Hi everyone, long time reader.. first time poster!
Looking at building a heavy shore jigging/lure rod to work the deep sections off cliffs. I have a 14' locally made blank rated to throw around 3-4oz. It's actually made for bait, but im looking at wrapping it for a conventional lure chucker, as I need distance for my specific spot. Looking to pair a Daiwa Saltist Hyperspeed 30 with it and use it with 40-60lb braid,FG knot to 10-15ft of 80-100lb monofilament leader(will throw knot leader through guides due to GTs going straight to the reeeef!!!) . First question, i see a lot of lof guys that have used K series guides on conventional rods in the past. What size should my stripper be while throwing such a leader? What about if I left the leader outside of the guide(which i might do when targetting other species). Also, any preference as to what size my running guides should be? I was thinking around the lines of 12 since the FG knot is so profile.

I am thinking of using the K series TKWAG due to the frame being titanium and ring being lighter, im trying to shave as much weight as possible. And then finishing off the running or even the choker guides with low riders. Can someone please chime in!

Thanks in advance!

Drew

I suggest getting in touch with Don's Tackle since they specialize in surf rods and blanks and know the Hawaiian waters.

contact Don X2

Hi Folks,

Thank you for your recommendations.

Drew,

Since I am not aware of the rod that you are using and may not be familiar with it, I will not be able give you specific information.

I recently helped an acquaintence with a 14 foot rod using KWAG guides. The rod is rated at 2 to 4 ounces and I can not see it using anything above 25 pound line. Perhaps your rod has a much more powerful back bone. Since you will be using a conventional, you can probably get away with MNAG guides. If you do decide that titanium guides are a must, Fuji tops my list. Heavier large guides in the lower mid and lower section of your rod will have little effect on the performance of your rod. Keep the tip as light as possible.

Your stripper or butt guide size is determined by the height of the spool when filled. Reels such as JigMaster, Newell 300, Daiwa SHV 40/50 or larger sizes will use a size 30 ring. Use a 25 ring for smaller reels, You can use smaller guides if they stand higher.

The Library section of rodbuilding.org has great information on static load tests. It is a must read for building conventional surf rods.

Regarding the running guides, I'm not sure how well 100# mono shock leader knot will pass throught size 12 guides. You will need to evaluate the outcome by taping on size 12 guides and doing test casts with the 100# mono and your knot of choice. Do not be surprised if you need to to use size 16 running guides.

Most heavy duty GT plugging rods run in the 8' 6" to 10' 0" length range.

For more information on GT plugging you may want to contact the GT Fight Club at
[gtfightclub.com]

The weight of the Daiwa Saltist Hyperspeed 30 seems a little heavy to me. It is a very popular reel. Since it has been out for a while now, you may want to request an update on its service and performance at
[www.ulua-fishing.com]

Hope this helps a little,
Don

Don Becker



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/2013 01:59AM by Donald Becker.

The butt of a surf rod is (way) at the wrong end of the fulcrum for pulling power. Short of a pull straight down the guide train how many pounds of pressure can an ordinary angler exert [for more than a brief time] with a 14 foot rod at a 30 to 60 degree angle?

"how many pounds of pressure can an ordinary angler exert [for more than a brief time] with a 14 foot rod at a 30 to 60 degree angle?"

I do not know the size, weight, or strength of the average fisherman who uses a 14' rod. I do know that I can hold a 35# weight easily in each hand with hands at my side and 45# is probably doable. So, the total weight would be in the range of 70 to 90#.

Regarding the leverage that the fish has is determined by the effective length of the rod from the butt to the tip when rod is fully loaded and the lift point.. A 14' rod could have an effective length of 10 or 11 feet. With the butt as the pivot point and the lift variable, we could divide the effective length by the pulling position of 4 to 5 feet to get leverages of 2:1 to 2.75:1. Just estimates and nothing scientific. The total pressure exerted on the fish could range from 25# (70/2.75) to 45# (90/2) due to the variables assumed.

When fighting larger fish, the butt may be placed on the ground. One foot will be placed behind rod butt to lock the butt in place. The hands will placed at a comfortable height to fight the fish. An old standard was to mount the reel at belly button height to allow better use of the reel when the rod butt is on the ground. When fighting very large fish, the rod may be left in the sand or rock spike during the initial phase of the fight.

Hopefully, I'm not too far off in the outcomes.

Don Becker



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/2013 02:27PM by Donald Becker.

Don: Thanks for the information. A few days ago I got worn down pretty well in a tug-o-war with a blacktip shark on a 12' rod. After reading your post I'm going to bring along a 3' piece of 2" PVC pipe sharpened at the bottom end and a pin/stop a foot down from the top end - to use when (if) I get a strong fish on.

Easier to fight heavy fish with shorter rods

Bill - willierods.com

Hi Phil,

I'm glad that you were able to find something useful in the post. The technique goes back decades. That should tell you something about my age. Our shore rods range from 12 to 15 feet with the longer rods used primarily for long distance fishing for smaller game fish.

Don Becker