Personal Touch..

[BASSPATROL247]

I always add a little bit of red to a rod or reel when i get it to make make it different than the rest wether it be the line guide,star drag,thumbar or a extra guide rap to put a personal touch to them. Anyone else do this or am i the only fool tht does lol!

[Mike L]

I certainly wouldn't call you a fool.

But...I don't do that, never thought of doing that, see no reason to do that.

Mike

[BASSPATROL247]

I certainly wouldn't call you a fool.

But...I don't do that, never thought of doing that, see no reason to do that.

Mike

I hear ya man, to each his own☺

[hawkoath]

I would like to start doing that but I think I will start with the internals first. ABEC7 spool bearings and carbon drag upgrades are on my to do list right now. Later on it will be to shave a fraction of a ounce of weight and adding comfort and style by changing the handles and handle knobs. Then I'll decide if I will go further...

 

For rods, whenever I get a new/used rod I always clean the rod handle and apply U-40 Cork Sealant to it. If it's an old rod and has a lot of crevices (mostly the filler has fallen out) I would clean it, re-apply the wood filler, sand it down and then apply U-40 Cork Sealant to it. 

 

I also want to have a professional cut off the hook keepers that aren't on the bottom and replace them with the new colorful Daiwa hook keepers which essentially have two hook keepers and I can also use it to secure a drop shot weight too.

[SirSnookalot]

Nothing cosmetic or upgrade.  I buy what I like in the first placed based on the attributes of the reel.  Never could understand changing out the drags until needed, I've never had any problem with stock.  The only thing I might do is put a shim underneath the reel foot for a more solid fit, I've only done it a few times.

[Bankbeater]

Never customized a rod or reel.

[OkobojiEagle]

Red!... H*ll no.  Give me some black & gold!

 

 

oe

[thehooligan]

Check out the "Show off your stuff" thread, lots of guys into customizing their gear.

[.ghoti.]

Most people just buy their gear and go fish with it. Some of us are crazier than that. I'm one of those guys. I "tweak" all of my reels; once I've decided to keep one, that is. When I get a new reel, I fish it like I stole it. If it passes the test it goes to the bench.

Internal polishing, new drag washers, spool bearings, and a four bearing handle. I'm going for smooth and quiet. As far changing out parts for the sake of appearance goes, I don't. It has to make a performance difference or it doesn't get done.

I see nothing at all wrong with bling. Looking at the "show off your stuff" thread is something I do on a regular basis. There are some guys here who've assembled some truly sweet looking reels. Bling, for bling's sake, is not for me, but it's also not for me to judge. We all enjoy different aspects of this game, and it's up to each of us to determine just how we go about it.

I have a few friends who think I'm nuts for buying expensive reels, and them tearing them apart to upgrade and tune. That's OK. It's a harmless sort of lunacy.

[Master Bait'r]

That's kind of funny, I like to remove all the red if I can.  Something about red on rods and reels I'm not a big fan of.  I'm plotting against the red bits on my Ito Ai right now actually- I'd love for them to be green, black or gunmetal.  Every time I look down it's like the reel has a hangnail haha  

[RAMBLER]

I've tried putting the line weight on the reels, but it always wears off.

[BASSPATROL247]

Red!... H*ll no. Give me some black & gold!

oe

Black and gold??? Why would you do that lmao

[BASSPATROL247]

I would like to start doing that but I think I will start with the internals first. ABEC7 spool bearings and carbon drag upgrades are on my to do list right now. Later on it will be to shave a fraction of a ounce of weight and adding comfort and style by changing the handles and handle knobs. Then I'll decide if I will go further...

For rods, whenever I get a new/used rod I always clean the rod handle and apply U-40 Cork Sealant to it. If it's an old rod and has a lot of crevices (mostly the filler has fallen out) I would clean it, re-apply the wood filler, sand it down and then apply U-40 Cork Sealant to it.

I also want to have a professional cut off the hook keepers that aren't on the bottom and replace them with the new colorful Daiwa hook keepers which essentially have two hook keepers and I can also use it to secure a drop shot weight too.

All you have to do is warm up the finish on the wrap around the keeper ,rub off the finish and unwind the keeper and place one where you want it. I hate keepers behind the reel on the handle. Just waiting to grab a rod and get hooks..

[Kevinator1]

Yeah I'm kind of a dork when it comes to that....some of you guys probably know how the abu revo series thumb button discolors from the original fake chrome making it look cheap.....so I ordered some black thumb buttons from Lews and they are perfect to take the place of those cheap looking things....I also like to have my rods and reels with the same color schemes.....I think it helps me catch more fish...NOT REALLY.....but at least I looked organized.

[hawkoath]

All you have to do is warm up the finish on the wrap around the keeper ,rub off the finish and unwind the keeper and place one where you want it. I hate keepers behind the reel on the handle. Just waiting to grab a rod and get hooks..

 

Thanks. That's some extremely useful advice for me. The hook keep keeps snagging my line so I would optimally like to place it in a more convenient place. 

[cottny27]

BassPatrol247, what kind of paint do you use..aluminum paint?  Do you prep the surface?  Does it flake off?  I would be interested in doing a drag star, tension knob, etc.  At least would try on a cheaper reel to start.

[bigturtle]

I dont decorate my rods/reels with flashy parts. Want to, but no money to.