Lake Norman Water Level

At the urging of my son, I got the boat off the trailer and into the water Tuesday afternoon. Lake Norman’s water level is ahead of Duke Energy’s target for this date, and it felt good, albeit cold to be running around the lake. Water temperature in the main lake is around 61 degrees, so I would bet the fish are still a little lethargic. If you’re going fishing, downsize the bait and slow down the presentation. Soon, bass will start looking for beds, and crankbaits will be the bait of choice.

If you’re throwing crankbaits, I recommend  a 7′ medium power, moderate action rod. A lot of fishermen think they need to throw a crankbait with a glass rod, but there are several good choices in graphite blanks that can do the job just as well, and they are considerably lighter. If you’re going to throw that bait any significant number of times, lighter is better.

If you would like to discuss a rod designed for the way you want to fish a crankbait, email me or call me at 704-894-9729. You’ld be surprised at how affordable a quality custom rod can be.

Whipping the Females…

Not what you expected when your google search brought you here? Sorry to disappoint you, but I had to write about a fly rod building blogsite I found that posts tutorials on the different steps in building a fly rod. I can only assume that the blog originates across the “pond,” where rodbuilding jargon is a little different than it is here in the states.

What we, or at least I call wrapping is referred to as “whipping’ in England. So this post I found had to do with doing wraps on the female part of the ferrules, or “whipping the females”. Kind of makes rodbuilding even more sexy than it already is, don’t you think? 

Fly Rod Building Class Scheduled

The next Build Your Own Fly Rod class is tentatively set for the first week in April. Location will be the same as always, Madison River Outfitters in Cornelius. If you are interested in enrolling, email me or give me a call at 704-578-4778.

We’ll start and complete a quality fly rod that you select in three evenings over a three week period. But to get in you have to be one of the first four to contact me, because of limited space and equipment. Don’t wait until April 1st, because I need to get your components ordered and shipped in time for the first night.

There’s more info and pictures from the last class on the Build Your Own Fly Rod page. Take a look, and give me a call.

Lake Norman Report

Make sure you check out the newest page on my Custom Rod blog – the Lake Norman Report. You can check lake level conditions anytime, find public boat access ramps, get fishing information and find a professional guide, all on this page.

Check Out the Custom Rod Design Page!

I have just updated the Custom Rod Design page with loads of information on how you can acquire a Good Fortune Custom Fishing Rod. There are a ton of links there to many of my suppliers, so you can see for yourself the quality of the components I use on every rod I build.

Also, there are links on the Blogroll in the left hand column to a lot of great sites, including my suppliers. Check out the new info, and if you’re interested in learning more, call me at 704-894-9729, or email me.

Woodworking Show in Charlotte

For those custom rod builders out there in the greater Charlotte area that have just come off of the ICRBE in High Point, there is another good show coming to town. On March 7-9 The WoodWorkers Show will be at The Merchandise Mart on Independence Blvd. I’ve never been to this event, but since my rod building has led me to expand my interest  in lathe work for handles and grips, I’m planning on attending to learn more about this important part of my craft.

Since, like most every other area rod builder, I have exhausted my resources while at the ICRBE last weekend, this trip will probably just be a “look and see” excursion. But I can probably learn something while I’m there.