MickD

A VERY good first rod. I especially like the ramp design and execution. Your wraps look very tight and uniform, good work. Let me make a few comments, which are mostly about personal preferences: It may be the photo, but one wrap looks like the color preservative isn't quite strong enough. A little color inconsistency? If you are not using two coats of CP, I would recommend two. You may want to try less cork on your next build and see how you like it. Cork is really expensive, and if you use it in areas where you don't touch the rod, it's wasted money and weight. You may want to experiment with narrow trim wraps which to some seem more elegant than wide ones. http://www.rodbuilding.org/library/narrowtrim.pdf It looks like the distance from the reel stem to the butt may be pretty long. When you use the rod with a rain coat or other clothing, be sure it doesn't hang up while doing some fishing actions. Record what that distance is. If it's right, you will do the next rod the same way; if it's too long, you will have reference for shortening it on the next build There will be many more builds,and I'm sure there are some spectacular ones in your future.

Texas Tackle split ring pliers. Nylon mono doesn't like it outdoors in the norths, put it in your basement (sensitive to humidity, gets stiff and brittle when dry)

I have never noticed an action or power change. Would really like to have you quote the specs on the rod. No problem mentioning brand here.

l have no experience with these seats , so if I'm off base, someone please correct me. I think with skeleton seats on spinning rods there is no ergonomic difference between size 16 and 17 since where your hand resides is all blank, no seat. And either size will fit any reasonable reel size. The major consideration is the relationship between the blank OD and the seat component ID. Of course the blank has to fit through the bore, and after that it is just a matter of a larger or smaller bushing; With other types of spin seats the larger sizes will weigh more and fit more hands better. I prefer 17 as a good compromise. 16 is too small except on the lightest rods. On casting rods the part of the seat that mates to the grip is the same size on 16 and 17. Only the bore is different diameter. And the bore diameter of the forward component will be different between a 16 and 17. I would select the seat size that allows me to use the thinnest bushing to fill the difference between the seat bore and the blank. (On both spinning and casting SKELETON seats. OK guys/gals, did I get it right? Seat dimensions are at http://anglersresource.net/SK2SplitReelSeats.aspx

There are trim rings made to fit the front of the real seat, dress it up a little and give a sort of transition. Another way is to put an epoxy ramp, quite short, but it can make a pleasing transition while retaining the sensitivity you want. Another way is to turn a small ramp out of reel seat shims (foam polyurethane, sometimes called graphite), sized to allow two-three coats of thread wrap epoxy to give adequate crush strength. The epoxy will take the diameter of the shim to be equal to the seat, or just a little smaller. Don't make it larger than the seat because it will be very difficult to cover properly with epoxy without contaminating the threads of the seat. If you need more info let me know. Be sure to fully coat the blank to ensure 100% contact with the shim bore. Shim may be painted before installation. http://clients.criticalimpact.com/newsletter/newslettercontentshow1.cfm?contentid=9599&id=1069

The line ratings are supposed to represent the dead lift capacity of the rod (approximately) or the "working range" of best suited lines for the rod, depending on whom you believe. They have nothing to do with line type or diameter. There is no reason to stay within them if the line you want to use is much heavier test than the rating because you limit the tension on the line with the drag and the angle of the rod relative to the source of the pull. Point the rod directly at the source and you have no bend at all (as in the ultimate last step in freeing a snag) With low stretch line you probably should be a little more careful on hook sets and jerking to get out of snags. When selecting a blank I use that rating only as an approximation representing the power of the blank (in comparison between possible blank selections), with most of my attention being on the power rating and action type.

I have no experience with this, but I would try a couple things. One would be the quick dry clear fingernail coating (Sally Henson) over the whole area and out a ways hoping to capture the soft inside a hard coating. Second would be UV cure epoxy in the hard formula applied similarly. Good luck.

I think bass react instinctively to cues which need not look very much like "the hatch," I've never seen a chartreuse "hatch," but chartreuse is one of the best colors in any type of water, sometimes just the tail of a swimbait, sometimes just a few strands in a skirt, but it is, I believe, a very good unatural color. I've never seen a natural marine creature that looks much like a tube, but you know how they work. The littlest details often make a big difference in success, but they are hard to predict, so changing often is a good strategy, and using colors that are visible in current water conditions can be important. For example, a glass minnow may work great in clear water where too big a visual impact might spook the fish, but probably will not work in dirty water. Unless it has a sound component that the fish may react to. I think tubes and other things work because the combination of color, motion/action, and possibly shape strikes something in the instincts of the bass to make them bite/strike. Sometimes it's easy to find that combination, other times more difficult. I find that "matching the successful fishermen" is more important than matching the hatch.

Like Max says, but the reason it may be jammed is that because the cap is loose the pawl jammed. Be sure the pawl is engaged in the worm slot before tightening.

Check out Mudhole.com and go to their instructional videos. I think Getbitoutdoors.com has some too.

Have not fished them yet, but there are a number of patterns that I'm sure will do fine in mid MI. To the response that advocated just two colors, I have two comments. First, there is a lot more to enticing bass to bite than can be handled by two colors. Especially when one considers that this forum covers the country, not just a county. Second, all the planning and agonizing about colors and size and whatever else is a lot of fun. I love catching fish, but almost as much fun is the planning and prep, selecting what to take (sorry, I cannot take it all), and predicting which pattern of Siebert's jigs, or whatever else I'm considering, will be effective that day. Bass fishing is not a black and white world.

