I'm deciding to try to build my first rod to sight fish for cobia (ling) of the piers in Florida. I will be using 2-3oz jigs and 40lb braid and/or 20lb mono. I already have a custom rod for king mackerel that I had built that utilizes the 'cone of flight' method. I was wanting to try something different. It will be a 8.5ft, moderate action, 15-30lb spinning rod with a spool diameter close to 80mm (Mitchell 302 or Penn706z). I'm up for ngc, 27x or whatever anybody suggests. Thanks



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/01/2011 03:57PM by Ashley Simmons.

Ashley,
Guide sizing and placement is pretty simple.
Take a roll of 1/4 inch tape. Start to bend the blank from the tip down, Where the blank bends first, but a piece of tape. Continue to bend, put a piece of tape, etc. until you get to the butt section of the rod.

Put a tip on the rod, a guide at the first place where the blank bent and then additional guides to allow the line to follow the contour of the loaded rod. You really don't need a tape measure or worry about anything else. Put just enough guides on the size that are commensurate with the positon on the blank to allow the line to follow the countour of the loaded blank. If you are building a casting rod, and if you care about keeping the line off of the rod, put enough guides and or tall enough guides to keep the line off of the blank when the blank is loaded.

After taping the guides to the rod, place the reel on the rod that is going the rod is going to use. Run the line through the guides and check to see the line flow from the reel to the tip of the rod. Pay particular attention to see how the line flows on an unloaded rod when the lure or jig is retreived. I like to be sure that the line follows the full diameter of the first guide as the line is retreived. If, I find that the line tends to hang on the bottom or sides of the first guide, I will either increase the distance from the reel for the first guide, or go to a large sized guide. I have found that by following this little tip, that the retreive effort for heavy weight is much reduced, comapred to having too small or too close a first guide on the rod.

Remember, go with as few guides as possible, and also go with as small guides as possible that still meet your needs. By doing this, you will end up with an overall lighter and more responsive rod.

With an 8 1/2 foot rod, and moderate action, I would imagine that somethere 8 and 12 guides will be right for the bland, depending on the exact configuration of the blank.

Good luck
Roger

I'll help in any way I can. IMHO you would get a much better build if you started with a smaller reel. If 20 pound mono will do so would 20 or 30 pound braid. If you buy a premium braid you can get a PE 2 line that will test much stronger than 20 pounds and you should be able to get 350 yards on a 4000 sized reel. I have one that is listed as 250 meters of PE3. This will allow smaller guides which will save money and/or allow you to consider better/lighter ones like titanium. Besides, todays reels are so much better than an old mitchell or penn. Something like a shimano spheros won't set you back too much.

What area will you fish? My brother is in Pensacola and the locals have some strong ideas about what these rods should look like. You can do a whole lot better. Have you purchased a blank already?

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

Thanks Roger and Russ.

The blank is a gator T90L. I'm cutting 6" off the butt. The mono I listed was actually if I used it to fish for kings. Braid for cobia. But it's mainly going to be a cobia rod. The kings and cobia caught off the piers at panama city get big. 50 pounders have been pulled over the rail. GREAT drag, gears and capacity is a must so a "green" fish doesn't get everybody tangled or broke off at the pylons. That and simplicity is why I like the old school spinners (mitchells with modified drag and the old spinfishers). But reel preference among others will always be a never ending debate.

You really want to read the article on New Guide Concept which is located in the Library. It answers every one of your questions pretty specifically.

Ashely, I was afraid you were going to say it was a gator glass. If you don't mind using something to get the fish up on the peir besides the rod....run over to Utmost enterprise immediately (they only have one left for 25 bucks). The have a 9 foot rainshadow rated 15-30# that is 1000% better if light weight and sensitivity is important to you. Save that gator glass for a gaff handle....or something to beat snakes and muggers over the head with.

Don't get me wrong, the gator glass is a fine product if you want to flip them fish up on the peir. FWIW guys catch big bluefin tuna with the larger sized spheros and they are a lot tougher than any king or cobia. The newer reels fish a ton more drag. It isn't even close and this is coming from a guy with a closet full of black golds, penns, baitunners, and mitchells.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

I got a gaff to bring them on the deck with. The rod will only get used to cast when cobia are spotted, not fished continuously, so initial blank weight isn't a huge factor, but I don't want to add to what's already there. Which is a good bit. Plus, i'll upgrade to more quality blanks after I build my first one. Now I'm kinda needing a ball park figure on guide size to get me headed in the right direction. Thanks for the advice and help in advance.

If it is a spinner read the article in the library, if a casting find info on - spiral wrapping.

Bill - willierods.com

My cobia rod that I started wrapping guides on 18 years ago has a 70 for the stripper guide. I am planning on building a new one and hanging that one on the wall. If you want one similar to what everyone around here uses, just look in the tackle shops from Pensacola to Panama City. Every shop has a guy that builds rods. I would honestly go to a better guide than the big wire frames. They just are not very durable compared to other guides.