Fishing Forum

[cool][#0000ff]Thanks Pete. You and "Lady B" are a great couple too. Enjoyed fishing NEAR you. Thanks again for the picture you took of me that is now my avatar.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]You wanna "hook and cook" gathering? Let's do one at Willard. Since the wiper thing ain't gonna happen this year we can at least do a multi-species social thing. Catch, fillet and fry. We had a couple of smaller ones already.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Those small kitties at Willard are almost always catchable and they are some of the best eating cats in the country. Not only that, you don't have to worry about glowing in the dark if you eat too many.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Should we try to set something up for about mid July? I know a lot of folks have vacation and other commitments for the next couple of weeks. Anybody got any suggestions.[/#0000ff]
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[cool][#0000ff]Since you have the least flexible schedule, PM or email me when you have an open spot on your dance card and we will work it out.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Looking at doing something Tuesday, with my new H3 Freestyle (Rojo). Will be either Rock Cliff or Starvation. Work on it.[/#0000ff]
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You mean it finally arrived! I bet your a happy fisherdude. Can't wait to see the mods done to it.

Is it getting the shark bite?
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[cool][#0000ff]Yep, the "Rojo Twins" were waiting in our "delivery department" when we got home yesterday afternoon. That decided how I was going to spend my (windy) Saturday. After about 3 hours in the "tubatorium" (my garage), I think I have most of my new system worked out. Still some enhancements, like paint on the PVC and a new apron, but no shark face...yet.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Here are a few pics to whet your appetite. I will be posting a complete writeup with pics and diagrams on the Tubing board sometime next week...after we have a chance to try it all out.[/#0000ff]
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TD "ROJO" is lookin good. I look forward to hearing what you think. I like the transducer mount. I think you will like the swing up mount. I need to shorten mine it is sitting a little to deep still, so I am getting a lot of surface clutter. I need to build a tool rack and finalize a few things on my new set up and like you said some nice ferrari red paint.
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Must be anxious to try it out. I'm curios as to how it measures up to the fat cat, super or otherwise.
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[cool]CONGRADU THE HECK LATIONS!!!! Still a beautiful couple! Have enjoyed your many postings. Feels like I know ya, though we never met. All the best to you and your sweetie.[]
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[cool][#0000ff]I had to shorten my transducer shaft to make it ride just a couple of inches below the bottom of the tube. I ended up with about 8" of 1/2", plus the fittings. Seems to be about right.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I can help you with the tool rack if you wanna come over. You need to custom form each connector for the exact tool you are using. The Dremel 1/2" drum sander attachment is great.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I am going shopping tomorrow for some of the Krylon "Fusion" paints. They are especially designed to bond to plastic...and PVC should qualify. I will test it out and post results on the Tubing board. I will likely have some left over and you can share.[/#0000ff]
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[cool][#0000ff]I have been taking and recording the vital measurements of all the various parts and components. I plan to do a side by side comparison of the H3 vs the Super Fat Cat.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have already determined that the seat is a bit wider and the backrest is 2" to 3" taller. Depending upon the fit and adjustment, I may be able to get by without a backrest mod.[/#0000ff]
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[cool][#0000ff]Thanks Jim...and everybody else...for the nice sentiments.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]You are right. There are a lot of us on the board that are like old friends we just ain't met yet. Heck, there are guys I have e-chatted with for several years now and we still have not officially met up yet.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]BFTer LloydE was probably the guy I had been friends with the longest without a face-to-face. We finally took care of that a couple of weeks ago at Huntington. It was like we had known each other all our lives...or even before.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We try to plan things through the year that provide opportunities for members to have an excuse to get together and put faces to names. I guess our next session might be a "hook and cook" fish fry at Willard in mid July. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Thanks again, everybody. Glad you appreciated the pics.[/#0000ff]
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I will have to take you up on that offer to assist in the tool rack and the sharing of the paint. I need to tweak a few more mods before I am ready for that though.
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I game for almost any weekend you want to do it and willing to help with it any way I can. Just let me know and let's open it up to the BFTR'S and see how many are interested. The wife and I are going to give it a shot for a while in the AM.
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Happy anniversary!!! You seem quite the stud in that wedding pic.[cool]

[cool][#0000ff]Why, thankee sir. I'm surprised that a guy with your sharp eyes and perception does not recognize a heavily "photoshopped" picture. Took a lot of creativity and enhancement to get the "studliness".[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Also, the wedding cake was "shopped in". The original pic was of me giving TubeBabe some filleting lessons. Notice how I am controlling her knife wielding hand with my own. That was long ago and we had barely graduated from stone knives to bronze. It would be a few years before we had electrics.[/#0000ff]
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[cool][#0000ff]I will put up a post on the board, as soon as I check a couple of things. It will either July 21 or July 28 (both Saturdays), unless others would prefer an evening thing during the week or on a Friday.[/#0000ff]
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[cool]TD, congrats on a great day on the green pond, and on your anniversary. You sure are lucky to have found such a great fishing partner and wife all in the same gal 28 years ago.

Your new tube looks awesome. As you are probably aware, I haven't been on the tubing board in a long time. I've never even heard of this new tube, but it looks awesome. Care to provide a link to a thread talking about this tube, or a link to a place to purchase it or manufacture's website? I'm intrigued...
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[cool][#0000ff]Here is a copy and paste of the post I just put up on the tubing board. The tube is an H3 Freestyle from North Fork Outdoors. [url "http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat20431-cat360010&id=0043102319663a&navCount=1&podId=0043102&parentId=cat360010&masterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=IH&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat360010&hasJS=true"]LINK TO CABELAS[/url][/#0000ff]
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[size 1][blue][size 2]THE ROJO TWINS (H3 Freestyles) ARE HERE. We had two boxes waiting for us when we returned from Willard Bay last Friday. I spent several hours over the weekend sniffing PVC cement and tinkering with the new setups.

We will be taking the new craft out for their maiden voyages on Jordanelle tomorrow morning, and will have a ride report after that trip. In the meantime, here are some pics to give you an idea of how I spent my weekend.
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Initial setup on tables. Haven't decided on what kind of apron to use yet. Probably just a larger rigid plastic.


Side view after setting up new Utility rack.


Left side setup, with sonar and rod rack...unpainted.


Connection to transducer shaft is left unglued, to allow free swivel action up and down...to prevent damage to transducer during launching and beaching.


Battery and spared transducer cable is stored in the small rear pocket. The cable to the display runs forward through the 1/2" PVC beside the pocket. The fittings are screwed to 2"X2" wood blocks inside the pockets and the connections are not glued.


This is one of my new ideas...the "PVC ram mount" installed on the 2" wood support block inside the pocket...and the sonar display easily set up and removed.


The display easily disconnects from the ram mount, and stores in the spacious pockets for transport.


This shows the wood support block, with the PVC goodies as they attach once the block is secured inside the pockets.


Rod rack, painted with Rustoleum Plastic Paint. Sprayed on quickly and easily and dried fairly fast. Will watch over time to see how it holds up.


Red painted rod holder installed on tube. Stabilized with bungee cords attached to D rings under the tube.


Another of my newest ideas...a multipurpose tool/utility rack. Serves to hold the rod you are actively using...while handling fish or rerigging...and holds both tools and net. Double secured to D rings with bungee cord and S clips.


Ready to load up in the vehicle for the trip to the water. By partially deflating, the front elongated air bladder extensions can be folded up over the front for easier transporting. In this picture, you may be able to see that the bungees attached to the back D rings have been run through the D rings on the front of each air chamber, and then attached to the D ring "kitty corner" across in front. Very secure and compact for transport. [/size]

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