I was pleased with teh response from teh first Challenge, so I'm gonna go out and offer another one to teh board. Hopefully this one continues to broaden teh skills of builders around the world.I don't knwo what to name this Challenge, so if anyone has an idea let me hear it (also letme know if this Challenge stinks, lol).

Often builders get in a rut building the same type of rods one after another. Obviously if I do not fly fish, why would I build a fly rod? Or if I live in Nebraska, why would I build a stand up Tuna rod?

Well...now you have a reason, because my challenge is to build a type of rod you have never built before. I'm well aware that in a lot of cases, this may be a waste of time and money for some guys as the finished product will never see water. Well, just put it next to teh other 8 rods you built that never see water, lol. Use the board for questions on components, as well as what type of fishing is done in certain areas...ie: I'm coming to NY in MAy what kind of fish would I expect to catch and what should I build? Hopefully these types of questions lead to possibly hooking up with another rodbuilder in another part of teh country to fish and trade ideas on building.

Here's some ideas - if you Vacation, maybe plan a fishing trip and build the rod for that trip. Maybe you FW fish and have a rod which sees double duty, maybe a Topwater rod which is also your flipping stick. Maybe you've seen people fly fishing and you always wanted to try but didn't have the equiptment.

The deadline for this will be quite a bit longer than the last challenge, due to teh additional planning that is required adn the fact most guys ratehr fish during the summer than build rods. So, the deadline for this challenge will be December 31, 2007. I would like ot keep track of all entrants off the board with an e-mail once a month to pester everyone to stay on track. I'll post an update every 2 months on the board to let others know what they missed out on, lol.

This will be easy for me as I have only built 2 rods so far......So I can actually build a rod that will not have to sit on the shelf until I get a chance to fly somewhere to use it. But..................flying somewhere warm in January when it's -50 up here does have it's pluses too..... HMMMMMMMMMMMM..... what to do. hehehehe

Regards
Dave

Fishing is Life the rest is just Details

This will be easy for me as well - but I'll have to explain the reason AFTER I finish my rod. I already know exactly what I'm going to do.... heh heh heh

WOW I want to build that topwater/flipping stick! Actually I have never done a flipping stick so..... I would like to try some new grip materials on this one and build it one piece! Lots of question on blanks too.

Bill, that's what this is about. I'm hoping to build myself a Walleye rod for a trip I hope to make at some point to Chicago with Al Ciner (he didn't know until now, lol). I know ZERO about Walleye fishing, but it's something I hope to get teh opportunity to learn about - and that goes beyond building a rod, techniques, what reel I can waste the most of money on, etc. lol.

Pretty cool Billy. I like it. Another possibility folks could consider is some horsetrading between them when it is all over. Like, I could build a tuna rod, and trade it to a tuna fisherman who built a light crappie doodling rod. Then the rods could get some good use, plus maybe a chance for some good one-on-one evaluations. I know if I built a steelhead rod, I'd like a steelie builder to fish with it and let me know where I might be able to improve on a future one.

There's always @#$%& and charities too that they could collectively go.

Lot of fun options with this!

Billy I just bought a flipping stick blank from Binghams and will try to build one for myself (hopefully I won't sell it before I use it). If you make it to Chicago you might want to take some extra time and drive 3 hours to Wisconsin and maybe I could hook you and Al up with some Wisconsin River Smallies. MB

Mick - that is something I have considered doing in the past, but thought it might be difficult to match people up. I'm really glad you brought that up, after I compile the "offical list of entrants", I will try and get an idea of who does what and see if something along these lines is possible. FWIW, teh otehr Challenge I considered was buildign a rod for another builder, like a Kris Kringle where each builder specifies exactly what they want in a rod (like a customer - specs, what blank, what guides), and another builder builds it for them. PRoblem with that is (and I hat eto say this out loud and sound like a jerk/snob but...) not everyone is on the same level. I know I wouldn't be "happy" if I spent 20 hours on a rod for someone else and recieved something which isn't up to what I'm used to. IT would be like the socks I won from the Kris Kringle and I bought a high end coffee machine.

