flechero

ReelMech, As many questions as I ask you, I ought to put you on a retainer!! Thanks for the links, you make some great looking rods! Sometimes I need a visual to help me work through it. I also was unable to get into the .org site today. But instead the mailman brought me all the backissues of rodmaker mag I ordered so I spent the afternoon reading. I have decided (and i have agonized over how I wanted to build them) to go with a split grip, no foregrip, cut down fuji exposed seat and a bumper set up. All I have heard and read tells me this will fit my style perfectly! All I have to do now is build it. I'm expecting the remainder of my ordered (spinning) components to arrive tomorrow or Friday so hopefully I'll get a good jump on things this weekend. I'll be starting on the spinning rod first since I'll not be able to use a BC for probably another 3-4 months. If the Dr. gives me a good report next week, I'll probably be able to use spinning gear by early Feb '06. Have you had trouble balancing spinning rods with the split grip? I used to have a Diawa Light/tough spinning rod, the only one I ever had with a split grip but it was also the best spinning rod I had owned at the time... so I don't know if it was the grip or rod I liked. ...lol I expect a spin rod to be tip heavy but like to keep it to a minimum if I can. One more bumper question for you... Why do they suggest using a small (8 or 7 ring) bumper and then back to a "normal" rest of the ring sizes... it seems to me if you choke to a 7 or 8 then there would be no need to go back up and then down again towards the tip. Am I out of line? I figure if I go to an 8 bumper. I'll stick with 8 and then 7's as running guides since the line has already been choked down. Thanks again for all of your help!!!! Don't worry about answering my questions if you have reels waiting... I can wait until you have free time. You are a true gentleman and a class act, a sincere thank you for all the help you have provided! -keith

I've had an email into Andy, I think he's took some time off for Christmas. I'll be ordering some exotic burl along with my other odds and ends when I hear from him. Do you have a picture of any of your split grips? I'd like to see them. I have been thinking about it for some of my upcoming projects... and since learning that burl is heavier (thanks to you) I think it may make the most sense as well. Thanks, -keith

Chris, My experience around grass carp is limited to 2 lakes so this may not apply everywhere. I also don't know what species of carp they were, or if that matters. Keep in mind that these 2 lakes are 84 and 105 acres,have little structure and cover now consists of boat docks and a few planted brush piles. (I fish larger public waters with carp but I suspect the carp were there before I fished them and can't really comment on their impact.) When the carp were first introduced, fishing remained the same with one small exception; we did not catch bass where the carp were feeding. In others words find a good weed edge that produces daily and during the hours carp were eating that edge we didn't get bit at that location. As time passed and the amount of grass diminished, the fish began to relate to other forms of cover, primarily dock pilings & brush piles and structure became more productive as grass was eaten. We experienced a transition period of almost 2 years from when the grass was gone. Once the grass was gone we rarely (during this 2 yrs) saw schooling or active chasing by the bass. I would guess that since these fish had always lived in grass it took them a while to re-aclimate to the lakes. After that period of time passed the fish were much easier to find... hit any available cover and fish structure in the appropriate depths and you found lots of fish. The fish seem to live generally deeper now, except the fish in and around the docks. Our success on the point was further out than it used to be, from 0-50yds became 50-100yds in the after. The jig bite has never returned and it was always a favorite of mine. All in all, the fishing quality seemed to suffer much more in the long term than the short term. I guess subsequent years the forage had fewer places to hide and spawn. The large schools of shad are no longer present and the panfish populations aren't as appearent as they used to be. I don't live out there any more but keep up with a few friends. Fishing is still excellent compared to 99% of the public waters but pales in comparison to how this place was before the carp. The most notable difference in quality is the large bass... we semed to get at least one 6-8lb fish every trip out when there was grass, but that changed to every 3rd or 4th trip once it was gone. All it takes is a handful of skiers and swimers to cry loud enough... I tried to convince people that it is a lake, not a pool, but in the end lost out. Sidenote, they stocked almost twice the recomended per acre rate of carp and now you see large carp floating every day. (I wonder how they like dead fish in there pool!) Sorry to rant, I'm still mad about it and I moved away 2 years ago. I hope that your waters fair better than ours did. -keith

ReelMech, I hit a ro*** yesterday... all those "premium flor grade" cork rings I ordered... from 2 different suppliers, looked like they came off of a shotgun range! They were pitted up like the inside of a loaf of homemade bread! Not even comfortable to hold in the hand. What a bunch of garbage! I glued em up anyway and turned a couple grips just to test out my home made lathe. I turned out some nice grips, to bad they were just for practice, since the cork was so bad. I had $50 worth of practice yesterday... and all I have to show for it is an angry streak. > I should have sent them back but I was dying to do something rod building related. Who sells good cork? I spent $2/ring and got taken to the cleaners! The pictures they show, were at least 3-4 grades higher than what I recieved. I was thinking of ordering some of Andy Dear's exotic burl, it looks good and I've heard others say it was good quality. Have you tried it? If not, do you have any suggestions on a supplier? As always... Thanks!! -keith

