Hi. I have an All-Star 20-35 6'6" (TIP SIZE 7, BUTT SIZE 5/8) graphite rod that I would like build into a nice light saltwater stick for kings, dophin, little tunny, blackfin,etc and need some advice on the components I need. I want to keep it as light as possible. I was thinking AFTCO lightweight rollers? Cork or EVA? Reel seat? Do you think this blank is up to the task? I welcome all suggestions. Thanks.

Matt the title of your thread listed trooling/live bait. The blank you listed would be fine to catch the bait for some of the fish you listed. Chicken dolphin would be OK but that blank would be overmatched against kings, bulls and larger blackfin. I keep a couple of rods similar to the one you listed for Sabiki Rigs to catch bait fish but put in in the rack when serious kings or bull dolphin are in the area. Rollers may be a bit overkill on the size blank you mentioned.

Seeker CLB 702 for light live bait, CLB704 for all around use in the arena you suggest.

RodMaker contained an in-depth article on building live bait rods last year.

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Bill. That was sorta what I was thinking, but could not find specs on that blank. In 6.5" I only see a 20-50 and 30-80 in their catalog, which might be OK. 6.5' would be a bit short for a livebait rod for me.

And I would certainly never put rollers on a livebait rod. Maybe they've gotten better nowadays, but I never wanted to try and cast any roller rod a second time :-)

I don't know what kind of bait you are catching with a rod this stiff but we sure don't need it. I should have been more specific with the live bait thing. I meant live bait trolling/drifting, not really much casting. We have boated nice kings 30+ lbs and some 25+ lb phins with rods having MUCH lighter action than this. We use a lot of 10-20 lb. stuff w/ 12 lb mono when doing this kind of fishing. I thought that this would be great for this application. So, am I relegated to using this 30 lb. stick for just bait?

Suggestions please....what would you do?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/01/2007 09:30PM by Matt Smith.

You apparently are using some other meaning for a 'live bait' rod. Usually at least 7', fast to extra fast, light tip and lots of backbone. Very much a casting rod.

You can certainly build yours and catch fish. Usually going with lighter rods, I go longer. The only 6.5' rod I have is a 60lber. No way you need rollers on something that light, but hey, you can do them if you like. Stripper and tip perhaps. I had rollers on my 60lb rod actually, and jettisoned them for regular ceramic guides. Now I've just rebuilt that old rod again as a spiral wrap. At least the regular Aftco's I had seriously deadened the action and feel on my rod. Would not cast at all. And I had problems with the thin spectra I use getting between the roller and frame at times.

Yours as a regular wrap with std guides, I would think 10" rear grip, 6-8" foregrip, regular fuji graphite reel seat, and something like 7 guides (16 or 20 thru 8 size perhaps) plus the tip. A lot of personal preferences, reel/line, and action dependancies. Come to think of it, you don't even mention what kind of reel or line. And I still find nothing descriptive on that blank.

What reel and line are you planning on using? I would like to try the American Tackle ring lock guides with maybe one of the ALPs reel seats would be trick. A slick butt for trolling and EVA fore grip. Or Fuji casting guides and seat would be fine.

I have a GUSA 6'6 20-40 with the Fuji HD casting guides. I wish i went lighter on the guides. Only you can decide if you like that blanks action.

The guides Matt's talking about are the composites for 2-30lb. Matt, I've known a lot of guys that have tried them, but nobody comes back for another set. I’ve never known anyone who owned more than one rod with Aftco Lightweights. Not to say they're bad or anything, I just don’t think that people have found the payoff they were looking for with these guides. They aren't real easy to wrap and they take some upkeep to keep them working smoothly or they sound pretty ratty when casting. I have seen guys with Aftco Lightweights on 8’ Live Bait rods throwing 3/4oz leadheads with the best of ‘em, so they WILL cast.

Mark Griffin
[]
C&M Custom Tackle
San Dimas, California

John,,, on a 20-40lb rod, can you tell the difference with HD guides?

Dave, Well I haven't had any others on that rod yet. The HD's seem very bulky on that thin GUSA blank. I can't imagine needing the added strength. I have fished 30 # on the regular cheapo Fuji Alum. Ox. casting guides without trouble.

Matt, I have built several rods with the lightweight rollers from Aftco. I love them I use them exclusively on my 12lb class Sailfish rods and have caught hundreds of them. I haven't however ever cast any of them but it doesnt sound like you are going to cast them either. I have also found them very easy to wrap. The prep work is a little longer but to actually wrap them I have had no trouble. I would also suggest the slickbutt and Eva forgrip for that rod. Where are you located? It sound like you are from the East Coast. Maybe my neck of the woods I am in NC. Have a great day. Scott

Thanks for all the help. I am not sure of all the specifics of the blank but I know that it is an older model blank. It was with a lot of blanks that I bought to make some inshore spinning rods. This one is marked with a piece of tape that claims 20-35 lb. (seems kind of odd to me) 6'6". Whatever it is, it has a nice action and I just got to thinking about building it. It seems like it would make a nice light rod for the type fishing I described ealier and maybe even some snapper fishing if I choose. I don't want to cast it a lot and it would be used primarily for light trolling and drifting live bait while bottom fishing. I had seen the Aftco lightweight composits and thought they looked neat but after reading your responses, I don't think that I will go with them. What then, do you recommend? As far as a reel, I have a Avet MXL that I might use (it could be a tad too heavy) but otherwise I probably go with either an Avet SX or Abu big game spooled with 17-20 lb. mono. I would like to use the lightest components that I can get away with.

I just was thinking that this would be a neat little combo but now I don't know after the response that it has drawn from you guys with experience. What do you guys think? Maybe just build it as heavy casting rod for reds and jacks? I don't think that I will be making a bait rod out of it because I still can't imagine anyone using a rod like this for sabiki rigs!? Thanks agian for all your help.

Oh yeah, I am on the northern Gulf Coast.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/02/2007 10:40AM by Matt Smith.

Matt,
From the dimensions it sounds like it may be one of the Xtra Power BEMB 786, X Hvy bass blanks. 15-30 lb line, 5/8 to 2 oz lures. 6.5 tip, .665 butt. I too have used the AFTCO lightweight guides on a Lamiglas 15-40 inshore blank. It's worked great casting, etc. for at least 8 years now, but I only use it maybe a dozen times a year.

There's conventional 'wisdom' and then there's 'what the heck'. You already have it, so build it. I tossed some ideas out there, so have others. But you are the one who can actually feel the action, mock up with a reel to see the line path, and guess how it all fits with what you want to do. Lots of opnions around, but your own is the overriding one.

Heck, if I just went by conventional opinions, I would lose uniqueness and initiative. I've a rod sitting in front of me now that I will probably post some pics of in a few days. I'll certainly be ribbed over the poor finish, but there are some build oddities on it that go against the flow as well. Listen to, weigh, and accept or dismiss advice as regards your own idea. Mold your idea accordingly. If there's nothing pointing toward utter failure, then go with the plan. Educational at the minimum, and perhaps eyeopening for yourself and others too.

I built a similar All star blank, I think. mine is 7' and it is one of the 3 piece blanks. All star advertised it as a "Peacock Bass" rod in the finished rods. I used a combination of burl cork (rubberized) and natural cork to keep the cost and weight down. I used double foot Alconite guides on mine and did a spiral wrap. I like it pretty well. But it is an awful light blank for saltwater.