wnybassman

I kinda got lucky with mine. My sons cub scout den leader happens to own a small model/mold making shop in my town, and has three in house CNC machines. I asked if he could make a mold for me. He said sure, but he has never done anything like quite that before. I let him use a couple other molds I had bought so he could see the basic general idea of the molds. His designer went to work and created a beautiful replication of what I wanted. He cut the first one and we had some venting issues to work out, but once that was done they pour pretty good. He only charged me $175 per two piece four cavity mold (I have bought two so far and will likely get another), which included all design work and programming. A huge bargain from what I have researched.

I put the rods in rod socks then snugly band all the rods together with the velcro/foam bands made for that purpose. They are less likely to be damaged if grouped as one, plus they are easier to carry around. Then if I stop somewhere I can easily grab the bunch and slip them into the cab for security.

Good advice. I have found over the years that I put tackle in my bassroom that is not just a back-up stash to what I carry in the boat, it sits there until I either sell it, try to give it ww2farmer, or throw it away. Very rarely does it ever get used again and generally just takes up space. Although pegboard is a good idea, IMO you will also need shelving to harbor plastic shoebox size tubs or something one size larger. You can store a lot more stuff in a smaller area that way, although you won't be able to "see" it. My room is pretty small, maybe you have a lot more room to work with.

Could be a bad move. I have read never to wear anything over an auto inflate because if it inflates it will put so much pressure on your chest you won't be able to breath. Just a heads-ups. Of course I don't have any personal experience with that situation, but it sounds plausible. I bought the Mustang HIT because I felt it could take the rain and high moisture better. I feel as though it has, seeing it has never gone off, and I've been out in rain I probably shouldn't have been out in.

I'd want a 6'6" in a one piece medium to cover those applications. I've used a 6'6" Premier ML for much of that without any issues, but would bump up a notch just to be safe. A MH would be tough to "fling" light baits out there I would think.

All I use is St. Croix now, and have for a few years. I've never been much of an equipment junkie, and I always got along with just about anything I have ever used. I have 4 LTBs, 3 Avids, 1 Mojo and at least a dozen Premiers. I like them all. I really have no plans of trying anything else, because to me there is no reason to. They are very rugged, and put up with a lot of abuse, and keep on ticking. I only broke one when a rod locker lid came down on it, and lost a couple guides, likely due to my young son (and me) standing on them over the years. I've never had to deal with the customer service, but hear they are great. lol I know there are a lot of other companies, and I am sure they all offer great products as well. I just like keeping things fairly simple.

Nice job, and in a tournament to boot! I've been fortunate to catch my top three largemouth, and top three smallmouth, in tournaments. It's a good feeling.

That's funny, I made the jump from POP to silicone, bypassing the resin. lol I thought about resin molds for 2 piece molds though, but just never did it. What's nice about the silicone is the flexibility of the product. You can take a bait, like a Senko, and get a nearly full round bait out of an open side pour mold because the mold flexes good to get the bait out. Once I started buying aluminum molds, I got spoiled very quickly though. I just had some custom molds CNC machined for me for a bait I designed a few years ago.

Happy Birthday John. I'm afraid I'll have to miss your surprise party, maybe next time.

I have caught tons of smallmouth over the years out of deep water on Lake Erie that have blown up like balloons in the livewell, and not once have I ever seen the stomach coming out the mouth. Perch, yes. Walleye, yes. Crappie, yes. Bass, no. (at least smallmouth) There is a fine line between taking enough air our, or taking too much. Having them lay on the bottom of the livewell/lake is not a good situation either

I try to keep it simple.... One brand, one color, no problems. lol

Do you text much? Holy crap. lol

I fished the Eastern Divisional a couple years ago as a non-boater and tried to be thrifty as possible with space. I wanted everything in one medium sized soft sided bag, I think it holds 5 regular thickness 3700 boxes. I used some skinnier boxes, so I was able to squeeze another one in. Anyway, spinnerbait storage was a concern, but knew I needed to carry at least 8 or 10 in case I found myself in a position where needed them. What I did was modify a section of the regular 3700 Plano box to accept 6 to 12 spinnerbaits, by merging some sections together and "V" notching the top of the permanent divider so it kept the baits in place. So in reality, it only took up less that a 1/4 of that particular box. Worked out very well.

