Dark clouds form and a cold breeze blows as the stealth-black weapon slides from the back of my truck. Birds and animals fall silent as they suddenly feel the chill of death. The assassin has arrived.

Tonight he is armed with his latest implement of doom, a 6'8" sceptre, it's matte finish so black that it seems to have absorbed the night itself.

With a flick, it casts far and true, the lure quickly sweeping towards it's unknowing victims in their lairs below. The hair thin line offers little resistance, as the Bass Assassin lives up to it's deadly name. The great fish is helpless to resist. It greedily inhales what appears to be an easy meal...

"CRACK!"

Like a gunshot, the powerful blank snaps back, driving the sharp steel deep into bone. The powerful fish surges forward, sensing that something is terribly wrong. It runs hard against the drag then suddenly stops and shakes it's mighty head, hoping to disloge the hook. This trick has worked many times before, but not tonight. It turns and races with the current, it's body angled to seek maximum purchase...

But the bend of the black rod is powerful and relentless.
The bend of the black rod is tireless.
The bend of the black rod is winning.

Soon the great fish is wallowing, it's pupil wide as it sees the bringer of death reaching for it. It struggles, but it is too late. It is lifted from the water, helpless.

It has been taken.

----------------------------------------


I grin, as the new rod I just wrapped whips yet another 36+ inch fish. I admire my prize for a moment, and then slip it back into the black waters.

Then the words come from within me, the defiant words that always follow... "Remember this day, 'O great fish! For on this day, death held you in his grasp! Remember this day, and LIVE, for you have been spared!!!"

As my voice booms across the water, my fishing partner gives me a queer sideways look, then returns to fishing. I wonder what he is thinking... on second thought, I probably don't want to know.

Anyway, all of this is to say that I just finished my first rod, made from a Loomis MB 804 blank. One down, two to go. Soon, I will have my quiver of doom!! (Insert crash of lightning here.) :D

TH

Bravo!

Thill the story teller - I love it!!!!

This is a pretty technical board, which is a good thing. But it never hurts to talk about the finished product a little. After all, all of these custom rods are being made for a purpose- FISHING! :-)

TH

That "Crack" grabbed me. I thought Oh No! it broke.

OOOOOHHHHHH MMMMMYYYYYY GAAAAAWWWWWD!!! I am not worthy!!! :-D

Glad you guys liked the story.

At this point, my black rods have been VERY well tested out! Went to the CBBT last weekend and they worked flawlessly on literally hundreds of stripers, up to 42" long. I really love the MB804's, as did my guests who kept grabbing it! GREAT blank!

The MB 785 and the MU 785 both worked well, but they are a bit heavy. Just as sensitive, with even more hooksetting ability, but not nearly as much fun to fight fish on. When you are constantly catching one fish after another, having a rod that is too stiff is hard on the wrists.

I think I'm going to save the 785's for deep-jigging over wrecks or something. The 804's are definitely the sweetest all around striper rod for my tastes.

TH