Oh boy. A friend of mine has decided (on his own) that he wants me to build him 2 blackfish rods. The first one he wants built is a 2m610mf rated 17-30lb line. The second is a 4m79hmf rated like 30-65lb line or something rediculous like that. I am concerned with the hole graphite blank thing. I would really rather build one inshore lite and one inshore heavy hercules but in this instance my opinion isn't worth much. If he doesn't try and lift fish over 4lb over the rail will they be ok? At what point should I be concerned they will explode? Thanks!!!

1. IT's scary but a common thought is the cold weather causes graphite to break. 100% not true, Blackfishing happens to be in cold weather, adn the way we fish causes them to break.
2. Just make sure you cover your butt and explain to him that in the event the rod breaks, you are not going to build him a new one.
3. The St Croix's are fine for catching Blackfish, what they are not fine fore is...getting stuck in the bottom and being yanked like they are trying to slow down the Earth's rotation. THey are also not a fan of swinging fish into the rail and giving that last extra umph!! to get over the rail.
4. There are a lot of people using St Croix's Togging, so the number of breakages seems pretty high. VOlume yeah a lot of them blow up, but percentage wise I don't think they are any better or worse than other fast action graphite rods.

100% of them break due to user error. I'm sure one of the FW people in this forum will tell you something ridiclulous like don't high stick or don't swing fish, etc - the fact is that is how everyoen fish's, so you just have to read him the riot act and cover your butt in the event it pops.

Thanks for quick response! Btw I built that super fluker lite and the thing is awesome for porgy fishing! It seems that no matter how much I tell people that graphite is light in weight but can break, if it breaks there all like dude there's really nothing u can do. Irritating.. Btw is seeker still making the hercules 70m I don't see it on your website?

Inshore Heavy is the GTS 70M. I refuse to call it by it's model number name, lol. I have them in red, grey and will have white by the end of the week. Funny thing when it comes to weight. The blanks you mention are not the traditional Seeker overweight thick blanks that people are used too. THey weigh more than comparable graphite rods, but not by too much. On paper you end up with a rod that is 1-2oz less, that is by far less durable, and isn't always the right tool for the job. BUt...it costs more and it's "lighter" and has "better" material. Once you stick a reel with line on there, and your set up weighs between 20-30oz total, that extra 1-2oz the blank has isn't noticeable.

Well after more negotiations (mostly whining on my part) he has dropped the st croix thing and now wants a calstar 800xl or a phenix blank. I am much more confident with the calstar as its a composite and has been around forever. Although I feel it's too fast action and I keep recommending moderate action composite blanks. But what do i know im just building the rod. Was looking on phenix site it says they are made from carbon fiber and some "special" resin. Isn't carbon fiber and graphite the same thing? Are these blanks considered composite or more graphite? Do they have a high risk of exploding? Thanks again!

Carbon is a fancy was of saying: "+$50 graphite". lol. I think some of their stuff is woven which is different. I know nothing about them. The 800L is the wrong action, the 800L cut down was the weapon of choice on the Ocean Eagle for 10 years, tens of thousands of Blackfish have been caught on teh captain & mates rods. Geoff's 800L, the glass in the tip is almost completely white, we assume it's teh material fatiguing from being used so much. The XL tip is a wet noodle, some people like that, but your buddy is completely all over the place with what he wants. I guarantee your friend has been talking ot other builders on LI, or reading their posts on other forums.

He has never even held a phenix blank! I may just tell him to hike his sad rear end to sports authority and buy an ugly stick! Your right he's is all over the place. To me all that means is he won't be happy with whatever he gets because he has no idea what he wants in the first place.
Any way thanks for response btw do you get the hercules blanks in a lot of different colors? Do you have any 700l in white?

LOL!! I can tell you why he doesnt' want a Seeker. Just build him what he wants, if he doesn't like it he'll buy something else from you. Yes I do

Kind of ironic, but an SC Tidemaster blew up 2 spots away from me today. FOrtunately for the guy, he had another one, which he caught the pool at 8.7#'s. My friend took pics of it, rod was 2 years old, and wasn't even being used improperly, it probably got hit with a sinker or something.

All graphite is carbon fiber, but not all carbon fiber is graphite. But, in most cases the terms are interchangeable where fishermen are concerned.

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Thanks for clearing that up. I'm never sure what carbon fiber means anymore. Why would one company call graphite, graphite and another call it carbon fiber? Marketing? Anyway speaking of graphite I am going to build is sc4. I know that price point wise it's better than the other which is sc2. So it's better graphite but why it's better remains a mystery to me. Btw I want to say I love st croix I think they make great stuff. I just think we use (or more correctly abuse) rods differently in the northeast. I don't think people in Minnesota are like wow I got a ten pound walleye now ill try and dead lift it in the boat! They may in some stroke of genius use a net.
Anyway the blank I'm building is 30-65 lb rated so I hope the will increase it ability to lift fish over the rail. I told him and fish 4lbir better needs to be netted.
Btw is used my spiral wrapped hercules inshore heavy on the tog this weekend and wow! Killed my limit plus many shorts. Such a powerful blank!

Have you considered the St Croix Offshore Lineup? They aren't nearly as indestructible as Seeker Hercules blanks (of course not, that would be silly) but they are very respectable - especially in the graphite arena. You can see them under SCII Boat Blanks.

[stcroixrods.com]

talk to Billy

I have several out and they are loved

Bill - willierods.com

I have looked at the offshore series blanks online however i have never played with one myself. This really has nothing to do with what I want. This is what my friend wants. If it were up to me I would show him a 70l hercules, a cbgt841m and a calstar gfx70l and say which one? This guy is particularly tough on tackle that's why I think for him a composite is the best route.