Has anyone used CTS's Tournament series blanks? I am wondering how they compare to a GLX or SCV blank. Also, is there a casting blank on the market that is better than GLX or SCV?

Better how? Price? Durability? Sensitivity? Fishability, for what? What are you willing to sacrifice to get the thing you want most? We all have to compromise something to get what we need most.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/06/2006 01:02PM by Jonathan Young.

I'm talking lighter, more sensitive, and possibly more fish fighting strength. I'm trying to decide between a GLX, SCV, Shikari SHX, or CTS Tournament series blank. I already have GLX and SCV rods so I know what to expect with those. I know the SHX is similar to a loomis but I haven't heard much about CTS blanks. Are they as light as a glx blank? The rod I'm going to build is a 7' MH 1/4-3/4 oz casting rod with split reel seat and split grip. Thanks

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/06/2006 01:02PM by Jonathan Young.

Jonathan,
I think you'll find that with the CTS there is less of a tradeoff than with other brands. Weight wise, they are on par with a GLX or SCV. Durability wise, nothing can touch them save for a GUSA, which are quite a bit heavier. Pricewise, they are substantially cheaper than a GLX or SCV...on average about $50.00 less. Why are they cheaper you may ask? Because CTS doesn't spen thousands and thousands a year on magazine advertising like the other 2 companies. The actions are very refined ...not copycat tapers like many blanks are. I have several tournament Bass Fishermen already using them, and all have said this is a very special product that is going to big here in America. In addition, The cast/spin blanks are available in about 10 different colors.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, as we are the Master Distributor for the CTS line here in America.

Regards,

Andy Dear
Lamar Fishing

Jonathan,
With a split reelseat I would definitely go with the CTS, people have had failures at the reelseat with the high modulus conventional blanks. Sounds like your looking at a worm/jig rod maybe which could see a lot of quick, close, no give loading. I've only done a split reelseat on glass cranking rods or the more durable blanks like the CTS or the heavier GUSA dual helix sucessfully, the SHX rod I built fractured at the split seat. I really enjoyed fishing the CTS blank from Andy. The finish quality was as nice or nicer than any blank i've ever built.

Does anyone know the weights of these CTS casting tournament series blanks?
-fast action 6'6'' 1/4oz.-5/8oz
-extra fast action 6'6'' 3/16oz.-7/16oz
-fast action 1/4oz.-1/2oz
-extra fast action 7'0" 1/4oz.-5/8oz.
Thanks again!

Contact Andy Dear directly, the link to his web page is off to the left. He can pretty much answer any questions you have about the CTS blanks as he is the U.S. distributor for them.

Phil

Andy:
if you don't mind I would also like to know those weights?

I handled some of the CTS blanks at the show in Charlotte.....I have NEVER held in my hand a sweeter blank as far as light and sensitive go...Loomis aint got a thing on these blanks. Up until Andy started handling them they were cost prohibitive by the time you added the high shipping charges to the high price. They'll be more affordable now that Andy is paying to get them shipped from New Zealand...LOL But trust me dude....these blanks are.S...W...E...E...T.

Steve Buchanan

Steve's Custom Rods

Power for Power these blanks are lighter and stronger than anything else on the market. The problem with publishing the weights (and I certainly will in my new catolog) is that you guys will want to compare them to a comparable Loomis or St. Croix...and there isn't one. The tapers are nowhere close to being the same. The CTS products on the average have substantially more power (more material) in the butt section of the rod than any of the comparable U.S. made blanks do. The funny thing is that in spite of this the weights still fall in line with GLX and SCV give or take a very small fraction of an ounce. I know Brian Thompson has done a weight comparison on one model between his SCV and the Tournament Series CTS, and they were virtually identical
I was talking with Stephen @ CTS last night, and we have decided in the interest of comparing apples to apples that some of the cast/spin tapers may be re-designed for 2007 simply because it makes for an easier weight comparison, and honestly the blanks don't need as much power in the butt section as they currently have.

The weights will be published in my new catolog that will be ready in a couple of months.


Andy Dear
Lamar Fishing

Andy - if you market these blanks as light SW blanks, all that extra power in the butt might be waranted.

Teh funny thing about weight is - you hear people making a big fuss about how light a blank is, etc,e tc - then 90% of them build the rod and add teh weight they saved back on. 1/2oz of weight could be lost because somoene used excess glue in teh reel seat, etc etc,e tc.

Billy's got a great point! The weight of the blank means very little compared to the weight of the finished rod, particularly on freshwater & fly rods. I would suspect that's why most companies have stopped publishing blank weights.
Like Andy said, Apples to Oranges! I wouldn't change the taper just so people can compare weights! It's a great line up as it is There are a lot of ways to control weight with components, finish, adhesives, arbors, etc. than to mess with the characteristics of a great blank!! I've seen people use enough Rod Bond and tape on a seat to double the weight of the blank and then blame the results on the blank!
Don't mess with them, Andy.

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

The most important thing is where the weight is placed. Any extra weight behind the reel seat is good weight as long as it balances the rod. The forward weight is the problem and makes the rod feel tip heavy. That's why I ask of rod weights. If the weight is in the butt of the rod, then the pedulum effect of casting is minimized and reduces casting fatigue.

So Jonathan, out of curiosity if I tell you the weights...how will you know where it is distributed? Wouldn't you need to actually feel the blank to know how well it balances?


FYI, here are the weights if various 7' Med/Lt. spinning rods as publisehed in the catologs compared to the CTS Med/Lt SPinning rod. I did the best I could to compare apples to apples w/o know the nitty gritty specifics


St. Croix SCV ES70MLF 1.4oz.
GUSAB70M 1.67oz.
SAGE 370-3 2.25oz.
CTS TC702 1.4 oz

Loomis, LAmiglas and a few others don't publish weights that I can find. You guys also have to remember that there are variances within the material itself which can account for small weight differences in a finished blank. Example a 6-8% variance in resin content between batches of pre-preg is not unusual and is expected.


Andy Dear
Lamar Fishing

Yes Andy you are right, I would have to feel the blank to know exactly where the weight is distributed. But in knowing the weights and how the rod is constructed I can get a feel for the rod without actually "feeling it". Weight alone for me is not a determining factor in buying a blank, but it is taken into account. I think you've answered all my questions regarding the CTS blanks and look forward to doing business with you. Thanks again

With the above weights posted, I would be hard pressed to feel the difference in 3 out of the 4 blanks without being told which is which. THere comes a point where you have to trust the info you are told, and what you hear posted on teh boards. Obviously at some point you took a shot with the GLX & SCV, might as well do the same with the CTS and come to your own conclusions on the blank. I don't think you'll be disappointed, I havent' heard of any complaints about them at all.

The thing that sets the CTS apart is not just the lack of weight...it's the lack of weight coupled with the durability of the helical layup, and a LOWER PRICE TAG. I watched Stephen bend a 7' spinning blank almost in half at the show in Charlotte. We aere all waiting for it to snap, but it never did.

Don't try that at home!


Andy Dear
Lamar Fishing PRoducts

Andy
Would you say the fast action Affinity blanks are kind of like the St Croix SCIV ??