I have a 6' 6" rod blank with a line rating of 2 - 6 lbs. I want to trim the rod to 6' 0" and maintain the same line rating. Can I do that by trimming 3" from the butt and 3" from the tiip?

Julian,
If you want to keep the same light tip on the rod, do all of your rod trimming from the butt of the rod. By doing all of the trimming from the butt end of the rod , you will still have the nice light tip that is currently on the rod. If you start to trim from the tip of the rod, you will quickly be turning the blank into a clubby rod that will not be very good for doing this light line fishing.

When you check into a manufacturers given line of a specific action and find that they have a series of rods that run from 5 1/ to 7 feet, you generally will find that the first 5 1/2 feet on all of the blanks are identical. The only thing that the manufacturer is doing is to add length to the butt. So, you can do it in reverse. If you want it shorter, then just trim off the butt and keep the nice light tip that makes it the light action rod that it is.

Take care
Roger



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/01/2011 08:25PM by roger wilson.

+1 what Roger said. Just keep in mind that when you trim a blank, whether it be from the front or the back, the resulting blank will have a little less power and a little less tip speed. How much depends on the blank that you 're starting with.

If you're familiar with measuring speed and action using the CCS then you can find out the difference.

First measure action and speed at the full 6 1/2 '.

To measure the difference if trimming from the butt, move the blank back in your holding device to account for the 6" trim.

To measure the difference if trimming from the tip, mount a guide 6" from the tip and measure.

Good Luck.

Thanks,
Chad Huderle

Huderle Custom Rods
Prior Lake, MN

Many manufacturers build their different length blanks on separate mandrels - they don't just add length to the butt, as that would make the overall actions different.

If you trim from either end, you slow the action. Trimming from the tip increases the lure weight casting range by a bit, trimming from the butt reduces the overall power or deadlift capacity.

Taking 3 inches from both ends of a 6'6" blank will markedly change the action and power. You might try choking up on the blank with your handle and taping on a single guide as a tiptop back from the tip, and rig up and see if the result is something you can live with. Best to do this before cutting as the best surprise, is no surprise.

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So, if I take the 6" from the butt end the action will not change, but there will be a small decrease in power. Or will there be a corresponding slight change in the line rating?

The action will change if you remove anything from either the butt or the tip - it will become slower. Trimming from the butt will also reduce power and therefore the line rating.


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roger wilson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Julian,
> If you want to keep the same light tip on the rod,
> do all of your rod trimming from the butt of the
> rod. By doing all of the trimming from the tip,
> you will still have the nice light tip that is
> currently on the rod. If you start to trim from
> the tip of the rod, you will quickly be turning
> the blank into a clubby rod that will not be very
> good for doing this light line fishing.
>
> When you check into a manufacturers given line of
> a specific action and find that they have a series
> of rods that run from 5 1/ to 7 feet, you
> generally will find that the first 5 1/2 feet on
> all of the blanks are identical. The only thing
> that the manufacturer is doing is to add length to
> the butt. So, you can do it in reverse. If you
> want it shorter, then just trim off the butt and
> keep the nice light tip that makes it the light
> action rod that it is.
>
> Take care
> Roger
Roger is that second sentence,first paragraph correct?

Bruce,
I corrected the word tip to read - trim from the butt of the rod.

Take care
Roger



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/01/2011 08:24PM by roger wilson.

Bruce,
Remember, in recent years; many rod manufacturers have come out with extra fast action tips. They do this by making the last 6-10 inches of the rod much more flexible than the rest of the rod. Often, especially on very light tipped rods, the very sensitive soft tip is really only in the last two or three inches of the tip. If you begin to trim much at all from the tip of these light tipped rods, you begin to make huge changes in the softness and or sensitivity of the tips.

The comments that Mr. Kirkman, as usual, are spot on. But when I have a light tipped blank, and want to keep that light tip, I will avoid trimming even a fraction of an inch off of that tip.

On that same vein, when I hear comments about a person that has a light action Walleye rod, and has broken off the top 4 inches and put a new tip on the shorter rod; I just shake my rod in disbelief. As far as I am concerned, they have essentially ruined the rod for the application for which it was intended. It will have a much stiffer tip and will be useless for its original application. It may be all right for something else, but certainly not for the original application.


Take care
Roger

I think Roger meant butt not tip on that second sentence

______________________________________
Super Tight Lines......Don

No doubt, taking an inch off the tip will change the rod a lot more than taking an inch off the butt.

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That was my thoughts too.I figured taking 6in. off would ruin that nice soft tip.May be wrong.I may be reading it wrong but I dont think he said what he intended to.

Thanks for the help! Now if I understand all of you, I should trim the butt end 6", which will maintain the soft tip action, but will reduce the power somewhat. Did I read you right?

Pretty much, but just remember that now that you'll have a rod which is shorter overall, the tip won't seem as fast, but it will remain just as soft as it was before.

...............

Sorry,
I didn't pick up my error on the first correction.
Roger