jb_adams

Dude, wet sanding is nothing to be scared of. I did it. It's so easy (well. ...labor is a pain) that anyone can do it. The vids posted above are a good explanation along with his instructions in the post above. Wet sanding takes off the dull material, hi speed polishing will bring it back to life. I took off 30+ years on my boat. People can't believe it's 35yrs old. I had a lit of spots that were white with oxidization but yours appears to he just faded. Sometimes, a hi speed polish is all you need. Use a buffing compound and then polish for rough areas. Sand paper will work best. Your boat will shine line New again. Best thing to do is wipe Tue boat down after every usr and spray a nano wax or polish or "boat protectant" after every use. That helps keep the polish for years to come. If you don't, you will need to ''re-sand all over again.

Looks really nice. Proof that you get what you pay for. Quality carpet = quality job. Quality adheasive = long life and carpet not coming loose. I hate my carpet but it still beats what I had. I'll probably replace it again one day within the next year. Too many other improvements to be made in the meantime.

It gets better. Use a wire wheel on a grinder to remove the old glue. Just be carefull and do not remove the gelcoat. Just the glue. They make a wire brush that's cupped with swirly bristles that works great. Won't eat into gelcoat but takes off glue fast. Be sure to vacuume really good and clean up mess thoroughly with wet wrags to remove first and debris.

Very true about tight lids. I made a deck extension for my boat. Had the lids cut to anticipate the carpet thickness but was still too tight I'm the end and I had to remove some.

I would wait for warmer weather unless you plan on keeping it in garage till spring. Glue needs warmer weather to cure. I wouldn't chance it.

It was a 1/16" trowel. The carpet I had was terrible. And thin.

Having recent experience with carpet and carpet disasters..........i can tell you this. It MUST have a backer on it. If not, the adhesive can ooze through the carpet if even slightly over applied. It also MUST be a marine grade carpet with a backer. I used indoor outdoor carpet because it was super cheap and it did not have a backer. I used indoor outdoor carpet adhesive because it was also super cheap. I read some reviews online where people had used it on their boat with great success so being a on a super tight budget, I pulled the trigger. I also used a carpet adhesive trowel with nothes so I did not over apply the adhesive. I troweld it on carefully and laid it down like I was about to tile a floor. Not having the backer allowed the adhesive to work it's way through (super thin carpet didn't help). The carpet got wet after about 5 days old and due to winter, the water froze. The indoor outdoor adhesive went from dry to wet (still does to this day over 2mo later!) and it's not a water proof glue. I was standing on the wet carpet and left foot prints with the glue. Now, I'm going to have to replace the entire bit and do it all over again. Lesson learned. I spent $50 carpet, $25 adhesive resulted into a total practice run for when I do it with real marine carpet. Old saying goes........you get what you pay for. As for where to buy? There are tons of places. If you don't have a hard color to find, it makes shopping way easier. You can expect to spend up to $100 quick on carpet. At least $30-50 on adhesive and possibly more. And this is on the cheap side mind you....

$2,000?? Um no. A 16-18ft glass boat around late 70's to early 80's with a 115hp outboard that is in good working order with a fully functioning motor is worth $2,000-$2,500. If upgrades are added like moder fish finders, newer modern trolling motor, new batterys, carpet, good seats, etc. you can get up to $3,000-$3,500 but that's about it. My boat is a 79 model and I paid a little over $2,000 for it and it was in really good shape for it's age. Today, it's got a rebuilt outboard (last year), new carpet, deck extension, 65lb thrust Minn Kota TM, 3 new marine grade deep cycle batteries, Lowrance Elite 5DSI, Eagle 320, Lowrance x86(?) (basically 3 fish finders), anchor and winch, new tires on trailer, replaced bearings, upgraded to all LED lights, trailer boat buddies (retractable transom straps), etc. I could go on and on.... My advice is to ask for around $1,000 and see what you can get. If i were to sell mine today, if I asked more than $4,000.......people might laugh at me. In my mind, it's easily worth over $4,000 but I doubt anyone would pay that. Here is a photo of mine after I just completed the deck extension up front. I removed the old seats and extended the fishing deck. Now I have locking lid in the middle with a gas strut and smaller lids on the sides. Tripled my storage capacity!

Well that's 3 manufactures I've hears but that sounds close to when I was told Shimano. I just can't believe how light they are compared to other rods in same price point. I haven't broken one on a hookset yet either. Awesome rods for the money. I wish they could expand their line to include a few more options like a heavy action rod. Maybe some longer lengths too.

Reviving an old thread. Just wanted to give an update. I have been using my H20 rods since 2011 now and I have to say..............they are without a doubt the best quality rod for ME (maybe not everyone but for $59, they are great). I have talked to several people at Academy. I've been told they are made by Shimano and I've been told by All Star. Not sure who is correct but either way, I've always heard they were tested thoroughly both in shore and off shore. I held a $300+ GLoomis in my left hand, my H2O in my right. Both rigged identically for drop shot. For the amount of money spent and for the weekend angler (not a pro), it was just silly to pay $300+ when my $59 rod was just barely not quite as sensitive but just as light as the GLoomis. Sensitivity was so close, it was crazy. Just updating this old thread with a report. The very next rod I'll buy will be an H2O without a doubt.

