hoglaw

The Fuji ACS seat - that's the one I was talking about. I have one on a rod I got from RPS and I really like it. I'm a reel-palmer for most applications which is why I really like that minima reel seat, particularly on split grips. But the ACS is super comfortable for any application where you have to get your hand down a little farther. For me, that's any kind of power fishing and jerk baits. I still prefer the minima for jigs and worms and such. I haven't tried that reel seat you have on the first spinning rod, or any exposed reel seat on a spinning rod for that matter. Do you find it comfortable? I always felt like I wanted my hand on a flatter surface with the spinning rod than an exposed blank, but I'm the last person to knock something I haven't tried. I need to give it a shot. Pretty much any spinning rod I do these days is a Tennessee handle. I need to try one on the carbon fiber or aluminum grip since those are supposed to be the creme de la creme of sensitivity on Tennessee handles, but so far I just put tape on cork. I do love hot sweaty electrical tape in the summer. I also keep thinking I want to do a Tenn handle with a golf grip, like a Winn or one of the thicker Golfprides. I think that would be pretty cool. I did a pink blank for my girlfriend that I got from mudhole. It's a split grip spinning rod, but It's wound up being a pretty solid trout rod. I find myself using it often when she isn't with me. She caught multiple 18" browns last weekend on it jerking a husky jerk on the White. That's a major stack of bamboo you got going there. I'd love to have a little 7' 3wt bamboo rod to take to Colrado with me this summer. I thought I'd attempt my first fly rod build before we went out there and I still may. Orvis has a blank that's touted in the mudhole catalog as being a small stream light tippet blank. I should have ordered one when I did my most recent shipment but I forgot. I think I'm going to wind up building rods for a couple of folks in the next few months, so maybe I can still get one done before I head out there at the end of July.

Gavin, I've started doing split grips on most all of my baitcast rods for no particular reason other than I like the way they look. I don't think you save much weight either. And what weight you do save is below the reel seat anyway which just means the rod is more tip-heavy. Some folks prefer their rods balanced which means ADDING weight to the butt. For others, that's a cardinal sin. Personally, I like a rod that's close to balanced but not quite for worm and jig fishing. A rod that is just slightly front-heavy feels more sensitive to me. For crankbaits and spinnerbait rods, there's zero purpose in balancing the rod since it will be under a constant load. But for jerk baits and top water rods, perfect balance can be really handy. But the main reason I like doing the split grip is it gives me a perfect space to do a tiger wrap which I think looks really cool. Do a google image search to see some examples. I'm about to do a pretty stout flipping stick for a guy, so I figured I'd share the shipping and pick up a blank to make myself a wiggle wart rod. I've come to prefer EVA grips for splits even though they're cheaper and not as "nice," but for this one I sprung for a carbon fiber grip. I forget which reel seat I'm putting on it. It isn't the pac bay minima that I like so much, but a fuji one that's super contoured and pretty comfortable to hold. Trophy was telling me about a rod that dtrs5kprs had built for himself so I decided I'd emulate what he did. Rather than use a traditional blend, it's an MHX hot shot blank I think. I use a slightly lighter one for shakey heads and for throwing 1/16oz maribou jigs for carp. This one is the 7'6" 8-15lb line model. I forget the lure range, but warts should be in the sweet spot. The point of the story is it is a more sensitive rod than the fiberglass blends, so I decided to spring for a carbon fiber grip. I didn't see the point in spending the money to use the same carbon fiber for the butt of the split grip, so I'm just using a cheap EVA butt. Hopefully it won't look too stupid. We'll see how it turns out, but it should be able to launch a wart into outer space and be able to feel every single pebble on the way back in.

I caught the crap out of them on the fly rod yesterday between walker's bluff and twin. All the fish I landed were males, but I hooked something massive in an eddy that I had on for two minutes or so before it came unbuttoned. It had me way into my backing. I have no idea what it was...big walleye, foul hooked carp, big female, hybrid - no idea. I'd have loved to have gone again today but couldn't make it. I saw hundreds swimming up the shoals. Lots of boats running up and down, including a bass boat with a 200 that made it all the way up to where I was, but he turned around at the shoal I was working and decided he had pushed it far enough. I know we talked about bass boats not being able to go that high earlier, and that was when the 45 gauge was a good three feet higher than it is now. Folks who know the river can make it to within sight of Twin, even in big boats. If that guy would have committed and stayed on plane, he'd have been through it easily. Hopefully this rain won't be as heavy as anticipated because it was on track to get good in a hurry. I'm afraid it's going to be blown out though. I like it when the big boats can't get up there and the water's running a little clearer.

