A client wants a solid graphite blank for an 8-ft rod for catish. I can find information about the Lipper line of solid fiberglass rods but not a place to purchase the blanks. Has anyone got information on solid graphite blanks besides Mud Hole's line of ice fishing blanks?

The latest post I found for the Lipper / solid graphite rods was dated 2007.

I don't believe anyone makes such a thing in the size and spec you're after. Don Phillips once produced some solid carbon fly rods, but he's the only one I know of and I don't think he's actively involved any more.

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Rex,
Check with Batson -
[www.batsonenterprises.com]

Look at the last style in the saltwater section.

I use quite a few of the 6 foot solid glass blanks for various types of plug and other fishing rod uses. Nearly impossible to break.

Give batson a call for your length requirement. they may have the blank listed in another section of their catalog. These are very very tough blanks.

Good luck
Roger

Other solid glass blanks:

[www.profish3.com]

If you want to pay the money, you can have these folks make a solid blank for you:

[www.composite-resources.com]

I suggest you ask the customer why he thinks he wants a "solid graphite blank" for catfish.

A lot of people are surprised to learn, that for a given weight, hollow tubing is stronger than solid bar. In other words; he may think he is asking for something that is stronger but is actually weaker. Now if we don't care about weight; a solid bar of the same radius/diameter is much stronger than hollow tubing.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

Stiffer, but not necessarily stronger. This is where we get into the problem of trying to understand what a customer means when he uses a particular word.

A tube offers more stiffness/power for the same weight than a solid shaft, but the solid shaft will be more durable, tougher. Which is "stronger" - the stiffer or the tougher rod?

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

Russell,
My guess is that he will say that the rod gets dropped into the mud when fishing.
The rod gets stepped on when fishing.
the rod gets bent double when fishing and he doesn't want it to break under these conditions.

I have been with some folks cat fishing in the middle of the night with no lights and I have seen all of these things happen while fishing.

tough tough rods are needed to hold up to this type treatment.

Nothing wrong with fishing this way, if it is the necessary way to catch fish.
Just use the equipment that will handle the conditions that are impressed upon the rod.

Roger