Hi all, posting this again.

I'm considering building my first rod. I have no clue what I'm getting myself into. But I'm intensely interested. for no real reason other than it just seems like a very rewarding project.

I currently fish the surf, and fly fish freshwater. I'll be trying flies in the salt this week too. I'm nuts for flytying as well.

I'd like to build a surf rod for bait fishing with a spinning reel. I have no idea where to begin.

Fishing wise, I have a little trouble in the surf - I am a petite woman and I have trouble with my timing and loading the rod with a lot of weight (4+ oz) on a shorter stick (9') - bait fishing.

My plugging stick is just fine for me, but its rather small and light (>3oz 8.5') - and I'm sure I'll get my butt handed to me when I lay into a good fish.

So my initial questions are:

1) Whats a good book to pick up?
2) How do I select a rod blank to start off with? is 1 pc necessarily better than 2?
3) Is it possible to build a rod that will perform better for me and my unique needs?

any other advice is very welcomed.

I know I'll be going through an awful lot of trouble and cash just to sling clam bellies and bunker heads - but I'm relatively new to surf fishing and am really enjoying learning about tying my rigs, and discovering all of the neat critters that like to chew on bait. Its my starting point I suppose.

many thanks for your kind help.

I'm not sure if I should say welcome or run for your life. Very addicting stuff you're launching into here. The one thing you'll find is that all of the sponsors on the left will be very helpful with advice aside from providing you with everything you'll need. As for the book, several of the sponsors carry Tom Kirkman's rodbuilding book which is a great starter book. There are several other good ones out there but that's the one that I would start with. The 1 pc. vs multi pc. question should get you a lot of opinions. Having been here for the metal ferrule era, I was a real tough sell to multi-piece rods. But with the current technology, I personally don't see a big advantage in a 1 piece rod. But that's just my opinion. And lastly, you'll definately be happier with a rod that you design and build for yourself. Good luck and welcome to the zoo.

Jeff Hunter

1) "Rod Building Guide: Fly, Spinning, Casting, Trolling" Tom Kirkman, author.

2) Ask folks here that fish similar waters, and / or, ask any of the sponsers listed for advice. All the sponsers I have dealt with are most helpful.

3) Yes - you can build a rod for anyone's specific needs.

But, think long and hard about starting to build rods... it can become an obsession and interrupt your fishing time.

Christina,

I'm on about rod 15 or so...never did read or acquire a book. Just asked questions as I went....Use the glossary, the library...and all the expertise on this site. You'll do just fine. After you build one...be assured that you will absolutely have to build rod two. You'll have new ideas...skills will improve...and you'll love the creativity. And then Rod three will be calling.....and then rod 15!

It is a great craft....

Keith

Christina,
Also order RodMaker magazine Volume 7 Issue 1 from Tom for an in depth article on surf rod construction, cheap at twice the price. Link to the left in the back issues.

great help, thanks all!

Blank for bunker heads and 4 oz of lead? (I wish my wife was asking this question!!!) lol............I'll suggest a Lamiglas SB 120 3M for such behavior.....I weight about 150 lbs soaking wet, and don't like long surf rods ( too unweildy for me) so with a 120 3M I snipped a couple inches off the top and 4" off the butt to make it 9.5 ft. one peice. It handles the load well and being a glass, moderate action blank, its less prone to a clam belly getting ripped off a hook during a cast. (More of a lob cast)

Some of the biggest striped bass I caught were on this blank, hoofing a backpack of lead and 20 bunker heads (leave the bodies in the cooler) over 2 miles of sand to an undisclosed outer Cape Cod hot spot!

Good luck with your first.

thanks so much! haha! my boyfriend wishes I WASN'T asking this question.... I drive him crazy enough with a full store of flytying stuff (one must have all the stuff), and demanding to make my own arrows for hunting... when I coyly mentioned how fun it would be to build a rod, he just rolled his eyes .... poor fellow.

Its been going around the grapevine lately that lami isn't what it once was - in what way I'm not quite sure. I've never owned a lamiglass - my sticks are tica and tsunami for salt, and loomis and scott for fly, and st croix only for fresh spinning.....

so, is there anything to know about the lami rumour?

Grapevines tend to yeild a few sour grapes on occasion.....wouldn't want to put those grapes in a bottle of whine!! (lol. )I'm just suggesting a blank for bunker heads and "smaller" people! thats all. There's other great blanks available for this particular fishing. I can only comment on one thats worked for me.

Christina, I use mostly Rainshadow/Forecast blanks but have used a lot of Lamiglas at a customer's request or if Rainshadow doesn't have exactly what I'm looking for. I think that in most of their blanks, Lamiglas is as good as ever and in some, better. There are a ton of good blanks out there but if you decide to go with Lamiglas, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Jeff Hunter

nono! I ment no offense (I've stuck my foot in my mouth already)..... sorry if I came off that way.... and thank you so much for taking the time to help me. lamiglass has a tremendous reputation and I appreciate knowing what has worked for someone "smaller" in stature such as m'self.

ok, here's the million dollar question: is there any way to figure out what may be appropriate for someone like myself other than talking to people? I feel like I'll be taking a bit of a blind leap in selecting the blank to start off with... to date I've chosen all of my rods based on need and reputation and value... but a rod blank is such a... blank canvas it seems... have I asked a question that has no real answer?

thanks again.

