I am new to rod building and im going to be building a pair of med/hvy fast action casting rods.I have a few questions for you guys that have handeled a few of the many rod blanks out there.I have been looking at the mudhole site at there IM8 Rainshodow blanks and it looks to be a great deal but i would like to know if these blanks are a good quality blank?
Is there a difference in actions of a bass casting rod vs. a jigging rod vs. a spining rod ect. ect. they are sold out of the med/hvy casting rod but they have a med/hvy in a spinning and a cupple other blanks.the blanks measurements are about the same but are the blanks the same or are they made different? I am looking for the one that has the fastest tip/action.Can you cut 6 to 8 inches off the but section of a rod without hurting the action of the rod?
These rods are my first but I want to build on the best blank i can.even if i do something wrong from what i have read on this forum it sounds like it can be fixed and i want these rods to be something i will want to fish with for a long time.
any help would be great thanks.

Cutting the rod from either end will slow the action. Think of it this way - it the rod bends initially in the upper 25% of it's length and you take 6 inches off the butt, now that flexible tip area will comprise something greater than 25% of the total length. The more you cut, the slower the action will become. The only way to make the action faster, is to extend the blank (Rodmaker Volume 6 #3).

The same blank can be used for casting, spinning, jigging, etc., and quite often the maker will list the exact same blank under various model designations.

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