Giving a custom-made fishing rod is a unique holiday gift that any avid angler would use and enjoy perhaps more than anything else under the tree. "Many serious anglers won't fish with a factory-made rod", observed Jim Clarkson of Raptor Rod Works in Chico, who has been making custom fishing rods for Chico-area anglers for over 20 years from his Nord Avenue shop.

"The options with custom rods are unlimited", said Clarkson. "The guides, grip, foregrip length, shape and style, along with the reel seat design can all be specified. Even the ???gee whiz' stuff like custom colors and inscriptions are available. Lots of people want to match their boats or use the colors of their favorite sports teams.

"The rod action can be fine tuned by trimming the blank, and we do a lot of specialty designs for local fisheries like salmon in the Sacramento River and steelhead in the Feather River. There are also numerous special blank designs for bass anglers who might want to do anything from dropshotting to frogging.

"We have also been doing some extremely specialized rods for anglers who backpack, ride quads or horses, and especially for those who fish from kayaks and float tubes. About 50-percent of the custom rods we make are fly rods, and the rest range all the way from ultra-light spinning to unlimited line-class saltwater rods.

"Right now we are in a period of rapid technological advancement, with new rod blank designs and materials getting better all the time. Rods in general are much more sensitive than at any time in the past. The modern high-tech resin systems in use today have increase sensitivity and decrease weight more in the last five years than any time in history."

Clarkson also advised that most custom rods can be completed in about a 10-day window. Prices can be as low as $145 for an entry-level rod, but it is also possible to spend over $1,000 if you are so inclined.

Lake Oroville
Dedicated anglers are still doing well on Lake Oroville despite low lake levels. "Bring your own water", quipped Fil Torres at Oroville Outdoors. "Now is the time to go out with your GPS and mark all the visible structure that is normally hidden.

"Launching is tough. You can still launch at the spillway, but it takes two people. At Lime Saddle there is a long walk back up the ramp, and Bidwell is probably most user-friendly.

"Bass anglers are getting a few three-pound fish and lots of slot-size fish. Best bet is various plastics on dartheads, with the colors matched to the local bait conditions. We also heard of a nice four-pound coho salmon caught by a bass angler using a swimbait."

Chico Bass Club The Chico Bass Club held its' November tournament at Lake Almanor. Weather was as expected, cold and rainy but no snow. Fishing was very tough, with bass few and far between. Only five of the competitors were able to weigh-in anything at all.

Final results; Larry Meyer- 10.65 pounds total; Jeff Buckley- 8.18; Don Cummings- 2.32; Judy Neimann- 2.12; Bill Church- 1.22; Big Fish- Larry Meyer with a beautiful 4.04 pound smallmouth.

Next club meeting will be held at 7:30 PM on Dec. 5 at Logan's Roadhouse in Chico. The club welcomes new members. Call 872-0407 for more information.