hello guy & girls,
i have a client wanting me build him a 7 foot spinning rod, he's planing to use it for more like a drop shot rod and finesse worm. he said he would like a blank with a softer tip but get back bone quick. he also would like this hole rod as light as posible. can any one give me any sugestions.
thank's,
rick fulkerson

2 from St Croix, 3C69MLXF or 4C69MLXF would work well and to get them to 7' would take just a short extension on the handle end. One with a bit more backbone that I really like and use all the time for my tournaments is the 4C68MXF. This blank works great for light jigs and worms. Again to get to 7' it would need an extension. These are listed as casting blanks, but of course that doesn't mean they can be used for a spinning rod.

Take a look at St Croix and Rainshadow. There are a lot of 7' blanks depending on the line and lure weight he uses. There are also multi piece ones if you like.

I've bulit out several of the Rainshadow ISB 822.5 blanks, which is made for dropshotting. It's only 6' 10", but very sensitive and affordable. Just finished one for a local tournament fisherman, and he loves it.
Steve Broadwell

BATSON "ISB-82-2.5" -
RainShadow RX7 Spin Bass ("ISB-") Rod Blanks
RS-RX7 New Model # "ISB-82-2.5" is designed for DROP SHOT fishing

RS-RX7 "ISB-82-2.5" ... 6'10" ... 1-piece ... Matte Clear ...
6-14lb. ... 1/8 - 5/8 oz. ... 0.550" ... 4.5 / 64ths ...
X-Fast ... Medium ... 1.95 oz. ... $48.00 - Add [FS4U]

Spin Bass Multi-Purpose Blanks (ISB / SB):
[fishsticks4u.com]

RainShadow RX7 Spin Bass Multi-Purpose Rod Blanks (Matte Clear)
• RX7 Intermediate Modulus (43 million), High Strain Rate graphite
• Mod-Fast / X-Fast actions depending on models
• Out perform many blanks selling for two – three times more
• New ISB-82-2.5 designed for drop shot fishing
• Limited Lifetime Warranty

BATSON RS-RX7 - ISB-82-2.5 [$ 48 - FishSticks4U]
ST.CROIX - 3C-69-ML-XF [$ 75 - MudHole] or
ST.CROIX - 4C-69-ML-XF [$130 - MudHole] or
ST.CROIX - 4C-68-M-XF.. [$130 - MudHole].

The RS-RX7 ISB-82-2.5 has as much finesse on the light side and as much backbone on the high side to cover all three of these St.Croix.

As far as the customer's criteria for an 84-inch "7-foot" rod is concerned, I would not recommend any alterations or extensions. Adding 2-3 inches in the butt section will likely void the rod blank's Warranty; add unnecessary weight; and offer little improvement in casting. Check with the guy, but there is nothing magical about 84". An 82" or 81" rod length is equivalent DYNAMICALLY to an 84" length. Unless he can provide some specific need for 84" of length, tell him you found him the perfect rod that is below 7-feet. It will fit more easily into his bass boat's rod locker, and be less cumbersome on deck.

I'm sure others will soon echo these recommnedations
for your consideration. -Cliff Hall+++, FL-USA

I've not tried one myself but a lot of bass guys really like the Shikari SHII P 7000. It is a 7' blank and it's not expensive at all. When dropshotting you really don't want a sensitive blank that allows you to feel the fish tap your lure. You want a blank that loads the tip when the fish eats the lure and you don't want the fish to know your holding the rod. Just my opinion.

Rick Fulkerson - If you go with the Batson ISB8225 at Robert Tignor's "FishSticks4U", then DEFINITELY consider using the new ForeCast "VS3" Spinning Guides. They are a HIGH-FRAME Single-Foot, TRI-Leg "Bow" design that forms a VERY rugged superstructure to extend the guide Ring far away from the rod blank.

A picture of these Batrson ForeCast "VS3" Guides is inside the cover of the FEB-2006 RodMaker Magazine, RMM-9(1). The Center Leg lays in a different plane then the two outer Lateral Legs. That part of the "Bow-Leg" design, coupled with the V-notched heel, where the three legs form a folded corner, are responsible for the rugged strength of the VS3 Guide Frame while keeping the overall weight quite low.

In general, for all Guide Sizes in the ForeCast "VS3" Series, the Ring HEIGHT (as measured to the outer ring edge) is at least TWICE the guide Ring DIAMETER (OD).

