Chris Catignani

I have also noticed a smell from ProKote...pretty weird. If you hold the rod at a 45 degree angle, you can see the rod through the guide rings. Do this in front of a window or light background. In cases where the guide is too small and your not able to see the inside of the guide. You can see that the guide is symmetrically centered with equidistant space on each side of the rod.

I would probably drop-shot, ned, shallow crank bait...but like @Delaware Valley Tackle said...some things are subjective. Could also be a good live bait rod.

Kevin....you have a peculiar situation. You will inevitably come across someone who will tell you that "its not rocket science". Just assure them that it is.

I agree....I have never had epoxy go out of date. I have come to just ignore any yellowing in the hardner and just use it. Its inevitable and the yellowing causes are numerous: sun, UV, air, heat...etc..etc

@Logan S Dude...those rods look great.

You see a lot of catfish and striper rods with two foot runners. All the old school baitcasting rods for bass had two foot runners. So...if thats what you want to do, go for it. It not needed for bass but its also not unheard of.

Those Alabama bass are no joke!

I always get those swapped...

I broke two rods at once! Dropped a 2x4 from a rafter in the garage...right into the boat.

Typically the brakes are for adjusting the spool for the first part of the cast and the tension knob is for the end of the cast. All this adjusting is to give you a longer non backlashing cast...but not every one fishes that way...ie if all you did was pitch with a specific rod and reel the setup would be different.

Crystallization of epoxy resin is not any indication of being bad or old. Solid form is its natural state. Usually, its fluctuating temperatures thats a catalyst for crystallization. Simple heat treatment mentioned above will remedy crystallization. A more controlled temperature of about 50°C will make sure you dont over cook it or damage any additional properties it may have (especially the paste resin).

Hey...dont get me wrong. I will flip docks all day...but not if someone else is fishing, swimming or just plain sitting there. I do the same thing going down the bank...if someone is fishing, I go around. Now...that being said, I also expect the same in return. I really hate it when someone runs by WOT on plane within casting distance.

Just because we have the "right" to fish...doesnt make it right to fish. Give people some space.

If the guide foot is loose under the wrap...then you can just glue it back with epoxy or super glue. ...or just give it a shot at re-wrapping it.

I can't tell you how many rods I turned by hand...seem like I would just rotate the rod 180 degrees every 5 minutes for a hour and every 15 minutes for the next hour. I was using FlexCoat High Build...Some of the epoxies today need a longer turn time. I have a dryer I made that would turn off after two hours...I had to change the program to three hours when I started using ProCoat.

A floating Rapala...like a size 3 would be good too. But try wading the river...up stream.

RPM on the motors I have are 6 RPM.

What kind of charge are you putting on the battery? (amps per battery). Also...check you fluid level.

Now that I think about it....the Spence Scout had a skirt on the back treble hook.

The 2021 KDFWR Bass Assessment rate Barren River as one of the best larmouth lakes in Kentucky. https://fw.ky.gov/Fish/Documents/barrenriverasmnt.pdf

Got hit on the hat by a cliff swallow yesterday at Barren River. Those are the birds that make the mud nests under bridges.

Mick...this would be the "white" hot melt sticks. Here is the process I use. I will set the rod in the holder guides up and centered. Heat the guide foot with a lighter and wipe the bottom of the foot across the glue stick. I will then reheat the guide foot and melt that glue. Then stick it on the blank...centered. I mean...that is literally it. I read about all the other processes and just scratch my head. I have done every way possible...and the glue stick is (for me) the easiest. I can see the merit in the bands for layout and testing though...