Hey everybody! I'm heading up to the Floribama area for some fishing the first week of July and need some help on rod selection. The plan is to fish the bottom (80' of water) with live/cut/dead bait on 3-~10 oz of lead and would also like to do some jigging (bottom bouncing or yoyo style) in the same weight range, for snapper and grouper. Using 50-80lb line and would like a 7' rod. What would you suggest for this?

As for guides, I'm planning on turbo style guides in an acid wrap, will these be strong enough? I build rods on the cheap typically, I love Am. Tack's ATX blank series. Also looking at Hypalon grips & Am. Tack alum reel seat.

Another question, gimbal butt cap, who makes one to match the OD of standard hypalon grips?

I can suggest either a Seeker blank # SS-CJBF70H rated at 40 to 60 line or SS-CJBF65XH rated at 30 to 80. I have only ever used these as factory built so that's all I can suggest! Very strong rods! They have thick butt ends(not great if you like EVA or hypalon and a real nice taper. Not real expensive as a blank. I'm sure others will have more suggestions.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/30/2008 10:53AM by John Martines.

I build quite a few of these types of rods and the most popular blanks are the Seeker JB80H (expensive) and the Gator Glass T80XH (Cheap). Both are 8' blanks but are made in 7' lengths also. Because of the price the Gator Glass are the most popular and I build for some commercial grouper guys and I have yet to have one break.

As for guides I use either the single foot boat guides (hardloy) or the Non-fouling guides. Typically people fish for grouper with locked drags and the more expensive guides (SIC) are not needed because the line doesn't move across the guides fast or long enough to build up enough friction to break 80lb. test. For a spiral wrap I'd go with a set of hardloy boat guides.

Also I fish with the butt stuck under my arm rather than out of rod holders or fighting belts so a gimbal is not necessary and only creates the possibility of dinging the gel coat when drug across the deck of a boat.

Scott, I forgot that you were just around the corner from me should have emailed you.... but for the hardloy boat guides, which ones are you refering too? The "turbo" style or the beefed up double footed "casting" style guides? We will probably on be in 10-15lb fish, so could/should I go lighter? This is way out of my normal light rod stuff, reds/snook/trout...

For the guide sizes, what would you suggest? 20 stripper & 12's on down?

Also for the butt cap, what do you use? I guess I really have no idea since I've either used gimbals or custom caps on my cork grips.

Thanks,
--Scott



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/30/2008 02:56PM by Scott Taylor.

I use a double foot for my butt guide and the rest are the single foot heavy duty boat guides (I've used both the turbo and boat guide for the butt guide. It's all about personal preference. Here is a pic of my typical setup

[i25.photobucket.com]

and a close up of the single foot

[i25.photobucket.com]

and the double foot boat guide

[i25.photobucket.com]

I use a 20,16,12,12,10,10,10,10 for my sizing and for the butt cap any rubber "doorknob" type butt cap works but if you are using a fighting belt you should go with the gimbal, although I don't know anyone that uses one.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/30/2008 03:35PM by Scott Youschak.

GUSA Wahoo Jr Composite Heavy shown here with 20#'s hanging off the tip - [northeastrodbuilders.com]
GUSA P-URC 0H Plus - this one is a 60H Plus, but you can get an idea of the bend anyway [northeastrodbuilders.com]

Billy, I hadn't heard of the Wahoo but looks bad ars. That would be great for grouper but not so much for Wahoo?? Just a little to much $$$ for a bottom stick. I can see the increase in sensitivity but weight savings would be negligible after strapping a 6/0 to it.

Scott, the Wahoo JR Composite Heavy is reailed for $125, which is $6 more than the retail on the CJB70H, and $15 less than the Super Seeker. The regular Wahoo is all graphite, and I know a couple of guys using it for Grouper fishing in Florida, but it's not a blank for someone not used to fishing with graphite.

The Composites are new from GUSA, and currently I am on of the few carrying them in the US. Here are the "official" specs on the 7' Composite Wahoo
Wahoo JR HC 7'0 Mod 50-80# Tip: 10 Butt: 0.81 Weight: 7.55oz Price: $ 125

What makes the GUSA Composites different is that they have the helical design from butt to tip (made from graphite), so there is more lifting power than other composites which have all glass in the tip, and the tip kind of flops out unless there is a substantial amount of material to give it strength.

Billy Vivona Wrote:
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"but it's not a blank for someone not used to fishing with graphite."


What do you mean by that Billy? Also, what guides are on that Hoo Jr? How would it work as a 50lb troller? I may have to email you about a package; blank & book/weaving jig....

I mean if you are used tofishing a Gator Glass which you can stick itin a rod holder with a 6/0 and drag tightened tothe MAX, then run the engines to drag the fish away from structure - thenyou will have a problem fisihng an all graphite Wahoo. The Wahoo Jr Composite is different, you would be able to fish like that, just as you could fish the Seeker, and Calstar, and Lamiglas Composites. I want to make sure we're clear - I am recommending the COMPOSITE Wahoo which is 7'. The WahoowhichI beleive Scott was referring to is 8' and 100% graphite, and imonot the right blank for this type of fishing,

What guides - you can use anything from Fuji MNSG's, on up to HBSG's, depending on what you prefer to use.

I thought the Wahoo was composite still a lot of money compared with the Gator Glass. I've never needed much sensitivity, especially grouper fishing, and the Gator Glass is a work horse. A lot of people, including myself, like to over build rods with the best components available, but for bottom fishing, cheap strong fiberglass and hardloy or NSG guides will work just as good, IMO.

Billy, I might be looking into gettin a few of those Wahoo Jr blanks. Right now for lighter bottom rods, I use a St Croix 2M79XXXHF modified to 7' (65-100). The guys I build for generally want a very light bottom rod still capable of muscling a grouper out of the rocks. I do have to take the time and educate them however on the proper use of a graphite rod vs a glass beat-up-able one. Gator glass is my goto for the guys who want a rod when pairing with heavy reels as the weight factor doesnt exist there.

Scott, you recommended a composite blank which is $6 less than the blank I recommended, so if it's a lot of money, it's a lot of money for both the rod you recommended, and the one I recommended. And the one John recommended.

Sean, To add to the confusion, there ARE Wahoo Jr graphite blanks, which are 7' and rated 50-80#. The Wahoo 8' graphite has been used to jig Tuna over 200#'s, the Junior is the 7' version of that blank. Teh Composite, is obviously the composite version of that blank, lol. The Graphite is a bit lighter - the 8' Wahoo is 8oz, I do not have a weight on teh Wahoo Jr Graphite at this time.

I recommended the Seeker but said in my original post that it was expensive that is why I've been building the Gators. I also said that GUSA Wahoo looks like a great blank for this type of fishing but the original poster said he typically makes "rods on the cheap". I'm not arguing with you just trying to best fit his original specs.

Oh, I misunderstood, which is why I was arguing/confused, lol. I thought you were giving him an option of an expensive blank, and a less expensive blank.