I've read that too. It almost always ends up killing the fish if you release it... I guess I'm just too gentle, I try not to pinch the optic nerves and club or bludgeon the fish I'm going to release!! ;D

Hey ReelMech, is there enough height on the leg of a BLG to use the Forhan locking wrap? Thanks!

Yup, got your email, no confusion. Thanks again! I won't be ordering the guides for the casting rod until I do some static placement work, I did however order the guides for the spinning blank... I took what I thought was going to be my finished guide needs and just ordered a few extras so I could get started as soon as it all arrived!

You know, I usually fly through the forum with blinders on and always look at the same things... I just noticed the tacklemaking section last night before bed!! I thought I was seeing things! ...lol Reelmech, I sent you an email before finding this... but I have an SCIII and an SCV blank under the Christmas tree!! (and a small box which I suspect contains a handful of Fuji Ti framed SiC guides! I can't wait to get started!!

You might be better served to just install locks in the locker doors. You know the round cam locks you can get them at lowes or home depot. All you can really hope to do is deter a casual thief or slow down a determined one. I don't know how the "lockerbar" works but it sounds like it attaches to you gunnel... sounds like fiberglass repair if you encounter a determined thief. My boat came with the cam locks on the rod boxes but nowhere else, I installed them on other storage areas for under $10 each, including harware and strap metal to reinforce the area around the lock. You could lock up your electronics in your vehicle or take it/them in to work with you.

I have the LMS332... You can buy a SD card at any circuit city, wal-mart or anywhere else that has cameras or computers for pretty cheap. I got a 512MB SD card for $39 and found that you don't need that much... you could get a 128 MB card for $19. (I have about 12 lakes and a bunch of points saved and only used something like 10MB so far. All I use are the free "upgraded" maps, downloadable through lowrance.com. My local lakes were not available in the hot spots or other pre-loaded chips which is how I ended up only using the free maps. They are better than most paper maps and using the splitscreen GPS/sonar when looking for humps, drops, etc. is great... I was shocked at how accurate these are. I have yet to need to zig zag when looking for a feature... I have hit it on the first try every time. (credit the unit not the operator.) I say money well spent for the 332, and the color screen and night screen is so much easier on the eyes... I didn't initially want color but wouldn't give it up now for anything. I echo the advice of Cebo... the simulator is good to experiment with also I take my SD card from the boat and use that info on the simulator (in the comfort of home) to mark stuff and review saved points for future use, just by saving it back to the card. To do that you only need a card reader/writer that plugs into the USB port on your computer. Oh, you need the reader anyway to save all the free maps to the card for use in the unit.

I see you already found you answer but wanted to add that some states will require you to ingrave a number, when you do register it. (I was required to do this in TX in the 80's with a jon boat i had)

I often have a carry gun on me when fishing... never felt threatened (at least in many years) on the water but have had some really scary stuff happen to or near me at secluded boat ramps. I have a CHL so I normally have a gun on my person. Since I carry nearly everyday anyway, it would be abnormal to "disarm" to go fishing. You have to be careful though, some water bodies are controlled by agencies that have serious firearms restrictions (read that as no gun, even if you have a permit to carry). To each his own but one note of caution... please check your local laws, firearms offenses are very serious these days, as is trespassing with a firearm, which is what you can be charged with if you carry in a restricted area.

I guess I'll be the odd man out. I think it is a spotted bass (based on the oddly flat shape of the upper half of body and the jaw clearly does not extend beyond the point of the eye) and I also think they 2 different fish in the pictures. Bass in the muddy water are typically pale and/or have much less contrast. Assuming they have been in muddy water for any length of time. I'm no expert on spotted bass but we catch LM, SM and spots in Belton lake with regularity... I'd call it a spot. I think reelmech is one of our experts on spots, maybe he'll chime in here.

