rps

Hello and welcome!

You have made ambitious plans. My wife and I moved to NW Arkansas in our early 50's. We left high pressure professions. We wound up teaching as second careers and live on Table Rock Lake (upstream from your destination on the same White River). Depending on your academic background and/or skills, Arkansas has a reasonably uncomplicated process for obtaining a license through alternative means. Flippin, Arkansas (maybe 20 minutes from Mountain Home) is home to the Ranger boat factory. Many would love to work there, but with the right skill set you might look there. Mountain Home is large enough to offer good health care and some city type amenities, but much of that area is quite rural and still in larger acreage bundles. Not much agriculture here unless you count chicken farming, one of Arkansas' largest industries, because of the topography. However, many do make their living raising chickens for Tyson and Georges. The fact that Mountain Home is growing offers opportunities in something resembling a town or city setting. Good luck.

Ned = 1/2 Zman senko type bait on a 1/16 ounce head. caught six today including a good keeper in a little over an hour fishing.

I went out about 7:00 this morning. I was up earlier but the lake was fogged in up here. Even at 7:00 I decided not to venture out on the main lake in the fog. I fished Leatherwood for a little over an hour. Two keeper largemouth and two runts - all on top water.When I went out on the lake I caught six more, including one keeper, on the Ned rig. Two of the shorts were just barely so. I was fishing rocky points in 8 to 15 feet of water. At that point I ran down lake to fish walleye. I had no luck on flats so I resorted to trolling a crank bait over a timbered reef. I had a gar on briefly and at least three strikes that did not hook up. I finally caught a 22 inch walleye trolling a light colored bait at 16 feet in 22 feet of brushy water. I was off the water by 12:30.

Great fish! Depth? Structure?

Oh good. I feel better now. However, if she starts an intervention, as soon as I come out from under the psychotropic drugs I will call on you for help.

Yesterday afternoon, I pulled the boat off the lift and onto my trailer. I dragged it home with the purpose of cleaning it up and rearranging things. I removed everything from all the storage compartments. I swept it out, hosed it out, swabbed it, and hosed it again. I then sorted the tackle and gear, eliminating that which I had not used in more than a year and that which did not work or was broken. When the boat is fully dry I will put everything that survived the cut into a good place. The remainder went into my upstairs fishing closet. Therein lies the problem. My wife saw me and asked why I wasn't going to put my gear back in the boat. When I told her I was storing only the items I did not need in the boat a strange look came across her face. Each trip upstairs caused her face to become even more difficult to describe. Finally, she could not stand to be silent any longer. She very tentatively said, "Honey, do you think you might need to talk to some one about your fishing?"

On Table Rock I have caught two fish that were 23.5 to 24 inches. One Cabela spring scaled at 6.75 the other was over 8. A 26 inch fish, even if skinny, is amazing!

Sorry mjk. I missed your questions. The rods I use for harness fishing, Lindy rigging, and trolling cranks are the same. They are 7'6" light saltwater blanks from Mudhole (MHX L902) rated as moderate and designed for line 8-15 pounds. On both the harness and the Lindy rig, some bites are unmistakable. Other fish are just suddenly there. However, others begin with just a "heavy" feeling to the bait that slowly loads up. Be patient and wait for the load up before you sweep forward. If you miss the fish, drop the rod tip back and let the bait fall to the bottom. I have often nailed them on their second hit as it fell.

This thread has become interesting. Two thoughts after I re-read. One - I seem to have dropped a post. I typed and thought I posted a comment that amicably welcomed 5bites comments on brushes and finish sag. I did not write down something I do that explains how/why my advice differs from his. I use a pallet knife to apply a generous amount of finish and then use that same knife to wick most of the finish back off. The wicked off amount does not go back in the pot. I aim to leave behind soaked threads and very little more, all in a level amount. Second, if you use the KR method and Pac Bay Minima 4 guides, the first 4 from the reel need to be their Match variation for the extra height.

I will start and others can chime in. Mudhole's kit that fits your description would be this: http://www.mudhole.com/Rod-Building/MHX-Spinning-Kits/MHXSK-12 79.95 for what looks like 7 aluminum oxide guides, a handle kit, a hook keeper, and a tip top. On the other hand, if I were making a simple drop shot/split shot rod I would buy these parts and and use this guide spacing method method: Based on the fuji chart here: http://anglersresource.net/Portals/anglersresource/KR%20CONCEPT%20Guide%20Placement%20Charts.pdf I would order 9 guides and a tip top for the rod and I would use the Pac Bay Minima 4 chrome guides at a cost of $10.26. These 9 guides and tip will weigh considerably less than 7 aluminum oxide guides and tip, even with the thread and epoxy factored in. Less weight in the guides equals a balance point closer to the reel and greater sensitivity. I would buy the MHX blank: SJ842-MHX 7' 1 6-12 1/8 - 1/2 Fast Med-Lt Rattle Traps, Drop Shot, Live Bait, Twitch Baits, Walleye 1.83 .519 4.5 $52.25 For the handle I would go with a Tennessee style tube, but another option would be a handle kit such as this: http://www.mudhole.com/Rod-Building/Handle-Tubing-Tube-Grips/12-Woven-Graphite-Spinning-Handle-Kit at $29.15. If you want to make a Tennessee style handle you will have to decide if a precut 12 inch tube suits you or if you need a longer piece cut down from stock. You will also need to decide outside diameter, figuring in the girth of your lizard skins. A drop shot hook holder (http://www.mudhole.com/Rod-Building/Hook-Keepers/AJ454-Single-Foot-Hook-Keepers) adds $.51. Winding checks, thread, rod bond, and thread epoxy will add a few dollars to the total. In all, a bit over $100, but vastly superior to the kit to which we compare above.

