Gator

I've built 8-10 rods a year for the past decade, no expert by any means, but enough to echo what's been said above. You won't save money trying to build your own. What you will do is get a rod that's set up exactly how you want. Particularly with bass and walleye rods, where the permutations are infinite. If you're around Rochester and want to get a better sense of the game, give me a shout. I'm happy to show you the ropes. The downside is that it's tough to figure out the exact characteristics of any blank based on a description, as all manufacturers use their own systems, and a 2 power walleye rod is very different from a 2 power saltwater blank. Even trolling blanks can be a bear. Don't make the mistake of confusing saltwater trolling blanks with Great Lakes. Frankly, I agree 100% that there are lots of good factory rods out there at decent prices, and blank-wise you're looking at an e-glass or composite blank anyway, where sensitivity doesn't matter - it just needs to be able to withstand constant torque. That having been said, I've stripped and re-wrapped new guides on some of my older Daiwa brown trout rods that I loved back in the day, and they're shiny again. It's a great place to start without breaking the bank.

That's a classy move, giving back to the cause, and a heck of an example to set. Good for you guys! Your team looks like they enjoyed themselves thoroughly, despite washing their shoes. Puke is pink, right?

More often than not, this is my typical trail cam picture lol. I will post some eye candy once the big boys start moving. Don't strain your eyes - I don't see anything either.

Killing it and taking no prisoners...

We had precisely the same thing happen earlier this year. Luckily, I'd traded a custom rod to Misdemeanor for a spare probe, and we were right back in the game. Still, that's too many subtroll probes donated to the goddess Lady O (three or four in fifteen years). No more. My wife bought me a new X4D for my birthday next week, so the coated cable will go bye-bye. And that should make it easier to see issues with the wire. I hope.

Great job, Les! We also ran offshore on Sunday morning, to a less enthusiastic audience. The washing machine of rollers from the NW and caps from the SW didn't help. I suspect that we should have kept going, as we dropped in at the 27 line and fished North for four hours, ending up just beyond the 30. It was a long, bouncy ride back, but Wellcraft did it right when they designed our boat, and we made 25 mph into a 3 foot chop. We ended 4/6, with three small salmon and a steelhead.

Nice report and great job with the boys! It looks like they're hooked.

Got mine, thanks!

Heck it could be ten years old if it came with the boat. I don't trust batteries. I replace them every few years and always carry an extra one in case of a case.

We were out in 150-200, and it was good for two salmon and a steelhead down around 50' on wire dipsys, but overall a slow four hours. Temp has been moving around like crazy. But the fish we cleaned were packed with alewives of all sizes, so they're eating good in the neighborhood.

We've donated several probes to the fish gods over the years, but it was never the fault of the klincher kit, Make sure to wrap your attachment site with waterproof tape to avoid signal loss at depths over 100 ft.

Awesome! Thanks as always for the great product and service.

I won't go that far, but I will admit to knowing him now that he's won two out of the last three years lol.