tucrs wrote:

Equipment you can get by pretty cheap for doing a smaller number of rods. Hand wrappers are still a great way to wrap most rods. If you a wrapping the tips on ice rods it makes a little tougher.

Rod wrapping machines are super nice once you get going. They are nice because you can finish on them as well too.

Most of the tools you need you can get by with what you have.

Mudhole’s catalogs are a great resource or stop by your local rod building shop. Most are eager to offer help.

As soon as TUCR starts selling blanks, all will be right with the world! (Hint, hint John!)

Look at Sportmens Direct Extreme taper glass rod. I have used them many times and it’s a very solid blank and priced right. For a trout/walleye rod, order the same extreme taper rod just order it in carbon and you will be good to go.

mark-bruzek wrote:

The only place that metal is being separated is at the point where one slides into the other. Once the smaller one is inside the larger one that tail end is unsupported and will rub on any wall it is being pushed towards.

The skinny is that there really is no problem, your house is not going to fall apart. My old otter from about 05′ has no plastic bushing and has made hundreds of extension/retraction slides. I will say that the tolerance gap between the newer Otter poles with the plastic ends is quite horrible and the amount of lateral movement when the poles are extended is not impressive…

If the problem really bothers you, you can take the poles apart and file a chamfer on the ends then add a little grease on the end of the smaller pole.

Thanks Mark, I understand. Being born and raised on a farm, metal on metal movement get’s my attention real fast!

Thanks!

All rods are sold pending payment. If payment is not made, I will update you all.

Huntindave wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>steuben1 wrote:</div>
The corner of those zip ties will lay your hand/finger wide open in the cold if you run your hand across them by accident. I found out the hard way.

The zip ties CAN be smooth as a babies butt if trimmed properly. Don’t trim them with sidecutters, don’t just hack the tag end off with a knife.

Use a sharp knife but bend the tag end away from the base of the zip tie while cutting the tag end flush with the base. If done properly, there should be nothing protruding beyond the base of the zip tie.

Dave I was referring to the “box” on the end of the zip tie, not the cut end. The place I snip them off has never cut me, it was the square portion of the tie that got me.

Bob, great setup and nice job. I have had LED’s in my Otter Lodge for years now and wanted to give you a little tip. Go out and get yourself a roll of white athletic tape. Take that tape and put a single piece around those zip ties. The corner of those zip ties will lay your hand/finger wide open in the cold if you run your hand across them by accident. I found out the hard way.

JD, try RNR Trailers. Here is the link. I had them build me a 12arc last year and have been very happy. Really reasonable on price.

http://rnrtrailers.com/

Steuben1

Thanks for the answer Steve, I understand now. I just don’t see them much over here and wasn’t familiar with the application.

Thanks again

Can someone tell me what the fascination is with these hubs? Why would someone want one of these? I just don’t know how they are used. Do you have to sit right down on the fish? Aren’t they a pain to set up and anchor? I fish out of a Lodge so I am not familiar with why people like them so much?

LOL, Love that movie Will!

I’m currently baby stepping in the shop with my ice gear!

IceAsylum wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Al Case wrote:</div>

After the 1st few posts in this tread and the first paragraph in your post, Will…..I was thinking “I’m going to get myself my first TUCR rod this winter and it’s going to be the Precision”. Then, you hit me with the Commander. Now, I’m going to have to get one of each!
Al[/quote

Odds are after you buy your first TUCR you will own more. I never dreamed I would own a jigging rod in this price range until I had one put in my hand. That’s all it took to notice the difference. Then after fishing it I was the one hooked.

Completely agree! You buy one TUCR, you might as well be welcomed to the addiction.

Great stuff Joel

One request though. Can you get someone at Rapala to take a look at making an electric filet knife with metal gears? Burning up and wearing out too many knives each year at Erie.

Thanks!

tucrs wrote:

Otter!

Best Canvas
Best poles
Best sled

The only drawback I see is they are more money then the other brands.
But like anything ice after the 4th is when rumors hum about new products.

I’ve been waiting since last ice season for the new TUCR for Lake Erie! I was going to swipe it out of Holst’s hands, but he is bigger in person than I thought! : )

Randy Rowell wrote:

I to have a trip planned arriving
Thursday. Do you think we will be able to get on the ice with the warm up?
Randy

I wouldn’t say it’s not going to be safe. I am also not saying it’s going to be safe either. I’m sure people will go out all week. I’m just saying it’s not worth the risk for me at this point. I came in Sunday night at 7:30 and hit quite a few BIG slush pockets on the way in.

I would check with RevPilot on here as he is going out tomorrow.

Andy Fiolka wrote:

My advice to people wanting to head out there, would be to heed the advice of the locals. If they say don’t fish on a stiff south wind, I guess I’d stay on shore. No 10 pound walleye is worth getting in some serious trouble for, or worse yet, end up lost or in the drink.

We relied heavily on advice from people in the know. There are areas of the lake we were told are a “no-go”. This isn’t Lake of the Woods fellas, it’s a whole different beast.

Good luck and stay safe to everyone heading out. Keep your GPS batteries charged and go out there prepared.

Andy

Exactly right Andy. She can be down right nasty when she wants to be. How did you like that ride in on Sunday? Man I couldn’t see anything! Total whiteout. We did not get to meet but I think we were fishing the same area on Sunday morning. Kinda quiet in that area so I ran 5 miles east and found a few. Believe it or not, I run with (2) GPS’s when I’m out there. Sunday was a perfect example of why I do that.

Jeff

South winds like that late in the season, make sure you take your passport with you!

You know we will!!! Warm weather coming, we need to hit it hard!

I also started using it this year in my Solo. No more gas cans for me. Ya, it’s more expensive, but so much easier. I don’t care about the extra cost. The auger runs better and does not put out as much smoke.

