First I would like to start off by saying hello to everyone. I have been wanting to get into rod building for a little while and found this board and from what I see is very informative so I joined. I just had a few questions. As a newbie, what would be the best starter kit to buy for someone like myself. I will be building mainly saltwater casting and spinning inshore (trout, red, drum, flounder) and surf (bull red, small shark) rods? How do I know which blanks are good for my build? Also as far as where in the house to set up a workshop ie...garage, spare room? I know I will have many more questions once I get started building so I really appreciate everyone's feedback and time spent answering my post

Welcome aboard Marcos. Can't help you on which blank to choose as I"m not from that part of the country. As a rod builder you'll soon find out that it's unacceptable to think about a one size fits all rods. After a couple of years in this hobby you'll have a small, medium and large fishing rod for each of the species mentioned above. You'll want them in spinning, conventional casting and spiral wrapped. There's no stopping once you get started.

I can help with working location. The answer is probably of the above. A dust free spare room for thread and epoxy work and the garage for dirty work like reaming/turning cork or EVA. You've come to the right place to ask questions.

What's the saying, "Forewarned is forearmed." It's a slippery slope.

Marcos,

The only thing I would add, to what Mike said about a room for thread and epoxy work, is this: make sure its a room you can heat up, to do your epoxy work. I have seen too many posts in the last several years, about epoxy not setting up as fast as people would like, because of cold rooms. 72 degrees is a nice temp for me, but I have gone as high as 80, to get a faster cure (I used the rod 7 hours after finishing it.....not recommended! Lol)

Chris

For the inshore rod, a popping blank is perfect. I'd go with a 3 power for average trout and move up to a four power if you have gator trout or reds of decent size. If there is a chance of snook and/or small tarpon you'd certainly want the four power.

I think the Lamiglas LP844 is about as good as it gets. I recently bough some of the Rainshadow XP popping blanks and think very highly of them. If you don't want to spend so much money the Rainshadow IP844 is perfectly fine.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

Thank u for the input fellas I will definitely set up a workshop inside (not sure how happy the wife will be lol) and Russ I will probably go with the lamiglass blank to start off with, I have a feeling ill be making a few mistakes at first so don't want to ruin an expensive blank. Hopefully in time ill move up to the more expensive ones. I'm ordering the flex coat wrapping kit today, from what I have read hand wrapping is the preference but it comes with a dryer and me being a truck driver I feel better being able to have it spin on its own considering I'm 24/7 on call and never know when I'm gonna get called out.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/27/2013 10:09AM by Marcos Deases.

Lamiglass LP844 is around 100 bucks. Rainshadow XP844 is around 85 and their IP844 is about 58. These are retail prices. Rainshadow is one of the largest brands around in case you have not heard of them. MHX from mudhole offers good value so you could consider them plus they offer kits. The MHX P844 is 63 bucks. I'd steer you away from kits as I think it is better to pick the guides, handle, and grips you want. BTW, Lamiglas only has 7 foot blanks and Rainshadow offers them in a few sizes from 7 to 8 feet.

Do not feel like you are getting cut rate stuff by going with the IP844. It will make a very nice rod. Just that the other ones will make about the best you can buy. And If you don't know.....the more the blank costs and the better it is....the more fragile it generally is. Some folks have no business with a high end blank. It isn't just about fishing skill level....more about where and how it will be used. If you are a gun guy ask yourself if you'd take a mint colt python/anaconda piggy hunting in the swamp or if you'd leave her in the safe and take a blackhawk.

Tells us what you want to catch, where you plan to fish, what lure or bait, what reel you intend to use......and chances are someone here has built it and can provide you with complete details for a dream rod that you would have to pay several hundred to buy at a store.

Lamiglas has always been a top name in surf casting blanks. I didn't answer that question as I am not a surf caster and don't have any of those rods/blanks.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

Oh ok I got u Russ, I understand what ur saying, ill be mainly fishing trout and reds with live shrimp/mullet so rain shadow sounds like a pretty good fit for the money. And as far as kits I meant the actual wrapper/dryer. For guides handles and grips I will be picking and choosing.

