I'm wanting to build a stand up tuna rod with roller guides. I was wondering what size thread should I use A or D. I plan on under wrapping the guides. This will be my first attempt at this type of rod. The rod will be in the 50 to 80 lb. line. I also want to thank all who gave me info on my post about finishing. My latest rod looks so much better than the previous. Thanks again.

Here is what I would do, and I've built hundreds of these type rods - underwrap with A. Apply your CP (if you plan on using it) then a light coat of epoxy. Then overwrap with size D. If this is an 80lb class rod, I'd double overwrap with D.

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Thanks Tom. Now I just have to decide on the colors LOL...

I agree with Tom. Underwrap of A, a thin coat of epoxy ( I used metallic green for my underwrap), and then a overwrap of D ( I used Gudebrod -246 Dark Blue), trimmed with Silver Metallic, and a coat of epoxy over the whole thing! Most Offshore rods at stores are blank underwraps and overwraps, with some trim lines in gold or silver thrown in here and there. I wanted something a little more colorful! I did a double overwrap of D, but it really wasn't necessary.

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I used the All American Rollers, and am pretty happy with them!

I have to disagree. There is no reason to use anything other than A. A wrap made with A has more holding power than the guide frame can withstand. There are only 2 'advantages' to using D: 1) its easier to wrap D over A than A over A (but if you put a coat of finish on the A this is negated) and 2) D wraps faster because of its larger diameter.

Now I'll disagree - A may have equal or greater holding power, but these rods take tremendous abuse in many cases and the thinner A size thread can be wiped out in a single abrasive slide or whack. D is generally used on these rods, and often in 2 layers, in order to provide greater protection against hard use and scrapes, not for holding power.

On the heavier rods, the thread has to do more than just hold the guide to the blank - it has to do it under many years of often hard core handling and abuse.

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Seeker triple wraps all of our rods for the reasons Tom has stated. I (because I handle the Customer Service and warranty work) see the abuse these rods receive and I can tell you in many cases it is extreme. I have seen the wraps rubbed flat on the bottom side of the rod from sliding on the boat's rail. Which, by the way, is NOT concidered a defect in material or workmanship.

I'll conceed the issues with customer abuse when you're building rods commerically. There is not much that we can do to stop it. My own stand up rods are wrapped with A and coated with just enough epoxy to level the wrap. They have stood up to years of use with no ill effects. I do not baby my rods, but I don't abuse them either.

If you're building for yourself then you can certainly control the way they're used and with that in mind, there is nothing at all wrong with using A thread. Everything you said about it is certainly true.

When building for others, however, a rod this heavy and used for this type fishing isn't going to be hurt by using D thread and you may just be extending the useful life of the rod by several years before it would need any attention.

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Thanks guys for all the tips. I think I will use A under wrap and D over wrap. If this rod turns out nice I plan on selling it. This will be my first tuna rod.

Jimmy; One of the current ways to fish these rods is to use the rail. If you are going to sell the rod you might think about using a longer fore grip to accomodate it.

Approximately how long would you suggest it be?

Jim can you spot the ones where the deckhand has repeatedly thrown the Seekers on a concrete pier and slid them about 20 feet to the guy giving everything a fresh water wash down? This practice is also a valid reason the this type of rod should not be spiral wrapped - they don't slide to good. Maybe custom builders could consider the addtion of bottom titanium skid pads for tuna sticks. I hope some marketer of TiCr blank coatings does not tell us the coating will keep the damage down!

As far as the thread go this is one place where "More is Better"!

Jimmy; That depends on the blank you choose but at least 14".

Bill; You are right they don't slide real well. The one where the deck hand grabs the tip section to lift the fish up and over the rail and then verifies that the rod just broke while the customer was trying to get the fish in is one that ticks me off.

A "tuna rod" must be built for a specific application. What type harness will you be using? Will you be fighting the fish standing up, in a chair or on the rail? Each type of application will require that the rod be built in a different way.