DanielG

Well, there seemed to be a need for it ?!? Actually, if I had outlined it a bit some people probably would have appreciated it. I just made a box. People can make one if they want.. or not. I video a lot of stuff and put them on my youtube site just because I have the time. And it's fun.

I don't know if you noticed but this isn't cabinet grade. Thanks for thinking so though. And I did have to buy it all at one point in time. This plywood panel (below), from HomeDepot would be enough to make it ($13.95). It's 1/4" like I used. I had some left over from a 4x8 sheet but it's the same stuff. This one (below) is 2x4'. So, if you had to buy all the wood and a few nails/screws, and had to screw them in by hand, then the $70 for the whole thing should be about right. Let's see: Two UV lights (if you wanted to use two) $50 - Amazon Timer $14 - HomeDepot Two plastic electrical boxes and plug $0.36, $0.36, $0.86 --- pennies - HomeDepot Four screws $0.32 ---pennies - HomeDepot Titebond glue used, about $0.20 ---pennies, or you might have to buy a bottle if you don't have any, about $2. I use pin nails but finish nails, screws, or just clamping is fine. 1/4" Wood panel $13 Comes out to $79... But like I said, Use one light, or don't put a timer on it, or don't put it in a box, and I'll bet at least a few dollars of this stuff is in most people's house, glue, screws, some wood, etc. So, my original $70 price is probably pretty accurate for most people. Could be a lot less if you wanted to....

Yup, got to be careful as this website says, but these things are all over the place in hair and nail boutiques so I think with a little, don't start directly into it for a long time, caution, it's okay.

Well, there's probably about $5-$10 in plywood. The nails and glue would be pennies? A couple of 80 cent electrical boxes. So not much more than that. Granted, all the other stuff I have laying around. And I've got a pretty nice workshop too. But the real cost is in the nail hardeners. And someone could knock $25 off the cost by just using one. I think it would work just or nearly as good. Also, the timer is just a convenience, so time it yourself and switch it off by hand and it's a $25 nail hardener and the wood. No electrical stuff. Get really simple. Put the bottom plate back on, stand it upright, and hang the lure in the upright opening with nothing else except a place to plug it in... so as little as $25. I'll be curing a couple of lures today/tomorrow. I let you know if it works. Fingers crossed.

Ya, two of them about $50 and the timer and misc materials brings it up to about 70. Thing is to get the ones that have a switch that won't limit you to a couple of timer settings. This one has a 'continual on' setting. Then my external timer sets curing time.

I posted this briefly on my 'baits' thread but it came out pretty good so I'm going to post it in it's own topic here. I made a chamber to use UV resin to cure baits. The complete construction of it in a few minutes is in this video. Total cost, about $70. It's visible here.

Tube fishing can be a very rewarding experience. But I use it mostly for crappie and pike. Wait.... this is what you meant right?!?

A fish. I don't know how it happened but it was years ago. I've spent all this time trying to recreate the incident but so far.... no luck. ?

I've owned the Striker Plus 4 for two summers now. I keep it under cover because if it get wet the inside of the screen gets fogged up and you can't see it. It has dried out as it only happened once. Now I put it away or put a zip lock bag on it and partially zip it shut at the bottom.

As I understand it the chip is on a small disk that comes off when you take it apart. It can be replaced easily. But, it if did ever die I guess it would work like a regular bait casting reel??? I should take mine out sometime and see what it's like, (but it's all ice here right now). But I'd imagine it would be free spinning with no braking. Then again, I think it's fairly simple, no mechanism, basically a chip on a white disk. No battery, the spinning powers it. So, the chance of it's failure is probably equal to or less than a failure of mechanical brakes.

There are sites that help you evaluate reviews on Amazon. I use this one ReviewMeta You copy/past in the URL of the product you are looking at on Amazon and if it hasn't analyzed it yet, it will do it while you wait. It give a pass/fail rating and gives lots of data as to reasons why. Not perfect but better than nothing. It looks at reviews with same wording, if someone reviews a lot of stuff the same way, Common cliches used, and many other parameters.

I've posted this other places Settings (very different from Shimano instructions) 1. Set the brakes to the line recommendation. 2. Set the tension so that the lure drops a little when you shake the pole and stops when you don't. 3. You have to reset this for each different weight lure. You'll never have a backlash, even into the wind. I find that it works great with 30 lb braided line. Maybe other types too. I haven't tried them.

