I spend all of my time fishing and making rods for the waters of Florida and have been summand to make a rod for a buddy's father who will be using it to fish for pike north of the border. I don't have the slightest idea of what blank I need to be using, any help please?

Alex,
A good northern rod is a 7 to 7 1/2 foot medium heavy for a lot of pike work.

For smaller northern, a 6 1/2 to 7 foot medium action rod will work as well.

A good share of the pike that you catch will be running 5-15 lbs. So, the medium or medium heavy rod will be a good choice.

Most of the time you are fishing in open water, so you don't have to be working weeds and brush much of the time.

When I am on my Canadian walleye fishing trips I generally use a medium light to a medium action rod and care a good quantity of Pike on the side. Even rods like this can easily handle a 10 lb pike.

You can go to a heavy or extra heavy rod, but a rod that heavy takes most of the fun out of catching the bulk of the fish.
On the other hand, if you are going after Musky, the use of these heavier rods are right on.


Good luck
Roger

Here is a nice link from a lodge in the heart of Canadian Pike country.


[www.littlemoose.com]

Check out the link and read about tackle, locations, and types of rods and reels.

Good luck
Roger

The MHX MB844 is a very nice blank for pike-sized lures.

jeremy

I agree with Jeremy,

I will second the MHX MB844. If he wants to use it as walleye rod too step it down to a MHX MB843, which built correctly is a great all round blank for walleye, bass, walleye. Both suggestions built as a casting rod.

Thank you guys very much!

I think the technique and lure weights are much more important than other blank parameters. Choose a blank that will cast the lure weights that he intends to use. If trolling a lot, a mag bass action works well. If open water most of the time, something a little slower would work well, selected for lure weight.

I think the technique and lure weights are much more important than other blank parameters. Choose a blank that will cast the lure weights that he intends to use. If trolling a lot, a mag bass action works well. If open water most of the time, something a little slower would work well, selected for lure weight.