Have the builder show you some of his stuff. Pay attention to how solid the cork/other material and reel seat feels and the workmanship in general (wraps, epoxy where it doesn't belong, guide alignment and spacing, quality of the cork). Ask what guides he uses. This may clear some things up to make your decision easier. A good builder will most likely deliver a rod with better structure than a factory rod since custom builders usually use better quality seat shims, cork, and don't skimp on the epoxy. The $120 price point for a custom rod seems quite low, but you should be able to tell a lot from seeing some of his rods.

If it's brushy, and one is packing into a stream or lake, tie the rods together with velcro strips or similar and carry the one unit of rods about at the balance point with the tips facing back. The rods tied together will be less prone to breakage and snagging, and tips back reduces snagging by an order of magnitude.

I think the best gifts are things that the receiver would not buy for themselves. So in that vein, I think the digital scales proposed by others are good, but there is another that I think is great. Ceramix braid scissors. I wouldn't pay $20 for braid scissors for me, but I did for my son.

Agree with Xcalibur fans as the # 1, red eye shads, #2. But give the new Rapala Rippin Raps a try. A friend had one on this fall and it really seemed to work well for smallmouths. Reviews indicate they even work well through the ice, vertically jigged. I have found that even within a brand set of lipless cranks, some sizes work much better than others. I've never had much luck on the smaller ones, about 1/4 oz or less, and the bigger ones, those larger than about 5/8 or 3/4 oz. Seems like a sweet spot for most brands (at least for bass) in the 1/2-5/8 range.

Johnson Silver Minnow with pork rind NOT PLASTIC. With the weed guard adjusted right, you just cannot get any type of weed to get hung on it.

I have no hard data, just perception. I wonder if YH has changed in the last few years as mine was from about 4 years ago. I m going to have to try a new spool.

It is one of the best casting lines I've found (12# test), knot strength is fine, but I would not characterize it as having particularly little stretch. I think it's about like mono for stretch. I've used it for surface with no problems, but fc does present problems for me, so the buoyancy ov YZ Hybrid seems to be fine for everything.

Thanks to all the sponsors for keeping this forum up and running, and particular thanks to Siebert Jigs for the variety they offer (weights, head design, skirt colors, rattles or not, etc), the quality of the jigs they offer, and their performance in shipping. I recently ordered 6 jigs to see what Siebert was all about, and I'm very pleased with every aspect of the transaction. You really cannot appreciate the jigs on line, but get them in hand and you'll find high quality hooks and really great "skirts," great color combinations. You can get wire tied skirts, rattles, all kinds of variety, and lots of skirt colors. I just know I'm going to do well with them next spring and summer. To me the blue craw, Missouri craw, the alimony, and the bluegill skirts are almost guaranteed to work well here in central MI. Be sure to patronize your sponsors whenever you can. You most likely will get better product at a fair price, and you'll help support this forum.

I think I would prefer a medium power over med/light, but your proposal will certainly work.

I've struggled with this for years. Then I finally figured out that I seldom needed it all on any outing, whether in my boat or in another's boat, or wading, etc, you get the idea. So I bought a fairly big soft-sided bag that will take the 3600 size boxes. I also bought a bunch of plastic storage boxes. I put all the soft stuff into the storage boxes, all the hard stuff in the 3600's, and have a few spare 3600's. I take the big soft-sided bag whether I'm fishing my boat or another, and it has the hooks, leader mat'l, spare spools, all the stuff that would be handy when fishing for anything. Then, depending on whose boat, what we'll be fishing for, how tight the packing has to be, I fill the soft-sided bag with what I'll need. The plastics will be separated by type and in gallon plastic bags, taking only the ones appropriate for the fishing for that trip. The hard stuff will be in the plastic 3600's, appropriate for the trip. There may be a better system, and I'm all ears to hear about it.

For boat fishing, the individual tools designed for specific functions are better than the mulit-tools. I think the real value of a multi-tool is to carry on a trip or in your car/truck so you can handle the unexpected stuff that comes up. For wading, maybe they make more sense.

Looks like you cut the hook. Don't do that. Do this instead. I removed a big spinnerbait trailer hook from a buddy, no problem. I've removed a few hooks from myself. It works, you just have to keep the two keys he mentions in mind, keep the eye down so the hook will move straight in response to the jerk, and second, you have to commit to the jerk. One two three jerk quickly and decively. Do not cut the hook off.

I think the advice to put parafin on the ferrules is bad advice. Wipe them clean to be sure no grit has gotten onto them, and don't leave them tightly together all winter, but don't put anything on them. Just asking for trouble. Put them together properly and take them apart properly and they will work fine. This is the advice of a rodbuilder of many years experience who knows more about the design and use of rods than most any of us will ever know. If in doubt, just e-mail the blank maker and see what they say. Before you put any lube on the ferrule.

I think the reason you are not getting responses is twofold. 1, cork quality is so subjective that what's good for me may not be for you, and people may be reluctant thinking they might give "bad" info. 2. There are not many cork sources reading these posts. Try this site and see if you get more: http://rodbuilding.org/list.php?2 By the way, I don't use much burl cork any more, but it's not about machining it, my drill press cobbled lathe rig does fine with coarse sandpaper. It's that it weighs almost twice what natural cork weighs. I use natural cork with rubberize butt ring ( 1/4 or 1/2 in) for durability, and then use cork seal or gunstock oil on it to make it easier to clean when it gets ratty. A split grip casting rod from a 1.8 oz blank comes in about 3.6 oz. with a graphite reel seat.