MArk, I have to see if/when I'm able. It mght not even be possible, as my son is goign to be entereing college next September, and $$$ might not be where I want it to be, lol.

Since I live in North Carolina, I believe I will accept Billy's challenge, and build a custom ice rod.So my first question is will a 24" blank work, or should it be closer to 28"?

Hey Fran, are you going to build a panfish ice rod, or walleye/gamefish type? The 24" would be good for panfishermen in portable shacks, but guys that jig in deeper water for larger gamefish would probably like the longer stick. The guide systems on most ice rods stink. I think one with high frame model M style would be great for the first guide or two to get as good of a line path as you can on a 2' rod.

This is going to be a lot of fun to watch! Have to decide what to build now!

Billy, if you come to Chicago, let me know, I'm minutes away.

<<.....my challenge is to build a type of rod you have never built before >>
Wow,,,, so none of the pros who have built everything under the sun can play? :-)
Maybe you guys need a Masters Challenge. Highest recognized N guys have their names mixed up in a hat, and whoever's name you pull, you have to build a rod just like one they posted a pic of closest to some randomly picked date,,,, but as a negative image (reciprocal all the RGB values for colors) . Would be interesting and maybe amusing too.

Is there going to be best and worst catagories in the challenge? I might have a chance then, to take the cup for the worst finish.

No!! No best or worst. I do not want to get into that as I know it will turn people away. I just want to throw motivation out there with a end goal to have a little fun and throw everyone a change of pace. I would like to offer anyoen building a Challenge rod a rodholder to display their work in High Point at the NERBs booth - I just don't want to do that before I have a total number.

Fran, while I assume you're busting chops on the Ice Rod - the reply you were given is what I'm hoping for. .

Regarding me in CHicago - I was impressed you guys were able to pull off that Gathering last year and at some point I"m hoping to take that one step further mixing in a fishing trip or somethign along those lines. It's a little tooo far in advance for that.

I only ever built fly rods but want to build a rod for cod fishing in Newfoundland.I have did some looking at blanks for this but could not deside on one.what would be a good blank for 20 to 40 lbs cod.

Billy,

I would be happy to help with the record keeping and matching if you want to get some sort of exchange or trade thing going.

Actually, I can help even if you don't.



Joe

Joe Douglas
Rod Builders International
208-476-5708
joe@rodbuildersintl.com

Billy.

I have never built a salmon spiral wrap rod before and I'm certainly learning alot. Can I enter where I have already started to build the rod??

Ron Jack
Bowdoin, Maine

Would be cool to have something like a $100 rod challenge / exchange where the cost of the blank and compnents must be under a set cost. Then everyone is on somewhat equal ground with components and it's up to the builder to make stand out... with the exchange, at least if you don't like the rod you get you could have some decent components to strip off and rebuild on a rod of your own! :-) You could even do something alittle tougher like a $50 contest and make quality rods on the cheap. There's alotta ways that could play out, all of which could be fun.


-jb

Billy; I'm up for this one. I would like to build a spinning rod for boat/blue water. any recomendations on blanks, guides, ect. would be greatly welcomed. Say 20-50 lb class?

Mark Syck

SYCKO Custom Rods
There Are No Limits To The Imagination

Guys, I hope you're not relying on me for al these answers, lol. I'm adding everyone to teh "list", and will contat you all and see if we can match people up with their specialties to get everyone an answer.

Cod rods - I don't know how heavy they fish up in NFL, but off MAss/NH.RI the popular blanks are now Calstar 900H or M with 6-12" cut from teh tip, or Lami CGBT961MH or H. THt's nt my thing, but I know several avenues to send you down to get you an answer.

OK...Hmm, I'll do a Travel Muskie Rod, just in case. If I rarely fish it, at least it will be handy to show off.