I hate to admit it but I am every bit as bad as you are... except mine is with soft plastics, which I fish most of the time. Last year when I cleaned out my storage boxes in the boat, I filled 2 trash bags with soft plastics. 1 full bag was just lizards. "Hi, my name is keith and I have a problem." ;D

You need to do whatever makes the most sense for your situation.... BUT... a Captain's license can only help you out longer term. If you don't make it in the pro's (and thousands of great anglers don't) you'll have a big head start on another fishing career as a guide. (that's a GREAT option to fall back on) If I were in your situation, I'd tell him that you'll do it, let him pay your way to becoming a Captain and take his overages. As for the classes, maybe you could keep the Bass class and do an occasional saltwater class also, that way you both get what you want. Unless you have others looking to throw sponsorship money your way, this sounds like your best opportunity. Lot's of guys would give up everything to be in your position, count your blessings. -keith

How clear is your water? I would suggest you try mono or flourocarbon line. There is a god chance your fish are short striking or breaking pursuit off at the last second due to seeing the line. Since you know you are missing fish, you know that: - they are interested in your bait (good selection) - you are in a good area, holding fish - your retrieve is right or almost right - you said your hooks are plenty sharp A trailer hook would help some and a soft plastic trailer on the primary hook will be sucked in easier... but IMO your scenario reeks of line shy fish. Also I would not worry about the rod selection, unless you are after extremely lethargic fish, you won't hook any more with a slower action rod... you are setting hook on the bite, which is felt. Remember this, unless sight or topwater fishing, most people miss fish from being too slow to react.

go to NADA and choose the boat tab: http://www.nadaguides.com/autohome2.aspx?Lnk=1&wSec=10&wPr=0&wPg=2111

If you live in the south and fish in the winter, you only need to use some common sense... Keep your fuel tank full and use Stabil. (keeping tank full minimizes condensation, which can water down your gas over time) Be sure to remove plug and get all water out of pumps, livewells, bilge and hull. When you get home or to boat storage run the trailer jack all the way up to get any remaining water to the drain hole, trim your outboard all the way down and under to drain the water from lower unit and around hub seals. Keep batteries (trolling and starting) from freezing with an auto charger... it will charge your batts and then cycle on and off to check/mantain charge level which will also keep them warm enough so they don't freeze. Always leave a pair of gloves and a knit hat in the boat... you will not regret it! This system has worked flawlessly for me in North and Northeast Tx. (going on 15 years now.)

I would try to mark all you can on your map and write a small description by the mark... sooner or later you'll have a day where the stumps on a point or around a bend in the creek channel don't produce. In those cases there may be some other subtle characteristic you can identify that are key. Other things I would be looking for if I were you, along with stumps and cover, are small ditches, secondary points, humps, saddles, etc. Many times a lake with stumps everywhere will give up a more patternable catch to those elements of structure and usually you can find those elements with stumps or brush on or around them. (lake fork and cooper lake come to mind here)

Cephakiller, I think a big part of the reason is soft plastics have movement that hardbaits dont have... let one of almost any kind fall through the water column and it will kick or flutter all the way down, and when it gets there it still moves a little, returning to its poured position. Then any wave action, current or disruption caused by in investigating fish gets it to move ever so slightly, like its nervous. It doesnt have to look as good because it has the subtle movements of being alive. Hardbaits move in such a symetrical rythem, unlike almost anything in nature... which is why you'll hear experts saying you have to be erradic in your retrieve. Remember back just a few years, before all these super real looking harbaits? They still worked great when "properly retreived" or bounced off cover or the bottom. In super clear water I'm sure the lifelike detail can help but, it will catch more fisherman than a bland bait... and more fisherman means more $$$.

I'd say 24V, 65# or greater. I have 65# on a 19' w/ 175 and it works good.

I'm sure the process varies by state. Texas isn't to bad, just some paperwork and money is all that's required. Check the SC fish and game dept. website, they probably have all the requirements listed. (Tx parks & wildlife dept has it all online, likely other states do too)

I did it to my jon boat when I was in jr. high school. (many years ago!) Thought it was cool to have the casting deck... I never dumped it... but it was very dangerous! You can stand on the floor w/o a problem (most people can, anyway) I'd say no on the deck, but just about everything else you can think of will work. A graph, rod holders, livewell, carpet, motors, glove box, electric anchor, etc.

You should really look into a fish/depth finder... I fished out of a jon boat for the first 15 years... at age 12 did extra chores to earn the cash to buy one. You can get a decent unit for as little as $59 at bass pro. (I just looked) It won't be a big screen with color or high res. but it will show depth, fish and have all the basic features. I used an Eagle Ultra back then and even that had way more features than I needed. (I think it was $99 back then) For less than the cost of a reel, you can have electronics!! You didn't mention a trolling motor, if you don't have one, they can also be had for pretty cheap... you don't need a big one since you already have a gas motor.

Pardon me if this is a stupid question, but how does a fuel injector bolt, brake?? That seems like a real suspiscious happening. I'm sorry you got taken like that. If it were me, I would be raising much hell.