Rich G

The only disadvantages I see to fishing two piece rods are finding good quality manufactured two piece rods. I have been building my own custom rods a few years now and have went to building two piece rods only. I used to think they where junk, I could not keep the pieces together. After learning a great deal from web sites like Rodbuilding .org I found that I was assembling them wrong. You want to bayonet lock the pieces together. I still check the sections during the day if there is a great deal of temperature change from the time I started fishing to say mid day. I bayonet lock again at mid day and have never had anymore problems with the two piece rods coming apart. ( I use U-40 ferrule Lube twice a year ) I have two piece rods that are more sensitive than one piece rods, its just how they are built and what components are used in the builds. Advantages to a good two piece rod could be, portability, storage, less mishaps from transporting them, easier and cheaper to ship if you want to sell a rod to try a different model. Two piece rods are more expensive to manufacture ( I think ), but a good two piece rod can be made to be as lite and as sensitive as a one piece rod. I did not fish a one piece rod last year and was happy not to have too. Have a great day, Rich.

Hi ghost and islandbass, thank you for your compliments. ghost, I do not make them for sale at the moment. I have seen and been reading that ReelMech hear at this site builds custom fishing rods and I think you would have one heck of a rod if he built one for you. Or you could try rodbuilding.org. Custom rod builders from all over the united states and world for that matter, visit that web site regularly. islandbass, I think you will really enjoy making your own fishing rod and learning first hand what works great and does not work so well. The fun part is building, testing and trying to build better and better tools. Have a great day, Rich.

Hi harshman and islandbass, thank you for your compliments. islandbass, I think for the time being you would have to make those grips yourself like I did. I do not know of anyone at the moment that makes them for sale retail. You could check in at rodbuilding.org from time to time and see if anyone there has them for sale. I expect a lot of good things ahead for custom rod builders with the new materials being used and the rod building components that are just becoming available in the USA. Have a great day, Rich.

Hi Rayraff, Thank you for your compliment. I agree I like the second grip the best also. When I set the Carbon Fiber sleeve over the foam core it is a pretty much a one shot deal. I decided to paint and clear the grips that the carbon weave did not go on the way I wanted it to. Thank you again for your compliment, have a great day, Rich.

Hi islandbass, Thank you for your compliment. I made those handles with the help of a couple articles that where published in RodMaker Magazine. I give a little explanation what it took on another thread about a couple carbon fiber handles. Thank you again for your compliment, have a great day, Rich.

Hi ls1jay, flechero, and Bucketmouth Fishing. Thank you for your compliments. Bucketmouth Fishing, You had asked how they are made. They start out as expanding foam poured into core and turned to shape on a lath. Then the foam shapes are routed to fit the reel seat and trigger piece. They are then laminated over with a carbon fiber sleeve and cleared with spar urethane. This type grip is a cooperative endeavor that Tom Kirkman of RodMaker Magizine, rodbuilding.org , and Andy Dear at Lamar Fishing came up with. Tom and Andy had written a article in his rod building magazine about making Carbon Fiber Grips. I am a happy RodMaker Magazine subscriber and decided to give this type of grip a try. Rod building is as addictive as fishing and more fun in the winter. Have a great day, Rich.

Hi Bass n Bows, I did not want to hijack this thread, but thank you for your compliment. Have a great day, Rich.

Hi J-FOWL, thank you for your compliment. They should stand up to wear and tear pretty well, carbon fiber is some pretty tough stuff. The handles are cleared with outdoor spar urethane and should hold up well outdoors with a little care. Thanks again for your compliment, have a great day, Rich.

Hi, I thought I would post a photo of a couple carbon fiber handle rods I am building. The spinning rod is almost done, just need to apply the rod and line specs between the grips. I just have the handle glued on the casting rod. Spinning rod is a Rainshadow ISB822.5 , 6'10", 6'11" now, MXF drop shot rod. Casting rod is a St. Croix old Avid 3C68MXF , it is a inch longer also with the added balance chamber in the rear grip piece. I think these rods may be my best results yet. Light weight handles and the use of micro guides. They make my previous rods seem like dinosaurs. Have a great day, Rich.

