Hey all of you! I am glad to find this site! I am going to be a first time rod builder and am very excited about it although a bit overwhelemed!! What would you guys recomend as buying for a first time bass crank bait rod?? And also what would you reccomend as a good all around rod blank for Alligator point Fl as a gift for my brother and my Dad. We may be going there as a faqmily in Sept. I would really like to suprise them with a awesome gift for the trip. PLUS please descripe to me what the difference between a freshwater rod and saltwater rod is..

GCB70M GB 7'0" 1 10-17lb 1/4-3/4oz 0.640 .080/6.55 Mod-Fast 3.37 oz Small crankbaits and topwaters,1/4oz spinnerbaits
GCB70MH GB 7'0" 1 12-20lb 3/8-1oz 0.658 .083/6.5 Mod-Fast 3.94 oz Large crankbaits & topwaters, 3/8&1/2oz spinnerbaits
GCB710MH GB 7'10" 1 12-25lb 3/8-1 1/4oz 0.660 .076/6.5 Mod-Fast 4.25 oz Large deep diving crankbaits
These ar Batson glass crankbait series blanks and the work fantastic

Ron Weber

Hi Robbie,
The difference between salt and fresh is not huge. Things in salt are a lot more prone to corrosion so you need to select components that will resist it, particularly guides and reelseats, and every time you use them in the salt make sure they get a good wash. Most saltwater rods, but not all, are heavier and there is not as much focus on sensitivity. Guides are usually bigger and more robust to handle the bigger fish, altough there are some big critters in the fresh.
Welcome to the wonderful world of rodbuilding, it can be an addictive hobby. Do some practice on an old rod or tube before you try and build one. The search function on this forum will yield a lot of info on everything associated and you can always ask questions. Don't be in a hurry to get the first one finished although that can be difficult.

ESFNEM Col
Port Kembla, NSW
Australia

Hi Robbie,
The difference between salt and fresh is not huge. Things in salt are a lot more prone to corrosion so you need to select components that will resist it, particularly guides and reelseats, and every time you use them in the salt make sure they get a good wash. Most saltwater rods, but not all, are heavier and there is not as much focus on sensitivity. Guides are usually bigger and more robust to handle the bigger fish, altough there are some big critters in the fresh.
Welcome to the wonderful world of rodbuilding, it can be an addictive hobby. Do some practice on an old rod or tube before you try and build one. The search function on this forum will yield a lot of info on everything associated and you can always ask questions. Don't be in a hurry to get the first one finished although that can be difficult. Use the KISS method wherever possible.

ESFNEM Col
Port Kembla, NSW
Australia

You're talking about my neck of the woods there Robbie. That whole area from Panacea to St Joe Bay has the most beautiful water and full of trout and redfish.

For a crankbait rod, I'd check out the MHX CB842, 3 or 5 depending on your intended lure weight range. These blanks will suit this need just fine.

Alligator Point, like the most of that area is somewhat concentrated on trout, redfish and flounder, generally inshore/light tackle awesomeness. Any of the MHX Spin Jig blanks will work very well for those species. I prefer the SJ843 for throwing plugs and the occasional jerk bait. The new High Mod series has a full selection of the spin jig line.
If they're throwing live bait under popping corks, the MHX L842 is a hoss of a rod blank. I've landed several large trout & reds with this blank and it's a favorite for some local guides.

You can spend as much or as little on components as you want, just depending on your cleaning habits. I use the American Tackle Ring Lock with SS frames & Duralite inserts for these types of rods. But I am religious about washing them after a trip and they get babied a good bit. You can certainly go with titanium frames but I don't feel that they are required.

I hope this helps & feel free to contact me if you need anything.

For Alligator point, Fl. you could consider a "popping rod". This assumes you will be fishing inshore for redfish and trout. A popping rod could work as a bass crankbait rod too.

You will quickly come to see that there are a variety of rods for a reason and an "all around blank" is basically a mistake. I don't know your home waters and what you mostly fish for.

