Somebody wants me to build him a so-called "anchor-rod" for king-fishing off the pier.
He wants a approx. 9' rod with enough "action" and power so he can cast a 4-8oz "anchor" out as far as he can.

I've never build such an animal......... ANY SUGGESTIONS??? (2pc or 1pc?? blank suggestion?? guide suggestions??)

THANKS!!!!!

Any cheap 8 or 9 foot blank capable of casting about 5 oz will do for this. It can be built either spinning or conventional.

After I posted, I realized that I really didn't answer your question. Sorry!

My personal rod is a 9 foot spinner which is one of the few rods that I own that's not custom. It is a Pinnacle bought as a combo at my favorite tackle store.

My fighting rod(s) are another story. They are custom spiral wrapped and are shorter and heavier because they aren't used for casting.

When a fish is hooked, the fighting rod releases from the anchor or mud rod where you can fight the fish unencumbered by heavy weights.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/21/2008 01:41PM by Charlie Smoote.

Hi Jan,

I want to plkug our stuff here.

We have several 8' fiberglass blanks that work well for this application. They are economical and very durable with a Lifetime Warranty.

SWB8H 8' 20-40# line, 3-6 lure, #11 top
SWB8XH 8' 30-50# line, 4-8 lure, #12 top

We have some high end 9' blanks that will work as well. They are definetely performance oriented and constructed of high-intermediate modulus graphite.

SW1089 9' 20-40# line, 1-8 lure, #8 top

And the ultimate, new "VIPER Series", available in electric blue and silver metallic color. An American Tackle introduction of aluminum powder coated twill material fused with graphite to provide a truley unique looking performance oriented blank.

AV1089 9' 20-40# line, 1-8 lure, #8 top

The Vipers are awesome, I field tested them last year in So. Cal on the sport boats throwing iron and was amazed at how well they performed. Had a chance to pass the rods around to the skippers/deck hands and they all felt they got more distance with less energy. This maybe be true but I think they were just couldn't get over the blank colors and solid titanium guides (their favorite rods feature the typical black on black with wire frame guides)

To see more, check out our web site.

Darrin Heim
American Tackle Company

any decent surf blank will fit the bill. conventional or spinning. they just throw a heavy weight as far as they can for the anchor. i would build it very sturdy as most of the pier guys i have seen can be very rough on their equipment. i would use something very durable for the butt as it will be in a rodholder. the longer ords can get the guys little more distance on their bait rod, just make sure they can cast it. i would lean toward a multipiece blank as most of the guys need it to fit in their car. good luck

The American Tackle blanks are very good for this purpose. I've seen guys on our piers use up to 12' rods. The idea is to heave an anchor weight (4-8 oz) that's a lead core and has steel spikes round the edge that di into the bottom. The technique is to throw the weight as far as possible off the pier, and then to "set" the anchor weight by pulling back on it, similar to setting a boat anchor. The reels and line used are heavy. Getting the thing loose from the bottom at the end of the day can take some heaving in reverse. The bait and figthing rod setup involve a clothespin rig or something like it, slid down the anchor line till the bait is in the water.

Because of the wide range of weights used and the considerable force used in the cast (no finesse involved, just sheer "heave") the anchor rod needs to be stout but with a "live" tip.

Heck of an oipportunity for you, though. The king guys on the piers are a close-knit group and if they see something new or "better" they'll usually want one to match. Keep close on the price, though, because most of them go to some lengths to save money on their gear - a lot of buying "used" from other king folks.

Uncle Russ
Calico Creek Rods