Bass Junke

FYI Testors enamels do not play that nice with the nail polish clear coat I have. The nail polish reacts with the enamel causing it to un-cure? (not sure this is the right term). I have waited several days and it still causes the enamel to swirl and run. I still use it, I just don't use the brush attached to the cover. I use a paint brush then toss it. It works, but I think Testors has their own clear coat for their enamel. Should try that.

It is funny, I hear this a lot. I have had my light jig/ finesse jig rod spooled up with 20lb. power pro for 2 years now. Fishing a jig is my favorite thing to do hence my most used setup. Zero issues. My heavy rod has 30lb. power pro. Don't really see the need for 40 or 50lb. line.

What happens when you catch a fish on the decoy rod?

Been using straight Floro or co-poly for all spinning setups. No leaders. (do C-rigs count?) No issues. Like others above, I do line maintenance after every or every other outing.

A water resistant battery box and a couple of strips of velcro. Hasn't moved in 2 years. I have forgotten to remove it from my hull a couple of times it, didn't come off the velcro even when I tilted my kayak back onto the roof.

Don't really need a vise. I wire tie all skirts (jigs, buzz baits, spinner baits) with a pair of stats, wire snips, and an O ring. The O ring is key. The O ring allows you to customize a little bit more it also lets you recycle some skirt material or even fill out a skirt that gets thinned out. The O ring acts as a temporary skirt band, holds everything in place while you wrap it with wire. Not my idea read about it here somewhere. I started using this method because I like to add 3 or 4 strands of red to a lot of skirts. The O ring method allowed this.

Very true. I built my first rod using a rainshadow blueprint. Came out pretty good but didn't learn much. Second rod, bought the blank, did the measurements, selected the guides I thought I wanted, then ordered all the components. Paid a little extra in shipping but learned so much more doing it this way. When everything arrived wouldn't you know I did all the measurements right and everything fit. Love it when a plan comes together.

Anybody go on Plano's website and see what they have got coming for 2021? Looks like everything I was hoping for. A 3600 terminal tackle box. ( I can now get my TT in the crate as opposed to bungied to the outside.) A 3500 series size. Build your own edge boxes. Looks like they are going to sell all those little terminal tackle inserts separately.

It is funny how so many things in life are relative. The kayak fishing industry is no exception. In my eyes an 80lb kayak is to heavy, but that is where most of the quality fishing kayaks start. One of the big reasons I bought a Seaghost 110 was because it was 62 lbs. Last year I went from the Skipjack 90 46lbs. to the seaghost 110. 46lbs. I can, at 54 years toss that onto the roof of my car easily. The seaghost needs to be tilted and then lifted onto the roof (noticeably more work but worth it) Now kayak stability is very relative. I weigh 165lbs. and have very good balance. I stand and sit in my seaghost unaided. I can stand and fish, stand and paddle, and even reach down and adjust my rudder peddles with my hand. I have been anchored in a descent wind and still stand without any issues. Now if you are 6'2" and weigh 250lbs. the seaghost might not be stable enough for you. All relative.

No worries Copenhagen kills everything.

This is funny. Lead has been banned here in Mass. When I go into BPS in Foxboro there is a whole isle of sinkers. The tungsten section is tiny. Lead takes up most of the isle. I suspect there are not a lot of informed anglers in Mass. from the few I've talked to, they don't realize lead is banned here. Don't see why that makes it okay for BPS to sell it though. Makes no sense.

Just did the same thing. Spent 135.00$ on Lurepartsonline. I got all my stuff last week and started building. Pretty easy, pretty fun. I ordered without any advise. Was not sure I was buying all the right sizes but turned out great. The clevises were the one item I was unsure of but was the correct size. Good swivels are expensive, I went with a 50 pack from amazon for about 10 dollars. They seem identical to the expensive ones. I have found 1 or 2 so far that did not spin very well. Just tossed them and grabbed another one. If you do but the swivels from Amazon make sure the are not welded rings. These swivels need split rings.

Quick update. Steam did not work. Had to cut it off with the dremel. It went okay. I frayed the tip lost an 1/8". Should be fine until I build a replacement.

Thanks Mick. On the same page.

Awesome guys. I have a dremel. Going to steam it first though.

Hey guys. My first rod I bought when I got back into fishing was a Abu Garcia Vendetta. Well it is a decent rod, caught a lot of fish with it. The other day I noticed the insert came out of the tip top. No worries right, easy fix. Well Abu used wrap and epoxy on the tip top. I carefully removed that, heated up the tip but it would not come off. How much heat can I apply before I damage the blank? Is heat still the way to remove this tip? Any other suggestions?

Hey Billyo. Welcome to the forums.

I'll add to that. At home, outside, then the dipped baits go right into a waterproof stowaway. freshly dipped baits will stink up a room/ cellar/ garage.

I have 2 spinning set ups. After I took the braid off I put 8lb co-polymer (P-line Foroclear) and just to see if it was as bad as stated, 8lb Sunline Sniper FC florocarbon. I don't buy into the whole floro invisibility thing, just don't think it is that important. So both the floro and co-poly I had almost no issues with (the floro was a little springy for the first trip. After that it settled down). Now because I do not use leaders I have since re-spooled these reels. On them now is 6lb P-line CXX co-poly and P-line 8lb CX co-poly. No issues. Now I do lots of line management. After 1 or 2 trips I peel off 150 feet of line and stretch it and run it through my fingers looking for kinks, nicks, ect. I believe I would have many more issues if I did not do this.

Sometime last year Glenn replied to a post similar to this one. He replied "I never use braid on spinning gear and don't use leaders." Right around the same time I had tried a new connection knot that failed. I was left with a piggy tail so I tied it wrong. Glenn's comment was all the inspiration I needed to move away from braid on spinning gear and leaders. I have not looked back.

The side by side view I do not like because you do not see enough history. It is easy to see the CHIRP sonar and that is where I am usually looking. I look at the clear vu screen when I need a better representation of a piece of structure/cover that I am seeing on the CHIRP screen. Fish arcs show up better on CHIRP, I have to get closer to the screen to see fish in clear vu. This is my first sonar unit. Pretty basic, easy to use. I like it. I look for structure /cover more than I look for fish. I use way points to mark spots. It has helped find my way back to the ramp.

I use a Garmin 4CV on my kayak and I am almost always in split screen CHiRP, Clear Vu mode. Mine is mounted pretty far forward also, have to sit forward to reach it. No problems reading the screen with 55 year old eyes.

Thanks Alex. It is a nice rod, perhaps the nicest rod I ever owned. Ripping a jig through the grass was quite satisfying and effortless. Seemed like the rod did most of the work. As far as catching fish with it, well not yet. It was in the mid 90's around here, water temps up near 80. Fishing has been slow. Finesse tactics have been the only thing that I have been able to catch fish with. I caught a 2lb bass Saturday on a finesse jig. Other than that its been drop shots, Ned rigs, shakey heads, and Texas rigs.

Oh! Too late. What I put in my split grip section is my cheesy, homemade rod leash. Here is a finished photo.

Why?