Skunk River Recon

03/02/2026

Hand made red cork grips, air brushed painted and clear coated finish reel seat assembled and ready for guide wraps. This rod was made to our spec’s for the Lipp Stik series. A 84 inch MHX with medium heavy power and a fast tip action, balanced to plant that tube jig in the roof of the mouth!

02/22/2026

Today we are all together because of the Olympics, tomorrow we should all stand together because we are “All Americans “. A few patriotic theme rods for both our hockey teams 🏒🏒🏒💥🎣

02/12/2026

Was able to finish wrapping the 3wt. fly rod , now ready for epoxy, I think I’ll call it “ Bird of paradise”. And finished air brushing the reel seat for the MHX mb843. The blank is metallic red and reel seat is FX acrylic in Bloodline and a 2500 13 Fishing spinning reel! Thx for watching me build these 2 rods! Our first open water lake bass caught from boat last year in central Iowa was March 12th. Better get ready

01/21/2026

Happy New Year everyone, been away from the table as I’ve been and continue to remodel my home. But as we roll into the 2026 fishing season we have a couple of great builds to start with. On the left a 7ft. 6 inch American Tackle Matrix, a very fast 3wt. for up close and personal encounters on smaller NE Iowa streams. And on the right one of my all time favorite blanks a 7ft. MHX MB-843 in MH weight with a fast tip and a butt section that has the ass to handle anything. Caught our 1st. bass on Open water from the boat on March 12 last year, better get ready!

11/19/2025

FYI

🦌Only 18 days until fi****ms season! Seems like a good time for quick a CWD update.

We strongly encourage hunters to 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) this year, since our area has a confirmed presence.

If you fill your tag this year, please 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 with a local trash service/landfill to prevent spread to new areas. On private property, leave carcass at harvest site and bury if able. Do not dump on public property.

SAMPLING
☎️- Contact IDNR Wildlife Biologist Josh Gansen at 712.330.6685 to submit sample for statewide surveillance program and help meet the local sampling quota.
🔬- Collect your own sample and submit to ISU’s Vet. Diagnostic Lab for $25

READ MORE
📌About Sampling - https://www.iowadnr.gov/things-do/hunting-trapping/types-hunting-trapping/deer-hunting/deer-health/chronic-wasting-disease/hunter-submission-pathway
📌About CWD - https://www.iowadnr.gov/things-do/hunting-trapping/types-hunting-trapping/deer-hunting/deer-health/chronic-wasting-disease

Iowa Department of Natural Resources

09/30/2025

It’s Fall so get a line wet, you won’t regret it. And if you don’t match your rod to the appropriate bait… well good luck attracting and landing those big fish!

08/16/2025

The August doldrums here in Central Ia. , lots of rain pushing the lake up several ft. And very little wind , but that hasn’t stopped us from catching fish, changed tactics and went up close with heavier equipment and pitched for fish in flooded sandbar willows! Using the MHX Elite series in 7’3” MH with a fast tip, also taking fish with tandem willow bladed shad spinner bait.

08/01/2025

Was asked to paint some worm/leach harness spinners for a good customer. And here’s Diane and Steve from Cherokee with thier catch what a monster🐟👍. While we’re at it here’s a couple more muskies taken on SRR equipment over the years. Kevin Currie, Roger Zimmerman, Mark Johnson.

07/19/2025

When you build a rod for a very good friend and he’s invited to fish the Green River in SW Wy. by another good friend you can only hope that they hook up to the biggest brown trout available! And boy did they!! The rod is MHX’s Native series in 9ft. 6wt. Fisherman Jerry Long, Kevin Currie. Thx Chad Currie for the great pictures. Information on guide service contact Wyoming Fishing Company, guide was Jax. And we can build you that fly rod for your next adventure 🐟🎣

07/09/2025

I everybody just a real proud moment for a Grandpa, a young fishermen that I was given the pleasure to take fishing as a young person and to introduce making something with your own hands. And today fishing with his Dad on Storm lake and banging Iowa Master Angler on 2 yellow bass must be longer than 10”, today was 1st day fishing out of new to them Skeeter Bass boat!! Get Some boys!

06/06/2025

This build is a MHX Native 4 piece 9ft. Full Wells AAAA cork grip, Koba wood insert and pewter and stainless skeleton seat, pewter stripper guide , stainless snake guides. Built for the guy who wears blue? Driftless trout trip, what fun!!!!!, some of our SRR rods being put to use this Spring with some of our friends! Its been a great fishing season so far, and it’s Free Fishing Weekend this weekend in Iowa so be save and get out there 🎣