I've only built one other rod before, a 9 ft. surf rod, and have chosen a Batson IS720 Ultra Light as my next, 6'0" 1 piece, 2-6lb. line, 1/16-1/4 oz. lures, 0.270 butt, 4.0 tip, Moderate Action, 0.77 oz. weight. Wondering if anyone has built on this, or similar blank, and has guide size/layout recommendations, and reel seat size and placement. Don't know what reel will be used. I have to mail order everything and only have a $10 Walmart UL to use as an example (Don't look down on me too bad for the Walmart deal, I just started fishing last year).

Thank You
Luis

Hi Luis,
Don't worry about anybody here looking down on you for anything!
More than a few of us have a Wally-mart rod or two! (althought get
some to admit it is another matter! LOL!)

Take a look at the library here and read the article "New guide concept"
by Tom Kirkman.

You will most likely need a # 20 CYAG Butt guide and then a #12 CYAG then 4 or 5
#8 CLAG runners. Those are Fuji modle numbers. Batson and Pac-Bay make some
pretty nice and similar guides as well.


Have your read any rod building books?


Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

Read the whole Library section. Also, the FAQs section has a lot of good information. If you have specific questions, use the "search function. If you can't find the answer(s) then ask here on the board. Take your time, work carefully. Good luck. Ralph

If at first you don't succeed, go fishing, then try, try again.

Thanks Guys

I do have Tom Kirkman's book and used the "New guide concept" for my first build. It's just that being so new at this I need an idea of what guides, reel seat size, etc..., for my initaial purchase. Since I have to do order components by mail, trial and error gets pricey.

Thanks again
Luis

Luis

First I would say get ahold of Bob at Custom Tackle. I just finished building 2 of the same rods, I got the blanks, reel seats and guides from him. 1 was built for my wife and the other was built for my daughter. As far as Wally World..... both thier reels came from thier. They are Shakespere 200's and work great with these blanks.

Mark Syck

SYCKO Custom Rods
There Are No Limits To The Imagination

Pretty sure the fish doesn't check out your reel before deciding to strike :-) Most of my reels are mid-line shimanos, and you know what? I'm sure they catch as many fish as a Stella - I just don't get that cool factor. Good thing I don't care. Don't worry about your reel. Raymond's advice is good - but I'd probably use #6 guides as your running guides - they save you weight and retain more of the blank's initial characteristics. Weight is your enemy. Minimize it whenever possible - esp. on an ultralight rod.

Luis, I build mostly ultra light rods, and yes I have built on the 720, good choice for the money. When using a 6 ft. blank, I usually start with 25, 16, 10 , 8 fly, 7 fly, and 6's on out to the tip. These blanks act and work the same as the walleye rod, except the line weight. The main reason for the 25 instead of the 20, you may not be using the same reel for the amount of years that the rod will last. In this respect, I test my rods, static test and casting test, before wrapping the guides. I usually use a reel that is much larger than what you would use, and if it casts with a large reel, it will cast with a smaller version. Basically the only guide that you would be moving in the casting test is the butt guide, and it can vary from 22" to 19" from the center of the reel seat. There is no set pattern in this respect. I generally use a minimum of 7 guides on a 6 foot rod, sometimes more all depends on the action of the blank and the line path it creates as it is flexed in the static test. You want the line to follow the contour of the guide as close as possible. If you do this , all will be fine. But also do a search in the library for additional info. This is just my routine, others may differ and get the same results.

I built one of these for my son....it is a great little rod!

Look in the library under static guide placement....or do a search on here. Wal-mart...Bass Pro...Cabela's... all sell good products for fishing IMO.

I used 25 16 12 10 08 07 out to tip.....but you could go lighter.

I put a #20 alconite BYAG butt guide, #12 BYAG, #8 BLAG, and #6 BLAG to and for the tip on a Matrix 6' 6" 2wt. blank with a 10 1/2" cork & ring reelseat. A Quantum SL00 Micro reel with #2 line. Any ultra-light reel with a good drag is all you need. I ended up with 7 guides + the tip. The #8 was the choke guide. I love it for big Bluegill. Actually it's a combination fly/spinning rod that casts very well. Ralph

If at first you don't succeed, go fishing, then try, try again.

Double post, sorry.

If at first you don't succeed, go fishing, then try, try again.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/11/2006 06:26PM by Ralph Jones.

I love U/L andd my suggestion would be a BYAG 20 (or 25) a BYAG 12 BLAG 8 and BLAG 6's out to the tip. The sizes would depend on my static testing. Alconites are fairly cheap so it woon't cost you much to get a few different sizes to test. The cork and ring type seats are very popular but I prefer a size 16 NPS seat and no foregrip. prefering to have my thumb or finger resting on the blank.

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!!