flechero

Your drag problem was just that.. a problem with that particular reel... the 100 and 101 reels have plenty of drag. Sounds like you either had a bad reel or a bad part.

Seems like it wouldn't be too tough to come up with either a sleeve or pair of clips to be bolted or riveted to the hatch lid.

great post, Natural. I'm thinking of shifting gears and pouring some baits as well as dusting off the woodworking stuff to make a few swimbaits. I want to echo the message above and add that if you have ever wanted to build your own rod, there is plenty of info and people available to answer questions and help out. And just like making baits, the entry cost is minimal. You can make most of the tools and jigs you need for VERY little money. I made all but 2 things (and you only need 1 of the 2) out of scrap wood in my garage. My first 5 or 6 rods were built for with less than $30 in tools.

You can't get Loomis to do it, but you can have it done to your exact specs by any number of custom builders. You are one of a handful of guys that I think would really get the most of the custom rod experience... from both design and use.

I'll give you this much, team pampers is much more entertaining! ;D

No fake smile there! Congrats, Al, you deserve it!!

is that because mooks always congregate in circles? ;D ;D

That is too cool, Red!!

Gotcha. I call that north even though it's technically about mid lake. ...lol (anything north of Morgan's point is "north" to me!)

I thought the punch line was going to be: 1. Owner 2. Coach 3. Players 4. Fans

I thought I told you this stuff before... I use a little scrap of 2x4 as a hand rest, that's key for steadiness. (and I use blocks cut from 2x4's for my rod rest when finishing) Secondly, I put the rod butt against something so that as I turn the rod I can push against said backstop and the rod never moves back or forth.... so as long as my hand is steady on the rest, my lines are straight. So much for your teacher! ;D As for my application "tools" I do use a dental spatula sometimes but lately I have been using a 1/4" artists sash brush. The key is that it's one I used before and let the finish cure on so it's completely rigid. It's just like a spatula now, except that it's got the perfect angle. And the secret tools... I have a bodkin, safety pin, paperclip and tiny pointed brush that I use for working around guide feet, thread tunnels and cutting tight around grips. Soon, I'll have nothing left to offer. ...lol

Nice work, Eddie!

Pretty cool outing! Were you guys up north or main lake? I talked to a buddy the other day that said he's been on the hybrids up north, and pretty shallow.

It's certainly winter somewhere! I thank God for Texas winters and power plant lakes!!! It's never winter for more than a day or two in central Tx.

There are some nice 3 pc. rods but hard to find. There are also some 3pc. blanks you can build or have built. The options are few, but decent.

thanks for the compliments on the rods, I know I also speak for Ronnie when I say it was a real treat to build these. I agree, he [always] does nice work!

call or email the company and ask... I did that with Berkley a while back and they guarantee 3 years of shelf life if stored properly with no deterioration.

The long rods help so much in casting. I built one a swimbait rod on 6'6" musky blank and it's so short that you get no action. And casting is 10X worse than with a 7'6" - 8' rod. I carry it now to kill snakes with.

Here are a couple pics of Brian's rod and maybe Ronnie can put some up of Al's rod. (it was a windy day and that's dust on the finish, not in the finish. ...lol And the BassResource.com wrap behind the grip

Much appreciated!

I looked for that thread and didn't find it... any chance you have the link?

You took the words from me... down to the 5 I also own! Except I plan to wear mine out before I go. ...lol

Gotcha. I know you are normally pretty anal about drag settings... which is why I though maybe is accidentally got changed. The good news is that even with poor conditions, you found a big fish, that should be encouraging.

Dang it, RW!! What a killer!! Arrgghhh!!! As a side note, before you make any adjustments, weight you drag for me. Your rod shouldn't have gone completely "parabolic" on you. I wonder if you might have accidentally knocked it up a little. ? One of these days!!!

I agree with you Muddy, Brian and Al deserve all the thanks in this one! (although I certainly appreciate the contributions of all involved) I have to say that it was an absolute honor to build Brian's rod and take part in this project. Every time I worked on it, I couldn't help but to reflect on the sacrifices that he and all the other service men and women have made and continue to make. Thank you simply isn't a powerful enough term. We are hoping to see some PB's posted with these in the background!! Brian, I'm glad you like it... and thanks for the kind words. I hope your next PB is caught at Stillhouse, on that rod, from my boat!