i know the members of this forum have decades of expreience in the art of rod building,years of trial and error,so i humbly ask for some advice on building the longest distance casting spinning rod possiable. for topwater plugs in 1/2-5/8 oz. range. in particular,blank selection,guide choice and placement. inshore trout and reds. the reel will be shimano in the 3000 class,with 10 lb. power pro braid.also the rod legenth, which is bettr 7' 7-6' 8'? thank you all in advance for your recomendations.

If you want to cast longer then you need a longer rod. Nobody surf casts with a 5 footer:)

In general, treble hook lures call for a slower action rod. But when casting long distances the line and reaction time will negate some of that need.

So I'm going to suggest something that was recommended to me that is "out of the box" for you to consider. A HS1023F, an 8'6" hot shot blank. These are ultra-fast blanks with a soft tip but a strong butt section. They are made for catching steelhead and come in a variety of powers (the 1023 is a "3" power' and perhaps too strong for you' but will throw those weights (and a bit more) well and will handle a bull red). I wouldn't pick them in you have a lot of structure though as they are best used in "open water". You will have to learn to crank through strikes, and not over react, but otherwise it sounds tailor made. They are really great at launching moderate sized offerings long distances. I love mine and have been using a lighter power one a lot to toss ultra-light crankbaits so I know it can work with proper restraint.

Also, do some testing and find actual line breaking strength. I found some 5# braid that tested just over 15# and was able to get 300 yards on a stradic 2500. Look up the 27X method. It is fast and easy and works well. I used fuji alconites on mine and the choker/running guides are blag 6's. I have blag 4's on the lighter power one.

Only downside is the hot shot blanks are pricey. For that reason you might care to look at a popping blank or a mag bass blank. Hard to get them in longer lengths though. Only you can decide just how important another few yards will be. But if it is hot shot blanks are casting champs. Oh, and when looking at them listed weights are typically trolling, not casting, weights so pay no mind to the 1/2-4 ounce rating.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

HS9000 ... my favorite open water inshore blank.

For maximum distance a more moderate blank is better, I would look at an 8 foot popping blank. For what you are trying to do you may be a good candidate for the MicroWave guide system.

I have built the HS9000 and it was my favorite for this. Has the backbone to stop slot reds and even a few over it.
Recently i built 2 of the RF Seeker 765 that comes in at 7ft 8 when built and used a microwave plus Minima 4 guide train. Heavier rod for sure than the HS but out casts it but most importantly holds the hookset more often. Maybe because its a slower blank? Both would serve you well.

Kind of apples to oranges comparing an S-glass to a graphite rod, that Seeker RF765 actually has a pretty fast action, much faster than most 8 foot popping or crankbait blanks.

Mike, yes it is apples and oranges, the RF765 does have a fast action but that soft tip allows for nice hooksets at distance with trebles and it casts nicely with that microwave setup. Just something he might want to think about. Build weight more important? I would go HS9000 or even a 9600. I have built both with microwaves and would be hard pressed to make the call if i could only own one of them, which it would be.

My general recommendation would be:
a 9'6" or 10' steelhead blank. 12lb up to 3/4 CW, fast action. The higher the modulus, the better (as a general rule with some exceptions). I would try first of all St.Croix Legend Elite 9'6" or Batson XST1143F with a somewhat lower price tag. Set 'em up for a fixed spool reel and you're game :-)
Cheers,
Michal

Composite Developments of New Zealand make fabulous blanks, which are well known (in Poland at least) for their long distance capabilities. Blue Rapid series especially.

Sorry if this sounds like a dumb question, but wher would I find the HS1023 blank. Who makes theHS blanks?

Sorry. That was dumb. Found . A MHX series. I musy need a nap

If it was the one from my post it is a Baston/Rainshadow. It is listed on their website under steelhead RX7 plug rods. I'll include a link that hopefully will work. They are down near the bottom of the page.

[www.batsonenterprises.com]

Russ in Hollywood, FL.