Hi there! Looking for suggestions fo a 7' blank
I want to build a rod for throwing a hollow or plastic frog into slop, grass, pads etc.

I will be going with micro guides.
Spiral or straight with the guides? I have never built a spiral wrap before.

Thanks for your help!

Call Lance or Bill at Swampland, they will help you, or any of the sponsors at left.

Swampland has a Castaway blank, BB1 that I think would be your best choice, it is a 7'6" rod. I would say go as long as you can for a rod for that technique. Spiral wrap would make for the most stable rod when fighting a fish in the slop and trying to pull them out of it.

IMB845. Rx7. great frog rod, durable and powerful. i've flung 5+lbers into the boat like newspapers with one

i did a spiral on mine, don't know that it matters a whole lot. Fair warning however, I can cast a bronze eye frog distances that would make it impossible to land a fish.

Regards,
-Justin



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/11/2011 11:26AM by justin keithley.

The XMB944.5 from rainshadow is awesome for that. It is increadibly light and sensitive.

[rodbuilding.org]

I worked up this layout for the XMB944.5 maybe a bit over the top for you though.

XMB944.5 Spiral Wrap
Rainshadow RX8 /Jig/swim bait 3/4-1.5 ounce

Component Part Number Part Description
Rod Blank Model # XMB944.5-TC 7' 10" 1pc 12-25lb 3/8-1 1/8oz X-Bass
Butt Cap: EVABC20 EVA Butt Cap 19.8 mm
Rear Grip: WHTS-12 12" Woven Texalium Silver Handle (1.05" OD / .970" ID)
Rear Grip Shims: WBBC+WBEC+WHKA x 4
Reel Seat : AT16-TC Aluminum Trigger R/S w/o Cushion-Silver
Fore Grip: BF35-500 5" Foregrip .375" I.D. EVA-Black
Reel Seat Trim Ring: TRS16-TC Trim Ring for Spin Seat size 16 Silver
Winding Check: AWCCO-443-tcSg Aluminum Winding Check w/cut out .443 I.D. - Silver
Hookeeper: XDSHKSS-TC SS316 DS Hook Keeper Small-Polished
Tip Top: XTCPZT06F06.5 SS316-Chrome 'P' Top 06 'Z' FLANGED Zirc Rg 6.0 Tube
Guides (see below for size and quantity) XTCLXNZG ALPS SS316-Light XN with Zirconium Ring RRD
Guides (see below for size and quantity) XTCMXNZG SS316- MXN guide with Z ring-TICH w/o Chrome frame

Guide order from the tip top Guide Guide Placement - In inches from the tip top
1st XTCLXNZG06 3" 180 degree
2nd XTCLXNZG06 6.5" 180 degree
3rd XTCLXNZG06 10.5" 180 degree
4th XTCLXNZG06 15" 180 degree
5th XTCLXNZG06 19.625" 180 degree
6th XTCLXNZG07 25.625" 180 degree
7th XTCMXNZG08 32" 180 degree
8th XTCMXNZG08 38.375" 180 degree
9th XTCMXNZG08 45.375" 160 degree
10th XTCMXNZG08 51.375" 90 degree
11th XTCMXNZG12 58" 20 degree

Karry Batson
Batson Enterprises Inc.
Ph: (877) 875-2381
Fax: (360) 683-3579
karry@batsonenterprises.com
www.batsonenterprises.com

Thats right forgot it was that blank Bill.

Will 2nd Bill Stevens on the 874. We lovingly refer to it as frogzilla. It is a dang beast.

Fessing Up - For the Rest of the Story

Sad but true!

A fellow by the name of Ed Sexton, one of the 10 Louisiana Trout Legends, uses this blank on rods for large speckled trout and redfish in the inland watters of the Louisiana Coast.

He broke four of the 874s last year and was as happy as a lark! Each time he broke on he lost a brand new Shimano Calcutta 250!

Take a look at where the things break - it should tell you a story on just how durable the blanks are!

All the breaks were identical.