Amazing and unexpected game results. And I was sure the Ravens would probably take the trophy this year. The plot thickens....

Good feeling!

Here in Maine we've changed too. Not necessarily game animals. Some things a few years ago you never ever saw. I see blue herons and odd colored woodpeckers and other song birds. Never here before. They're warmer weather birds. We have about 2 months more of warmer weather than we used to. Ice is in a month later and out a month earlier. Also, we never had disease born mosquitoes here. Now we do as they say they're able to creep north with the changing climate. In the lake I've been at since I was a kid the fish have changed and things like crayfish, leaches, and frogs are gone. The lake is still good, just none of that stuff any longer. Strange changes.

Ya, The Engineered Angler on youtube..... his thing.

I just updated a section of my shop to make lures. I've made a youtube video of it. Feel free to take a look at it. It's only about 12 minutes. Or not....

Over $200 My most expensive lure is the first one I made. After much thought and study I sprung for about $200+ in equipment and consumables to gear up to make lures. This is the first one. I made everything except the hooks. Granted, now that I've made it, all of the others will cost me about 60 cents each so It will be cost effective if I make enough of them, not to mention the fun and satisfaction to do this.

I have no idea here in Maine what the fishing increase/decline might be. But...if it is in decline, well, that was my fish they caught anyway so it's okay with me! ? Seriously though. I don't think fishing is in decline here. The reason I 'think' that because I have no statistics, is that we have the oldest and retired population in the country. Lot's of regular every day anglers out on the water it seems like. I'm one of them.

Here's a thought. When I began fishing again after a lifetime hiatus I began with something that wasn't available when I was younger. I went to walmart and bought a package of Berkley swimbaits, the ones with the large hooks already in them; $2.98 for a package of five. I still think they're that price. They've got the paddle tails. They started me in catching fish again and were very successful while trolling. Just sayin'

I purchased the Curado DC early on and it was my first foray into bait casting having owned only spinning rigs. I've made a couple of posts to tell how I ELIMINATED nesting. The setup instructions that came with the reel don't work much. I have 30 lb braid on mine. 1. Set the brake to the number indicated for the line. Braid is 2 2. Put your lure on 3. Adjust the tension knob so that when you shake the pole a little it drops some as you shake it but stops when you don't. You've got to readjust for each different weight lure you put on. After I did this I cast hundreds (Thousands?) of times last summer and never, not once, had to pick out a nest. I have trained myself to not use my thumb. It wasn't easy. Cast into the wind and try to keep your thumb off the spool. It will be hard to make yourself do it but even then, no nest. The most I ever get is a few loose loops on the spool. You can set the brake lighter and release the tension knob if you want and use it like a thumbed reel but I've not done that much at all. Not necessary. I use a lot of crankbaits, but some spinners, skirted stuff, swimbaits... no nesting. Honest, I kid you not. That being said, I haven't put mono or fluoro on the spool so I can't speak for that.

I could be wrong but .32 oz is about 1/3 of an ounce. That's about the wt of three pennies. Ya, not light but not that heavy either. But, I guess it would have to be a big bug huh?

Okay, right up front I'll admit that this idea is a little out there. Strange ideas often run through my head. More than once I've been fishing early in the morning on the lake with ripple-less water all around me and seen a bug buzzing on the surface unable to get airborn again. Sometimes it's a junebug, sometimes some other beetle-ish insect. And more than once I've seen fish quickly be drawn to it and snap it up. So, sort of like a surface, stationary, buzzbait right? I had this wacky idea. This, is a pierced barbell tongue vibrator. I'll leave the rest to your imagination. On Amazon or ebay btw. From my understanding (uh... not from experience) they are waterproof, stainless steel, and will vibrate quite noticeably for 1-3 hours using an inexpensive button battery. they weigh 0.32 oz. and are very small, about the size of a large pill capsule. Cost varies from as low as $1.50. I've been thinking of fashioning some sort of June bug looking encasement, cutting off the post, and incorporating it into the june bug complete with hooks and such. A strange lure build indeed. Let it sit on the surface with some light mono line and see what happens. Just thought I share my thoughts.

As a great fisherman and just plain great man, I need to seriously work on being more humble. ? (Wife laughing hysterically over shoulder right now) Actually I need to find out why most of my success is only with crank and swim baits.

Hm... I don't know exactly what that means. Mine are going on three years and still charging well and giving good longevity during a day out.