bemidjibasser

Usually the spearer just uses a long steel spear with 7 or so tines, and has a rope on the end so it can be retrieved after throwing at a fish. I think it would be a little cold under the ice to use a spear gun...it could be done I guess if you had scuba gear and a tether rope back to the hole in the ice that you went in... I would rather just sit in the spear house and be warm.

They are most commonly used for spearing northern pike. From time to time you will also have bass, walleyes, muskies, etc. come in on them. Often times the fish will hit the decoy, but the use of heavy line prevents them from taking the decoy, and just leaves it with a little battle wound.

I have always just used aluminum. Soup can lids or coffee cans cut with a tin snips have worked in the past for me. They are pliable then so you can adjust the "flight" of the decoy as you jig it.

I use a calliper. The baits I make generally all have flat sides, so this makes it pretty simple. Measure the width, and divide it in halk and mark with an awl. This also provides a pilot for the screw to start in.

If it's "new in box", they retailed for $199.99. I don't think you can go wrong with a tdx. I have a couple and wish I had more...

They look pretty darn good to me! Especially for just using rattle cans!!!

I have been using apple barrel paints from wally world cut with windex and have had good results so far. I use Dick Nite top coat and have had good results with that as well. As far as primer I am using spray can Krylon Fusion. And for a sealer I think it's a minwax shellac... haven't sealed any in a while, been painting and repainting facotry baits a lot though.

The last rod I built for myself I used 0 double foot guides. The largest guide I used was a size 8 ring fly guide, and the rest were size 6 ring fly guides. (all fuji alconites) The blank is a 6'6" shikari II mh. I have the first guide at 0* a bumper at 90ish* and the rest at 180*... it casts as well or better than any of the other spirals that I have made which use a slower transition. To answer Huck's question, I would remove all of the guides because, like Mattman said, they would be high frame "spinning" guides" which keep the line farther from the blank. I would go with the smallest guides that you feel comforatable with using, and go with the simple spiral like the dude recommended. In my opinion, this would give you the best results. Are you planning on applying a casting/ trigger seat or leaving the original seat on it?

In my experience, you can use whatever you want for grip material as long as it is prepared correctly and properly adhered to the blank. TL