fish all night if she didn't call to remind me to come home. ...lol No way to fix it, just have to wait until the next day and it seems better. As for purchases, we each have an "allowance" - mine is fishing/hunting stuff and hers is mostly clothes and shoes. When I do household projects for her, like new tile or paint or whatever, I usually get an alowance "bonus" or a free order from BPS or Cabela's.

Avid, Well said. Blanked, You are a recreational fisherman, only you can define what is "enough" for you. If you are happy being out there and catching a few fish... you can do that regularly with just the basics. If you want to catch more and bigger fish with regularity or understand why certain things work or happen, you may need or want to learn more. New tecniques and new baits in many cases, fill gaps. Look at the drop shot for example... we could always fish deep and slow but this is not like we ever fished baits before. And there are people filling the boat with fish that otherwise would have been missed. Even I drop shot once in a while. ...lol The bottom line is spend the amount of time and money you are comfortable with and enjoy any time you get to spend on the water!!

I am the same way and figured I was just picky. (but I'm sure we all did it in the begining) There are a few gray areas but for the most part a "terrain feature" is structure - and weeds, reeds, brush, timber, rocks, docks, etc are cover.

I gotta think it was his way of saying "no way I'm telling what I used!" Or maybe he used a spinnerbait and said that to keep people off his pattern. No telling... but the state record came off a minnow by a guy who said he was crappie fishing. ???? We'll never really know! I'm just glad I have access to my wife's roadrunners!! ;D

The newer model GM trucks have the tow/haul mode, I had several mechanics say no problem with cruise or O/D if you have (and use) that feature. It keeps your rpm's in the higher range of torque and while accellerating, and it raises the shift points to keep you from cruising at too low of rpm's. You are probably in the rpm range that is high on the torque curve. I had the same experience with my last 2 trucks.

1.What type of lure did he catch his fish on? Zoom lizard 2.What type of presentation? C-rig 3.What was the water depth?(within 2 ft) 20' 4.What was the location of the fish? humps 5.What cover or structure were the fish relating to? brush or timber on humps Wild guess... what state? ...lol

I got into fly fishing for bass as a warm up to my saltwater trips. Now it's a stand alone activity, especially since I live near a lake with smallies!! I typically use a 7 weight, although I'll take a 5, 7 and 9 with me to match conditions. I use W-F floating or intermediate tip line and mostly home tied flys in baitfish or craw patterns. I'll have to disagree on that... at least in Texas. We now have fly only guides on Fork and Texoma and a lot of other lakes. I know lots more people now-a-days that target bass with the fly than I used to. Many of them, like me, started off as practice to saltwater trips. Any of you read the book, Carp on the fly, what a good book! I would love to get into some big carp on my flyrod... it would be like hooking a red at the coast!

Check your local Lowe's, they had rotisserrie units on sale. They are about 5 rpm motors and were $20 for the whole kit. You just need to attach a round piece of foam and you have a jig/fly drying wheel.

Mine also... but the wife calls it a beer belly! ;D

Sounds ok as long as you seal/finish the lure adequately to prevent the colors from bleeding or washing off.

The shop was planned long before the rod building started... I used to have a woodshop and lost it when we moved to Belton. The only difference now is that I'll have a few new "jigs" and tools to support rodbuilding. Finish won't be a problem either as I already have a "clean room" in the plans for finishing other things. I start the upstairs bathroom tomorrow night. ...lol I have a pretty long list of "to-do's"... remember it's been piling up since before my surgury in October, so it has gotton long! I'll probably not start the next rod for a month or so, I have to get the list whipped!

That's how my wife was, when she was my fiance' somehow it all changed. Lucky for me, I'm more stubborn than a jackass and remind her when needed that she was warned many times, and it wasn't a problem before we said I do... Works most times, other times, I just go fish and she gets over it the next day.

ReelMech, I couldn't have done it without you! It's very gratifying to be able to take my own rods to the lake... and even better that I already like them better than all the IMX rods I own!! Tenka, You might PM ReelMech, he has one rod in process that has become available... a really nice St.Croix 3C66MHF blank with the exotic burl cork... and he knows what he's doing! He might make you a great deal on it. I'm actually building a shop pretty soon... the concrete is being poured next month if all goes well (fingers crossed) but I have lots of projects already booked, none of which are building rods. My wife is dead set on a kitchen remodel and since the cabinets she wants are about $6500, I got appointed to make them. > I was a woodworker (read that as a furniture maker/cabinet maker/trim carpenter/traditional bowyer) in my "previous life" so anything that resembles wood that I don't want to pay for becomes a project for me to make. Thanks guys!

I'm not much of a crankbait guy... but the others are right, they work. If you don't get into some fish with the cranks, by all means, T-rig a lizard. Lizards are king of spring everywhere I have ever fished in the southern half of the country. As far as colors go, if water is stained to murky, things like Pumkin-chartruse or cotton candy-chartruse and even sapphire blue or black & blue... if water is clear, try smoke blue, salt & pepper, cotton candy (w/o chartruse) or plain old pumkinseed. (those are all standard zoom colors) If you suspect the active fish are deeper, same thing, only C-rig the lizards. (watermelon and any of it's varieties are great colors in most lakes, but I didn't list them because I normally catch more during spring on the colors I did list) Enjoy Monday, we'll all be thinking about you while we are at work!

