Anybody know which blanks from other manufacturers would be comparable to these blanks? ie G Loomis, Shikari, maybe Rainshadow (vs the SCIII maybe)?

Almost all manufacturers have redeeming and special qualities that set them apart ... the important thought is to find the right fit for each and every customer/usage. I stock G Loomis, St Croix, Lamiglas AND Batson (Rainshadow/Forecast) due to that very issue.

Be happy that we have so many wonderful vendors and diverse models to select from - never overlook the possibilities of any of them fitting a specific need that might arise, always take time to review all the possibilities.

In addition, if you didn't attend the ICRBE a few months ago, be sure to do so in the Spring of next year, the link is the first one in the "sponsors" column to the left. When attending the show, you can play "touchy feely" with literally HUNDREDS of blanks among tons of other goodies.

BTW, you might want to remove Shikari from your vocabulary, for the most part. They have been out of business for some time and the only inventory is left over from the previous operation - ATC bought what was left of the company and integrated it into their operation.

Jim,

"Literally HUNDREDS?"

Actually, there were over 10,000, (yes - Ten Thousand) rod blanks on the premises that weekend.

...........

I was trying only to account for completely different models, therefore hundreds. Believe me, I know there were many thousands of actual blanks - I helped unpack a great number of them prior to the event.

BTW, pink blanks don't count ... ROTFLMAO.

I have built many spinning rods out of 8 to 10 ft, 3, 4, and 5 wt fly rod blanks made by several manufacturers. I make them for fishing for white bass on wind blown points and flats. My favorites without question are the ones I have built on St Croix SC IV blanks. 5 wt`s throwing into the wind, 4 wt`s with the wind at your back. They perform great and a 2-3 lb white on with over 100` of line out is great fun.

Thanks for the response. I guess I should have phrased this a little different. I mean, what are some of the models of blanks that would be considered the most direct competitors of these blanks. Looking for blanks from other competitors with similar weight, sensitivity, strain rates, modulus rating, etc. Which blanks would an SCV be considered a fairly direct competitor to say a G Loomis GLX?



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/2007 01:48PM by jay mccarthy.

The blanks REALLY are different. However, here is MY own personal opinion.

G Loomis GLX blanks are nowhere near as durable as St Croix SCV blanks, period - and in my opinion, they aren't anywhere near the value.

G Loomis IMX blanks are a much better value than G Loomis GLX.

There are some GLX and IMX models that St Croix doesn't have a "matching" model for and vice-versa. So we are back to the original statement that it really depends on finding the right fit for each and every customer/usage.

Jay,
Not so sure that the GLX rods have that much of an advantage over other blanks overall. There are some exceptions, but basically I just got to play with a fair number of the Powell bass rods and they were all at or less weight than the GLX rods there. Some in the same power class weren't even close. Some of the Kistler rods are almost a full oz lighter than the factory GLX rated for the same line/lure. I think you can do more with the way you build the rod than the blank builder can with the way he builds the blank to a certain extent.
Some of my GLX rods, especially the travel rods are ,I don't believe, any lighter than the others, everyone has had 10 years or better to catch up.
When I asked about the HS 9000 travel blanks they told me they beefed them up knowing that they were sacrificing for durability because after all you wouldn't want you high dollar trip ruined because the rod failed.

I always like to feel and play around with a rod blank before I buy, if at all possible, or handling a factory rod with the same blank. It's really a personal thing to me -- I let the feel and action of the blank do the talking, not so much the brand. When buying factory rods, I had always been a Lamiglas fan, but had heard good things about St. Croix's steelhead blanks recently, and decided to build a rod based on their 3C90MF2, as most other manufacturers don't make a comparable model in action or length. I'm very glad I did! Quality was excellent, and though the wall thickness of the blank was a bit thicker than a typical Lamiglas, which probably added weight, it should add some durability for beating through the bush on my favorite rivers.

From now on, I'll just buy on feel mainly. For me, warranty(I've never broken a blank in 17 years of steelhead fishing) and brand name prestige are now moot. Many brands offer unique actions and lengths(which is why I decided on the Croix, nobody else offers a 9', 6-12lb rated blank that I've found).

I think a more important issue than picking the correct blank is picking the correct components to compliment the blank. Doing so will increase the enjoyment of the rod quite a bit in my opinion. I would rather have a modest quality blank with good components, than have a rod built with a GLX blank and cheap guides, and an uncomfortable reel seat.