Thanks Andy for the heads up a few weeks ago.

Lake Simcoe yellow perch.

Don’t take that bullwhip! Lol. I use a Power Precision in 32″ and it works good. I’m really wanting the new prototype that James was using because I want more backbone but I don’t think I can get John to send me one!

John?? Lol

Calvin Svihel wrote:

No I didn’t have my name on it. I have that distinct marking on the front as well as the stickers, so I will know if I ever see it again.

We are on it Cal.

Had a great time with the IDO crew today. Had no idea there was so much that goes into making a 30 minute show. One thing we noticed was the guys are very nice and easy going. Definitely a class act! It was nice to get you guys over here and get on so many Fish O’s. Can’t wait to see the show next Sunday.

If anyone has questions about Erie, let me know. We usually have boots on the ice any given day during the winter.

A big Thank you to James and the guys for working so hard and being a class act.
I never realized James is so tall!

Randy, we were not any where near the reefs. We were way west down by the intake.

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Go to Saginaw Bay. They are in there pretty thick.

philtickelson wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Chris Cantey wrote:</div>
How about showing some B-roll of the days that they weren’t successful, we all have them. Show us how to lose with grace and focus more on specific presentations that they use – teaching moments.

I hope this doesn’t come off as snarky, but the target market for a fishing show wherein the hosts don’t catch fish is microscopic. It might even just be one person…

Here’s the thing, in order for a show like IDO to be successful they need sponsors. In order to have sponsors, James and crew need to keep the sponsors happy and show them that there is a return on their investment. If the sponsors don’t see any financial gain, they will most likely revoke said sponsorship. The sponsors want to see James and crew catching BIG fish and lots of them. Why? Because Joe ‘lots of disposable income’ Schmo is thinking about buying a new boat, and Skeeter wants Joe to see James catch a 20 lb lake trout on superior out of his trusty MX20 something.

Joe will now associate that big fish and that success with the MX20 something, the st croix rod, the Shimano reel, etc..I hate to say it, but Skeeter doesn’t care much for Blue Collar Bob, because BCB isn’t in the market for a $60,000 boat.

They care about Investment Banker Billy and all his friends with houses on Minnetonka and cabins up north. They want Billy and co to think that if they buy a new 20 foot skeeter they can catch fish like James. Is that what James and team care are concerned with? From a personal standpoint, I don’t think so. From a business standpoint? Well they probably wouldn’t be on season 9 if they didn’t.
Now, if Joe Schmo watches James catch 0 fish and split his pants while trying to get his jig out of the anchor rope, that’s not going to sell any boats.

They do a great job of doing quite a few shows for the average Joe, but they can only do so many ‘catching crappies on pressured water’ shows before everyone loses interest, not just the sponsors.

Just like sitting on the ice and watching fish constantly NOT bite the VMC tingler isn’t going to sell any Tinglers. Having the camera zoom in on an LX7 that’s marking no fish is not going to sell LX7’s. Or watching James whiff the hookset on his TUCR bullwhip isn’t going to leave you saying, ‘DANG, I need that bullwhip”.

I have a few TUCR rods which I really like, and I can tell you that I wouldn’t have bought them had I not seen them on IDO. Plain and simple. I would have bought more Thorne rods but James and team make an already quality product look like it is a contributing factor to them icing big crappies or walleyes.

It comes through on film that James and team LOVE to fish, which in my opinion is a big part of their success, but when it comes down to it, to some degree it’s about the money. Whether it’s about the money to James or the sponsors or both doesn’t matter, they put on one of the best fishing productions out there.

What a great post! Couldn’t have said it any better. One thing that really never get’s discussed around here though. Can you imagine the IMMENSE PRESSURE on James and the crew to perform each week?? I want NOTHING to do with that pressure. Can you imagine in order to keep your job you have to put fish on the ice! Not only fish, but big fish! Yes they get paid and get free stuff from Sponsors, but I still wouldn’t want to do it.

Kudos to the IDO Team for pulling it off all the time!

Must be nice to have all that time off during the week? How did you do today? Oops, you were driving all across the state looking for a new shanty! Hope the Mrs. doesn’t find out! LOL

I loved the video! Great work! I found myself watching from my desk at work and I said kinda loud, “turn your damn head”. My employees asked who I was talking to. LOL

Don’t know if that’s your wife or girlfriend but I noticed two things that made me laugh. #1 My wife sits on top of the heater too! #2 If you watch your wife or girlfriend at the start of the video, she is sitting back messing with her phone. After you landed that 30.5″, she moved up on her seat and eyes were fixed 100% on that LX3! That’s funny!

I have never targeted musky here in Indiana. I should as a musky is on my bucket list. What I have learned about musky is the groups of folks that target them are very passionate about it and spend hours upon hours chasing them. When they are caught, they are treated with great care and I have a ton of respect for those people. As for the pic of the speared musky, just because it’s legal doesn’t make it right.

A follow up to my findings on the Marcum Camera Panner. I checked the battery Voltage in the “C” batteries and they were fine. So the problem was when I put my finger on the main gear coming from the motor, it would stop rotating real easy. This made the panner pretty much useless. So I started to mess with the screw that holds the gear in place. Really wierd, but I backed the screw out a couple turns and then put my finger on the gear and could not stop it. I have no idea?? The gear now turns very strong and you can’t stop it with you fingers anymore.

Up and running. Just thought I would post this in case someone else experiences this.

Damn Joel, you sure can catch em!

Certainly love mine. I have been using it for bluegill and crappie and the tip to backbone is perfect! Nice work by the guys at TUCR.

I don’t use it for walleye, I have other TUCR’s for that! I think I am a collector now.