We had a highly regarded marine tech show up at our last club meeting to discuss routine boat maintenance. A lot of the discussion was about E10 fuel. He said that E10 loses its octane at a greater pace than non-ethynol gas. Most vehicles are not a problem because you go through it fast enough. Boats are generally different, and fuel sits for more time before getting burned. Anyway, he said that 87 octane you put in today may be 84 or 85 octane after 30 days. He highly recommends at least 89 so when it loses a little octane it is back where it should be to start with. He was also not a big fan of fuel treatments, and said the "cocktails" are the worse. His repair records have shown about the same rate of failure for those who add nothing to fuel to those who add something. The cocktails have the highest rate of failure, and he contributes that the additives having a fair amount of alcohol in them, and that is added to fuel with ethynol already in it compounding the problem. He basically said stuff will happen regardless of whether you add anything or not. I still add what I have added over the last several years, just because it still makes me feel good I guess. I know people that use "cocktails" with good results and I also know people that add nothing and have had no problems. I also know people that have had problems doing all three things, so maybe he is right to some degree. I know I had to take everything with a grain of salt with him being a marine shop owner and he may just want our business, but it didn't seem like that was the case. lol

For the better part of the last 25 years my dad and I have been partners in a small drywall/construction business. My dad is starting to look at retiring soon and I am unsure if I want to continue on alone or not. I really don't want to partner up with anyone else. A few months ago I got the process started to work for the USPS as a RCA (Rural Carrier Associate). Basically a sub/relief for the regular carrier. Started that a few weeks ago. I never knew the craziness that is involved with that job! The shock factor is wearing off and I am starting to get a feel for it now. That is just one day a week, and vacation time when she wants it, so I can work my regular job right along with it. Could lead into something full time, or may not. Just keeping my options open in case I want to drop the construction business.

Hit Silver again today to enjoy the refreshing summer breeze, and landed a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge upgrade for myself chunkin' and windin'. lol

I have a '98 481VS with a 150 Johnson Fast Strike. No complaints. Seats are really showing their age now though.

If it was well maintained, I don't think there was a bad year.

That kinda reminds me of a story of a friend of mine. Early spring perch fishing, my dad, my buddy and I were out all day. My buddy kept saying he had a "not so nice feeling" all day, blaming it on a sausage breakfast sandwich on the way to the lake. I kept offering the bucket (we were many miles from a launch) but he was proud enough to say no, he'll be OK. His stomach cramps were getting worse, and it was getting late in the day, so we called it a day. Getting close to the ramp, I could see he was getting mighty anxious to hit the bathrooms, if fact I let him off at the dock before even putting the boat on the trailer and he took off in a brisk walk. So my dad and I loaded the boat, about a half hour went by, and my buddy finally wanders over to us. No shirt, no socks, carrying his boots in his hands. It's like 45 degrees outside, not exactly shirtless weather. You know how as you get closer to a bathroom for relief, you kinda pass the point of no return? Well, he did and was, and the bathrooms were locked!! He had to drop his skibbies right then and there at the door and let things fly. He said it looked like a crime scene when he was done. lol Shirt and socks were used as clean-up aids. He said the worst part was a lady that drove slowly by in a car right at that moment, rolled down the window and asked him a random question about something, saw what what going on, had a confused/disgruntled look on her face, and kept on driving. Use the bucket!! Be not afraid!!

I have been fishing tournaments for nearly 22 years now, and have only had to poop once during the actual tournament. Makes carrying a roll of TP and a bucket well worth it for just such an occasion. I can pee so discreetly sometimes the guy in the back of the boat doesn't even know I went. lol

Nice little creek. Looks like it holds a little bit of everything.

3" Senko's are tough to beat.

Those are incredibly tough shots to guess a weight from. I've seen 5's look like 3's and visa-versa.

Here is what I use for making molds. I use Scotch double sided tape, an aluminum L channel that I cut and bend around, an old floor tile and duct tape. I use the measurements of the mold and find a good volume calculator online to get how many fluid ounces of silicone I need to make the mold. Secure the aluminum down with duct tape and secure the bait down with the double sided tape. Slowly mix the two parts together as not to form any air bubbles, and SLOWLY pour the silicone into the mold so it fills every nook and cranny. This is what it looks like after I pour it in. Although I have heard you can make molds out of certain tube silicones, I feel you will have much better luck with a product designed to do what you're trying to do.

I have had great luck with the Smooth-On product called Oomoo 25. It's a 2 part silicone that cures fully in about an hour and a half. Slightly pricey, so you want to make sure you only mix up what you need. Out of the "trial size" offer (about $25) I can make four average size molds. So the price per mold ain't bad. http://www.smooth-on.com/Silicone-Rubber-an/c2_1113_1136/index.html?catdepth=1