Go Time

So there is one lake in particular that I fish that always has poor visibility. Pre-spawn and post-spawn aren't too difficult because you can fish lay-downs and do rather well. But during the spawn I struggle. Obviously sight-fishing for these fish is out of the question. I suppose I could slowly go down what should be a spawning bank methodically picking everything apart but does anyone have any other ideas? Or tips?

Hey there, Did you ever get your questions answered? Not sure I can help, this is my first year. But I'm signed up for all 5 events as a co-angler. I don't have a boater yet so I may or may not get to fish them.

Whether it's "illegal" or not I don't know but you will have a hard time getting it insured. And if you don't tell your insurance you overpowered the boat and have a claim they may say you're on your own... If it were me I would stick with the sticker rating or buy a model that is rated for a 150.

Are there any specific reasons you want to go the truck box route? I mean a cooler is already water tight and insulated... I use a cheap 48qt cooler from wally world (~$20) that I put an aerator in and it serves my needs just fine. A larger cooler would have been nice but the 48qt holds 5 bass without a problem.

Hi all, I am still looking for a boater to link with for the BFL Illini division. I have registered for all 5 tournaments but I need to link with a boater to guarantee that I get to fish. So if you or someone you know are fishing these events and needs a co-angler please PM me. Thank you

Thanks Mick! I'm pretty proud of her. The only thing I would do differently is like you said use rubberized cork on the butt. But I'm still learning so these things are to be expected, if the cork crumbles away I'll replace it with the rubberized stuff. I will definitely consider cutting down the reel seat next time. What is the best way to go about doing that to get a clean, square cut?

He also states he is "getting the carbs cleaned" aka it's not running yet and when someone goes go to buy it he will have some story about how he didn't have the time to get them cleaned and all they have to do is get them cleaned themselves and it will be ready to go. Or he is really good with outboards and fixed it himself as opposed to you paying $65/hr to have it fixed. So he invested his time instead of money. The only way you could have came out better than you did would have been if you had the knowledge to fix the motor yourself. I wouldn't sweat it, I have a feeling you will be happier without that motor in your life.

That's more like it!

Thanks DVT! You should think about posting some of your customer rods on your website. I'd like to see them... Ninja- In my opinion I don't notice much difference in the weight of the wood to the weight of cork but I haven't fished with these much. With a Quantum Accurist on this rod it balances ~1.5" in front of the nub above the reel seat. But I don't think this would be a practical substitute for a balancing system.

Low of around 57... Put on the rain suit and catch em anyway! Don't let it ruin your weekend, it's still better than work. Good luck!

I haven't used this rod yet but my first build is a short handled grip with the same finish and I used it one handed roll casting for a few hours in 40 degree weather without a hiccup. I never dipped my hand in water, but my hand did get wet handling a few bass But only time will tell. Thanks Dave! I love how it turned out.

I removed the old guides and the foregrip unscrewed and slid off. Then I just had to drill out the wood to fit the plastic. And put the foregrip back on before wrapping the new guides.

Good call ;D I went ahead and did a little cropping... Thanks for the compliment and the camera tips!

This is my second rod build. I started with a Mudhole CRB IS701H (which is a rather cheap blank), and turned 3 pieces of Claro Walnut for the grips. They were finished with 5 coats of polyurethane and the pictures don't do the grips justice. The wood really pops in person. For the guides I stuck with black thread and they turned out alright, I'm definitely still learning. I'd post a pic of the wraps but I'm having a hard time getting a clear picture. Won't get to fish with this rod till the weekend so hopefully I'm satisfied with it, nothing else I'll hang it on the wall ;D

Extremely addicting! I just finished a jig/worm rod that I'm about to post and I have a blank for a spinning rod that I can't wait to start.

Thanks! I really didn't notice any added weight when using the rod. Most of my store bought rods seem tip heavy and this one is definitely more balanced. Which to me, makes it more comfortable to use.

Nice bwell! Looks like a good time to me!

So I've been wanting to try this since I got my wood lathe and finally a couple weeks ago I did. Basically I took an old Berkley Cherry Wood 6' MH that was missing guides, stripped the cork handles off and removed remaining guides. This left only the reel seat still attached. I then turned two pieces of pine to replace the cork handles and dipped them in polyurethane. Since the reel seat was still on the blank I had to put the handle on from the butt end. Which was no problem it was still extremely snug on the blank. I epoxied the handles on, tied and finished the guides and here it is. And before you comment on the handle being slippery, I fished several hours with this rod in 40 degree weather and never once felt like I was going to throw it in the lake. P.S. Last night I finished coating the guide wraps on another rod. Pics of that one will come tomorrow Before After

Dead sexy!

Already posted this once in the tournament section, hope that's not a problem. I'm fishing the BFL as a co-angler this year for the first time. I have a buddy who has been doing it for a couple years and was going to hook me up with a boater, however several of his boaters are fishing the LBL div this year. So I still need to find a guaranteed boater for the season (all 5). Thanks!

The first thing I would do is go in and talk with your bank. No matter where you go you will very likely need a co-signer, unless you have built a decent credit score already. Best of luck! And just don't get in a hurry, it'll happen.

I'm fishing the BFL as a co-angler this year for the first time. I have a buddy who has been doing it for a couple years and was going to hook me up with a boater, however several of his boaters are fishing the LBL div this year. So I still need to find a guaranteed boater for the season. Thanks!

I believe they are reporting weights via cell phone and apparently there is very spotty service out there.

Haha glad you got it figured out! It looks like a slick small water rig for sure.

I definitely agree with you. But I do think you should be a little more particular with a boat that was stored outside.