Okay, when a man mentions mullet for trout bait he ain't messing around. By all means get the four power blank. Reckon you are up around the panhandle or farther west. Wish I had them gator trout in my area. The XP/LP are "faster" blanks and therefore better for bait. The IP should be a little "slower" and better for lures.

My best advice considering all points. Stretch the budget and get the LP844 if a 7 foot blank is perferred. Myself, I'd go eight foot and get the XP964 (because I'm fishing live/big baits and I can wait for the fish to inhale and hook itself and therefore want longer casts and it saves a few bucks). Assuming a spinning reel, I'd get last years 2500 stradic at a deal. Power pro used to offer a 5# braid that tested out at around 17 pounds and I got 300 meters on my 2500 (then use a 4'-6' fluro leader). I like the aero comfort seat kit that comes with a carbon tube for a rear grip. I'd cut it down to around 9 inches (depending on your forearm length) and use a CRB (from mudhole) butt cap. I'd add a short EVA forgrip around 2 to 4" long sanded with drywall screen to a half cigar shape (mudhole offers a wood grain grey/black EVA that would be ideal). I'd use the fuji alconite guide kit for longer spinning rods and add the few guides that it is missing (BYAG/BLAG guides). I'd read up on 27X method, nail knot trim bands, and static testing. I'd aim for three to four transistion guides and six to five running guides (assuming eight foot blank and total of nine guides plus tip top). I'd make the choker/running guides #4's if I planned to fish braid (and keep knots outside of the guide train) otherwise 6's are an okay choice. Wrapping 4's can be a little trying for a first project but 6's are a piece of cake. If you use D sized black thread, and paint the chrome guide feet with testors black paint it will cover a host of mistakes without much penality. I like threadmaster lite as a guide wrap finish and apply with a wide sable brush. I like U40's gel epoxy and graphite arbors for gluing up the carbon tube and reel seat.

The XP964 is a titanium grey color. It would look simple/stealthy/sharp with black guide wraps and chrome/silver guides OR silver carbon tube/grips and black guides/grips with a gunmetal guide wraps. Myself I'd go with black D sized thead over chrome guides for a quick and easy build. Add the nail knot trim bands in metallic gold/silver/red depending on other choices. This may be a bit of an overload but after a little searching and reading it should all make sense. Good luck and I'll probably be banned for giving away trade secrets....LOL!

If you take your time and ask all the right questions you can pull this off for a first time build and it will perform as well as anything you can buy in a store for $200 to 400+ buck range. Expect retail parts/materials cost to be around $200. Be advised you won't save money in this hobby/addiction but you will talk yourself into better quality blanks and parts. You will notice the difference when fishing. Consider what you spend to go fishing and how many years a rod lasts. If you spend a hundred extra on a build and it means the difference between coming home with fish or not it quickly pays off.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

Wow i cant begin to explain how much i appriciate all that. That post alone probably answered every question i will have for my complete first build. I promise it will be put to use as quickly as my blank comes in. I really do appreciate it, only difference is my preference is baitcast not spinning. I'm actually from south texas, Corpus Christi to be exact but we do get some pretty good sized sow trout down here. Again thanks for all the info

Nah, you will have a lot more questions. My answers are just one set of opinions (and you know what they say about them). Search the archives here and you will get a quick education. After a bit you will be able to separate the wheat from the chaff. Others here have a ton more experience at building rods.

For a baitcaster the prevailing thought is the line guide at the reel is, in effect, your first guide. It is quite small and why would any guide need to be bigger? Yet virtually all store rods have a butt guide that is many percent larger. Current thinking might suggest a double foot butt guide as small as a 6 followed by a dozen single foot 3's. That is going to look radically different from what you may be used to. Ths can be a major impediment to you building the best rod you can. So be prepared to do some learning.....not just in the normal way.... but in terms of learning to accept something very different as superior. And I haven't even mentioned an acid wrap yet (as in looks so weird you HAD to be on acid when you made it).

I look forward to seeing how your build moves forward. Who knows, by then maybe my daughter will have a job and I'll be able to start building my XP964 (which I was thinking of using a curado on). Don't have no redfish, and only little trout. but we do have snook here) I'll have to wait for a vacation to my brother's place in Pensacola for a real trial.

For some grip concepts to droll over in the mean time try Riley Rods.
[www.rileyrods.com]

Russ in Hollywood, FL.