What is E-Glass blanks? Also what's the difference between a casting blank (like for bass) and a "live bait" blank? I was looking at the Lamiglass blanks Mudhole had and was wondering the what difference was.

Thanks,
Steve

E-Glass is a type of fiberglass used to make rod blanks. While not considered to be high on the sensitivity or efficiency scale, it does enable rod blank manufacturers to create blanks that are exceedingly tough and durable. E-Glass is still considered to be a top pick for many saltwater, boat and trolling blanks/rods where strength and durability are the main concerns.

Live bait blanks typically have rather soft tips blending into very powerful butt sections. You could use any casting blank as a live-bait rod or any live-bait blank as a casting rod, but you may be disappointed in some regards. If you are looking for a blank to make a true live-bait rod on, then the live bait blanks are most likely what you will want. In my area, we do a lot of live-bait fishing for stripers and hybrids. The very soft tip is needed so we can track the bait's actions and also to allow the fish to take the bait easily. We miss very few hook-ups with our live-bait rods and circle hooks. When we have attempted to do the same thing with standard fast tip (fast, but not necessarily soft) casting rods, we miss the majority of the fish.

Tom Kirkman
RodMaker Magazine
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I'm searching for a good live bait rod. I haven't run across any "live bait" categories when a mfg. lists the blank models. Any input would be great!

TIA - BobH

The best I've seen, and I know Tom uses them often, are the Seeker combination CS graphite/fiberglass live bait blanks. The CS702 and 704 covering most freshwater and the 704, 706 and 706 covering most saltwater applications. They are fiberglass, with an outer wrap of graphite around the bottom half. You get the soft, light tips of the fiberglass but very powerful butt sections with diameters that are not too large by virtue of the outer graphite wrap. Very nice blanks. Anyone who carries the Seeker line can get them for you I would think.

As to Live Bait rods Lamiglas lists some in their catalog as GLB. I have made up a rod on the GLB 84 1M and it is a nice rod. I would not however class it as a sensitive tip meaning an easy flex. This is a very stiff rod but very light and thin.

Tom K. pretty much hit it on the head, in salt water applications a “live bait” blank has a soft tip section that shuts off into a powerful butt. Similar to a casting blank, but I tend to think of casting blanks as lighter line blanks (say 20 # and less) and live bait blanks as 20# and up (this is a general statement and crossover between the two types of blanks defiantly happens).

In live bait fishing you want a soft tip for several reasons 1) so you don’t rip the hook out of the live bait while your tossing it, a soft tip loads the blank gradually allowing the bait to remain stationary while the blank loads then releasing the stored energy to the live bait gradually (Newton’s law about conservation of energy, bodies at rest want to remain at rest, ba, ba, ba). (TIP: another way to achieve this and ad to not ripping the hook out of a live bait is to oversize the tip, or ad extra guides next to the tip, this loads the blank more and not the bait) 2) A live bait blank allows a bait to swim more freely in the water, if the live bait darts, the blank bends to the bait, gradually and does not jerk the bait out of the water or hamper its movements 3) a live bait blank has a stiff butt for fighting the fish, most saltwater fish are big, with a soft tip you need a strong butt to fight the fish with.

The e-glass blanks we have on special have these characteristics. Yes you could make a casting or a spinning blank out of them. The description “live bait” is more a description of the intended purpose of the blank more so than the type of reel to use with the blank.

Yes manufacturers who make in general saltwater blanks have a category of live bait for their blanks. Calstar, Seeker, Status are three that come to mind.

Hope that helps.

Tom McNamara
Mud Hole Custom Tackle
[www.mudhole.com]
Phone: (407) 277-0099

Tom is right in what he has said. so i wont dribble on to much more in regard to these blanks. I do a tone of live baiting hear in Australia and have used almost every blank avalible and i must admite i dont like them to much. Reasone for this is there action tends to max out once the fast section of the tip has been loaded past its fast section it will then load through to the butt of the rod. I used a status live bait some time ago and found that these blanks dont suffer from this problem. they have a definite fast action which will not bend through to the grip once loaded to the max, the more hurt you put on a fish the more it wants more. I dont know the size of fish over there but the fish i chase are 100pnd Amberjack and believe me these fish take some stopping in 100 meters of water.

Stuart Mackenzie
Precision Rods
Australia

The reason for my post was first I want to build a saltwater rod for about 15-30# test for pulling up red snapper and grouper but I didn't want to go to big with a rod. The second part about the casting and live bait rods was because a friend of mine wants an eight foot one peice rod with a fast action tip. He wants to use it for peir fishing at night for Speckled Trout. He wants to be able to dangle a live shrimp just beyond the light area. I haven't been able to find an 8' one peice in fast action with a line rating around 15-20# test.

Thanks for the replys guys,
Steve

Hey Steve, the more specific the second part of your post the more specific answer I can give. First off, on both types of rod your looking for, I would not suggest our e-glass special blanks. The special e-glass blanks are high quality and an exceptional value, but there are better tools (blanks) for those type of fishing.

Red snapper & Grouper fishing 15 to 30# some blanks that come to mind (with out any catalogs in front of me to give specifics on the blanks), you want blanks with some “beef & potatoes” in them – Calstar GF765XF, Seeker CJB65F, Status SCLB672. Set up with Fuji BNHG guides, Aftco ARS1(2)M reel seat, 10” rear grip, 14” foregrip. A Roberts wrap on these blanks would be icing on the cake for this set up. Them bottom huggers will not stand a chance.

Speckled Trout, live shrimp, 8 foot (15-20# line sounds high), you want a lighter overall weight blank, sensitive but powerful to keep them out of the pier or piling your fishing – Graphite USA comes right to my mind, grab a GUSA B85XF, 8’6” (you can cut 6” off the butt if needed, but you friend might like the longer blank), rated 15-25#, nice soft tip and over all light weight blank (4.65oz) to feel the shrimp but with power to spare to stop the trout from darting to the piling and cutting you off.

Hope this helps. Call us at the shop if we can be of future assistance.

Tom McNamara
Mud Hole Custom Tackle
[www.mudhole.com]
Phone: (407) 277-0099

I was off on the blank model number I gave. The Seeker CLB 702, 04, 06 and 08 are the finest live bait blanks I have ever used. They have soft, light, fast tips but very powerful butt sections. And like Stuart, I like live bait blanks that "lock up" by the time the load reaches the mid section. These will do that. Ask your dealer.

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