It's funny, I was just thinking about LBH today. I haven't been on this site in several years sadly. I'm more of a bass fisherman than ever and finally got my own boat. I was bored due to being snowed in and I wanted to look up some fishing videos that a particular member used to post on here. Couldn't think of the name (failing memory power) but I remembered the videos of catching TONS of quality bass using *** (stick baits). Low and behold............I find the users name and find out he's been gone for a while too. Out of the several years I have been on and off this website......I have to say that other than Glenn, Rolo, and a couple of others (can't rememberall the names at the moment)....LOW BUDGET HOOKERS always stood out as a quality guy, great angler, and always willing to share and teach. Glad to see ole LBH is still around and still fishing. Welcome home LBH!! Just wanted to post that and say hi!

I'm looking at the Cardiff or the Bass Pro Shops Nitro. Can you disengage the clicker on larger heavy duty reels like the Cardiff? The bait clickers drive me crazy but when you disengage, the reel is free to reel backwards and I'd prefer to have a brake and not free-spooling. How would the Nitro bold up for an A-rig? I looked at saltwater reels but they seem too bulky and a bit overkill. I looked at catfish reels and I keep coming back to baitcast reels and a more compact size. This reel would strictly be for the A-rig style baits.

I said Vendetta but meant Veritas. The Veritas is the white one that people have been breaking a lot on hooksets right? The H20 is lighter (slightly) than the Veritas but the H20 feels stronger. Yes, having Alconite guides on a rod that's only $59 is incredible. I heard the H20 reels cast a long ways. Good to know. I bet they make a great jig reel for easy pitching. I like a reel that's effortless and allows you to thumb control eaaier without having to worry about backlash. I will say after trying the composite crankbait rod, I like the feel of a graphite crankbait rod for smaller tight wobble cranks like rattle baits. I can feel more. The H20 would be awesome for squarebills and med to deep divers. The rod can cast a 1/2 oz rattle trap about 50-60yds. I was impressed. Feel is a bit light but loads up well. Wider wobble baits will solve the feel issue. I was using 12lb Seguar flourocaron Red Label by the way on my test with 5:1 ratio reel.

I picked up two more of these H20 Express rods today. I got the 7' graphite/glass combo cranking rod and the 6'-6" med. spinning rod. I was leary about the cranking rod because I've tried a KVD Signature series crankbait rod that was a graphite/glass combo and I didn't care for it. The loose tip didn't transfer much feel to the rest of the rod. This H20 Express however, DOES transfer plenty of sensitivity and feel to your hand. If you're chunking big crankbaits (DD22 and such) all day long, you will want a seemingly weightless and comfortable rod in your hands. In my opinion, this new H20 rod fits the bill and for the price, well that's just gravy! I looked at a lot of rods and settled on this one based on feel, weight, balance, and my recent experience with my first H20 rod (med-heavy). I figure for $59, if it breaks I'll take it back and get another. If not, I'll enjoy it and I'm not out $200 for a single rod. I got the 6'-6" spinning rod paired up with a Shimano Sahara 6lb spinning reel with 8lb Seguar flourocarbon line. This little rod is lighter than an equal size/type Abu Vendetta and it's supposed to be the "ubber light" rod nowadays. The H20 Express is every bit as senstive with as my $200 7'-6" St. Croix Avid rod with an extra fast action tip for drop shotting. My St. Croix rod makes small perch feel like 12-14" spotted bass so it's extremely sensitive. Until now, it was the most sensitive rod I had. My buddy doesn't care for the bright blue finish but I don't mind it. I like the rods and I like the feel. The H20 reels however did not feel as high quality. Felt a bit rough and I can't get past the whinning noise they make when free-spooled. Hopefully with have more news/reports/feedback on these rods soon. Ready to go take them out and use them!

I now have 3 of these reels now and I love them. Just picked up the 3rd earlier this week while they were on sale. I bought all 3 on sale for $50 and I'm quite pleased with them. I have used the other 2 reels for at least 3-4yrs now. They've never been professionaly services/cleaned. I don't fish tournaments, don't fish more than once a week on average so they have seen weekend use but I use them pretty heavily when I do use them. If you want a good affordable reel that feels like it's top quality and as good or better than more expensive reels, these reels are the way to go.

I just got one myself yesterday. I had another rod in hand and was set on buying it. I started looking for a different type rod for another use and stumbled upon the Ethos. Didn't even know there was an H20 line of rods. I only knew about their baits and misc tackle. After holding it side by side to other $200 rods, I was totally impressed. I also noticed the Alconite guides and remembered reading about how good they were. First I saw Fuji guides, then I saw Alconite and knew that my St. Croix Avid series has Alconites and I love my St. Croix rods. For the price, it was worth giving it a try. I could always return it if I wasn't satisfied. Got it home, swapped off a reel and man is it balanced! Feels super good in your hands. May have just became my new favorite for a while. It will be hard to put down for a while. I heard they were the same as the Abu Garcia Vendetta. If that's the case, the Vendetta have a bad rep for breaking because they are so "ubber" light. Just don't try to jerk the eyeballs out and it should be fine but I would caution against hard jerking hooksets on any rod that light and for Pete Sake......lip land a bass if it's a keeper. Don't heave it into the boat and you won't risk breaking a rod. Better to enjoy the rod than blame it for being "cheap" when or if it breaks because you were hoisting a fish like a crane.