He was not too sad because he won nearly every Calcutta ($$) for redfish, speckled trout and flounder.

Read the Photo Thread Text -

[www.rodbuilding.org]

Ok then shorter it is!

Rainshadow RX8 Bass

Component Part Number Part Description
Rod Blank Model # XMB874.5-TC 7' 3" 1pc 12-25lb 3/8-1 1/8oz X-Bass
Butt Cap: HESGFB1.5S-350 1.5" High End Splitgrip Super Grade ID .350"
Trim: AWCCO561-TC Aluminum Winding Check Trim for HESGFB1.5S-350
Split Grip: HESGRG4.5S-350 4.5" High End Splitgrip Super Grade ID .350"
Trim: AWCCO542-TC Aluminum Winding Check Trim w/cut out .542 I.D. - TC
Reel Seat Body: GTBTG16C-13.0 "Size 16 Graphite Casting Blank Exposed Trigger Reel Seat, Textured Gray
-Place back of reel seat 9"" inches up from butt-"
Reel Seat Hood: GTT16C-SN-TC Hood w/cushion Single Nut
Fore Grip: HEFG2.5S-250 2.5" High End Foregrip Super Grade ID .250"
Reel Seat Trim Ring: TRS16-TC Trim Ring for Spin Seat size 16 TiCH
Winding Check: AWCCO472-TC Aluminum Winding Check w/cut out .472 I.D. - TC
Hookeeper: TCHKS Hook Keeper TiCH Small
Tip Top: XTCPPZT06R06.0 ALPS SS316-RRD-P Top 06 Zirc Ring 6.0 Tube - TICH w/o Chrome
Guides (see below for size and quantity) XTCLXNZG ALPS SS316-LXN Guide Zirc Ring-TiCH w/o chrome
Guides (see below for size and quantity) XTCMXNZG SS316- MXN guide with Z ring-TICH w/o Chrome frame

Guide order from the tip top Guide Guide Placement - In inches from the tip top
1st XTCLXNZG06 4"
2nd XTCLXNZG06 8"
3rd XTCLXNZG06 12"
4th XTCLXNZG06 16.5"
5th XTCLXNZG07 21.5"
6th XTCMXNZG08 27.25"
7th XTCMXNZG10 33.5"
8th XTCMXNZG10 41.25"
9th XTCMXNZG12 49.25"

Karry Batson
Batson Enterprises Inc.
Ph: (877) 875-2381
Fax: (360) 683-3579
karry@batsonenterprises.com
www.batsonenterprises.com

Swamplands BB1’s are good blanks, great tip action perfect for pitching and skipping baits under stuff. But is a little light for fishing frogs in grass.

Batsons XMB944.5 in awesome punch rod/flipping stick. Every thing Chuck says it is, including over the top, (light and sensitive). But is a beast of a blank and a little stiff for frogs.

Have not used swampland’s XP3 874 so I can’t say

My choice would be Batsons;
RX8+C865 7'2" Hvy Fast 12-25 3/8-1 1/4oz 2.52oz. Satin Black - Jig / Slop / Frog blank
It’s designed just for that purpose, enough backbone to pull them out with just the right tip for working frogs effectively.
And can be purchased from swamplands as well.

Dean Rojas has won more money on a frog than anyone can imagine. He visited my booth at a Expo in Greensboro a few years back and spoke some about what would be the perfect frog rod. He asked to see a 7' MH rod, all I had built was a 7' Loomis IMX. he messed with the rod a bit and then pulled me to the side and said if this rod were a little softer on the tip, it would be the perfect rod. So he explained to me how he likes a soft tip then a lot of backbone to move the fish. The softer tip will skip better because it reacts better to the frog skipping the water and keeps him from backlashing line. Its truly hard to find a blank that has those features, but I felt one at the show that has all that, just cant buy them yet.

I'd do the XP3 874...that thing is a beast, but is pretty balanced. I've built the Batson IMB944...far to tip heavy without a balance kit.

Scott Sheets
www.smsrods.com