New rod, great fishing...

[Red]

well i wasnt really sure where to post this...it is a report on my new rod, but also a great outing...

anyway first the rod...it was made for me by our very own Alpster....let me begin by saying that he is one heck of a guy and a very fine craftsman....he built me a awesome rod....it is 6' MH x-fast...shikari blank....really nice....last night we heard rumors that the whites were biting like mad on lake whitney so we headed there first thing this morning.....we caught 70 plus whites in three hours of fishing....all of the fish were caught on a daiwa game vibe (me) and a silver spoon (my buddy)   this rod performed great...sensitive, light, casting was awesome and accurate....very comfortable as well...three hours of action and no fatigue it is just an excellent rod, i couldnt have asked for more!  here is some pics of the rod, and the some of the whites we caught

thanks again to Ronnie for the sweet rod!!

thanks

Cliff

[dbass]

No doubt about it.

There is nothing like a well made spiral wrapped rod.

Ronnie does some very nice work.  

Tight Lines!!!!  

[Jimzee]

Heck yeah man, awesome rod.  I kinda like that spiral wrap.  I would like to fish with one for a day to see how I like it.    8-)

[Guest muddy]

I told you he makes sweet rods, he built me a honey too! Enjoy the rod.

[Red]

yeah that rod is great...about the spiral wrap.....at first you look at it and it just seems like something is wrong....your like how can this work with the guides not inline?  but for me it seems there is no difference in distance or accuracy.....if anything my accuracy has improved and my distance is the same or abetter.....the main thing for me is that i have some kind of issue with my right hand.....some kind of tendonitits or arthritis or something.....it will get very fatigued and i will get a loss of grip if i do something with that hand for extended periods of time....i get it often at work when hammering etc etc....and i get it whilie palming my reel too....i originally thought it was due to a 5501 being a rather large reel (for my hands) but now i am thinking it was my rods....cuz i havent experienced this fatigue at all with this rod....i was considering a revo for its small size.....now i dont know i may just stick to the round reels.....anyway...like the reel mech said...ronnie does some very fine work!

thanks

Cliff

[grimlin]

Does he sell some on the side? I'd like to look into one after christmas is somebody knows how to make them.

[Jeff H]

Reel Mech is building my new spiral wrapped pitchin' stick for me.  I can't wait to try it out, but that won't be until next May.

I also have the arthritis problems in my hands and wrists.  The greatest challenge for me is pitchin' all day.  That is hard work for the wrist and I can only do it for a few hours before I have to take a break from the pain.  I have found that using shorter, lighter rods and smaller profile reels is a MAJOR help in my fishing.  This is why I started buying more expensive rods (Shimano Crucials have become my favorite) and smaller reels (love them Revo's now).  Lightweight reels would be nice but I'm not about to update my whole line up to those expensive reels just yet.  I may get a Revo Premier and give it a try next year and see how much difference it makes.  Anyway, this is the reason I won't fish a rod longer then 6'6" now.  Shorter, lighter rods with smaller reels definitely help if you have the arthritis issue.  My new 6'6" pitchin' stick will also be better balanced and that alone will be something I'll have to get used to.  If it helps me last the full day, then it will be worth it no matter what adjustments I have to make in my presentation.

[Red]

got out again today for a few hours....was windy...i really got to test the sensitivity of the rod today...i have mostly used traps sine i got it...but today i was using a t-rigged worm....and let me say i could feel everything! especially compared to my other rods.....we caught a bunch of bass....mostly dinks but i did manage this 2 lber and a small hybrid/big white....i cant tell the difference

2lber

hybrid/white

was a good day....caught fish on t-rigged worm(zoom u-tale, watermelon red) trap(bill lewis chrome/blue back), and i got one on a minnow rap(shad)

my buddy got this one on a red shad zoom u-tale

thanks

Cliff

[Alpster]

Hey Cliff,

I am very glad you are happy with the rod and I appreciate your review on how it casts, feels and handles. I am also glad you are catching fish on it already! Good job. Your post about the rod brought up a lot of questions about spiral wrapped rods. Yours is a good testimonial that they work well, even for fishermen who are not used to using them. Once you get past the way they look, you will be hooked on spiral wrapped rods. LOL I know that I am. All my rods are spiral wrapped now.

I appreciate the nice comments from others too. Especially from David G., it's great to hear something nice about your work from a Master.

Ronnie