I like to fish a long blank for trout in the surf, but my current 8' rod is just a little too stiff. I lost a few big fish this year beacuse the tip is not soft and hooks simply pulled. I am looking for a good 8 1/2' to 9' blank on which I can build a rod that can chunk a Mirrolure a mile but has a tip soft enough for effectively fishing these twitch and crankbaits without pulling them out. I really only like 1 piece rods. I know a lot of people are crossing over to salmon and steelhead rods. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

A few years ago, 1999 or 2000, I built a Spinning rod from a 15ft. 3pc. 11/12wt. spey rod blank. With 8 or 10# test line on a Shimano 3500 bait runner reel this is a good ultra - light surf or big fish river rod. I can cast a 1ounce weight + three 1nch shiner the length of a football field without killing the minnow or throwing it off the hook, at least no more often than with a normal spinning rod. It's also greay with a slip float. I've caught several 20lb. + flathead cats, many smaller ones, and numerous 6 to 10lb. landlocked & hybrid stripers on this strange rod. Take this formula: fly rod blank = numerator, 16 as the denominator, for example, an 8wt. blank = 8/16 = 1/2 oz. maximum casting weight. This is not exact but it will put you in the ballpark. I suggest a moderate to mod - fast blank to protect a light line. Ralph

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

I would look at Rainshadow IST993, 1024 or 1084. There may be others that would be good too. I built a SH1084 last year (lower end graphite) and I love it for light surf. I don't know how "soft" the tip is, but the blank is fairly fast for IM6 and throws 1oz at the top end no problem.

The Rainshadow IP 965 is awesome with mirror lures! Tip is light enough to not pull the hooks, yet the blank has enough backbone to handle the stray striper or yearling drum that may come along.

I have five eight foot two piece steelhead blanks. Two are S glass Fenwicks, one IM6, and two original GLoomis graphite. I raised two sons so I always had several of one kind of rod. The lure weight on these rods was 3/8's to 3/4's if I remember correctly and have been used a lot with 1/2 oz. Johnson spoons and MirroLures. I even use these rods for bottom fishing the surf with 1 oz. weights during the winter if the surf is not too rough.

I use one rod 12' build by me on travel fly blank ALL STAR AUSTIN 9' W8+extension KISTLER HELIUM for fishing with lure for speckled trout ,red fish,flounder.
Super rod,i can cast easy 1oz. lure and fishing with spinning reel,FIRELINE 4lb. +fluorocarbon leader SEAGUAR CARBON PRO 10lb. ,i was able to handle 9lb. speckled trout and black drum over 40lb.
This rod help me ,using tinny line ,to fight with big fish .