i work on a head boat on the outer banks of nc and im looking to build about 10 new rods for the up coming season. ive already replaced the guides and fixed up all of our existing rods. the rods will be used for bottom fishing in 90 to 300 feet of water for sea bass and tilefish. its very important that they will be able to stand up to a lot of abuse and if possible i want to keep the cost of the blanks under $50 a piece. im not looking to build anything fancy just simple and functional. any advice would be greatly appreciated. thanks, charles

How much weight is typically used? What size and types of fish is most common?

most of the time we use 16 oz lead but we do have 24 for the days when the current is running strong. seabass and tilefish are the most common and range between 2 and 12 pounds but we do catch an occasional grouper in the low 20's. we use mono line because its better with tangles but the mono can make it hard to feel a bite in 300 ft of water.

I would go to Batson .695"x.220"x72" Black / White 6'0" 1 60-100 LB n/a 0.695 14.0 Fast n/a $25.06

CHARLES CALL MIDWEST ROD AND REEL IF YOU WOULD LIKE THAT ROD BLANK...AND IF YOU GET 10 OF THEM I'LL DO BETTER ON THE PRICE...CALL IF WE CAN HELP YOU OUT

Bill@midwestrodandreel.com
www.midwestrodandreel.com

Solid white glass blanks were made for this. No idea what models or Manu's. Aluminum seats, wire guides with no inserts, the less guides teh better. Hypalon grips instead of EVA, but you could find old Ash wood handles, or probably use a piece of slick butt, PVC, or some other plastic for teh butt grip.

I agree with Billy for sure.... the customers beat the crap out of the stuff anyway.........

A solid glass blank is an option but they are very heavy and often just have a parabolic action. The Gorilla line of blanks we designed for hard use (head boats) but are lighter because they are tubular eglass with a solid glass tip section and feature actions suitable for bottom fishing, check them out at:
[www.mudhole.com]

Another option used a lot on head boats are the Gator rod blanks because of their durability, several actions and line classes are available:
[www.mudhole.com]

Ceramic ring less guides are the way to go:
[www.mudhole.com]

Regards.
Team Mud Hole Custom Tackle
Web: [www.mudhole.com]
Email: sales@mudhole.com
Toll Free Phone #: 1-866-790-RODS (7637)

Stay Connected with us:
FaceBook: [www.facebook.com]
YouTube: [www.youtube.com]
Instagram: [www.instagram.com]
Tik Tok: Tik Tok: [www.tiktok.com]
Twitter: @mudholetackle

Most of the charter or party boat guys I've dealt with want solid glass, spiral guides, and either slick or wood handles.
Very few want anything other than pure durability.
After being onboard a few party boats, and seeing how most rods are treated, anything less than indestructible is pretty much wasted money.