In general it would be good to have a mag bass blank. That will do for general large mouth bass fishing and can do for inshore salt water work and light offshore work. A popping blank is good for inshore and crankbaits/drop shot for bass. A spin/jig blank is good for working jigs and such and will work for both fresh and salt water (and might be thought of as an all around type).

Baston offers good value. The MHX blanks are nice for the money too. St. Croix makes some great blanks but you are getting into another price range. Lamiglas offers something for every need at a number of price points. IIRC seeker offers one of the more highly thought of crankbait rods. Castway makes some nice ones for specific things like punch, spinner bait, and frog (and in particular for areas like Alligator point Fl ).

I doubt I helped any:) Best I can say is count on building several rods!

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

+1 on the seeker bc706s. best all around glass crankin rod out there (in my humble opinion). I also very much like the the lamiglass skeet reese glass blanks. The 7' is great for traps and shallow cranks. the 7'6" is awesome for deep divers. The castaway XP3 crankbait blanks are also very nice for a graphite blank. They did a nice job of getting that glass feel into a very light-weight graphite blank. Can't bark at the price either.

Regards,
-Justin

x2 on the castaway blanks for graphite.

I once had a post about the differences between a feshwater and saltwater blank. You could search on my name and find it. IMHO a saltwater blank is typically more rugged and will weigh more for the same ratings.

One point that is worth understanding is that as you move up the price line in blanks they tend to become more fragile. That might seem backwards. All I can say is a high end sports car tends to be more fragile than a pickup truck!

By the time you get to a $50 blank there is a good chance you are already past the level of any sane priced store bought rod. Now if you are the kind that doesn't mind spending a couple/few hundred on a rod that might not apply.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

Thanks to all of you guys for all the great info! I can see this is going to be a valuable tool as I get into rod building. Col, thanks for clearing up the saltwater/freshwater question. How great is it that mentioned Alligator Point and to have someone reply that knows the area. I am already writing down all of your suggestions on the rod blanks to start looking them up online as we speak!

Robbie

Hi Robbie, Welcome to the sport, be prepared to get addicted.

I would second Robs suggestions above. The Batson glass cranking sticks are awesome.

GCB70M GB 7'0" 1 10-17lb 1/4-3/4oz 0.640 .080/6.55 Mod-Fast 3.37 oz Small crankbaits and topwaters,1/4oz spinnerbaits
GCB70MH GB 7'0" 1 12-20lb 3/8-1oz 0.658 .083/6.5 Mod-Fast 3.94 oz Large crankbaits & topwaters, 3/8&1/2oz spinnerbaits
GCB710MH GB 7'10" 1 12-25lb 3/8-1 1/4oz 0.660 .076/6.5 Mod-Fast 4.25 oz Large deep diving crankbaits

For Alligator Point I would suggest a popping blank such as the Batson IP843. Great all around inshore rod for salt or fresh.

Let us know if there is anyway we can help you get started, we're glad to help in any way we can.

[us.getbitoutdoors.com]

Tight Lines and Bull's-eyes,

Get Bit Outdoors
407-542-7840
www.GetBitOutdoors.com
www.facebook.com/GetBitOutdoors

Thanks "getbit". I think it will be an addiction i'll be glad to have...My wife may have an issue though when I start putting together all the supplies i'll need. And thanks for the blank suggestions, I think that's the direction I'm leaning toward.

Robbie

Robbie,
I have to 2nd what Matthew Jacobs has recommended. For a very traditional CB action but with greater sensitivity and lighter in physical weight the MHX Crank Bait series is the cats meow. These blanks are available from 6'6" through 8' lengths in pretty much any line and lure you will be needing.
And don't forget that Mud Hole Custom Tackle is your "one stop" shopping dealer.

[www.mudhole.com]

Regards,
Todd Vivian
Mud Hole Custom Tackle

todd@mudhole.com