I am performing my first extension and want to make sure I have it down correct before I glue things together. My blank's O.D is .35 inches I have the blank sliding down into the extension 3.2 inches (this is a little more than 6 times the blanks O.D). Does this sound correct or should I overlap the two a little more? The rod is a sc3 60lf blank going to be used for gills and crappie with light line.

Thanks,

Dan Grulke

You want the extention piece to go in as far as the reel seat. To be more clear, you want the reel seat over your extention completely. If you can go up the blank even further without much problem, do it.

Tight lines & smokin' drags...........

An overlap of 6 times the diameter is more than sufficient. What are you using for the extension piece?

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I am using a scrap piece of graphite blank that is not tapered and about the same wall thickness as the blank. In fact I am trying to imatate the smallie rod that you described in a previous Rodmaker article (except it would be used for panfish). I just was not sure if 3.2 inches was enough of an overlap since it would only reach were the reel foot would go.

Thanks,

Dan Grulke

That's not going to be a problem. I and a bunch of my friends extend quite a few blanks used for much bigger fish - we try to make them all overlap by 4", regardless of where the reel seat goes - I have a few which I extended for myself which the joint is underneath the foregrip, and I havent' had any problems whatsoever, nor do I expect to.

Somethign that makes me wonder - we are afraid to extend a blank unless there is a 4" overlap underneath the grips, where the rod doesnt' even flex, yet we're comfortable using a 2-piece rod which has a 2" overlap on a portion of the blank which flexes - and there isnt' even any adhesive to hold it in place.

The tip and mid-section areas of most rods never come under much strain - they flex. They give. They bend. There's not much pressure on the mid to upper sections of rods. The butt area is different - this is where the strain of a good fish ends up - it's where the power in the rod comes from. If you load most rods to the breaking point, they'll all break down low near the butt, just ahead of where you're holding them. Not in the tip or mid-areas (unless you're high-sticking them).

What are you using for an extension? If it's a aluminum tube, then you won't have a split out regardless and you needn't worry about having a reel seat over it. If graphite or glass, just reinforce the forward edge as the aticle showed and you'll be fine. If your blanks fit together well, then 3.2 inches of overlap on such a rod would be plenty.

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