Gift Rods produce positively.

DocSki · Oct-29-2009, 02:17 PM

Hi gang, just got back from my Annual 7 day Charter on the BG90. Great trip, great folks and great crew(I will post something on the trip later). This is about the wonderful gifts I received from a couple builders last year and just now got dirty in a big way.

First is the wonderful flag rod Ventura Rod and Lure made for me quite some time ago. It is a RCBL80L and I put a Diawa 30SH on it with 30# mono over 30# Spectra. Fished it with Tady 9s and 3oz swimbaits. This combination casts off the planet. I have 100yd of top shot and saw the knot every time(except when I had a professional override) Fished it a lot on the slide and caught several Yellows and a small tuna(20ish) It was a bit soft for these size fish but held up beyond expectations. Bottom line, it gets the job done. I think it would be totally boss for WSB and Halibut but it held its own for these grumpy fish. John and Mary I said it before and I will say it again. Thank you for the wonderful gift just wish you were there to see it in action.

Next is the FAMOUS Budweiser rod. Dave(comedie) made it for me using his LOST system, spiral wrap. He has tried to explain the system several times to me but I basically told him I am a-scientific and needed to feel it in a functional manner. Well he asked me what rod I fancied and since I had recently fallen in love with RCBL 80 L he took up the challenge. Though I am a caveman and live by the rule, IF IT AINT BROKEN blah blah blah, I will fish and test everything just so I can comment on it with some degree of intelligence. This was a great test site for these two systems. Well of course as seen before Dave did a great job with the Bud theme, dressinng it up with his fabric Moire and Bud labels. Well I used it for a yo yo rod, casting a Tady Sumo, and fishing the slide with 40 # over 40 spectra on a Custom Jigmaster(Tibbed and LPed told you I was a caveman). It did sacrifice a little distance on the cast compared to its conventional old school brother but it easily casted fishable distances. What I mean by that is, casting 80 yards is cool but setting the hook at that distance is questionable. I only mention the casting to be accurate to MY experiances. Catching and pulling on fish I notice no difference to its brother. I do have to note here that its brother is gimbalized and Bud boy aint. It surely is a stable sucker. Dave got to see the fruits of his hard work. I hear Dr. Pepper might be next. Thanks Dave for the rod and Glasses too.

Both rods have now been placed in retirement and will soon be hung on the wall with all my other cherished gifts from rod builders.

johnnylite · Oct-29-2009, 02:19 PM

Why retire em they have the good karma now?

TRICKY RICKY · Oct-29-2009, 02:22 PM

The Yellow, the Bud, and the rod........................Classic

venturarodlure · Oct-29-2009, 05:12 PM

Proud to see it killed some fish for you Doc...I'm glad you guys had a good trip.

Comedie · Oct-29-2009, 09:06 PM

Wish I'd got a pic of the crew trying to catch you by hanging a beer can off that rod. By the time I had camera in hand, the photo op was over.

Retiring it? Seemed popular enough and you had a fair number of folks after you to build one for them

Smart to retire it perhaps, because if you got really used to spirals, then the nonspirals begin to feel bad.

Dunno on the Dr Pepper variant. Was mentioned, but the trail ended there.

Personally, I think I need a tequilla or JD variant of the Bud rod for myself someday

Gimbal? What's that?