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Mark K

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Posts posted by Mark K

  1. Mepps

    in Gear & Techniques

    Posted

    11 hours ago, Scott Ferguson said:

    On the Menominee, I get a lot of hits on a Melos #4. The problem is, the smallies are  so good at throwing those baits. Every time they jump they spit the lure back at me. 

    I used to fish them on the Kank, particullarly a  the #4.  Don't recall losing fish on them, but they got stuck a lot and I lost them. 

  2. Mepps

    in Gear & Techniques

    Posted

    I looked this up because I saw the sign for the factory in Antigo, on the way back from Sylvania.

    Who remembers the Mepps catalog?  I sent away for it every year when I was a kid.  It's amazing that they still assemble these things by hand in the USA ...if they still do, video is '09.  This guy is being a bit of a creepster, but this is a good overview of their operation.  pretty cool.

     

  3. Hickory creek

    in Open Discussion

    Posted

    11 hours ago, KenS said:

    I actually did pretty well on the creek after work on Friday. The best one was just over 17". I started throwing a ned minnowz and switched to a rubber frog and stayed with it the rest of the time. Most smallies I caught were around 10" with a few rock bass .

    Water clarity was very good above the dam. The clarity of the water backed up by the dam was greatly reduced. The decreased clarity continued for miles past the dam.

    There are carp all over the creek below the dam but almost none above it.

    Another change in the creek above and below the dam is the gradient. The creek drops quite a bit more from the dam to Joliet also with more abundant rock compared to areas from Frankfort through New Lenox.

     

    carp as in "Asian carp"?

  4. Bass Pro Qualifier 2 Baitcaster

    in Gear & Techniques

    Posted

    I picked up one of these at Christmas with kinda meh expectations.

    Only had it for half a year.

    I only own one other higher end baitcaster, a Revo something or other- silver about $200 something dollars about 10 years ago.

    I have it on a really nice St Croix Legend Tournament 6'8" "topwater special" with 30lb Suffix braid.   It casts really, really nice.  Silky smooth.  I have the main drag almost all open and the magnetic brake doing all the work.  It's ...like shocking how nice it casts.  My Abu Garcia is so used it's not a fair comparison, but right now it does not cast nearly as well....but still totally useable.

    The original PQ has a good reputation.   I was told by a source who bought I have no reason to disbelieve, said he took apart the two side by side and said the only difference was one part which was plastic. 

    Those guys take them apart right away, install boca bearings, carbon drags and fancy grease. They told me they cast like a really expensive reel when you do that.

    That said, the first one I bought  I was in hurry and did not inspect.  One of the bolts was missing, which BPS or maybe Cabelas  happily exchanged.   "QC" and "QA" are the trade off.  I would fondle the reel in person to make sure it's okay.

    It's on sale again for 60 bucks.

    https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/bass-pro-shops-pro-qualifier-2-limited-edition-baitcast-reel

  6. Vintage Shimano Anti-reverse Repair- cleaning

    in Gear & Techniques

    Posted

    Fixed a second identical 2000FE Stradic. This one the antireverse did not work at all and that little thing in the video was grody.  Just see if it would work i took it off and cleaned it without disassembly  There is one screw that will hold it all together.  I soaked it in mineral spirits, agitating it really well, then simple green and really hot water.  Then i blasted it under the facucet with hot water.  Then a dunk in alcohol to dry it out. 

    Seems to be working for now pretty well. 

    This reel got disassembled and cleaned also. Took me about an hour again.

     

     

  7. Vintage Shimano Anti-reverse Repair- cleaning

    in Gear & Techniques

    Posted

    I haven't done another brand of reel yet, so I don't know how other anti reverses work, and if Shimano continued with this design, but based on the way this works you should not expect one of these to work right if it gets dunked.

    That whole mechanism was not expected to be taken apart and cleaned either.  It's a whole separate part.

    I am going to do my Daiwa Whisker SS, which has an anti-reverse that is pretty far from "infinite".  But that reel never fails.  Curious what that one looks like inside.

     

     

     

  10. Vintage Shimano Anti-reverse Repair- cleaning

    in Gear & Techniques

    Posted

    Retro is cool these days, right?  I hate the idea that I am old enough now that I bought brand new,  what is consider now- vintage.

    I have three "vintage" Shimano Stradic - mid to late 90's  when reels first started have a anti reverse with no slop. They all failed with the anti-reverse slipping.  All in about a year or two, which pissed me off because it was a hundred dollar reel back then.  I thought i trashed them from slingshotting jigs out of rocks.  But after I took it apart I was like...there is nothing here to break.

    The reason they slip is becaiuse grease and oil get in the mechanism and the way it works is friction.

    So in short I disassembled the first of the three reels and followed this tutorial on how to repair the anti-reverse mechanism.  What did we ever do before You Tube !!?? 

    I also flushed out the body with simple green and a brush so it was spotless.  Then I rinsed the bejesus out of it with hot water.  All the gunk and crap got flushed out.