Spinning or baitcast? Application and length and action preferences? Full or split grip? The people on this board can help you get it just the way you want without a kit. The kits are good, but usually contain larger guides and may or may not have the correct number of guides for your desired application/action. If you start with good components and go to youtube for guidance, you can make a product that will please you. Gavin is correct about the cut down cardboard box, book tensioner, and coffee cup thread holder. That is the way I made my first rod in the early 1970's. To save buying the turning motor or stand with motor, you will need to turn the rod a quarter turn every 10 to 15 minutes for several hours. Some quick lessons learned the hard way: Do not use a brush to apply the thread epoxy, carefully measure any two part epoxy and thoroughly mix it using slow swirls that do not incorporate air into the mix, pack your wraps often and tightly, measure three times and cut once. Good luck.

OK. Back on topic. Try Tackle Warehouse. http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Fish_Arrow_J_Heads_5pk/descpage-FAJH.html

What you say here is EXACTLY why I built the Tennessee handle the way I did. The best medium or light rod I ever had for big fish was a Falcon with a Tennessee handle this long. It tucked under my right forearm perfectly to provide leverage. Why I let it go into a garage sale is beyond me. In the words of Joni Mitchell, "you don't know what you have until it's gone." Today I caught a very feisty 2.5 pound fish on the new rod and the handle tucked in perfectly. I am ready to test it against larger fish.

Do not start if you plan to make only one. Minimum fixed costs: a stand on which to wrap the rod, a stand with a small motor to turn the rod while the epoxy coat dries, 2 or 3 rat files and a good flat file, a thread bobbin, one or two pallet knives, cups and foil in which and on which you mix epoxy and finish, small sharp scissors, a single edge razor blade, a hot glue stick, a roll of 1/4 inch masking tape, a lighter, and toothpicks. Optional choices include a power wrapper (I bought one and reverted to hand turning), a lathe, and a dremel. In other words, 100 to 2000 dollars before you begin. For each rod you will need a blank, guides, a tip top, thread, handle components, a hook holder, handle epoxy and thread epoxy. These will cost you 60 to 600 dollars per rod. I find making my own rewarding on two levels. I can make it exactly the way I want, and I really enjoy catching fish on something I have made. If you are still interested, check out http://rodbuilding.org/.

Yes it is the record. Jeff Fletcher, son of J.D. Fletcher, caught it.

Yes.

I used a Forhan locking wrap for the guides and hook keeper. I used cord to build up the blank to fit the winding check that fit the handle, then epoxied the cord for durability. I attach my reel to the handle with two zip ties and then wrap with electrical tape for comfort.

A few pics of the new rod. I used my phone so the quality is not perfect.

At Houseman you'll still be in 90% trout water. Watch the water temp rise as you turn right (going down stream from Houseman) and by the time you pass the small island just before you turn left, you will be in 80% warm water species water.

At current water levels, if you stay in the channel, you can run a standard bass boat as far as the first turn above Houseman. That will be just downstream of the 62 bridge. My largest Table Rock trout (a brown) came from the bluff hole just below the 62 bridge. Between the Beaver bridge and Houseman you will find trout transitioning to walleye and bass. If you go up that far, the regulars all back off of plane when passing each other once the channel gets skinny. Just saying. Good luck.

Whites are back down below 62 bridge by now. Actually the flats just up from Holiday Island are beginning to show activity. Walleye will be hit or miss above 62 bridge. If you want to target them and have a canoe/kayak try fishing the car size boulders in the deep hole just above 62 bridge.

I will take pictures tomorrow when I go to the boat. It is not a pretty rod. No special diamond wraps, only enough winding finish epoxy to fix and harden the thread. I used the traditional masking tape wrapped to the correct inside diameter and then soaked in rod bond (X 4) for bushings. I have never had that method fail and I believe it to be more sensitive than graphite foam bushings. As for why the short rod - I am a product of the 60's, 70's, and 80's. Short rods feel more natural in my hand and my casts are more accurate. I can throw a standard Ned between 80 and 100 feet on the new rod without power loading and that's enough. My top water rod that I made is only 6' for the same reason. I am not adverse to change when accuracy is not at stake. My crank bait rod and my jig rod are 7'. My home made walleye trolling rods are 7'6".

One year I won a fishing tournament in which 200+ boats took underprivileged or ward of the state children fishing. I baited several holes then used Wheaties with strawberry soda to make dough balls. I do not remember the total weight (this was 30 plus years ago) but my live well was full and the bottom of my Lowe boat was ankle deep in carp.

Not too long ago I bought a MHX blank from Mudhole, MHX Cast/Spin 6'0" 1pc. 6-12lb. I also acquired a Texalium tube to use for a Tennessee handle. I used 8 Pac Bay Minima guides plus a tiptop and followed the Fuji KR guide spacing suggestions. I paired the rod with a Lews spinning reel. The balance point is under my forfinger when I hold the rod and 10/4 braid flies out easily. The finished rod is superior for throwing the Ned Rig. The rod would also be perfect for throwing jerk baits for trout and 1/16th to 3/16th ounce jigs for walleye. At about $100 in parts, the rod fishes as if it were twice that price. You might try this combination.