Hi, The main advantage I can think of with split grips is it gives you a place to put the rod and line rating without adding a bunch of epoxy in the front of your grip. Any weight in front of a grip is not good. I go through big name tackle stores and marvel at all the pretty glitter and decals that goes sometimes almost a foot up the blank, which intern robs the blank from any performance stand point, it also makes a rod that would never balance properly. To me all that glitters is not gold. Fishing rods are tools, as such should be built to make the blank perform as best it can. A good blank can be a great fishing rod, A great blank can be a bad fishing rod if its main goal was to catch a buyer and not a fish. I think it comes down to what rods you have used to be able to tell the difference. Nothing wrong with split grips if they serve a purpose, which they do. I inserted a picture of a couple rods I am working on. A spinning rod and a casting rod. Both have carbon fiber over foam handles. I need to apply a decal with rod and line ratings on both rods, but not in front of the handle. If you think a fishing rod is a tool, split grips make sense. Have a great day, Rich.

Hi Gone_phishin, You could be right that a Symetre is just a good as a Stradic, I had never fished a Symetre long enough to make a comparison. Hi roadwarrior, I can give a example of when you would want adjust your drag while fishing. I use mostly light line and smaller baits. A lot of times there is not a lot of cover I need to keep a fish out of, then again if I hook into something large and there is cover that the fish is running for, I just tighten the drag a little at a time until I can control the fish or the line breaks. If the fish was to make it to cover the light line would break anyway, so why not try and slow the fish down before it gets the the structure. I have never had a line snap by adjusting the drag to stop a fish that is fifty or sixty yards out and running for a fallen tree. If I had the drag tight to begin with when the fish was a lot closer there would not have been enough line out to stretch and stop the fish, the line would just snap and the fish would be gone with my lure. I like the rear Shimano rear drag, it has saved my bacon many times with light line. Have a great day, Rich.

Hi iceintheveins, you are right, it works great for fishing around, in, over, through cover. Hi low_budget_hooker, Actually it does not change the action of a Fluke. There are a couple things I forgot to mention. You can use three holes with base connecting slits. If you burn the holes through at different angles you can easily make your baits do what ever you want them to do. Such as dart under boat docks, or jump up and down out of the water. After you use these caps you will find there is really nothing you can not make your bait do. Another thing I forgot to mention is when this cap is on the line you do not have to remove it to change baits, just un-clip the hook shake from the capture hole above the base and let the cap slide up the line. Then just rig another bait and slide the cap over the bait until you can push the hook shank back into the capture hole at the base. It is really a lot simpler than it it sounds. I think if fisherman try this rig and see exactly what it does for there bait, it may just become as common as the hook itself. This rig makes a great slow falling weedless dig head and many, many other applications. I do hope to hear back from some fisherman after they give this rig a try, it adds more to the function of soft plastics than I would like to try and type out. Give it a shot and let me hear the good or bad. I have fished this rig for over twenty years and never could imagine fishing plastics without it. I hope those who give it a try like it as much as I do. Have a great day, Rich.

Hi, Just wanted to post another photo of some baits rigged up. You can use clear pen caps if you find the caps that have a clear plastic that does not react to your plastic baits, they are out there. Have a great day, Rich.

Hi, I posted this rigging method for plastic baits under tackle making and though that maybe this would be a better location to post it. If you want to know how to make it just look it up under tackle making. I think if you try it you will be hooked. Very simple to make and I think the photos are pretty self explanatory. I call the rig Bait Armor. I hope it was OK to repost it. Have a great day, Rich.

Hi Everyone, What is so bad with the rear drag ? I think it works great when fishing light line and you hook into a monster, just flip it to the left a little ways and your good to go. No fumbling around trying to turn the little dial on the front of the reel. Of course, I also like the quick fire on the Spirex and Solstace. When night fishing with lures the quick fire makes locating the line to your finger a piece of cake. I recently purchased a Stradic FI to test it out. I needed a real that was smoother because I make my own fishing rods and recently went to carbon fiber handles. I have a bunch of spinning reels and I could feel the gears turning in every make and model through the handle. I have to say the Stradic seems much better, just hope it stays that way. Also since the spool half turn to center itself never bother me at all with the Quick fire reels, I wish they would make a Stradic Rear Drag with Quick fire but with Stradic quality. I think myself and a lot of other people who night fish would buy one in a minute. Have a great day, Rich.