That was one of the first blank lines I considered for replacing the Loomis rods I have now. I talked to the sales rep for Shikari (he said he used to work at G. Loomis) about the different models and materials and how they might compare to Loomis in terms of feel and action. Ultimately, I chose St. Croix since I had no way to handle a Shikari for comparison. I just couldn't get myself to spend that kind of money and not be able to feel the stiffness and action. I can handle almost all the St.Croix models at Sportsman's warehouse. On a side note to the side note! ....lol I may have a deal worked out with my local archery supplier to begin placing my blank & component orders (at wholesale) that way I can get a good discount and he'll make a few extra dollars in his slow season. I know there is a good size mark up in some of the $$$ blanks, is it that way with guides and cork too? Maybe I'll get to try a Shikari yet! Do you know if Loomis does blanks wholesale? I've not seen them advertised anywhere like that.

I had trouble deciding on the right. In fact I may still build the next one on the left. The reason is I normally fish any moving bait to my left... so I had to do a lot of guide testing for line clearance under load from the sides. I'm glad i did because now I have a good understanding of the relationship between the bumper and first two guides. Understanding when and why to move the bumper and other guides around for the best casting and for complete line clearance. (all that because when I first tested the bumper on the right I had line contact with load from the left) Thanks, ReelMech... coming from you, that is a huge compliment to me!! I got to take them to the lake yesterday, it was COLD, WINDY and RAINING all day long. Brrr!!! I did manage to catch a couple (small ones) on the new rods, so they are officially used now! Did you notice the trim wraps behind the front hoods in the reel seat? 4-6 turns, still clears the hood with finish and a 4600 installed. That was my only "original" idea. I'm an addict now!! ;D

L_B_H, Thanks for sizing the pics down and posting them! Anyway, as you can tell from the unfinished butt and guides, the one with red trim thread is not complete. The black blank with blue trim is my surprise rod... it was a blank I bought just to practice on but it was so sweet when it arrived, I had to build it up! The blue trim in the cork was the same color as the thread before I finished the thread... I forgot to account for the thread color changing with the finish, but once I get some fish slime on the handle you'll never know the difference! It's a 6' 10" All Star blank, 8 power fast. rated 15-30 line and 3/8 - 2 oz. It has a surprisingly delicate tip and pitches like an absolute dream! The green one is a Rainshadow MU786 musky blank, 6' 6" fast, rated 17 - 40 and 3/4 - 3 oz... this is my swimbait and ledgebuster rod. (rated at 3/4 on the low end, but initial testing showed no problem casting and pitching 1/4 and 3/8 baits) It is a real horse! I almost re-tore my rotator cuff doing the static deflection and guide placement testing. ...lol trim rings and butt ring are burnt burl cork. The pics don't show the thread color very well but it was actually the blank color that darkend and went translucent with the finish... it's truly striking in person. There is another green musky blank (I helped a buddy build) with burnt cork main grip and light colored trim rings but I didn't have it here for a pic. The unfinished rod will likely remain unfinished, at least for a while... it really fills no need I have but was my "learner" for grips, ree seats, guide placement & testing and wrapping. Someday I'll probably finish it and give it to my youngest brother. All 4 are "simple" spiral wrapped, split grip, no forgrip and have trimmed, expose reel seats. No personalized writing or stickers yet... maybe someday but I haven't decided what I want to do with them. Thanks again to Reelmech, who answered countless questions along the way!! Next on the project list is a St.Croix 5C70HF then ? My goal is to replace all my bass rods this year. (and then have a big G. Loomis sale!!)

A follow up on the last question if I may. What % of blanks have the natural curve and spine on the same plane? All of mine so far have been right on or within a few degrees. (of course we are only talking 5 rods to date) Have I been lucky or is this normal? Thanks! -Keith

I believe he meant to ask you to ship it to his buddy keith in Texas for the cost of shipping! ;D ;D I imagine you have a real collection of rods... but hey, it's not often you get to build yourself a new one with "free" components! Maybe you could try something new or out of the box since you'll only have labor in it. Hey, you might use Threadmaster on this one... it can be your "Lamar experiment." ...lol

BD, Thanks a lot for the offer... but LBH had already offered to resize them for me.

Uh oh... hope I didn't curse it with my comments! Sorry to hear it. As a side note, do you collect a deposit before starting custom rods? Seems I read that 50% deposit or at least material cost was customary. Just curious. I was going to ask about the sticker since 1/2 of it was visible, then I remembered you marble the area. You should keep it for yourself... kind of a self reward for sharing the knowledge with us! Don't take too much time, you're getting to the good stuff now!

Mike, We only disagree on the time frame. I think the virus will actually improve the next couple years worth of fishing. It may have hurt our record chance but the reduction in numbers was a good thing for the lake overall and the avg size fish caught was coming up. I took from your post that you thought the virus hurt the lake, long term and completely took it out of the running for the record, but you hoped it came back someday. I think we're on the same page, you were talking about the record, and I was talking about quality of average fish caught. (which actaully went off topic)

Ive heard lots of people say the horizontal reel thing... never tried it myself though. The biggest thing I see people do when going to overhand is not using the wrist enough to get the rod to work. For starters, use your other hand on the butt of the rod to generate more tip speed. Make the rod do the work. I guess it's easier to show than explain. If you go 2 handed to get the feel, it's easy then to see what you're not doing when just using one hand.