Breaking Rank (Part One?)

My friend Al who is a walleye/bass/muskie tournament fisherman convinced me to build him a walleye jigging rod. While I do some walleye jigging it is certainly not my expertise. This is a spinning rod built on SCIII blank and feature mirco guides and carbon split grip (of course).

Al has been initially very pleased with how the rod performs. So pleased we have discussed building him a casting rod (perhaps breaking rank part two?). He said it casts much more precise than the exact same blank built to factory specs (he now owns 3 of the 3S69MLXF blanks), really have to pay attention to where you are casting because that is exactly where it will go. A full review will be forthcoming after he has had a chance to log some time with it in tourny at Mille Lacs in a few weeks.

I've been really thinking these build techniques would work great on a muskie rod... The next project rod...

Field Testing on the St. Mary's River

Finishing the late afternoon shift on the inside rapids

Me and my father spent 3 days fishing the St. Marys River rapids in Souix Ste Marie Ontario. I didn't get a chance to test out the new 3S90MLF blank during the spring steelhead run so I headed northeast to try my luck on the summer Atlantic Run.

First challenge was the rapids. I was told it was mandatory to use a wading staff since the current is strong and the rocks resembled greased bowling balls. Both are valid points, I don't have a staff and the rocks are indeed very treacherous. I was using studded Simms boots with the Aquastealth rubber, these worked awesome. I was able to run laps around my dad who was using felt soled boots.

What worked even better than the boots was the rod. The micro guides lightened the tip up and I could easily determine the spinner speed even with 50 yards of line out in the rapids. I could control the thump-thump-thump of even #3 spinners. The grip length was also perfect, the but nested right on my elbow for great control and balance of the rod. If the lure action broke the other direction it fell perfectly on my hip. This is a new feature I will be incorporating on all long rods (I will be asking for a measurement from you hand to your elbow).

Field Testing on the St. Marys Rapids

The fishing wasn't as great, I think the run is running at least 2 weeks later this year due to the cool spring and summer. I did manage to hook into to 2 salmon and landed a small steelhead. The first salmon hit like a ton and headed straight for the sky. I was standing on a rock and we were at eye level, as soon as he reentered the atmosphere and hit the water the hook was out. The second salmon was more of a battle. After a violent strike he began rolling on the surface at the edge of the whitewater. I battled him to just down stream of me in 3' of water in the boulders, as soon I thought that I had a real chance of landing him my flouro leader decided to give way. Snap and the game was over.

I will be back next summer and try my luck again. In the meantime its nearly time for the lake run of brown trout to enter the Lake Superior tribs...