Surf Perch Win!!! Surf rod lose...

[fourgotten]

Finally, my dry streak seems to be dampening up... after missing steelies all winter, and nothing in the surf, I finally got into some perch today on Horsfall beach!!!

Sadly, that happened about the same time as my Shimano TLD started making a "rrRRRRRRRRRR" sound when I cast. *sigh* I left after catching just the one...

Of course, when I got back to the truck, he decided that he wasn't dead, so I set my rod on top of the truck, reached in, grabbed the fishbat and put him down.. wrapped him in newspaper... climbed in an headed out...

With my rod on the roof. *sigh*

Anyone know if you can get after-market ceramic inserts for eyelets?

 

[BigBear]

inserts for eyelets

inserts for eyelets

I have searched all over the interweb for such a product with no luck. I would be interested if anyone has seen an insert ceramic eyelet replacement of some kind. I would think that it would be an easy thing to make a two part eye that snapped together, the only thing is how many different sizes there must be. Must not be worth it.

The only thing I could find was to have the eye replaced either by someone or you can do it yourself. I found that Harry's Bait and Tackle on the Bay front in Newport will send your pole out to there person and replace it. They did a really great job replacing a couple on a Lami and they matched perfect. It was only 18 bucks, took about 5 weeks though. So plan to do it on the off season.

 

[fourgotten]

5 weeks, eh? Dayum... I got a new tip section for the rod from Okuma for $25 (+ enough shipping to make it just under $40 total :doh but at least everything's there... now to take the ceramic inserts out of the guides in the new tip section and press 'em into the old one... :wall:

 

[bass]

Why not replace guides?

Why not replace guides?

It is pretty easy to replace the guides on a fishing rod. You should be able to go to any shop that does rod repair and buy a set (or order online from the likes of Cabela's, etc). Do the guides one at a time. The guides are held on by thread that has a coat of epoxy over top. If you take a knife along the foot of the guide you can cut it off. If the new guides are two-footed then you tape one foot down while you wrap the untaped foot. Once the first foot is firmly wrapped in place then you carefully remove the tape and wrap the second foot. If the guides are single-footed you simply wrap part of the foot in tape and proceed. Once you are done paint with some waterproof expoxy (1-hour) and you are done. The thinner the thread the more wrapping you have to do but the nicer looking the job. Also make sure that you do at least two layers (back and forth). I have replaced broken/damaged guides on rods many times (especially when I was a kid and a little less careful) and the result does not look as good as the original but is functionally the same.

Good luck,

 

[fourgotten]

Replacing the guides is not a BAD idea at all... I was just hoping that I'd be able to find the ceramics to put in them instead...

I might wind up replacing the guides, though, and making the old rod tip into a trolling rod, now that I have a replacement tip....