Hello all , I'm glad I found this website. I intend to put together a rod for kings off of the panhandle piers. I am leaning towards a lamiglas blank -mb1083m. I will be casting live and dead baits. I chose the blank because of the tip action and backbone. What do you guys think . I want to keep the weight down. The kings average 10 to30 pounds so I think the rod is adequate. Also I like the looks of the spiral or non fouling guides. Again , I am open to suggestions. I have a nice mitchell 402 that I have the bailess kit on and I will also upgrade the drag with the penn washers. Thanks for looking and thanks in advance for any suggestions. Regards, Stevereno

I build rods for the panhandle piers and have built on the lamiglass mb1083m. I personally don't like the action of it due to the slow action. A better choice would be the 1143f trimmed down 6 inches on the butt. As for the non fouling guides, I have a rod with them on it and they are quite nice and give the rod a classic look.

I never could understand why the guys up their are so stuck in the past on rods and reels. Foul proof guides and Mitchell reels were an okay choice back in the 60's.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

For a pier rod I would think the main priority is long distance casting of the weight you intend to fish, so wouldn't that mean max length within reason is the way to go? Jeb, why would you cut a blank off 6 inches? I'm no expert on this type rod, so I may have missed something. I can't find a blank in their catalog called 1143f, assume it is graphite? I'm certainly with you on graphite for a rod that requires a lot of casting (lighter for same job-more responsive). thanks, Mick

Sir , respectfully , what would you suggest?

Michael,
you are right about what the priority should be.
But its often more about fitting in around that area than standing out ......
Those are my home waters for salt and if you don't have a green reel with hula hoop rings you are a 'googan' and let us leave it there.
Steven:
I am using a few rods in the panhandle that work in their own way: MHX SU1088F its a two piece and portable, fast and good of fthe beach too. the 1087 looked good to me depending on how much you want to bully vs play with the fish.
Pac Bay 1087 and 1088. The 1088 is kind of numb for me.1087 is nice.
Seekers in shorter lengths at 7.8 and 8 ft, i prefer the RFL 765 to the 6 power in that series but that is just me, most would not.
My favorite is a Texas made allstar blank stretched to 9 ft 3.
Good luck trying to get one of those.
If you can wait and Hurricane Isaac does not wipe it out, i will be at the GSPP in 3 weeks and will have about 10 rods to hand and you are welcome to try them out to make your own mind up.
If you want hula hoops, you may need to speak to other folk.

I had to Google googan...lol

Steven: Utmost also have a special on a salmon/steel head 2 piece blank RAINSHADOW ISA1027F.
Add in components plus shipping and that would come in at under $100 for the build cost and for a first build may be somthing to consider.

Sounds like you should take Lou up on his kind offer. Using the search function and selecting all dates provides lots of info.

Much depends on how the rod will be used. Some guys use an anchor rod/trolley set up. More info you provide better we can help. Glad to hear you are open minded and don't need hula-hoop guides and a gator glass blank.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

OK, Lou, please define green reel and hula hoops rings and googan. I have often been accused of being naive, so please help out.

The green reel is a Penn 706 and the hula hoops are big wire guides such as mildrums or pac bay wire guides. Most of the panhandle piers do not allow Trolley fishing. They actually prefer a form of fishing we refer to as snobbling. This consisits of casting a dead bait such as a cigar minnow or a sardine and working it as if it were dying. Now as far as trimming the blank goes, it just makes the rod balance a bit better than if it were full length. The only place you can get the lamiglass 1143f is Merrick Tackle.

Thanks for all the replies guys , Hey Russ - there is some value in a mint condition mitchell reel that I will be lucky to use twice a year. I live in Oklahoma. Hey Jeb , I did find the 1143f at merrick tackle. How would you describe the action on this rod? I will be slinging dead cigar minnows so I will need a flexible tip. Is it sturdier than the 1083? I will probably go with your recommendation. I have done my homework on the guide placement- now if I can just move past the hula hoops. If so which guides would you all recommend? Thanks for your considerations-even you Russ. Regards, Stevereno

Michael:
Hula Hoops are guides so big you can stuff your fist through them.
Green Reels are modified Mitchell reels, mostly with PENN drags, although smoothies and other modified carbon drags are also used. The bail arm removed/replaced with a big roller.
Rigs are built for robustness and ease or repair on the pier rather than casting distance.
A Googan , well Google is your friend there.

Technically, 'Green Reels' are restored PENN 706 'Greenies' (also non-green PENN 706Z). Less expensive upgraded Mitchell 302s contain PENN drag washers, crosswind cams and manual pickup rollers instead of a bail. The popular modern high-end equivalent is the Van Staal. These reels all have relatively powerful, durable drag systems and high line capacity. The manual feature is extremely convenient for 'snobbling', as the line is continually going from reeling to free-spooling on the fingertip.

