Getting ready to re do my 12ft Tica surf (casting) rod. Going to take off the factory installed guides and replace them with Alconites. While I am at it, I want to extend the butt length several inches (guessing probably 3 or 4 inches, haven't measured it yet) to make it fit me a little better. When I have done this to other rods, I just did it by fitting and epoxying a section of scrap graphite rod up into the butt of the rod to be extended. I then bulit up the extended butt section to the same diameter as the end of the old butt using layers of 2 part fiberglass or epoxy and sheet rock tape and iterations of sanding. Once the new extended butt section "matched" the size of the old butt, just covered whole butt with new cork tape and butt cap.

Havent started the Tica yet, but my guess is that I am not going to have a piece of scrap rod of large enough diameter to fit properly into the existing Tica butt. Anybody got any other ideas/experience with what material to use for the butt extension? Obviously want to keep the rod as light weight as possible.

Thanks in advance!


Thank you!

Scott Hunt



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/13/2005 01:20PM by scott hunt.

Scott,
If you're going to take the guides off anyway, why don't you just cut the old reel seat off and replace it with a good Fuji reel seat in the right location. Nothing but a reelseat and some cork tape, unless you just want the rod to be longer.

There have been multiple reports lately from Fisherfolk son Hatteras Island breaking the 12' tica while tossing 8 n bait. Most have also commented that the used the hatteras style cast. The breaks are happening in the upper 16-22" of the blank.

I am not criticizing your decision to extend the butt, but by doing that you will increase the load / stress on the upper end during the cast..

and if folks are breaking that blank without the extension, you may be asking for trouble.

I had my 9' tica's (rated 2-6) butt extended 6 3/4"..it really improved the distance on that rod...but my limit there is 4oz...

good luck...

Tom,

Thanks for the heads up. I had heard the same thing several times also. I use my 12' Tica for 5-6 oz and bait.. Built me an Outcast heaver that takes care of the 8nbait.

As usual, I overlooked the obvious....didn't even think about removing the reel seal and just repositioning a new one to get my butt lenght right (versus extending the blank)...duh! Thanks Lynnn for the suggestion. I think I was just excited about how well my the 9' Tica that I extended turned out. I did the same thing with my 9' Tica and use it with a 6500 for light bait fishing and throwing metal (man it will flat out smoke a 3 oz chunk of metal!). I am also "rebuilding" it (new cork tape, fujii components) over the winter.

How do you guys cut off reel seats witout damaging the blank? Haven't ever done that before.

Thanks again for the tips!

Scott

Scott,
Even with a surf rod, there's usually some shimming material between the blank and the reel seat. You do have to work carefully. Using a diamond cutoff wheel in a Dremel tool, I cut a slot down through both sides of the reel seat, then use a screwdriver in the slots to pry the two pieces off the rod. Clean up the shim and epoxy material left on the blank with a combination of grinder, scraper, and heat.