I'm looking to build some stand up all roller marlin rods with short curved butts for trolling skirts from a small center console using 50-80lb lines. Any suggestions would be appreciated for blanks. I would like to put Winthrops Excell rollers on and also do leather grips if they are an improvement on hard EVA. I have had a suggestion that the United composites Challenger Platinum 50-80 could be good for this, but I want to be sure that the blank is right for 8kg of strike drag to set the hooks as well as can be done. Thanks guys!

Call or E-mail the guys out at Seeker Rod Co. They will put you on the right blank for the job! They make great stuff IMO.

IF you can get really, really firm EVA I'd go that way. But if not then leather over cork or flock over cork.

Seeker or Calstar for sure. My first look would be at the 6455XH (for 50lb) or the 6455XXH (for 80lb).

I can't advise as I'm not lucky enough to fish for them. IMHO Seeker and Calstar are the safe choices. United Composites, CTS, and Phenix would be the ones I'd look at for cutting edge designs.

CTS would be particulary high on my list to try and the Cali crowd seems quite impressed with Phenix.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

Hello Earl.

Old school I'd go with American Tackle AXRT-80 or a little newer, a Batson FSU56-XXL.
Even older school, a Lamiglas WRT 130 that will haul in a semi-truck but it weighs 21 & 3/4oz's.

Happy picking.

Bob,

New Bern, NC.

If you are fishing stand up, you are going to want no longer than 6ft. This means with a #2 butt, you are looking at 4-4.5ft blanks. The AXRT80 will create a 7ft rod which is brutal for stand up fishing. Short curved generally translates to either no harness or simple fighting belt. You want maximum power here, and additional unnecessary length is a bad thing.

I would go with AXST56XHS 50-80#. Blank is 48.5" I never want to be undergunned in a situation like that, so I tend to build this type of tackle a little on the heavier side, so you may want to even goto the AXST56XXHS.
Pair that with a numbe 2 American Tackle Aluminum Butt Short Curved will give you an overal finished rod at 5'6". The AXST60XHS for an overall finished rod of 6'0".