Alpster

LBH, You go man! Congratulations on the new deal. You are right sir, money should be way down on all our list of what's important. Looking forward to hearing about your success. Keep on keepin on! Ronnie

Theresamarie1, The wraps look great! You are definitely on the right track. When you start building dream rods, you may want to avoid excessive wraps beyond the end of the guide foot. I think there is some info on this in Kirkman's book. Epoxy will tend to crack at the base of the guide foot, starting your wraps as close to the guide foot as you can will fix cracking problems and lighten the rod. However when practicing you can't wrap too much. Good Job! You can get a swing arm lamp with heavy swivel base and a big magnifying glass in the middle of it from Walmart or staples for about $15 or $20. They are used on engineering drafting tables. I can't do any close work without it. It's great for rod wrapping & fly tying. Also, because of my arthritis I use large tweezers and forcep clamps to handle thread. It's like having a third hand. For example, when fiishing a wrap I use the tweezers to pass the thread through the pull loop then clamp the forceps on the tag end. The weight of the forceps holds tension on the thread while I snug the loop & reach for scissors. Hope this helps, Ronnie

I keep some 6" scrap rod pieces to stick into the female rod section while wrapping and finishing the ferrule. Just remember to turn the connection a couple of times during drying so they don't stick together. Everyone's different, but I like to apply finish while the rod is still on the power wrapper at a higher rpm. I discovered this method accidently while doing a repair. My results are much better than when I used the dryer. Try it on a scrap & see. Your 11 rpm motor may be perfect. I also use spatulas to apply the final coat of finish and it eliminated 90% of bubbles for me. I use Flex Coat's 6rpm dryer. As for fuzzy cuts, try to cut the tag end as close to the final wrap as you can (I use fly tying scissors) and pull the thread diagonally in the direction of the wrap. I rarely have a visible tag end, but when I do, I have a little alchohol torch with a squeeze blower that lets you pin point the flame at the fuzzy. It's a wonderful tool for burning off fuzz and only costs about 10 bucks. Hope this helps, Ronnie

I can't add much to Flechero's good advice above. In choosing a blank, I would suggest you find a factory made rod that meets your requirements and order a blank with the same specs. You can borrow one from a fishing buddy or (like I have done) go to BPS, Cabellas, Dicks, etc. and hold some rods to see how they feel, you can usually find your favorite reel to put on the seat to see how it feels. When you find a sweet one, write down the numbers (length, power, action, line size) and order a rod blank with those specs. Also you can buy complete sets of guides which are a little cheaper than buying them individually and will work well for your first rod or two. With more experience and research, you will get more particular about specific components. You might even consider a rod kit from Pacific Bay or Rainshadow. All the parts you need are included, and it's a handy way to get your feet wet building rods. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress. There are some sharp rodbuilders on this board who will be glad to help you along the way. They have been a lot of help to me. Ronnie

I make a distinction between worms. Senko/Tiki stick/heavy salted type worms get fished weightless and conventional Culprit/Zoom trick/Jelly worms are fished with bullet weights. There are exceptions when conditions dictate it, but that's how I fish them. JMHO Ronnie

It's much easier to get hold of a larger fish, at least it is with my arthritic hands. Ronnie

Getting in hurry, or being short on time. I do everything wrong when I am rushed. Ronnie

What he said....

My fly setups as requested... Orvis 1 wt "Superfine" with "Abel" TR lite reel for trout & panfish Sage 4 wt 'VPS" with "Modula 50" reel for larger trout streams Orvis 6 wt "TLS" with Orvis Mach III reel- this is my bass rig Orvis 6 wt "Green River" with matching reel (this my backup for everything) G-Loomis 9 wt GLX with Fly Logic reel - Stripers in the surf Custom 12 wt w/fighting butt (I built on a Lamiglas blank) with Pflueger Trion reel - another striper set up. I love to fly fish (also) Ronnie

Solid black, black shad and motor oil. JMHO Ronnie

earthworm, check out this link for shikari blanks... http://www.shikariblanks.com/shikariblanks/Product.html?Construction=SH+II They also have some nicer blanks if you want to spend more $. Check out the whole site. This link is just for shikari's around portageriverangler's budget. Hope this is helpful. Ronnie

