basscatcher8

I like having trolling as a tool in my pocket when I'm somewhere on vacation or something and I've only got a couple days to figure it out. Check with your electronics then drop down the baits and hunt. If you get into something then pull em up and start casting and see if you can't find a group of em to sit on. That grid feature on the humminbirds comes in handy here as well. Lets you do what JF was talking about a bit easier with sectioning off areas.

5 shouldn't be an issue. I do 6 on my own just cause they work well for me.

Hiding threads with the cork or eva is one of my favorite ways to build. Getting ready to try a grip with an inlay and then the skeleton seat with cork between the threads and other part of the seat and then a kdps sleeve with cork to finish it off.

^What he said. If you still want to keep the rod in your hand you can troll jerk baits around popping the rod still and find em.

Just depends on what you consider value. Money? Satisfaction? I spent several years working on stock cars at the dirt track. Spent a lot of time learning to make tools and parts that we needed vs depending on buying everything. I got a lot of satisfaction out of doing that especially when the success hit. That followed me into my fishing. I get a lot of satisfaction out of seeing a need I have on the water and designing and building the tool just for that and finding success. I have to say if your looking at custom rods for a money value its the wrong area, you'd be better off with a production rod. If your looking to design a tool you need then by all means whether you build it or pay to have it built the satisfaction you get from finding success on the water with that rod is an awesome value.

I've been very happy with the Point Blank I built last month. Very light and responsive.

I've only been building cranks for about a month now but I've had my best luck using stainless wire and a pair of jewelers pliers and taking about a 6 inch piece of stainless and using the pliers to put a bend right in the middle. Then take the two legs you have and chuck them into my cordless drill. Then i take my pliers and put them in the bend to hold it and run the drill slowly. It starts coiling the wire around it self and you get a nice hook eye in the end. Then I just cut it to length and install.

Have fun Toxic. I'm sure I'll be seeing y'alls posts on facebook. Looking forward to seeing what pigs you guys run into this year.

You got more patients than me. I need to go through with something fast first either a top water or square bill. They have to show themselves to me first before slowing down. Otherwise I don't want to spend the time in the area. I'm sure its missed opportunities but only so many hours in a day.

My bad didn't realize the Judge was yours. Will check it out ASAP. yeah get that new saw going lol

I need to check them out. Rainshadow has a line like that but its their trolling rods. Seemed like it would be a cool concept for a casting rod.

Only takes one time of getting a treble hook stuck in your finger past the barb from a smallie head shake to start finding other ways lol

Thats actually pretty cool. Think I'll try it on a future build.

When you say flipping stick do you mean 8' heavy action flipping or do you mean a 7' to 7'3" or 7'6" MH flipping/pitching? The former your going to have a harder time getting enough weight in the butt and still might need one of those caps. The shorter rods I listed I will usually slide a half ounce drop shot weight in the butt before I glue the butt cap on. Of course I put the reel on and test the fit and balance before gluing solid. But it works for me. Your going to get a million different views on this since its one of those "hot button" issues. I like how the rod feels with the weight added. A lot of guys will say your crazy for buying an expensive blank and adding weight.

I've been getting into using the extra fast tip rods for these presentations this year. Trying to break my mindset of the moderate action for a treble hook lure. They sure seem to work better for working the bait.

Like others I love to fish them texas rigged weightless and then buzz them at the surface. Doesn't make as much commotion as a buzzbait but the strikes are as hard.

Certainly nothing pointed at you Mick. Curiosity got the best of me. to the OP if it were me I’d take the 7’3” heavy with fast tip to really drive that hook home. But that’s jmo.

With like no frog fishing experience my question is why do guys build on blanks so long for this? In my mind its a tip down technique and I'd have a 6'8 or so mh or h fast tip stick. Just curious. I build a 7'3" one time and a couple guys told me what great frog rod it would be and I have always thought that would be awkward to fish that way.

Well not really mystery solved but Duckett has the replacements on the way so I can get this customer going again. So at least problem solved! lol

I agree they sizes 6 and up look very close but their size 4's look different just looking on mudhole.

They just broke at the base. Must of had something dropped on them. My best description of them is chrome with a chrome ring about 4.5 size.

Hey guys, I have a couple Duckett Ghosts in my shop for repair. I'm pulling my hair out trying to find a match. I know they are American tackle look to be size 4.5 or 4 they have the tichrome frame with what looks like tichrome insert. They look just like the TTRLF Ring Lock guide at mudhole. But mudhole only offers in size 7 and 10 which is definitely to big. Was curious if anybody else ran into this. I have a call into Duckett just haven't heard anything yet. Thank You

Are you using the hooks the mold recommends? I like the others hit mine with a candle and left the soot in there as well as I lay my molds on top of the pot while its heating up. And I do several pours with no hooks to make sure its good and warm. The only time I run into issues is I like to use the Owners hooks in my molds and probably cause they are a bit thicker they don't allow full pours.

tip heavy on my moving bait rods and like Lucky Craft Man said I like the rest of my rods to balance so that when I am palming the reel the balance point is near my middle finger.

I don't even paint mine anymore. I use the skirt and trailer for color. I paint my walleye jigs cause I usually have meat on them but that's about it.