I really used to like that show when it was on...Ozark Outdoors I think. Pretty sure not one of us here condones the practice of keeping near trophy sized small mouth for table fare, but I always enjoyed watching those guys. I did see the frog show, the bowfishing show where Jason got nailed in the cheek by the nock of his own arrow when it ricocheted off the bottom, the sucker grabbing show, and the noodling show. I remember a number of shows where they were catching big fish in public lakes and streams. As far as fishing shows go, it was really one of my favorites. Guess that makes me a typical Arkansaw hog, or whatever someone said earlier in this thread.

Maybe if you have good relations with him you'll get a better rate?

The black tube looks sweet on those, especially your color. I freaking love my crew max. You will be thrilled with that truck.

Headed down this weekend to check out a boat that's down from the Norfork a few miles. I'm looking for a place to camp with electric hook-ups to inflate our bed. Don't imagine we will be spending a ton of time there, I was just looking for something a little more secluded than quarry park where we could build a fire and have a few drinks by the river on Saturday night. Any reccommendations would be appreciated. I have a call in to White-Buffalo resort but haven't heard back yet.

I'm looking at a used river boat that AFF made. It's 21'x54" I believe. Big sucker. I'm a big fan of the layout and hope to take it for a spin this weekend. I can't find much about them at all. One of the biggest google hits turns up the river boat thread on this site. I know there's a little info on them in there, but I was wondering if anyone else knew much about them? The only real info on the other thread here was that they were heavy and no longer in business, though the guy who made them is apparently still around the Mountain Home area. If anyone has any personal knowledge about them, or strong feelings one way or the other, please let me know. The eventual set-up will be a 90h yamaha jet and a 24v 70lb trolling motor. It will pull double duty on the rivers and the lakes.

It is not difficult to replace the cork handle of a rod. You can use whatever type of grip you want. Normally a rod is built from the bottom up. The grip is the first thing you put on. You use a tapered reamer to ream the inside diameter of your handle to where it will slide most of the way down the blank, requiring just a bit of force for the last push. Heavy epoxy is applied where the handle will finally come to rest, and above that location to lube it up for the slide down. If you're keeping your reel seat and foregrip, then you're going to have to put the grip on from the bottom which is more difficult but completely do-able. If you're going to strip all the way down to the blank across the board, then this is a different job entirely, and I don't even know how you take a reel seat off. I've never done it. You could look at www.rodbuilding.org to find out how. But, if all you want to do is replace the grip, it's not that bad. You could use cork rings for sure. While more time consuming, it's probably easier to get it right with cork rings. But if you want a single piece handle on it, whether cork or EVA, this is what you have to do. Rather than using a tapered reamer, the inside hole of the handle will have to be reamed out to an even diameter that is big enough to slide up from the base - the thickest part of the blank. You use masking tape to make even diameter arbors of masking tape that eliminate the taper of the rod. It looks something like this: Tip----guide---guide---guide---guide----guide---guide---foregrip---reel seat---||--||--||--||--||--|| Each of the ||'s represents a tape arbor that has an identical outside diameter. That's the first step after removing the old handle. You ream your handle out to snugly slide over all of those tape arbors, then you take it off and slather epoxy all over them and in between them. Then you just slide your handle up from the bottom and finish the butt however you want to. It can definitely be done and you can for sure do it yourself without any specialized gear. The reaming is the part where you have to get creative. A long drill bit will get it done. Alternatively you could build a hand reamer from some long straight piece of material with abrasive grit epoxied onto it, but the drill bit is the way to go. Another alternative would be to sand the existing grip down to a relatively even diameter, and use cork tape or tennis racket grip to make it serviceable again. If I had a cork handle that had been worn out pretty good, I'd be tempted to fill any major holes with a mix of adhesive and cork dust, sand the thing down good, and just tape it up with something creative. You could even use a golf grip if you could get a proper inside diameter. I've always wanted to have a rod with a Winn grip on it!