    Lastly I doused it in 99% rubbing alcohol- the stuff with no glycerin- pure alcohol. Drug store grade.  So alcohol is miscible in water- where acetone, acetate, MEK are not.  Plus all those can attack plastic. The only reason I used the alcohol is that it mixes with water- I think it forms an azeotrope, then everything evaporates off fast.  I LIGHTLY lubed everything with "Reel Butter", which according to the internet is the best stuff out there.  Reassembled- amazingly no parts left over.  The reel is VERY  smooth now and pretty tight.  Not as tight as a 60 dollar reel  today. LOL.  

    The anti-reverse was the trickiest part.  I don't think I would have fixed it without this awesome tutorial.  It all took about 2 hours but I think I could do it in about an hour now. 

    Taking it out for a try now.

     

     

     

  11. Dupage water level

    in Open Discussion

    Posted

    19 hours ago, SLeheney said:

    Guys, I realize I shouldn’t have asked the “safe” question and apologize. I was just trying to get a feel for what the range people typically kayak this river since I’m used to the Fox mostly.

    Also, I wouldn’t even think about going out when it was at the 2500 level, but was being hopeful it had a chance of getting to an ok level by sometime on Sunday. More of a wishful thinking, just really want to get out soon. 

    Hey no worries.  That's just my opinion on the matter. 

    I stopped at Rock Run Rookery talked some guys with yaks.  They said they were doing pretty good on LM.  I do an after work thing sometime this week

  12. Dupage water level

    in Open Discussion

    Posted

    4 hours ago, SLeheney said:

    What would everyone consider a “safe” kayaking flow rate for the Dupage near Shorewood and to the south of there. Currently at 2570 CFS and dropping, hoping to get out possibly on Sunday. 

    35 minutes ago, Terry Dodge said:

    Sounds like DANGER to me.

     

    We just set a record for rainfall  for May.  Duh.

    These are questions that should not be on any forums anywhere. "How safe?"  Answer:   Safe enough so you don't have to ask.

    This is why everyone should do jury duty, especially in a civil case.

     

     

     

  13. Quillbacks..

    in Open Discussion

    Posted

    On 5/18/2019 at 4:44 PM, kevin summers said:

    So let me start by saying I have not been out on the Fox Fishing yet this season. I'm sick of highwater and rain been working around it all spring and I must be getting old because I don't really feel the need to dabble or fish in the chocolate milk. My observation the other day was there are a lot of quillbacks heading into the creeks and If my memory stands correct they are usually ahead of the smallies coming into the creek before spawn. Just wondering what everybody else thinks of this years spawn and when you think the river will actually drop. I had a week scheduled for the UP this week for pre spawn bass but the river is too high and fast for getting around.. Timing is everything

    I talked to the guy who runs the resort/motel we stay at and as of yesterday he had one small remaining pile of snow.  He is right on the border in Lac view desert.  two people I talked to said fishing has been very slow.

  17. Mill Creek: Southwest Suburban Project Fixes 100-Year-Old Mistake

    in Conservation & Volunteer Opportunities

    Posted

    This was in the news today.  At least on public radio.

    https://www.chicagoriver.org/blog/2019/4/mill-creek-southwest-suburban-project-fixes-100-year-old-mistake

    This is a very pretty little creek and I've seen bass boats in the Cal Sag channel.  I presume there are bass in there. I've fished this creek with my kids when they were little but all we caught were creek chubs.

    On the radio today they talked about hooking up to Tinley Creek also. 

     

     

     

  22. Who's tying what - winter 2019

    in BassBuggers

    Posted

    4 hours ago, Wade Blevins said:

    Mark,

    Thank you for posting up my dad's creation here on the forum. Warren Patterson was a good friend of my dad and he and I have exchanged stories and pattern details over the years. His post on FAOL was right after my dad had passed away in 2005. Dad created the sam's one bug in 1982 and was working with a gentleman out of Shelbyville TN at the time (Dale's Custom Tackle). Dale was making custom saltwater rods  with foam handles and had tons of core material laying around. That product soon became known as LIVEBODY. After Dale closed his shop and sold out to other companies a few companies picked up the foam product and started packaging individually as foam cylinders. WAPSI eventually became the purchaser of the product and now distributes the foam cylinders. Years of testing and many changes have made the bug what it is today. I would put it up against many other patterns when tied correctly for durability and fish catching. I have yet to find a pattern that can withstand 200+ fish on one fly. If tied properly this one will do just that. I have evidence to prove. It simply seems to catch fish when other flies wont. After years of testing yellow and orange were the preferred colors. White with fluorescent legs a close second.  Fly Fishing and Tying Journal picked up dad's article in the summer 2002 issue. 

    Before Dad passed away, I suspect he gave away 10,000 Sam's One Bugs or more to people he met. We have stories from all over the planet of various fish caught on his bug.

    I am very pleased to see that others are still interested in his pattern. Feel free to send any questions or comments to the Sam's One Bug page on Instagram. @samsonebug 

    Thanks again,

    Wade Blevins

    Thanks for taking the time to sign in and respond Wade.  If you ever find yourself in headed to the Windy City or Illinois, please give us a shout.

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