New Project --- "The Catfish Reaper"

[Bill Gruby]

Re: New Project

A really good question was asked in a E-mail to me. "Why go thru all that trouble to make something like that just to fish." I thought I would answer that here.

It is not just for fishing, it is for Catfishing. You see Catfishermen are a rare breed. We are always tinkering with things to make it easier to catch "Mr. Whiskers". Kind of like out doing the other guy while getting lazier. Catfish in any size are smarter than most people think, yes smarter. They have senses so keen it would boggle the mind. The big Cats are difficult to catch. You can wait for days on end till they feed. Most of the time they are in the same place. It is not the best thing to sit there for hours and hold the rod. This is the reason for the holder. Yes you can buy them, but not like mine. Hope I have answered the question. But then again there is a short answer--- Because I can.

"Billy G" :rofl::rofl::rofl:

 

[jpfabricator]

Re: New Project

Because we ALL spent more money than we could ever recoupe, to buy machines ,and tools, to improve, and make the things we do everyday, work or play, better and faster!

Jake Parker

 

[GarageGuy]

Re: New Project

I grew up in northern Minnesota, and folks from Iowa used to come up just to fish for Bullheads (a variety of catfish). In northern MN, Bullheads are considered trash fish. We used to call them "Iowegian Walleye". I had friends further south that fished for Channel Cats in the Minnesota River near Mankato. They pulled some big fish out of that river.

It looks like you have a beautiful spot to fish. In a spot like that, a bad day fishing is way better than a good day working!

GG

 

[Bill Gruby]

Re: New Project

Here we use Bullheads for bait. Small ones (3 inches or less) are used whole. Anything bigger is cut up.

"Billy G"

 

[Bill Gruby]

Re: New Project

This project is no longer on hold. They gave me the go head and finish it. It will not get in the way of the radial engine build that starts again tomorrow. The rod holders are started here.

"Billy G"

 

[Bill Gruby]

Re: New Project

More parts added to the holders. The concave end was cut using the fly cutter that is still in the mill. 1 part per day that's it. I need to continue the radial engine. Taking a break then I get back on the cylinder bores.

"Billy G"

 

[chuckorlando]

Re: New Project

Looking awesome Bill

 

[billb2011]

Re: New Project

Great project Bill. Looks like it is going to be very well built and usefull, definitely a step up from the "Portable Fishing Caddy" by Ronco™ haha!

Asking a fisherman why go thru the trouble just for fishing is like asking why put DRO on your machine when you can just use the dials......... Because you can and it makes it easier!

Back in the day I was a very avid fisherman with limited resources. I wish I had pictures of all the stuff I custom built for myself. The first big thing I built was for pier fishing. I fished for snook and red drum off a long pier into the surf and had about 300 to 400 yard walk from the parking lot. My gear was 3 or 4 rod and reels, large tackle box, bait bucket, net, cooler and other odds and ends. Usually had to make several trips to get it all out there. I used a cooler that had wheels and divided the inside so I could use one side for bait and one side for beverages, I had a little aerator inside the bait side hooked to an atv battery that was mounted on a shelf built to the side of the cooler. I attached pvc rod holders to the back of the cooler and stacked everthing on top of the cooler and strapped it all down and used an old radio flyer wagon handle to pull it because the one on the cooler was so short you had to bend down to hold it. It was very handy and saved a lot of walking back and forth.
Over the years I have made lots of other fishing doo dads including the most elaborate which was a hydraulic jack plate for my bass boat, they cost upwards of 1k to 2k and I made it from mostly scrap.
Anyway I digress. Great project, fisherman can be very creative and have to be to continually outsmart there prey.

 

[Bill Gruby]

Re: New Project

Thank you Bill, Catfishermen are a different breed. You see all kinds of custom rigs when all you need is a stick to hold the rod. :lmao:

Sometimes you make thing just because you can. I could have gotten new knobs from HF or just about anywhere for a minor amount of cash. These are from Nylon. They are to replace those ugly aluminum ones. The small threaded arbor is just a bolt with the head cut off. The Vice-Grips are for me to stop the cutter from spinning the knob off the arbor.

"Billy G"

 

[Bill Gruby]

Re: New Project

Moving along these look much better.

"Billy G"