Hi TClarkCustomLures, I used Corel Draw to make the diagram. The drawing is actually to patent specs, but missing a page I did not post. So I guess you like the rig ? I think if fisherman try this rig to see for themselves what it accomplishes. They will have to be amazed. After twenty years of fishing this rig, I still enjoy the feeling you get back from the fish when you set the hook, smooooth and solid. I would like your opinion about the rig even though you have not had much time to fish it yet. I think it takes at least a summer of fishing to understand its full capabilities. Maybe if you give your opinion others will try it. Have a great day, Rich.

Hi SavannahFisher, Great I think if you give one a try you may like what you find. I will give you a quick method of making them. First I guess find the old pen cap you want to use. You will want to trim the little pen holder extension of with a razor blade. Cut the cap off at the length just long enough so your rigged plastic will fit in just far enough so the hook shank will just go inside the cap after you put the hole in the base with the a slit interring the hole from the base. Now take a small steel rod and heat it with a lighter, carefully burn a small hole threw the point of the cap, it helps to turn the rod as you burn threw. Push the hot rod into the cap far enough so it does not burn to large of a hole, the hole should be smooth and small, remove the rod after it has cooled. Burn a hole the same way just a little up from the base of the cap. may up a sixteenth of a inch. Now with a razor blade cut a slot fro the outside of the base to the hole you burn at a sixteenth of an in above the cap base. That slot allows you to push the hook shank into the hole until it is trapped and held in the hole. Sorry for the not so good explanation, I figure the photos pretty much give a pretty much self explanatory explanation. I would start with a small cap for a weightless worm until you see exactly what this rig can do. Hi TClarkCustomLures, I think the Parasite weights and this rig are completely different animals. The Bait Armor rig ads a hard smooth cone shaped surface that slides over, through any structure while protecting and holding the bait exactly the way it was rigged. I really do not see the comparison. The Bait Armor rig can be fished weightless or with a weight added inside or brass and glass beads. Completely different. I like using this rig along river banks and cattail stands. I cast the bait just past the water into the cover, then reel up the slack line and let the lure fall as softly as possible into the water. If there is a fish there you have a fish on. I guess you have to give it a try, then I think you will understand how it is different. Have a great day, Rich.

Hi dsaavedra, I guess I will try my best and answer your questions in order. You asked : do the caps have any weight to them? They are a hollow plastic cap, so I would say a little weight but not much. If you look at the first photo you will see a purple bullet weight. You can put a bullet weight in the cap ahead of the bait. I like to thread brass and glass beads on the line inside the cap and then push the bait in and lock the hook in place. The brass and glass beads on the line inside the cap make for a very loud rattle that Bass love to go for. I really do not see a big bulky anything with this rig. I just thought I would share this rig, until you try it you will not fully understand everything it adds to soft plastic baits. This cap does not just lock the bait to the hook. I am glad you like what you use. I like what I use, we are both happy, have a great day, Rich.

Hi SavannahFisher, OK let me try to explain a little better, bear with me. The smooth and very sure hook-set comes when instead of the soft plastic bait coming in contact with the closed mouth of the fish it is protected and locked in place inside the cap by the bait armor cap. The cap is a hollow hard plastic cap that easily slides out of the fishes mouth in which the plastic bait moves to the side allowing the barb of the hook to set in the mouth of the fish. You do not have to worry that the bait is going to slide down the hook and cover the hook barb. As far as the caps making a fish stop and think, that is not a problem. A lot of times the different colored caps I believe aids in getting more bites than without the protective cover. You can also use a clear cap that is not even noticeable after the bait is pushed into it and locked in place if you think the color throws off the bite. How many times have you worked a bait threw structure or tried to set the hook and the bait would slide down the hook covering the hook barb causing a missed opportunity to catch the fish. With the bait rigged like this, the body of the bait is locked to the hook yet will easily move to the side exposing the hook for a great solid hook-set. ( No more missed Opportunities ) I just thought I would put this rigging method on here to see if people would give it a try. I have no doubt that if these caps were made in a couple different sizes in clear, they would sell off the self and be on most Bass fisherman's soft plastic baits. I guess maybe the concept is a little simple to be any good. I have used them for over twenty years and would not fish soft plastics without them. I pretty much never miss a fish and my baits last forever. Have a great day, take care, Rich.

Hi, I could not figure out how to put up another illustration of the Bait Armor protective cover so I posted again. Have a great day, and give it a try, Rich.