I've never regretted any Lamiglas purchase. I have regretted purchasing other blanks.

Preliminary List of Recommended Books
for Building Custom Fishing Rods (CMH)

Rod Building Guide, by Tom Kirkman $15
Step by Step instructions for crafting your own custom fishing rod. Building a spinning, casting, surf, fly or offshore rods, Rod Building Guide will explain the how and why in clear, concise text with nearly 100 full color photographs. 51 pages paperback.

THE NEW Advanced Custom Rod Building, by Dale P. Clemens $30
Dale Clemens has completely rewritten this new book. He continues to display his expertise in his discussion of methods for building every kind of rod-from ultra-light fly to surf and offshore trolling. Following detailed explanations and illustrations, rod builders can design, built, and embellish rods to suit their particular desires and needs. Hardcover, 320 pages.

Step By Step Rod Building, by Flex Coat (FC) $7
Contains over 100 clear illustrations, charts and guide sizing plus step-by-step instructions on all phases of rod constructions. Some topics included are: designing your own custom rod, determining the spine of the rod blank, constructing cork handles, foam handle construction, installing the tip top, wrapping the guides, finishing the wraps and helpful tips for a professional finish. Great for both beginners and experienced rod builders. Softbound, 48 pages.

ROD-MAKER MAGAZINE, bi-monthly, $27 / (6 issues per 12 months).
[www.rodmakermagazine.com]. Order a subscription as soon as you think rod-building is for you. And as far as back issues go, order soon so you won't have to worry about back-issues running out. There simply is no other rod building magazine that can compare for quality and scope and expertise with RMM.

If you are anywhere near NYC, you should consider a subscription to your area version of THE FISHERMAN (formerly available as the The Long Island Fisherman, The NJ Fisherman, etc.). I grew up in the late '70's reading that weekly periodical in high school, and it is as good, if not better than ever. They only cover rod-building on occassion in the winter months when everyone has cabin fever and even the frost-fish (whiting) are not biting. But lots of coverage of surf fishing in that weekly magazine. Building a Lamiglas Surf-Bar (SB-) series, or Mooch-Bait (MB-) series for shorter sticks, is (or was) almost a rite of passage. (Lamiglas has not gone south, but now there are also other great blank companies out there for even more great surf blanks.) Once you do, it won't be your last. Have Fun, Chrissy! LOL to the boyfriend.

WARNING: Rod-building, and day-dreaming about it, can become habit-forming, and may be hazardous to other relationships. Participant discretion is advised.

Best Wishes, Cliff Hall, Gainesville, FL-USA +++ cmkmhall@ufl.edu

Cliff Hall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> > blanks.) Once you do, it won't be your last. Have
> Fun, Chrissy! LOL to the boyfriend.
>
> WARNING: Rod-building, and day-dreaming about it,
> can become habit-forming, and may be hazardous to
> other relationships. Participant discretion is
> advised.
>
> Best Wishes, Cliff Hall, Gainesville, FL-USA +++
> cmkmhall@
> ;ufl.edu


HAHAHAHA! If you only knew. ; )

yes, infact I live uncomfortably close to NYC, and yes I do read the fisherman when I get a chance.

thanks so much for the valuable advice... I already bought the back issues of rod maker.... now I'll find the books... and I'll be off to the races.... and back to this board with lots of questions. thanks again everyone for the warm welcome.

The wisest thing to do IMO would be to get Kirkman's book, the Rod Building Guide and then get the Rodmaker issue on surf rods. With those two I think you'd have all you need to comfortably get the job done and to do it RIGHT the first time. Wouldn't cost much and would save you a lot of grief in a pinch.

Welcome to the insanity Christina. Building a surf rod is a good first choice and Lamiglas makes excellent blanks. I have built many surf rods on Lamiglas blanks. Mine are all fiberglass. I don't know if you're leaning towards graphite or fiberglass. Fiberglass is very rugged and definitely less expensive. Graphite will be lighter in weight. As far as one-piece vs. two-piece goes, both are good but they each have their pros and cons. One-piece rods rods are nice to have once you are on the beach. Two-piece rods need to be checked every now and then once you are fishing as the sections tend to separate or twist. Of course two-piece rods are easier to transport. Two-piece rods are a bit easier to build because each section short and therefore easier to manage while building it. For a first time rod-building project, I would lean towards the two-piece. Even if you decide you want a one-piece rod later, a two-piece rod is always handy to have around.

I don't know what size surf rod you would feel comfortable casting, so I'm not going to recommend a specific blank. Bait rods need to be on the heavy side. For lure fishing, I would recommend a Lamiglass HMB 1083M2, which you can also get in a one-piece version I believe. I have built a pair of rods on this blank for my wife and myself and like them a lot. They are good for lures up to about 3 oz., with 1 1/2 oz being the "sweet spot" for this rod.

I would recommend building a surf rod before you attempt a fly rod. Also, don't make the common mistake of thinking you need all sorts of special equipment to build a rod. In truth, you can get by with very little.

Good luck!

thank you very very very much for the suggestions and encouragement....