captsully18

Skeeterfisher, Thanks for the thread. Have wondered about this very thing several times as I have 4 of these and have been concerned about where I could get parts. Thnitroguy, Rotorhead, also thanks for info. This may be the best and closest place for parts. Many thanks guys! David

Good report, thanks for sharing. David

Oldschool, your work is fantastic. I would like to ask, are you painting old reels to make them look this good? I have not completely forgotten about geting you the no.s of the 5000's that I have, but I always get sidetracked when I go down to the shop to get them. Someday......... David

I also use bicycle spokes, and have for quite a while. They are excellent IMHO. Mark, they do make drilling your holes easier since the bit required is larger and sturdier. I might also add here that I drill my holes from both directions just in case the bit wants to wander in the poplar. so far, it has worked every time. David

Yes, a very good job. Clear coat does make a difference doesn't it? David

Help me! Help me! I am sooooo confused!!! Now to get serious. I am about as computer illerate as anyone you will come across. Heck, I voted yes before I realized that all these comments were on here. That is the way it was laid out, so I thought........ See what I mean? I have since read all the posts here and they present a lot in the way of pro and con. I am an old guy and don't really like change. Seen too much of it and a good bit was not for the good. I am really into this site and there are very, very few days that I don't visit. I post when I either have a question or a possible answer. I don't have a lot of experience compared to most of you, but have learned a bit via trial and error that I don't mind passing along. As far as givers and takers, I think that was well covered in a thread of that name. Through the school of hard knocks (I have belonged to that school for many, many years) I have determined several members that only want to parade their talents and will answer NO questions concerning what they do. If you will pardon my speaking plainly, these guys piss me off. But that's just me, and I do move on. What I have found that is the most desirable is a big bunch of guys that don't mind sharing and helping out one little bit. In past year I have learned a ton of stuff, much more that I can possibly give back at this time. But I am willing to help any way that I can. Jerry, you have listed quite a few changes that you have in mind. I can't allow mysef oppose change, but I don't necessarily agree/like it. A lot of the guys that have posted here I consider "friends" and agree with what they have said here (Mark Poulson, BobP, Delw, The Rookie [aka Tater Head er Hog] to mention a few) And I am sure Dean McClain would have some input here as well. I will NOT presume to speak for him, but I do know he is having serious computer issues at this time. Hope he gets it fixed in order to post here. I know I owe this site a great deal and would hate to see it taper off, but I am afraid that that is exactly what may happen in near future if you stay with the dues you propose. I think that the guys that are giving so many of us their talented input would loose interest after paying dues for a while, leave, and not return. Not to mention the "newbies" that would wander off to other sites, cause they didn't get the "nurturing" they wanted/needed. Just felt like adding my input (good or bad) and not sure I have done a good enough job. But as I stated at the beginning.........I am sooooo confused! Thanks for hearing me out David

I second Nova's post. Start at 2 min, stir, 25 - 30 sec longer, etc. That's for 8 oz. David

Hey Bruce, when I hear the buzzzzzzz going by on I-64 or I-75 I'll know its you testing out your new contraption. David

HJS, sorry, I didn't realize that you were remelting old plastic. Yep, 2 min would indeed be too long. Your method probably works better than any other in that case. Sorry for any confusion. David

Hey, I should add that perhaps Delw, Nova, or one of the resident experts may jump in here and correct me if I am wrong. Hope they do, I would like to read what they have to say on this topic. David

Mark, I would start with a soft plastic from most any of the companies, maybe even M-F super soft. Try about a 50/50 mix ( 4oz. soft plastic and add worms [cut into short lengths to aid melting] to reach 8oz. or 2oz. plastic up to 4oz. Then you can adjust to suit your taste. I would not mix the various makes, but try each one to see how they come out. jmho David

Seamsea, JSC, thanks for the trip down memory lane. Wow, those were great baits. I would like to add the Snagless Sally to the list. It is almost a carbon copy of Herbs Dilly. Spike, those are great looking baits, and should get bit for sure. Are you talking about painting them after assembly, or before. If before, just plug holes with a toothpick then assemble. If not, and they don't spin as freely as you would like, Fatman gave you the answer. I have held many buzzbaits out the window on way to the lake. (This also wobbles the holes out and makes them squeak). Also, felt like a kid with a whirly-gig. David

Damn fine job!!! I'd be tempted to eat that! Awesome. David

Mark, I have never had good results melting old worms just as they are. If you are gonna use them, add some of them to fresh plastic after it has reached pouring temp. Every time I used just the worms the resulting baits were extremely hard, expecially if I happened to mix worms from different companies. Never know the formulation that various co.s use in their baits and mixing them may cause most of the problem. But, what do I know, I'm just a good ole Ky hillbilly. David

First, let me say that I am far from being an expert. That said, I believe you are right about power. It would be nice if the power worked the way you would like it to. There would be less burned plastic. For 4 ounces of plastic I start with 2 min. and adjust down from there as plastic melts. Makes melting time seem quicker. Perhaps some of the real experts at this will chime in and answer all the questions. David

Nice job. Like the lipstick application. Now the bass can tell the sex of their prey Seriously, Keep up the GOOD work. David

Besides crimping the rivet, I always take a new buzzbait and hold it out the window while driving to the lake and let the wind spin the blade. This wobbles the holes in the blade out and will give it a lot more squeak. jmho. David

Don't have a clue what the paint is, but I do know that the Basstrix that I have are not split at all. I have also dissected many of these baits (for determining the same things as you, and for fishing purposes) and none have been cut prior to me and my scissors. I have been trying to get these baits to come out to my liking for some time now. The very first ones I dipped were great, and since then....nada. My next try is to use soft plastic and final dip with tube plastic. As I said, I have no idea about the paint they use. I have used Createx with success (paint wise). Goes on quite easily, and stays put during next dip. Hope someone else will jump in with some good insight into this. David

My thoughts exactly. David

Does that mean that you're gonna start flyfishing for those giants? Could be fun. David

Nice fish, Mark. Sure would love to see the one that got away! David

Vodkaman, Thanks for super video. Definitely not an engineering mind here, I mostly rely on trial and error. The video is quite inspiring and just watching has helped me a lot. Thanks again David

Squigster, I would be much in your debt if you would post a definite way to do this. My first ones came out fantastic. Hey, I thought I was on top of the world. After that, not a one has done well. I'm still trying, but if you get there first, I would LOVE to hear how you have done it. Look forward to your success. David

Thanks, again, guys. This getting to be a really cool thread. Lots of ideas about spinnerbaits, inline spinners, just everything. This is gettin' better than I had hoped for. David

This may do nothing more than cloud the waters even more, but...... I usedto SCUBA dive a lot, and would use my flotation vest to overcome the weight of the belt in order to achieve neutral bouancy. This was great for reef diving or wreck diving. The whole time underwater I had to keep adjusting the air in vest as I would be either too light or too heavy at any given time. In actuallity I was never completely neutrally bouant, just on the very edge a lot of the time, then had to adjust. I do believe that NEUTRAL bouancy is a thing that can be achieved in one place, one time and that is it. Take same perameters to another place/time and you are only close. Lots of variables involved (depth, temp., water movement, etc.). If you can come close in your tests you have done a great job indeed. Just my .02. David