basscatcher8

Very nice. I'm getting ready to build a couple verticle jigging rods for sauger with that type of handle on either a SCIII blank or if I can find if Batson has the equivelent I will probably go with them. Do those bands that hold the reel fit any size? Would they hold an ultra light reel on there you think or is it preformed to just hold the bigger reels? Hard to tell from pictures on mudholes site.

Mud hole has a good video about how to do them.

Lol now I feel dumb. I shoulda figured that out. Thank you!

After reading this today I came up and said screw it to that piece of all thread that comes with it and made a couple of those tensioners from what I had in the shop. They are just a couple bolts ran up through the same holes you guys used. I know it looks dumb cause now I need a wrench to change out my thread but I've sat here and messed with it a bunch and they will NOT spin like that wing nut was. I just have to set the tension on the spring with the first nut and then tighten the second nut down to it and forget it. I'll take the inconvenience of the wrenches for knowing the tension isn't going haywire on me. Thanks for the idea guys. My next build just arrived today so hopefully get to try it out soon.

Man I'm glad I'm not the only one with this issue. I have the problem where the wing nut spins with the thread spool and so one side if your wrapping the tension gets tighter and tighter and every few wraps you have to reach over and loosen it up or the other side the wing not gets looser and looser and if you don't catch it all your tension comes off at once and then you have a rats nest of thread coming off the spool plus a ruined wrap on top of that. I'm going to try the lock washer trick that was mentioned.

Sloan you finally get your boat back from Lund and run out of things to complain about?

I've been using the 7 dollar ones from Mudhole in the xsmall, small and medium. And that's covered the bass and pan fish blanks ive done

I'm slowly getting mine changed out as I go. I get one changed out then I think of a new one I would like to have that I don't yet. I just built a little 6 foot crankbait rod with the original intention to throw jerk baits or small spooks but I found out it works great for tossing square bills up under trees and caught a few fish doing this. Slowly as my factory rods get retired they get set aside to be used for pulling bottom bouncers for walleye.

Looks pretty sweet! Nice job!

Thanks guys. It's definitely fun to do. I was getting tired of searching through ready made handle kits and figured I'd see what it would take.

I decided to take a shot at turning my own handle on the lathe. I thought it turned out good for my first try. Learned a lot about working with cork. Going to order up some more cork and make a long handle for a casting blank next.

Creating stuff like this using a 3d printer or cnc isn't really big news anymore. I've been working on doing the same thing. Be real nice if this stuff could stand up to lead but i doubt it will be able to. I see where 3d printers that can print metal are developed and being refined. That is when we will be able to do about anything when we can print metal molds on the 3d printers.

I keep my Bow in the boat at all time for just such an occasion. I never mind taking a break from bass fishing to shoot the bow a few times.

That was my thought to, or a big treble hook. Only issue is like said above if a private pond the owner probably paid for them for grass control so he wouldn't be to happy. But if you want a fun fight snag one of them in the tail and hang on lol

I just have a spool of line I bought at walmart with a hook on the end. Connect the hook to a cleat and set the spool up on the front of the boat by the tm. Back the boat in with the winch locked the strap attached to the bow eye and about 2 foot of slack in the winch strap. When the boat floats off the trailer and hits the end of the slack get out step on the trailer and un latch the winch strap and grab the spool from next to the trolling motor and walk over to the dock and tie up the boat.

Definitely don't get into this looking to save money cause you always find something you want to tinker with and end up spending more money on tools to modify something to get what you want. I started with jigs and moved to soft plastics now I started building rods. I guess my next step is to build a mold and start laying fiber glass for a hull lol jk. Barlows tackle has always been good for picking up molds and components for lure building as well.

College isn't for everybody but it was the best thing I did. It's nice to have a fall back "when" things go south chasing the dream you got that degree in your back pocket. I only use when and not if cause only the small percentage make it and the majority have their run and then join the rest of us working. Anymore it's like NASCAR its not about your talent its about how much money you show up to the table with before fishing. Seems like most of the bottom tier guys in BASS or FLW are just guys who own their own businesses and can afford to pay the entry fee every year regardless of their skill.

I just bought the tool kit off of mud hole for 150 bucks. Comes with the manual equipment for wrapping guides and an electric rod dryer as well as all the hand tools 4 spools of thread and razor blades and all the epoxy and everything. That along with everything for my first build are arriving tomorrow. Going to start out building an easy crappie rod. I chose not to go the kit route for the rod just cause I figured I'd see what I could come up with and what parts I'll be without lol

I've heard their cold weather gear is pretty good.

Hey small jaw. I was looking at my road runner mold and 3/8 th size is stamped as saying it will take a 2/0 or a 3/0 and like you said you can usually go one above the stamped size so I wonder if a 4/0 would fit without a mod.

Correct I agree he had to modify where the hook eye goes to get a 4/0 in there. That is the actual bait as posted by mustad on their fb page. They had several pictures of Casey holding it but I just grabbed the one that had the best up close shot.

no I was just saying he didn't modify the mold to add the swivel. Let me find the up close picture you can see he poured the normal crane swivel into the head and attached the ball bearing swivel with a split ring.

No he used the standard Road Runner Mold from Do it and used their basic #12 crane swivel when he poured it. But where others cover the swivel with foil and powder paint it to keep that swivel good he just painted over it so it wouldnt turn. Then he used a ball bearing swivel with split rings on both ends to attach to the crane swivel. Pretty good idea really.