The VS3's are first-class HIGH-FRAME guides available in 3 beautifully-colored (Gold, Electric Blue and High-Mirror Chrome) PVD-Titanium coated ZIRCONIUM Rings. The frames are either (Black-Chrome over SS304) or (Titanium-Chrome over SS304). Much "SNAZZIER" than the Fuji ALCONITE monochrome grey-ring and silver-frame. The ForeCast VS3's in the Gold-ring & Black-frame are really classy, and they won't break the budget.

Have fun & Good Luck, Rick. -Cliff Hall+++

Don:
I do a lot of drop shotting. IMO I want a blank that lets me feel every thing. When fishing deep (some times 50ft. or so)I want to know when my bait is or is not on the bottom. I want to know exactly when I get a strike. I want the most sensitive blank I can get my hands on.

Don;
I don't get the chance to do much dropshotting personally, unfortanately. But, I know a lot of guys that do this pretty much exclusively in the summer on the docks at Lanier. They all have the same idea as Steve Gardner - they want to feel everything.
That's why they like the ISB 822.5. It has a good bit of backbone, but a very sensitive tip.
Steve Broadwell

I get what you're saying and I probably didn't word it correctly. George Roth has a great article on his web site [www.georgescustomrods.com]. One part of his article says "An ideal drop shot blank has a tip that flexes with the slightest amount of pressure. This is because the angler is fishing the rig on a slack line and almost always, the bite is never felt. Only a slight tightening of the line is detected. With a rod that has a very limber tip, the angler detects the bite by “feeling” the line tighten up while the tip of the rod stops moving or “goes dead”. Heavier action rods don’t allow the angler to “feel” these slight differences in the weightlessness of the presentation and can also signal a touchy fish to spit the bait before the angler even knows there is a bass on the other end."
I don't fish this way too often but his article makes a lot of sense.

I love my 3C69MLXF (built up as a spinning rod). I would assume that the 4C69MLXF is just as good, if not better (if your client can stand that blue color of the SCIVs). I use my 3C69MLXF for drop-shotting occasionally, but more often than not, for very light TX rigged finesse worms, and tubes. I also use it as an open water sluggo/senko rod. In my opinion, there is not a better utility blank available for 6-12 lb. line and small plastics. In fact, I'm so impressed with its versatility that I'm building a second one for myself.

The 3S70MLF is also a really nice rod, IMO. If he has to have a 7 ft. rod, I think he'd be very happy with this one.

Personally, I think the 3C68MXF is also a phenomenal rod, but too powerful for drop-shotting, especially the type of drop shotting we do here AR and MO. I use my 3C68MXF (built as casting) as my 10-14 lb. line utility rod. I mostly throw med. to large spinnerbaits and med. to large topwaters with mine. But, it does make a great small to med. jig and worm rod also.

The 3C69MLXF and the 3C68MXF can fish a wide range of line and bait sizes. I think it might have something to do with the XF tip. So, even if your client decides later that he doesn't want the rod for drop-shotting, he'll love the rod so much, that he'll find something to do with it, just so he can keep it in his hands.

Rogue P 705 great....lightweight and XF tip for feeling everything and also reel good set and backbone

I have the 69MLXF in a factory St. Croix spining rod that I use for almost every thing and it's one of my favorite rods. I have however just built a casting rod on a 3C70MHXF with a split grip. St Croix recomends this blank for drop shot use on their web site. Although I haven't had much time to work with the rod but it seems to work as well if not better than the spinning reel and it's also 7' that you are looking for. The only down side is it may have to much back bone for most people. I usually use these rods on the river as a dead stick and I like the extra back bone to take up the slack and set the hook. Most Bass people don't dead stick so they may not like the extra back bone or the weight in the MH. I like the looks of the Rainshadow 822.5 and ordered one for a spec rod. I have no personal experience with the rod but it looks promising. I'll let you know how it compares to the St. Croix. Mark

G Loomis make a very nice dropshot blank in all their graphites, Shikari makes the blank mentioned above in 3 graphites, the PP7000 is the high end blank. To really lighten up the rod use Recoil guides/ split, minimal grips/ shortened reelseat and no more thread or finish than necessary. If it was strictly a dropshot rod smaller spinning guides would work as it's all a pretty "no casting" presentation, but with finesse worming thrown in I'd go with the concept system when sizing guides.