If the motor ran for over an hour without stalling or overheating, you got your $ worth just in the outboard. JMHO ENJOY! Ronnie

I sent you a PM. Ronnie

Very nice sir! I really like the knurled winding check at the front of the grip. I was thinking you were going to wrap a hookkeeper against the winding check, but it sure looks fine the way it is. You got to get a camera with a macro setting so we can see the trim better . Any self respecting trout would be proud to be caught with that rod. I have an orvis superfine 1wt. The little fly rods make a perch feel like a tarpon. LOL As always, keep up the good work and keep sharing the details for us amateurs. Ronnie

Absolutely another masterpiece! Beautiful work. I can see now, that I will be ruining some perfectly good rod blanks trying to learn how to do this. My oldest daughter is also very artistic. Maybe a bribe will get her on board. LOL Ronnie

The rod is looking good! Looking forward to the pics of the finished rod. Just like Flechero, I have a piece of 1/4" threaded rod for gluing cork rings & it works like a charm. Rainshadow RX7 and the Shikari blanks are pretty solid and close to your budget. After you build and fish a couple of rods, you will start to look at higher end blanks. That's how the bait/blank monkey works. Keep up the good work and keep us posted. Ronnie

I said I would post a few pictures of my NJ boat because I had not described it very well. As far as being seaworthy, my buddy & I took it to Canada and rented an out board and got caught about 3 miles out on the lake in a little wind storm and the waves came up 2 & 3 feet. I freaked out a little at first but soon realized it would handle the waves very well. Anyway, here it is.... Ronnie

I'm sorry! I guess I don't communicate very well. My boat is what's referred to as a semi-V or modified-V and has only one deck, bow to stern and gunnell to gunnell. I will post a picture tomorrow when it's light outside. A picture is worth a 1000 words. Ronnie

I just assumed that those lakes listed as N meant no electric. I only fish the lakes I fish and electrics are allowed. Ronnie

7.2 lb with a Jig & eel PB 6.5 lb with a Jig & eel 6.2 lb with a jig & eel Wish I could fish California & Florida. :'( Ronnie

Here's a link... http://njbassanglers.com/places.php#monmouth Just scroll down. Hope this helps. You should check my boat out before you throw down a pile of $. It's a wide aluminum V with a stable fishing platform and it's rated for up to 40 HP if you want to fly. I don't have an outboard because of NJ's regs. see link above. Cheers, Ronnie

One thing you have to figure on in NJ if you buy a high HP boat you have to travel to another state to use it. You mentioned the 10 HP limit, the vast majority of fresh water in NJ allows electric or paddles only. I'm in Howell (at the East end of I-195) and if you want to come by and check out my 16' aluminum. It has a V hull with a wide flat bottom. I think you will be impressed. I have less than $3000 in it with three trolling motors (one is bow mount foot controled), aeriated live well, two pedestal seats and lots of below deck storage. Very stable and can float in less than a foot of water. Easy to trailer by yourself. Everyone who fishes with me raves about the boat. I stand up to fish most of the time. Ronnie

How do you keep bass from jumping?? My daughter said to take away his jump rope sorry I coudn't resist. Ronnie

When I was a kid (when dinosaurs ruled) I borrowed my mother's (yes my mom's) Ambassaduer & rod without permission. My cousins & I went down to the river (Mississippi) to fish for hardhead catfish. They are great fun to catch. We were horsing around and the rod & reel got knocked out of my hand into the water (we were fishing off a tug boat dock) I instantly jumped in to try to get it but really had no chance, it sunk like a rock. I came up out of the water with tears in my eyes, because I knew I was doomed for losing that rod. As my cousin helped me climb back up on the dock I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder. It was the hook at the end of the line. Freespool button was pushed so I had to pull all the line out first but got the rig back and saved my bacon. Ronnie

If you have a heavy rod with braided line or 20lb+ mono, use a big 10" or 12" plastic worm Texas rigged with a heavy pegged bullet weight. Or better yet, , throw a jig & pig in that grass. Tighten your drag and when you hook em, winch em out of there fast or you'll lose em. You should be prepared to catch a lot of grass along the way. I love taking a big wad of grass off a bass to see how big he is. It's like opening a birthday present. JMHO Ronnie