aplumma

Glad one of us didn't fall for it. lol They are good lures but I think that the megabass topwater is dead even with the live target mouse. The action of the mouse is as slick as a buttered saddle. Art

Yea stinkin T.J. introduced me to megabass and my wallet has never been the same. Art

I have made many a knife that has put smiles on peoples faces using 440 SS blades. It is not a bad blade it is what 80% of the knifes people use daily are made of. Few people need/can appreciate the precision and the other attributes of the specialty metals blade. In some cases it is like ordering a custom fishing rod to fish for perch. However for the few who want a custom knife that is made for them and fits there hand and style of use it is a joy to own and use. It is hard to explain it in most cases reaches a level of craftsmanship that reaches the level of mechanical artwork. Art

live target mouse and frogs are the cats meow it is the first bait I throw in the morning or evening for bass. Art

Hope you left him a couple of matches before you left him. Art

Cliff the science of building knifes is lost on a lot of people and it is tough to show them why a knife is worth more than another knife that looks the same. The right metal on a knife makes the different on what it is worth. Some see a knife stamped 440C and have been told over the years it is the best metal for a knife. Truth is different metals, grinds and spines make one knife excellent for one job and horrible for another. Some of my high end blade makers are using a vg 10 base carbon blade wrapped with either a Titanium wrap or Stainless steel depending on there work enviroment. Once the material and the spine is decided then you can build out the knife to make it fit your hand. Once you have all of that done you then can choose the angle of the edge which depends on what it is going to be use for. A good sharpener is an investment and to do justice to a custom knife you will spend hundreds of dollars on that equipment alone. A decent set of tools and attention to detail are required once you start working with the expensive blades and materials. Some of the nicest blades I have built came from flea markets and garage sales. A few of the beat up and forgotten blades were reground or polished and then stripped. A new handle needs to be formed and pinned. Shaping and finishing is the most time consuming of process with some times only getting 2 or 3 coats of finish a day. Art

Cliff you can get them as blade stock or as a preground blade. The blade stock can be as rough as bar stock or as rough cut. Both of then are workable but you need some special machine tools such as a high speed belt grinder and a milling machine to start. Then a polisher and an angle mill to get it to resemble a blade. The heating and tempering of the blade uses a kilm to basic blacksmith tools. All in all unless you are making high end custom knifes not worth the capitol investment. The blade companies have ground/ tempered blades now a days for almost any shape and size. I pull blades from 4 or 5 suppliers that range from $15.00 to $400.00 per blade depending on material, tempering process, shape and size. Most of the time you will have between 3 - 12 hours in a knife depending on the fit and finish you want. Some of the materials used for handles are tricky to work with and are labor intensive to get a nice finished product. Art

Thanks for that info. I'm a plumber yuck. Art

I agree Wayne I have my garage as part of my house and put the osb on and then had to sheetrock it with fireproof drywall not only in the garage but also in the loft where it tied into the house. The restoration garage we built as a free standing building because of the metal working and solvents etc. we keep on hand. Losing a garage while tragic is not the end all let the house go then it is an issue. Art

Personally I found fried chicken removes anything from your hands. No matter what it is grease, oil, ink no problem 2 pieces and clean as a whistle. Art

Before you go with a wood product though check the local fire codes if you have a wall that is shared with the house it must have a 2 hour burn rating at least down here in USA we do I am sure that someone up North can fill in the blank here. Art

Very nice photo. Art

The funny part is I cuss because I don't catch a fish and he cusses when he catches any other fish but a bass. lol Art

A bit of lemon juice in a bottle of hand sanitizer should have you fishing and eating in no time. Art

The purchase of a boat can be a nightmare from the wrong dealer. Find one that is not only willing to make the sale comfortable but also any issues that you will need repaired in the future. I found that it is worth going to a dealer a little farther away if he stresses in writing how they resolve issues. Art

What this man will do to catch Bass is amazing. We were fishing the Potomac with white bandit crank baits for bass no tournament involved mind you and he hooked into a large Blue catfish. He cussed for 10 minutes fighting this 35 lb est. fish in and couldn't release it fast enough to get back to the bass. He came up north to Lake Nipissing for pike and such and with in 1 hour he had dialed in the bass. He stopped using white spinner baits because the pike kept interrupting his bass fishing. He does have a beautiful set up to fish from The top end Stratos boat with every advantage you can put on it. I just find it a pleasure to fish with not only a great guy but one who has such knowledge and patients for the sport. Art

Welcome to the board again we are glad you came back. Art

Mike I have a friend who lives bass fishing. He has gone so far as to buy a house on Lake Anna that is a cooling compound for an electrical plant. To fish in January in 75 degree F water is a little spooky. The fish come up and warm your hands and are smoking. So anyway the knowledge and talent he has helps him catch fish. The lake was actually a reservoir that had very little cover and was electric motor only. It was in Feb just after ice out and the weather was sunny and blue skies. I had been fishing the week before in the same conditions in the ledges and the rock pile looking for the wind side and warm water. I started us off on that section again with different lures and colors with poor results. I realize that I was falling into my pattern that didn't work so I asked him to drive. He started cruising along not stopping at 2 or 3 places I would have and I asked him what we were looking for. We stopped in 4-6 ft of water with a mud bottom. The rigs were cut off and rerigged with weightless senco wacky rigged. A cast out and let it settle to the bottom wait 1 minute then snap and fall was the ticket. The mud/clay bottom was absorbing the heat of the day and the bass were there to warm not suspended in a winter pattern. It was acting like a spawn pattern before we even had a prespawn pattern. He has also been kind enough to help me learn deep water vertical jigging which is something I rarely did before. This is why I have always tried to take someone who wants to go fishing with me. Art

When I built my garage OSB was at the same price as drywall so I sheeted 2x6 R19 insulation with it. Painted it all white and I can put a nail anywhere I need on. Art

Good point you are correct sir.lol Art

200 tiller man o man what a launch pad when you hit a shoal you'll be doing the superman skipping off the water. lol Art

Very nice the micarta lam's make for some very nice features in the handles. The silver black is the nicest in MHO the browns and rainbow were flat on one and to loud on the other. Nemo is a nice pleasing pattern wish I had though of it. Art

only the ones left after I get there first.lol Art

I would guess I have fished in the hundreds here and up North. I will say that if in a few trips I haven't caught fish then I decide not to fish them again. It is usually not that the place is bad but that I didn't figure out the way to find fish. I remember one special place that kicked my butt hard but when I took my bass fishing guru he analysed the lake and put us on fish within an hour. While humbling it shows me that we all can learn from our fishing partners and friends in fishing. Art

Good to hear Mike but I am not surprised. Art