Do any of the sponsors or any other rod blank suppliers sell CTS blanks?
Who has the best prices or has anyone tried the CTS blanks?
Thanks,
Dave

Lamar Fishing Products is the main U.S. supplier of CTS blanks. I think Merrick and Don's Tackle carry some of the surf blanks.

CTS will have a factory display at the Rod Expo in two weeks. They bring a ton of blanks.

.................

Bingham Enterprises and FishSricks4 U will be the 2 distributors of CTS blanks. Neither of us has any stock on them yet .

Thank you-
Karen Hapka
Bingham Enterprises

I bought my CTS, model EST16646 (6'6", 1pc., 4-6kg. line rating) from Andy at Lamar. It is beautiful cobalt blue with some metallic to it - looks very much like the St. Croix blue blanks. Mine CC's at ERN of 12.7 and AA of 77, which bodes very well for a spin/jig smallmouth rod. I have it built and ready to fish but haven't had the chance to use it yet. I built it in a smilar style to Tom Kirkman's light line smallmouth rod as described in RodMaker magazine. It feels the lightest and most responsive of any rod I've ever held in my hands. I can't wait to use it. I'm pretty darn sure it will become my favorite light spinning rod.

The distribution channel of CTS blanks had to change a little bit when I switched Lamar over to a "dealer only" program. Basically I will function as the Master Distributor/Importer for CTS, much like PacBay, Amtak and many of the others who import blanks for resale through a chain of distribution channels. Although it will take some time to get this new program up and running, it will be well worth it in the end, as we will be stocking very heavy across a broad range of models.
As an aside, many of you are aware that the availability of the CTS product has been hit and miss for the last few months. This is mainly due to the fact that CTS is a small boutique supplier, and I don't think they were prepared for the overwhelmingly positive reaction and acceptance they have expierenced here in the states. The demand has increased exponentially within the last year, and shows no sign of slowing down. So, I know in the interim it is sometimes a frustrating situation to not be able to put your hands on the model(s) that you may need. However we should have all that resolved by summertime, with 2 full line stocking distributors to take care of your needs, and possibly a third later in the year or next year.

Dave, just so you know there will be no "Best Pricing" involved with the CTS product. It was (and is) very important to me and my distributors that we implemented a fair trade pricing policy so that the integrity of the product s not diluted in anyway. "Low price guarantees" and "We'll beat anybody's price" policies usually result in the distributor going out of business or at the very least dropping the product because they can't make enough money to afford to stay in business. It's a very shortsighted mentality that for whatever reason plagues this and many other industries. One only needs to look at the correlation between the number of sponsors that have gone under over the past couple of years and the fact that they were all "discounters" to see that the policy doesn't work to anyones advantage.

Best Regards,

Andy Dear
Lamar Fishing

Andy,

Will the distributers be supplied with blank specifications similar to those by blank manufactures in the U.S. so that we can compare apples to apples. This has been the only drawback I have encountered with out being able to physically hold a blank in my hand. Great Blanks!!!

Regards,
Jeff Leonard

Andy ...

RB Meiser Fly Rods has been marketing CTS blanks, and my own series of blanks made for me by CTS for over three years to both a domestic and world market.

Are you now telling the public at large that as the Master Distributor/Importer of CTS products that CTS vendors must now channel through your "Dealer Program" distribution ... And have you determine how much they must charge for these products ?

... I must admit that I'm a bit confused (and somewhat suprised) by this new information.

Help me to understand.

Bob Meiser

Bob,
This does not effect R.B. meiser flyrods in the least. My earlier post was in reference to the FULL RANGE of spin, cast, carp, float, fly, offshore trolling, boat, surf, rock/jetty blanks, which up until now has only been available through me. We have modified that, so now the FULL LINE of blanks will be available through a few selected distributors that I have setup, and that have agreed to purchase through Lamar...to them we are the "FULL LINE Importer". Stephen and I have discussed all of this in detail, and he of course has the ultimate say so on who I sell the FULL LINE of blanks to. The advantage of all this is that instead of CTS having to deal with say 2 or 3 more distributors, they're still only selling to me who is in a much better position to deal with the extra 2 or 3 U.S distributors. In addition, I already have a credit history with them, I know their spinning and casting blanks along with their proper applications very intimately, and I was the one who re-vamped the entire spin and cast catolog....for CTS it's less shipping, less paperwork, less payments to process, less phone calls to answer, and most importantly less technical questions, because they'll have me to handle all that here domestically. Of course none of this matters to you, because like I said, this doesn't effect you or Don Becker or anyone else who has an existing relationships with CTS at all, you guys will continue as you always have dealing direct.

f you have any further questions, please email me directly, as there's no point in cluttering up this post with a bunch of personal "banter"

Sorry if anything in my earlier post caused you some confusion!


Andy Dear
Lamar Fishing

As for the CTS blanks themselves, I've built a few fly rods and lighter spin rods from their blanks and they are truly the finest I've ever seen and fished. Crisp, clean, unbelievably light and sensitive. I call them the "edge" of the cutting edge. You will not be disappointed.
Todd

I'll second Todd's opinion awesome!!!! Incredibly light and crisp spinning/casting blanks

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!!

OK ... Thanks Andy

Bob Meiser