Hey everyone, first time poster here. This looks like GREAT website and forum, I'm looking forward to visiting.

I wanted to get opinions on good blank choices for butterfly style jigging, using heavy spinning gear and 50 - 65 lb test braid. The fishing will be well offshore Texas (Port Aransas) and Florida (Destin) for such beasts as AJ, Kings, Mahi, Grouper, etc. I also intend on trying this setup here in Arkansas. I live a little over and hour from Lake Ouachita, a great striper lake, with fish past 65 lbs out there!!!

Thanks in advance for your replies!

Dave

Not really up to speed on that technique but maybe this will help-

[rodbuilding.org]

Batson's knife jiggers

It depend what kind rod action you like, parabolic action or fast taper action.
There is a lot of blank made special for butterfly jigging or speed jigging.
OTI (Ocean Tackle International), Jigging Master, Black Hole, Synit, Spinal, Jaws, etc........ too much to list.

The Seeker Hercules GTS60H peeks my interest. I read the one link posted and have read others before about it and the others in the line. They sound like semi-bulletproof, relatively light, moderate action blanks that might fit my needs. Funny though, one of the writers who sounded like he was in the business called them "fast action" rods.....................

Go figure?

Thanks, and any further tips or recommendations would be most welcome, especially by those who do this type of fishing.

Dave

If you like moderate/parabolic action go with Synit, Black Hole, Spinal.
They're used nano resin technology, soft tip to work on wide range of jig and plenty of backbone to pull the big one but easy on the angler back.
I have been speed jigging at the GOM for five year now, My email is open if you want to contact me.

}>###((*< ......... Blue Water Jigging and Popping ........ >*))###<{

Riley Rods would be another good source for information. Their link is to the left in the sponsor column.

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Duuuh.......I completely 100% forgot about Riley blank (sorry Mike)
Riley blank it has parabolic action as well and the price range is affordable.

}>###((*< ......... Blue Water Jigging and Popping ........ >*))###<{

The Mudhole/American Tackle blanks, Batson and JAWS will all work and have a moderate action. With the Hercules from Seeker, it is a fast action and has a softer tip and more backbone. I had the 60H up to around 30# of drag and near the foregrip isn't even flexed. The 2009 OTI 600gr blank is more of a mod fast action, where it flexes a bit farther down than the Hercules, but takes more to do it. The first 3 blanks I listed are more of the Parabolic style, where they will normally flex into the foregrip area relatively easily. I've built on several OTI, Am Tackle/Mudhole, Batson blanks and a JAWS and a few Hercules. All are quality blanks! I don't have much experience with the Black Hole, Spinal and Synit as much mainly due to the higher cost of the blank.

Thanks for the great tips y'all, I really appreciate it! It's strange to me that here and elsewhere I've read that people who have made rods from the Seeker Hercules GTS60H call it a fast action blank when Seeker's own site labels all Hercules blanks as medium action?!? See below from their webpage:

Hercules “S” Glass Composite
BLANKS
Model No. Length Line Size Action Tip Size Butt Size
GTS70L 7' 15-30 MED. 7 .660
GTS70M 7' 30-60 MED. 8 .694
GTS70H 7' 40-80 MED. 9 .822
GTS60H 6' 40-80 MED. 8 .750
GTS60XH 6' 50-100 MED. 9 .750
GTS80 8' 15-30 MED. 8 .659
GTS80H 8' 30-60 MED. 9 .686
GTS90 9' 15-30 MED. 8 .698
GTS90H 9' 30-60 MED. 9 .722

I'm at a loss here as the why they would do this if the blanks were that fast? Any takers.......................... and I'm not questioning anyone's judgement here, just trying to learn and make a wise decision on a blank. As I have said, butterfly style jigging is all new to me, I have zero experience at it yet, that's why I'm asking for advice and preferences on blank action from people who're in the know and have built rods from them and fished with them.

I have plenty of time. I'm a member of the Corpus Fishing Forum (home town) and we have an offshore trip lined up for early June. Last time we did this I just used the lousy gear supplied from the boat and bait fished. It was fun and I ended up with 13 beeliners, a 26-28 lb cobia and a 70ish lb hammerhead. My hope and thinking is that jigging may catch me fewer fish but more of the desirable species, that is to say larger, great eating stuff!!! Any thoughts on this point are welcome.

The manufacturer's listing for Action is, just like that of rod builders, a subjective opinion of where the blank initially flexes. Outside of a quantifiable system such as the CCS Action Angle measurement, that's all you have, a subjective opinion which due to the lack of resolution in the "Fast, Medium and Slow" observations, is never going to be agreed upon by all.

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I realize that and I'm not trying to argue with anyone.................. I have much more faith in those who have built and or used the blanks, because the guides and all other add ons as well as the fish on the other end can make things feel totally different. That's why I'm here asking those folks! :)

Just trying to educate myself.

Not arguing, just explaining why Seeker may list a blank as Fast while some rod builders call it Medium. That action "system" is based on subjective observation, not any sort of quantifiable measurement.

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I gotcha.