I am blessed to live in an area with too many fishing choices. I could fish brackish water in the back country. I could fish the flats, inshore, reefs, or blue water. I could fish fresh water too, anything from natural lakes to canals to rockpits. Exotics abound as well as native offerings. I could justify having spinning, casting, trolling, and fly outfits in power ranges from ultra light to 50-80 pound IFGA class. I might even need a center pin and avely reel if I only knew what they were.

I had once asked Tom how one gains the knowledge to look over specs and determine if a blank might be ideal for something very different than its stated purpose. His answer was it takes experience and it is something not all will be good at. My post is based around the desire to experience blanks I might otherwise overlook. My budget is limited, both in time and money, so I need to cut down on the learning curve. I'm hoping you guys can help.

I suppose it would be helpful if I mentioned what I have experience with. I'm mostly a reef and offshore guy. Other than swordfish and high speed wahoo trolling I never fish more than 30# class. Well okay grouper needs more. Mostly I fish live bait or troll dead bait. Occasionally I'll troll artificals. Most of my rods for this type of fishing have been dominated by "live bait" rods and spin/jig rods. Recently I have been branching into hot shot, musky, and popping rods. In the distant past my arsenal was dominated by names like shakespear, fenwick, lamiglass. kunnan, and sabre. Nowadays I'm moving towards baston, st. croix, and some mhx and castaway.

I remember a post a year or two back....somone (Mike?) got to do a show and they were catching bonita in carolina. Thinking maybe a 2500 reel, samari braid, perhaps 822.5 blank. That would be an example of using a blank I normally wouldn't consider for that type of fishing.

So fire away gents. I suspect if we open up we could all gain a lot of tips. I know bass guys use popping rods. I'm loving hot shot blanks. Also think any die hard jig fan who hasn't tried a st.croix oughta. So please tell me your favorites and please include a description of what technique you like it for. Do understand I might not have any idea what a "drop shot rod" is. Imagine what you would pack to fish the miami area, both fresh and salt water. I need to know why that walleye blank is perfect for yellowtail snapper and that backbounce blank is perfect for muttons. I need convincing that a mag bass blank is the right choice for tossing jigs and bait to schoolie dolphin....or snook next to a bridge piling. And I really need strong convincing that braid requires I move to a slower action rod as I despise them.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

Hi Ross,

I live on the East Coast of Australia and like you have so many fihsing options at my doorstep. Everything from river, estuary and reef and offshore fishing. There is also freshwater fishing, but I'm just not into that.

I mainly fish offshore and estuary. Our offshore fishing has two seasons (although the fish can be caught all year round). The summer season is for the pelagics - tuna, mackeral, dolphin fish etc. The winter is for bottom bashing (or reef fishing) usually in water of around 80 metres (240FT) for snapper, pearl perch and teralgin. We also have the "brusiers" such as GT, Amberjack and Cobia (black kingfish) from these depths.

The rods that I have built for this fishing are:

CTS 7FT fast action, 15Kg - built as a conventional rod. Paired with a Daiwa Saltiga overhead lever drag size 40 and 55lb braid I use this rod for trolling, bottom bashing and jigging. I use a 5 metre wind on shock leader as it is a fast action graphite rod with braid. I find that it is fine for trolling and dont have too many issue with pulled hooks. Great for bottom bashing and jigging with braid - PB on this rod is a 12kg cobia from 30 metres of water and a 9kg Amberjack from 90 metres of water (I reckon the AJ pulled a lot harder, but may have been the depth)

United Composites 7ft mod fast action 15kg - built as a convential rod also. This one is paired with a Daiwa Saltist Overhead. This rod is used the same as above. I usually give this rod to the guests due to its action being a little more forgving. Especially at the boat to assist in avoiding high sticking. I also like this rod's actions, but prefer the above rod. Best fish on this rod is an 8kg snapper (actually two in a row) from 60 metres of water

CTS 7 ft fast action 10kg - built as a spining rod. This has a shimano stella 4000FD reel with 20lb braid. This is used in for shallow reef - plastic fishing up to 30 metres (100ft) both offshore and estuary - best fish on this rod is 6kg rod cod from 30 metres of water

St Croix SCII NSi blank 40 - 65lb braid what the label says and fast action (I reckon it is a bit slower) - I haven't built this rod yet but have the blank. This will be used as a jigging rod in a spin configuration. It will have a Daiwa Catalina with 50Lb braid also and used in depths up to 100 metres for amberjack etc. Im quite excited about this rod build and hopefully will get some bruisers

Phenix Saltwater - 10 - 30lb mod fast action - I'm still building this rod also. This will be used as a light jigging rod up to 40 metres of water. and coupled with another Daiwa reel (still deciding)

I agree that you can easily use fast action graphite rods with braid, I have been doing it for years. You do need a shock leader but only 5 metres or so. I have never lost a fish from pulled hooks, plenty getting busted off on reef (leader is cut half way up). I also like a slightly slower action though, allows a little more room for error and not as much effort (you can tell the difference if you are jigging in 100 metres of water for large fish).

I also use fast action graphite rods with braid for trolling. I am targetting small tuna, wahoo and mackeral around 10KG. This will infuriate some people, in Australia it is about 50 / 50% trolling with graphite rods and braid as opposed to mono.

I still have my first Alvey Reel and still use it for beach fishing occasionally. It is now 29 years old and never been for a service, never been upgraded or repaired. They have a cult following over and there is a saying "when you are fishing with an Alvey, drop it in the surf - pick it up and shake it: you have now performed your yearly service"

Regards Adam

Hi Russ,
Another East Coast Aussie with a lot of options on my doorstep, beach, rock, estuary, inshore, reef and offshore with a lot of different species available at different times of the year. When looking at blanks I tend to keep an open mind and not focus on the manufacturers recommendations for their use. This may not be of much use to you but other Aussies that frequent this forum might. A few years back I discovered some 5'6" baitcaster blanks made by Pacific Composites, Stealth DCX 664, 666 and 668. Since then I have built a number of them for inshore work and I really like them as I'm fond of short rods out of boats. They are fairly fast, light and have got good grunt. They are rated for 4kg, 6-8kg and 8-10 kg but I use them for braid, 10lb, 15lb and 20lb respectively, although the 668 would would probably handle 30lb, I have built both spin sticks and overheads on them and their work very well, make great snapper rods. Even extended a 666 to 7'6" for a spin stick and that is a fast action as the bottom 3'6" doesn't bend at all.
I'll agree with Adam, you can use braid with fast action rods, just puts more onus on the angler not to make any mistakes, I enjoy the challenge. I'm only using about 6 feet of fluro carbon for a leader so there is not much stretch and only pull hooks when I don't get a solid hookup in the first place and that also happens with mono. I'm not infuriated Adam as if you've got the drag set properly you can troll with braid on fast action rods with little problem.
ESFNEM Col

Russell - don't buy into the 'braid needs a slow rod' hype - I don't buy that one, and I think you'd have to be Kevin Van Damme to realize any difference there.