How high could you run when you posted that? I'd imagine you could go dang near Sequoya in a bass boat. The river rose almost four feet in the last few days. It will drop out steadily this week, but it got a major bump from all this rain. I really hope it gets good and low again before the white bass are done. The water was gorgeous before this weekend's storms. Where did you see 58 degrees? It peaked at 52 on the USGS gauge which is the highest it's been for the last two weeks. By no means am I doubting what you saw or the accuracy of your gear. I'm just wondering how much discrepancy exists between the USGS gauge and wherever you were on the river.

Looks like you're an awfully steep walk down to the river from there. If I'm not mistaken, the private land just across the river used to be open to folks to fish from for a "nominal" price. I swam out of the window of a bronco that went into the river just over there while I was in school. I'm still negotiating the deal on the boat I'm looking at, but if it dosn't come through in the next week or two, I'd love to fish with you. Those used to be my old stomping grounds, and I have caught a lot of fish from there up to 45. It all went to pot a few years before they put in the new access. There was a big flood while they were working on the new bridge, and the river just hasn't been the same sense. We used to catch a ton of fish down there - mostly of the largemouth and spotted variety. I caught and released a 7+ pound toad just below 45, and when the pictures came back, I realized it was a kentucky. It was pushing the record for sure. Let's hook up some time in the near future. Weather is about to get nicer. Do you go out in the evenings on weekdays at all? I work in Fayetteville and could easily hook up with you after work to hoof it. Weekends can be a little tough for me, but I can make time. If you live in Fayetteville, I'll be glad to pick you up.

Ugh. Only so many variables to a motor, especially a little one like that. Start from the head back. You've changed plugs. Assuming they are properly gapped, check the compression. If you have good compression and proper plugs, move to the intake and carb. Sounds like you've torn it down and cleaned the carb good (though that gasket should be replaced if it hasn't already), but clean it again. Sometimes cleaning one can dislodge gunk post-cleaning. Make sure you soak it good. If you have properly gapped and good plugs, good seals, and a clean carb, then you move out to fuel supply. You've cleaned your filter. Make sure you have good fresh gas. Maybe try non-ethanol premium. If your fuel line fittings are good, then try a new fuel line if you have access to one. Remove the tank side fitting to take a variable out of the equation and just hose clamp the fuel line to the tank. You just have to move through one variable at a time.

Solid advice FF. The only thing I would add is fishing isn't like golf. New golfers should stick with used quality gear that they can get for a rock bottom price but will still let them hit the ball effectively, mostly because the majority of new golfers won't stick with it or play more than a few rounds a year. It seems like more folks who start fishing will stick with it. With that in mind, I'd say save your money and buy the cadillacs. There's a better than average chance you're going to want them anyway at some point in the future, so don't litter your garage with a bunch of cheap gear that you won't even use in another few years.

That's a cool sled for a good price. You must be getting into a good one to sell your namesake.

Maybe the guys like Ike get them totally free, but for just a little over a year I was related by marriage to pro who had a win or two and a slew of top 10's in BASS and FLW, including a top 10 in the classic a few years back. He said his deal was that he got to buy a new boat every year at straight cost as well as two motors. He got to finance it interest free from the respective manufacturers. At the end of the year, he was obligated to pay straight cost on the boat and motors. Whether he kept them or sold them was his choice. He sold them each year and made a little extra money. Maybe that deal varies among pros. I know this thread was a joke like my burnt up carolina skiff thread was, but I bet these guys are really hard on boats and motors. If they have the slightest amount of name recognition, that probably outweights the stress they put on these rigs and puts a little more cash in their pockets. But I'd have a hard time paying good money for a rig that someone drove for a living half of the year or more, and drove it like they rented it.

Mitch, I had to calculate that one myself and you're spot on even for a conservative estimate. That assumes that the costs don't go up in the next 20 years, but you're right...not such a great deal. What's the cost for a non-resident? If it was $300, I'd buy two just to be safe.

