Greetings -

I'm looking for some blank recomendations for an upcoming project. I'm looking for a 2 piece, 8 or 9 ft blank. I'll wrap this as a spinning rod and use it for yellow tail and wahoo fishing off Mexico. Probably fish 60 pound braid with a 30 or 40 pound top shot on a Shimano Spheros (18000).

The action I am looking for can be found on some Japan-made "shore jigging" rods. Very strong lower 4 feet, but a really soft tip section. One guy on a long range trip I was on last winter had a 9 foot rod that could cast small surface iron and tuna poppers "a country mile". But when he had a good size fish on that dove deep, he could stand at the rail and the bend shut down and he could fight his fish with the lower section of his rod really stiff (and the upper half of his rod just bent down and pointing at the fish). Sorry if that's a weird discription.

I seem to remember his rod might have been called a "Major Craft Shore Jig Specialist". Any ideas for me to consider in a similar blank?

Thanks in advance for your help. This site is such a wealth of knoweldge. Truly a gold mine of experienced and generous fellow rod builders.

Regards,
John Esler

Try to bring up ( Hot Shot Blanks ) Soft tip and power in the butt maybe what your looking for

Bill - willierods.com

A freiend stopped over last night and said he'd seen American Tackle Company's Bushido Super Composite blanks used for this purpose. I'll look in to those.

Thanks,
John

Give Ben at American tackle a call Ive built a few bushidos latley just not that heavy t hey are a super nice blank. Im sure he will point you in the right direction.

Cheers

Mark Newcombe
Old Bar NSW
Australia
markscustomfishing.com
American Tackle Pro-Staff

Hey there John,

The BP models would be a good match for this application. Here is a link to the specs: [www.americantackle.us]. The Bushido popping blanks are routinely used around the world for big GT's and tunas. Not sure if they match what you saw the other gentlemen using but they have accounted for unbelievably huge catches.

Ben Stein
American Tackle

Thanks guys. Some good advise here. I'll contact you Ben on the specifics for the model I should aquire. If these handle GT their more than capableof handling the wahoo and yellow tail I catch.

Thanks,
John

GT blanks have a stiff tip to cast heavy poppers, 3-8oz.. Tuna blanks have a softer tip for casting lighter lures, 2-5oz. Both have incredible back bone to fight big fish. Some brands to look at for tuna blanks in no particular order; Saltywatertackle Race Point Special, Black Hole Cape Cod Special, Spinal, CTS, United Composites, OTI, Temple Reef Black Devil, Phenix. Blanks will range from $150 to $400 and are well worth it for what they are capable of.

GT blanks have a stiff tip to cast heavy poppers, 3-8oz.. Tuna blanks have a softer tip for casting lighter lures, 2-5oz. Both have incredible back bone to fight big fish. Some brands to look at for tuna blanks in no particular order; Saltywatertackle Race Point Special, Black Hole Cape Cod Special, Spinal, CTS, United Composites, OTI, Temple Reef Black Devil, Phenix. Blanks will range from $150 to $400 and are well worth it for what they are capable of.