bigpoppabass

They make good stuff.

The wooden ones still work decently. Not an og polywood model tho. Pretty bait tho.

Interesting mods. I have several retired ones you can have if you want them. The wings eventually stopped working but I can't junk em. They are like good buzzbaits they eventually just go after good use.

The best ever made is the hi fin polywood model. Sometimes they show up on ebay. All classic polys will have orange eyes......You are also best off with a single piece nonjointed one. The key to bait as musky hunter book says is "to imitate nothing in particular going nowhere fast." I think jointed models and other bells and whistles make them seem dangerous rather than vulnerable. The trigger is in the wings and the sound they make.

Luv the rash on that hinkle.

Not sure if it is true but I have seen internet feeds of smog from China at the California coast. All of that smoke could influence the weather. Out here we have had haze from Canadian wildfires. I think it has impacted weather as it is visible gas in the air.

Yup. To be more specific, the nws usually has a data station at your nearest airport. Nashua NH has a tiny airport, and I have bookmarked its data feed. You can get hourly barometric readings etc. It is just one tool to use. Believe it or not, the best best weather source is usually a dog walker imo. They stay in tune with the bobbleheads.

You put alot of thought into it and it shows. Those things are bullet proof.

I would take that one out of commission until you figure it out.

Great place to do biz with.

That's great nice pic too.

I have 3 and it has yet to get into the regular lineup. More below. With that said, I pulled the trigger on em cuz a better stick than me reported a haunting fish of a lifetime loss on one. Guy I trust too - he was caught off guard cuz it was a near splash down strike, and he wasn't in position to begin with to stick it. PS. It fishes well, but I failed to get a sniff on it fishing the end of a herring run in Maine years ago. Bass preferred the hudd rof 0 (nail weighted) then. PS. 1. Could have been a sign the shad were long gone as is the case since they are first to spawn followed by the herring. I am also a guy who almost bailed on the slammer and also took a decade to get confidence in a Hudd. I was about 15 years late to the baby wake, but that had more to do with them finally coming down in price on the bm.

Suspending wobble with an upside down profile like a megabass anthrax dying minnow look.

You put the time in. Congrats. Luv the pic on the measuring board.

Try pointing rod at bait and don't look at the bait. Should help.

I guess you could hit em with a swab of wd40 which some claim is a fish attractant. Also a fan of squeakers but I suppose some squeaks could sound like orcas or other predators.

Yes Sly Guy and Bucca are very good options if you are looking for a true gilder. Confidence in mid size gantarel however has kept these baits sidelined for me. PS. The gantarel is not really a true glide but more of a jerkbait style glide like the islide.

There is a 10 year rule. Almost all lake records occur within the first 10 years of introduction. If you follow some of the hot little Caly ponds, same deal, sometimes there is a drought or fish kill and the 10 year cycle begins again. It is not just about trout and forage.

Not easy to do. Congrats!

DS Customs does well early season up here.

You should be stoked. Congrats. PS. Luv the gantarel just hate that well designed welded ring with a flat side. It is necessary but tricky to tie a knot so flat side sits against the bait

Crappie pattern answers the riddle why a simple chartreuse black dots pattern works so well.

Yeah, it is easy when you get the hang of it, but memory will lapse quickly tho if you don't do it alot. There are certain tricks in steps to get clutch to engage etc. I gave up a while ago, now doing only non take down cleanup oil and lube. Too many parts these days. I can open up bearing cylinder too but don't do that much. PS. While I have sympathy for poster not getting a response, I wonder about the condition of the reel sent. When you talk to repair guys, they always talk about reel abuse as if some customers were abusing their dogs. The yakers dunking their stuff must be loss leaders for these guys.

I would seek input from a custom builder. They are usually in tune with the rod blanks out there.