I call this rig Bait Armor. I have put these photos on other web sites for a few month's and thought I would share it here. I think if you try it you will see the many advantages of using this rigging method. My favorite advantage has to be the feel of a smooth solid hook-set. Maybe a few of the other advantages, Bait will slide through and around obstacles like never before. Baits last much, much longer because the cone shape encircles the bait and is held in place by the hook, which means the front soft area of the bait is not torn up by contact when setting the hook. Another advantage is control over the bait, by rigging through the soft plastic bait in different ways allows many different presentations without the bait coming loose from the hook. The bait is basically locked to the hook and will not come loose. This rig was kind of my fishing secret for many years and I never fished without it. I think when you see the simplicity of it and what it really accomplishes, you may not fish without it either. Have a great day Rich.

Hi grimlin, I think you will find that it is actually pretty much different than a Florida rig and can be fished weighted or unweighted. Here is a drawing that is easier to understand the rig. Have a great day, Rich.

Hi, I just want to say I hope I did not sound uppity with my post. I would like to hear comments or questions if you should have any. I have fished this way for twenty plus years so I know I can answer any question you may have. I do believe this easy to make bait cap takes soft plastic baits to a new level for fish-ability, if that is a word. Anyway I hope I did not come off wrong, I would appreciate any feedback comments if you decide to make a few and give them a try, have a great day, Rich.

Hi everyone, I conceived this rig and have fished this rig over the past twenty or more years. You will be amazed at all the things this rigging method accomplishes. Smooth powerful hook-sets, a bait that is locked in position and will not slide down or up your hook, Your bait will easily slide by and through weeds, structure, one bait will last a very, very, very long time, a simple bullet weight used in the front of the protective cap makes for the best rattle you could ever imagine for deep water fishing. I have pretty much kept this rigging method a secret except for a couple companies that I did not have much luck with, they wanted to make a fortune while I would make peanuts, so I got to thinking I might as well let the secret out so everyone can make there own and enjoy a new level of fishing soft plastics. I guess a quick explanation of the photo and how to make them would be a good idea. I named the rig Bait Armor. Basically I used to like Bic black pen caps when they had a nice point on them, they stopped making them with the nice point about ten or more years ago. Now the Elmer's ColorSlicks soft crayon caps work the best. Be careful when making these caps, you will be using a exacto knife, a lighter, a short piece of steel rod the OD of the hook you will choose to complete the rig. A piece of heavy spinnerbait wire cut off or straightened out will work also. OK, First carefully cut off and remove the clip extensions piece from the pen cap, it is easier to do if you leave the cap on the pen, whittle it down to be smooth with the cap surface. Next cut the cap to the desired length by carefully turning the pen with the exacto blade held at the length you want the Bait Armor cap, try and get a nice square cut for the cap base, and be careful not to cut yourself when the cap is cut through. Next heat up the end of a piece of wire and use it quickly melt a hole through the point of the cap, use the wire in the same way to put a hole about three sixteenths of a inch up from the caps base. You should have a hole through the tip and a hole just up from the base end of the cap. Now with the exacto knife make a slit from the outside of the base into the hole that you made just up from the cap base. The slit you just made allows you to push the hook into the base hole and the hook will be held in place. Carefully remove any plastic that is not smooth to the surface with the exacto knife. When rigging this Bait Armor cap, slide the cap on your line, tie your hook to the line. ( A large offset worm type hook without the Z bend works best, the bend just makes the cap unstable) Rig your bait the way you usually would Texas rig I guess, then wet the end of your bait and slide it into the cap until the hook is locked in the hole at the base of the cap. I guess that should about do it. Have fun and please practice catch and release, I say this because I know how well this rig works and how easy it is to over fish small ponds, have a great day, Rich Gassman, Colorado.

Hi Bass XL, I did try to sell a couple on Ebay, I sold them but they ended up selling to the same person so I did not end up with two different fisherman,s reviews. I received really good reviews but it was from the same person so that did not work as well as I had planned. I have been busy building rods for friends this summer and hope to sell to the public in the future. Hi twors, You had asked if it is possible to balance a seven ft. rod with a six ounce reel. It really depends on the rod design, rod blank, guide type, make, size, thread wrap length, handle and handle length. I guess I think I would say yes. Have a great day, Rich.