I am planning on building a extra heavy rod primarily for beach fishing for sharks and an occasional jewfish wrestling match. Basically, a heavy beach stand-up rod. i have a few options in mind, but since i am still relatively new to rod building, i am looking for insight regarding my choices.

i am going to use a Penn 9/0 Senator with 50-60 lb mono with a 100 lb topshot. I am probably going with a 10" Tuff-Butt and a 14"-16" EVA shaped foregrip.

the blanks i am looking at are all Calstars:
6465XH 40-100 Ex-Fast 50-80
6465XXH 50-100 Ex-Fast 60-80
665XH 40-100 Fast 60-80 (leaning toward this blank)

i am going to spiral wrap the guides. i am looking at the Fuji BHNNG Silicon Nitride guides, sizes 20,16, and 12. I would love to use the SICs but $ is a concern.

I am thinking that a Fast action blank would be better for the amount of stress that will be put on the rod, compared to a Ex-Fast.
I also am concerned about the height of the 20 ring guide. A fully loaded Penn 9/0 sits pretty high off the rod. I want a guide that will keep the center of balance close to the blank, but will still minimize friction as the line transitions around the blank.

any suggestions/opinions/critiques are appreciated!

Thanks

I think your rod choice would do the trick. My I recomend a Alvey reel for your style of fishining. I use my Alvet when fishing from a bank, when I fish for sturgeon. This question is for any down under (Australian) fisherperson who uses a Alvey reels, sense they are built in Australia
Good Wraps Bob

Forget the Penn 9/0, it's a sit-down reel - I don't think that you would be able to cast very far with a 9/0 reel. The weight alone will defeat you and although the rod is spiral wrapped, trying to keep the rod upright until you get hooked up, even with a gimbal, will prove very tedious and awkward. Also consider the possibility of falling down in the water when hooked up to a BIG shark and being unable to release the rod from your grasp.

Get a much smaller reel and load it with spectra. You'll not reget it.

John (aka: @#$%&)






Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/20/2005 12:15PM by John Mantele.

Go to this site and do some pokeing around. Lots of good info for you.


[www.2coolfishing.net]