The only objection to selling them would be that they're facilitating the market that incentivizes their harvest in the first place. Similar to the DEA selling 1/2 of the cocaine they seize to fund their operations....except for the whole drugs are bad for you thing. Glad to hear they nailed these guys. The one thing I can say about federal prosecutors and indictments is that they get it right the VAST majority of the time. The lawyers for the DOJ and the law enforcement men and women who work with them absolutely work these cases to death, so that by the time the indictment is actually filed, conviction is practically guaranteed. And these folks do real pen time in the federal system. That's in stark contrast to work on the state level. An old law school buddy of mine is the elected prosecutor in McDonald County, MO. He's a great guy and I have no doubt that he works hard. But the state guys are so overwhelmed with cases that they wind up prosecuting bad cases, and not working them up hard enough. Before I moved firms, my previous boss got acquittals in a murder case and a child sex case as a defense lawyer in McDonald County cases, and that is incredibly rare. The feds work these cases really hard and nail these folks. About a year ago, I got a text from a cousin in Napa Valley, CA, that said "We need to go into business importing paddlefish eggs! You ever heard of a paddlefish?" By no means was he interested in illegal activity, but he had just eaten paddlefish caviar in Napa. It's amazing how much demand there is for their roe. You put ten thousand dollars in front of a few good ole' boys from rural Arkansas/Missouri to go get some eggs, and they're going to be taken. Folks aren't scared to keep short fish, keep to many fish, or take game out of season. The paddlefish deal is no different. It's a serious matter and I'm glad people are paying attention.

He lives in Elkins I think and he has a route. Does drop offs and pick-ups at a lot of places. I had him fix three reels for me a while back. He is super reasonable and does excellent work. I went by his house to pick mine up just so I could see his set-up. He has tons of reels sitting around that he's done for people that they've never picked up, each with a receipt still stapled to the bag. Some were a couple of years old. Nice reels that he's got a few bucks of parts and labor in that for one reason or another just never got picked up. He also does custom rod work. I think he's more into things like guide replacement and cork repair than doing full on custom rods for folks. But if he devotes as much attention to the rod side as he does the reels and just organizing all of his parts and logistics, I'm sure he does good work. When I went by his house, I told him I was just getting into rod building. He quickly informed me "you'll never make any money at it, but if you want me to send you business then just let me know." Super nice guy.

Still waiting to close the deal. I'm close, but it hasn't gone down yet. I'm pretty confident it will work out, but we will see.

This is a strange forum to post this in, but I'll give it a shot. If you aren't willing to spend money then grab any spot on a beach and throw shrimp out and hope for the bes t. If you're serious about fishing, then take or rent a kayak and you have infinite choices in the intercoastal waterway and the attendant low country areas. Charleston has infinite possibilities for fishing. If you're not serious enough about it to rent at least a kayak or hire someone to take you out, then go to a bait shop and ask where you can post up with a cheap wally world surf rig and some shrimp. That will catch you something. If you want tomake a real fishing trip out of it, then get on google earth and find somewhere you can launch a 'yak, study the tide charts, and do some real in-shore fishing on a pretty tight budget.

bingo. No telling by that time. If the wife and kids are up to river camping for three days and water levels are appropriate, then Rush on down. If they want hot water and you don't want to mess with providing it, then rent a cabin and use any of the outfitters for three days of floating.

The ONLY difference in "accuracy" between a baitcast reel and a spinning reel is the ease with which you can stop line coming off the spool. With a baitcast reel it's as easy as putting your thumb down. With a spinning reel it takes a lot more effot. In a sense, the spinning reel is more accurate. A baitcast reel has an extra variable - you have to thumb the spool at some point to prevent backlash. That inherently makes your cast less acurate, assuming you make a perfect cast to begin with. But no one is perfect, and the ability to slow down the line at any point in the casting stroke does indeed make the end result with a baitcast reel "more accurate." If you're not a seasoned expert, a spinning reel is much easier to skip, flip under stuff, etc. The ergonomics of a baitcast reel make them much more enjoyable to fish with for me, and the vast majority of anglers other than the occasional weekend warrior. I'll just say this. A baitcast reel takes a lot more getting used to. But once you get used to it, you'll quickly find yourself using them even in applications where a spinning reel might be the clearer choice. For me, that's enough to prefer the baitcast reel in the vast majority of situations. But for delicate presentations and live bait situations, it's hard to get past the "fire and forget" advantages of a spinning reel. I say give it a try and commit to getting good at it. I promise you'll grow to prefer it for most artifiical lure situations where the lure and line size are properly matched to a baitcast outfit.

No greasy, this boat is not new at all. It's a well used 21'x54" river boat.

Hopefully I can get the boat Sunday...if not I may have to wait an entire week....ugh.

Bill and all - Thanks for the reports. This weekend is going to be gorgeous and we may get some warm rain on Saturday and Sunday. That ought to supercharge things pretty quick. The water will get above 50 this weekend I bet.