dvowell

Hey...you didn't buy that rotisserie motor off me on the auction site did you? I just sold one on there.... -D

I've been using windshield washer fluid for a long time now as a c-tex thinner. Make sure you get the regular fluid and not the de-icing variety. Cheap, cheap, cheap. -D

I'm with you, fish devil. Completely. -D

You'll like the Revo S once you practice with it a bit. I own two (2) Revo STXs, one (1) SX and one (1) S. Listen to what Skeeter said...many of the new reels today are really hot, the Revo's are no different, especially the STXs...they are every bit as free as my Daiwa's, including a TD-Ito. -D

Just shoot it with Createx's clear and then you can epoxy over it later. I've been doing that for a while with great success...and it solves any problems of colors not being compatible with Etex, my preferred topcoat.

I've used screw eyes on balsa with great success...the trick is to use a high density balsa and not the light stuff you find at most craft shops. That being said, I also soak my blanks in diluted D2T so the wood absorbs the epoxy and then drill out the hanger/screw eyes holes and flood them with epoxy as well. Install the hangers/screw eyes and you're good to go. I've caught largemouth up to 7lbs on mine and haven't had a single eye even act like it wanted to give way. Use the longest screw eye you can get away with as well. -D

For Fluro I highly recommend Sunline Sniper, if you can find it. It's pricy, but definately worth it. I use the 6lb version on my Daiwa Pixy and 15 on my Revo STX's. If you don't want to pay that much, believe it or not, the BPS XPS Fluoro is great stuff at a very attractive price. The Sniper has a smaller diameter and is definately more manageable, but the XPS seems to be a bit tougher overall. -D

BJ, Just take a quick look at the banner which usually appears atop the TU pages! You'll find a great deal on the Dick Nite's there. I haven't used any yet, but I certainly plan on doing so in the very near future. Almost all reports are super positive. -D

Blades, You've got the talent, of that there is no doubt. I need to shoot you a PM...looking for some more jigs sometime! -D

I always thin with alcohol for the faster drying time...especially for shooting scale patterns. -D

Hey guys, I've got a couple pairs of these. I always keep one in boat for cutting braid (works better than anything I've ever tried) and another pair in my shop. I picked mine up at Big Lots, a sort of closeout store, BUT you can get them from from American Science and Surplus from time to time.

Hi Kickerfish, First off, I would avoid using the flash as you are going to get a lot of extra shadows that you don't want. When you first start out, try to use natural light (sunlight) in clear conditions. You will not want to do this when the sun is high overhead, but in the morning hours or afternoon hours. Now, as far as background, keep it clean. For dark baits, I use a light colored (usually white) background and for light colored baits, I use a dark background. Now, here's the rub...the expsure meter on your camera is going to be fooled by the color of the background. If you can, you'll want to use a manual exposure mode so the auto function doesn't get confused. Now, here's where you need to pay attention as this will seem counter intuitive. For the light background, you actually need to open the camera up...give it more exposure...by about 1 to 2 stops, just depending. Use a technique called bracketing...shoot at the metered reading and then open a stop...shoot...open up another stop...shoot...and then go the opposite direction. For the dark background, you're actually going to want to close down...or let less light in...by 1 or 2 stops...again, bracket. Remember, keep the background clean! Lots of extra lines or patterns will detract from the photo! If you have any questions, just send me a PM. -D

I'm with everyone on this...the new site looks great. I like it much better than the old. -D

I'm with everyone on this...the new site looks great. I like it much better than the old. -D

Tom S., Thanks a lot for the tip...this is the first I've seen of your post since the site down time, but I'll be sure to give them a call! -D

I've been looking for some real world experiences with the C-tex...thanks for posting guys. I am al ittle bummed about them dropping the chameleon paints. The chameleon gold has been color I've lived and died by for a while now! I'm gonna buy up every bottle I can find.

Thanks a ton for sharing! That's INCREDIBLE! That last one is especially nice!

Kb, You can find it at Jann's and also at lots of auto paint stores. Jann's is the easiest to come by in sheets, though. The stuff works great, just paint it black and punch out a ton of holes. As I've said, it's far better than electrical tape as it doesn't bunch up and stick to itself. The backing is there. I usually just paint a strip and punch out as many holes as I can get and keep them in old 35mm film canisters. I write on each canister what size dot it is and just grab what I need. -Danny

For dots, I don't even bother trying to paint them. I bought a few different size hole punches from a scrap booking place and punch them out of black vinyl tape (I don't use regular electrician's tape as it tends to stick in the punch too much). The best tape I've found so far is just a thin, vinyl masking tape that I spray with black. One sheet yields countless dots of all different sizes! The dots are far more uniform, too if that's your thing. -Danny

As promised, here are a few aerial photos...

Sketter, Yes, the Pickets Way area is just fine. Most of the damage was north/north-northwest. I spent some time in the air yesterday shooting aerials...oh man...I'll send some photos after we get them in the paper.

Sketter, I LIVE in Hopkinsville! The city proper is intact, but just outside of town is devastated. The Princeton Road and Greenville Road areas in particular are practically wiped out. I'll post a photo or two a little later on. I'm getting ready to go up and shoot some aerials of it all.

I've spent the last few days covering the tornadoes which ripped through Western Kentucky and Tennessee...and I know they hit elsewhere as well. I can not possibly describe to you all here the devastation that I have borne witness to and photographed, but I wanted to send out my heartfelt condolences to any here that have been affected by these storms.