Definately going to try braid with flourocarbon leader for greater sensitivity on my current rod. I use braid on other rods and love it. All good suggestions for new rods and a few that I would not have considered so I will look into those. Thanks to all! I can always depend on this forum for good information. (and opinions)

My buddy broke his Veritas also! It's a super light rod and pretty sensitive. I think he set the hook a bit too hard on a bait that was hooked on a stump and it snaped in half. He replaced it and really likes it. I may give that a look. I agree, the Falcon originals are pretty darn nice for what they are.

Not sounding harsh at all and thanks for the comments. I agree that a medium is probably too light of an action for c-rigs. Having that strong backbone of a rod for heavy weights is essential. I also see your point and I think I agree with you on the sensitivity issue between actions and how the should be equal. I think it may be a preference thing. I rarely use a MH rod because most of my other rods are around a medium action range. As for my bud, he replaced several of the Lowriders and used them for jigs. After snapping off 4 of them, he was done with them. They are really light and the sensitivity of his MH 7' to my 7' MH Conolon was slightly better, not the same. They were pretty close but the lowrider felt better in your hands. As for the nick in the blank, that's quite possible. He know's what he's doing and doesn't abuse rods so I think the blanks were a bit too thin for his firm hooksets. As for the Falcon original, I don't consider them a downgrade. They are a really nice quality rod for the price. I really enjoy my 6ft medium action Faclon. Super light, sensitive, and feels comfortable in your hand. I do recall the MH Falcon was quite a bit larger in dia. in comparison to the medium action when I bought my 6ft rod. It felt a bit more like the Lowrider because of the heavier action. I haven't heard of Powell....they seem to be in the price range as other quality rods. Why Powell over St. Croix?

I forgot to mention, I tried the Lowrider next to my Conolon and did not see that much difference in sensitivity or feel. I have some sensitive quality rods (Shimano is OK but I prefer my St. Croix Avid series (older Avids)) so I do know what a quality rod should feel like and how much feel/sensitivity I'm looking for. I'm thinking of trying braid with a mono leader on a c-rig to increase or double the sensitivity.

My buddy used several Falcon Lowrider series rods for years and he broke many on hooksets. One sounded like a 22-mag when it snapped in half. I don't really care for the feel/weight of the Lowrider series either. As for what I was calling "original", that's what it's called. Falcon "Original Series". I have a 6ft medium action with a Bass Pro Shops Prolite (original Prolite, not that thing they call Prolite now) and I really love that feel. It's light and super sensitive and it's only around $80. I feel I could get a 7ft Original in a Medium or Medium Heavy and it would probably fit the bill. Why medium vs. med. heavy? I like the weight of a medium and I like the flexible tip which seems to be a little more sensitive than a super stiff/super thick med-heavy rod. Feels like you're fishing with a pool cue.

I am thinking of buying another rod specifically for throwing carolina rigs. I know a 6'-6" or a 7' med. heavy action rod is typically preferred and I have one of each in that size but I'm not happy with the sensitivity or weight of the two I have. They are Abu Garcia Conolon graphite rods. Just a little too stiff in the tip (too thick also) and the sensitivity is hard to feel even a 3/4oz weight. I mean I can feel the weight OK but it's harder to feel a subtle bite. Not wanting to buy a GLoomis for a c-rig so I'm looking for a budget concious model. I'd like to keep it around $100 or under. I thought about a Falcon (original series, not the Lowrider because they break easily and are similar to what I have already) What are some options for a specific need in this price range? (please no BPS rod sugestions, not interested)

I figured they were not the same. Quality materials cost more money and thus the price difference. I was just wondering if they were a close comparison. Sounds like they are not.

Anyone have experience with these? I've held a few at an expo but didn't fish with any of them. A local FLW Pro is sponsored by these and he really likes them. Of course, he's sponsored by them so naturally he likes them. ;D Knowing he's a really nice guy, I don't think he'd sign on with a product he didnt' truely believe in and considering he uses them in his tournaments, he must believe in them. The seem very light, sensitive and a really good rod. Great company and seems to have good customer support. Don't know if I like the price range on these though. Thoughts?

I tried the search tool and only came up with two threads on this. I hate to create another one but this is specifically for comparison to the original (and current) GLoomis rods. So.... Has anyone had personal experience or heard any feedback on these new Gary Loomis "inspired" rods? From what I read, he helped design it but doesn't make them. Here they are at BPS. http://www.basspro.com/Gary-Loomis-TFO-Signature-Series-Freshwater-Trigger-Rods/product/10210427/-1750095#reviews