papajoe222

When the 12yr. old down the street stops by and asks if he can buy a Deep Little N from your overstock and you ask him what color. When you take the little lady fishing and she hooks you on her third cast, you cut the hook off at the split ring and continue fishing for the next 4hrs, drive 6hrs. to get home and then decide MAYBE you should go to the E.R. to have it removed instead of waiting until morning to have your fishing buddy take it out. You stay up way to late so you can chat with other fishaholics on your fav sites.

Hope I did this right this time. My second attempt at building a custom rod. This one is for the wife's best friend who just took up fishing and willbe receiving it for Christmas. This butt wrap is deep purple, lavender, gold, and a single strand of silver. The guide wraps are of the same deep purple with gold trim and center ring. I started doing this so I'd be able to keep myself busy during this off season. Now it's becoming an obsession. My next one I think will be made for a neighbor that is a reciepient of the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. Not sure which award's colors I'll be using, but I'm leaning toward the Bronze Star. Pics to follow, if I can remember how to post 'em. LOL

They're well worth the investment. I have both the telescoping rod and a plug knocker that I've yet to use since I got the longer (18ft.) rod. It paid for itself the first two weeks I had it.

I agree and it'll drive anyone that sells or makes rods loopy. Even the pros do it. Kind of like someone that uses the term structure when talking about cover. I avoid the frustration of attempting to educate them. Just hand them a rod and ask if that's what they're looking for. Do that a couple of times and I have a fairly good idea of what they want.

Go with what you're comfortable with. I prefer a shorter rod for worming as I tend to use that technique more when target fishing and the shorter the rod, the better for me. Mine is a 6ft. M/H fast and I use braid exclusively. I'm not a fan of micro guides. If I'm concerned about rod weight, I'll look for one with a light grip and single foot guides. To me, they seem to cut down the distance of my casts, but it could be I'm just looking for something to dislike.

Unless you plan on using the set-up strictly for deep cranking, you don't really need a slower gear ratio. I used a 6.3:1 for years, but then my favorite lake is only 14ft. deep at the deepest. I have a 4.9 Daiwa that I use for my DD22's and Deep Little N's and occasionally in the spring for spinnerbaits. The only reason I use the lower gear is because it's easier to crank those deeper baits not so much for the slower speed. If you only throw the big boys for short periods, on rare occasions I'd invest the money in a quality crankin' stick. If, however, deep cranking becomes your strong suit, you'll be in the market for one. Daiwa makes the Exceler in a 4.9:1 left hand version. It'ls a little larger than a Shimano 50 series and lists for under $100.

What brand you decide on is going to be a personal preference thing. Unless you plan on re-lubing your reels a couple of times a season, most quality brands will get the job done. I'm partial to Ardent's products and my kid favors Quantum HotSauce. There are others out there in the same price range too. Keep in mind that you'll need to remove all of the old lube or oil and to re-lube sparingly. Oil and grease attract dirt and the more you use, the more dirt you'll end up with.

I have a 7ft. in Med action and the only knock I have on it is that it isn't a Med/Hvy. I got it for shallower/smaller cranks and it does a good job of casting 'em, but I like a little more sensitivy than this rod has and I think the M/H would have given me that. Caught my biggest fish this season on that rod, so it will still be on the deck next season.

Glad to hear that you're mending and also that you've gotten the chance to get out a few times. I lost an entire season to a bum shoulder and drove anyone that would listen bonkers because I couldn't get out to fish. I too have a couple of 'old favorites' including a Lazy Ike and a couple of home made in-line spinners. They don't get wet very often anymore, but when I'm feeling down, I'll break them and some fond old memories out and the blues don't stick around for long.

I wouldn't hesitate to go with the braid. Hook sets are all about rod tip speed and not power. The braid wll drive that lesson home for you and you'll find that when using other lines you won't need to 'cross their eyes' to get a good hook set.

Very simple. Black and blue, green pumpkin and white. Don't make the mistake of not using white jigs, especially when casting. A jig can represent more than crawfish or bluegill and the white jig covers that end. Besides, if you're throwing white while the majority of the anglers out there are using green pumpkin, those fish will be seeing something they normally don't and that's always ups your odds.

The kit was $30 from Cabela's and the thread was maybe another $8-10. I couldn't find a two piece in this action, but I'd compare it to one of BPS IM7 rods. It's a little butt heavy, if I were picking out the components I'd have gone with a different grip, but I'll be throwing spinnerbaits with it and doubt that I'll notice it very much. I can't really compare it as far as price to a retailer, because I don't know of any that sell a hand built rod, but if you're only considering the initial outlay and not the time spent doing the build and wrap, it's cheaper and you can personalise(sp?) it to your liking.

A couple of suggestions for the 683c would be a Curado 50E and a Quantum Smoke. I don't know if they're available in a 7.1, but for the applications you mentioned, I don't think it would make a big difference. For the 735c I'd stick with the Lew's if for no other reason than your familiarity and confidence in it. If you're looking for a suggestion, I'd recommend a Daiwa, but they don't make a lightweight reel in that price range.