The pier rod will be required to cast:
1) fresh-dead or frozen cigar minnows and LYs (scaled sardines). These may be cast forcefully, but may come off the hook if cast as hard as a lure.
2) live cigar minnows and LY's (scaled sardines). These must be cast more gently, as they must not be 'slung off' or killed by the cast.
3) cobia jigs and other lures. These are cast forcefully, and maximum distance is desirable in this function.

The justification for the extremely large, old-fashioned guides is to maximise casting distance into the wind using the preferred reels and 14-20lb monofilament line in cases 1) and 2) above. When lobbing or gently casting an LY (scaled sardine) into the wind, the large guides help to avoid blow-back and fouling of the line. Monofilament is preferred over braid for social reasons, as braid may cut or badly tangle the line of other anglers during good fishing runs. For snobbling and live-bait fishing the maximum casting distance is desirable, but the minimum requirement to be effective is simply to cast from the pier into the water, so the guide setup can be as extreme or as versatile as wished, depending on how competitve the angler wishes to be in placing the bait.

For fighting fish, the pier rod may be called on to handle kingfish, cobia, blackfin tuna, tarpon, spanish mackerel, sailfish, barracuda and various sharks, etc. If the rod is used to target cobia, 30lb line capacity is preferable. Otherwise, 25lb line capacity is fine. Naturally, handling the larger fish on lighter line is an exciting challenge, but doable. When fighting fish, it helps if the rod is long (9'), as the angler must follow the fish around the pier, lifting the tip to clear other rods, etc. When the fish is being landed, it is good if the rod has sufficient backbone to help guide the fish away from pilings. Since the rod is held for long periods, it helps if the rod and reel are as light as possible. The bottom line is whether the rod is to be used both for kingfishing and cobia, or if a separate cobia rod is to be employed. A rod-reel combo used for cobia and kings, etc., will be heavier duty than one not designed for casting jigs to cobia.

For the advanced rod-builder to test guide set-ups, it would be good to tape on the prospective guide arrangement on the selected blank and cast frozen baits, or a plastic simulation, into a breeze using the intended reel and line. Compare performance of various guide types and sizes and satisfy yourself as to performance. Any old 8 or 9' surf spinning rod from a big-box store will work. Achieving excellence in a pier rod is a little more involved, and a lot more fun.

duplicate post



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/31/2012 04:16PM by Jim Kinkennon.

steven leslie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks for all the replies guys , Hey Russ - there
> is some value in a mint condition mitchell reel
> that I will be lucky to use twice a year. I live
> in Oklahoma. Hey Jeb , I did find the 1143f at
> merrick tackle. How would you describe the action
> on this rod? I will be slinging dead cigar minnows
> so I will need a flexible tip. Is it sturdier than
> the 1083? I will probably go with your
> recommendation. I have done my homework on the
> guide placement- now if I can just move past the
> hula hoops. If so which guides would you all
> recommend? Thanks for your considerations-even you
> Russ. Regards, Stevereno

The 1143f is faster in action than a 1083m. It makes a great cig slinging rod for sure. As far as other guide options, I use Fuji K series with a 50mm stripper but in a COF layout. I use a double foot stripper and single foot guides rest of the way out. Works quite well. The only thing I do differently is where you would normally place your stripper guide, place it one inch closer to the reelseat as a starting test position. As far as fishing Gulf Shores Pier, if you let me know what weekend you will be down, I would be glad to let you test out some of my rods and try the different layouts. I run a small rod building company that has a decent following from the pier patrons. If you have any questons, feel free to shoot me an email at ppcustomrods@aol.com and I will be glad to give you my phone number and answer questions for you.

Thanks for your time Jeb , you talked me into the 1143f. What is a COF layout? I'm pretty green when it comes to the lingo on this website. Also what about trimming the butt end? Yea or nay. Transport is a consideration so the shorter the better. How short is ok? I will be hanging my dinosaur 402 off of the rod. My dad would be proud! I remember him surf fishing with it when I was a kid. He was a stickler about taking care of his stuff so it came to me in very good condition.Thanks again amigo. Regards ,Stevereno

steven leslie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks for your time Jeb , you talked me into the
> 1143f. What is a COF layout? I'm pretty green when
> it comes to the lingo on this website. Also what
> about trimming the butt end? Yea or nay. Transport
> is a consideration so the shorter the better. How
> short is ok? I will be hanging my dinosaur 402 off
> of the rod. My dad would be proud! I remember him
> surf fishing with it when I was a kid. He was a
> stickler about taking care of his stuff so it came
> to me in very good condition.Thanks again amigo.
> Regards ,Stevereno


A COF layout is a Cone Of Flight layout. As far as trimming it goes, I personally trim between 4 and 6 inches off of the butt section.