I have a custom made rod (John Nutter made it about ten years ago) that was gifted to me by a close friend. It's 6'2" and I have it paired With my Daiwa Sol. That reel does get switched to different rods on numerous occasions, but it's the only one I use with this rod. I know John is still in business, but I'm not sure if he still builds rods. My attachment to this rod isn't just emotional, the tip action was chosen specifically for this presentation and the balance is perfect with my Sol. If I ever come into some money, I'd bribe this guy to make me a cranking stick. I still haven't found one that has gotten past the infatuation stage for me.

About the only time I use a C-rig anymore is when I either want a slow presentation just off the bottom, or I'm concerned about the fish feeling the weight of a Texas rig and dropping it. To finess a tube just off the bottom, I'll insert a small piece of styrafoam packing material abd rig it with a light wire hook and a long mono leader.

Think positively and can't will have no place in your vocabulary. I've been carrying in the land of Lincoln for over 30 years. As long as you're looking, look at the Sig P239. It's only a 40 cal, but it's lines and size deserve some serious consideration. To the question of what gun, there is a saying that goes something like; Any gun will do, if you will. Meaning your commitment to carry isn't based on what gun, but on your commitment to use it, without hesitation, if the situation arrises. Look for something light and comfortable to carry and don't limit yourself to just one carry position. If you commit to carry, always carry and that dictates different holstering options for different types of attire. I prefer OTW, but during the summer, it isn't an option for me.

LOL. If a smallie grew to the size of a steelhead, we'd have a good difference of opinion.

I fish a lot of undressed jigs (dart heads, stand-up heads, ball heads, etc.) without adding an additional trailer to whatever dressing I'm using on them. Those jigs would work great as swim jigs and either a long, full skirt, or a swimbait in place of the skirt. You could also fish them as pictured and add a swivel and small willow blade for some flash when swimming or stroking them.

I'd have to catch them both and compare the experiences before making any kind of decision Either would almost double my personal bests and although I believe that pound for pound a smallie is the hardest fighting freshwater fish, a DD largemouth has been a dream for decades for me.

I'm so right hand dominate that I can't even 'buff the wood' with my left hand, so when I injured my right shoulder I didn't even attempt casting left handed. I did learn to cast without involving my shoulder using a roll cast and became very proficient casting that way. Even now, overhand casting will aggravate that shoulder, so about the only time I cast that way is when muskie fishing and then, I will take a break every hour or so to let the shoulder calm down. That said, I've been giving the idea of pitching and flipping with my left arm some serious consideration as either of those techniques result in pain and muscle knotting that lasts for a couple of days. Needless to say, I don't use either and I know I'm missing out on some quality fish by not doing so. What was it the little red engine said? "I think I can, I think I can" Maybe I sould make that my mantra when I'm learning the left handed stuff.

<img src="http://i23.photobuck...22/photorod.jpg" "http://i23.photobuck.../photoguide.jpg" Sorry, I'm not very adept at posting pics. This is my first complete build. It's a Pacific Bay IM7 blank in MH/Fast. The butt wrap is a simple diamond wrap done in three colors with a silver accent. The guides are done in red/blue with a white underwrap. I still need to put a second coat of finish on, but I'm waiting for another motor. I'll be doing another as soon as I get a little more practice in on my decorative wraps. Hopefully it'll be done with a closed butt wrap.

Thanks, I pretty much figured that had to be about the only option. I couldn't see doing a complete build without adding one, so I did a fairly simple three thread diamond,six diamonds. It's a little off center, but only if you look hard. My next one will likely be a closed wrap, but shorter in length. I imagine that I will need to feather the loose strands (I didn't on this one), or end up with an excessively high trim band.

I just finished my first rod building project and although I'm extremely happy with the results, I wasn't sure how to finish the end of the butt wrap. What I ended up doing was tieing off the end of the wrap as if it were a guide foot and cutting off the ends of the butt wrap threads prior to finishing off that overwrap. I searched some sites, but they all discussed the wraps themselves. How do you guys end your butt wraps?

what I've done is thread the plastic trailer on the trailer hook until it covered the hook's eye and then added the trailer hook in the normal way.

How fast or slow I work an area depends a lot on my confidence that it holds fish. Take, for example, an isolated tree on a drop-off or creek channel. That would get a lot more attention from me than say a row of trees in the same location. One or two docks close to a channel swing vs. a dock every 100ft. or so down the shoreline....same thing. Actually, I'll work them all fairly quickly, but the high confidence spots will get worked a second or even a third time with a different weight or profile bait. I learned to do this years ago fishing tournaments and that second or third pass produced when the first didn't. The only situation where I'll work my bait for any length of time is when I'm fishing a tree, especially if I haven't determined what depth or part of the water column the fish are using in which case I'll work my way down through the limbs.