Hi!

I've been looking to get in to rod building for quite some time now and with spring approaching, now would be a good time. My biggest issue at the moment is that I can't seem to be able to find a blank that quite fits my needs as I do a lot of dropshotting for Zander from the bank. So I'll need a blank that can give me some good casting distance, I need it to be able to handle a bit heavier rigs (around 30g/1 oz) and it needs to be in two sections or more. I've come to realize that a lot of the blanks are made with North American style fishing in mind (shorter rods and nothing that quite fits the bill when it comes to casting weight). I've been looking in to blanks adapted for Steelhead fishing as they fit my needs both length/casting weight wise, assuming that shortening a blank down a few inches wont cause me any trouble. Don't know how they'll handle dropshotting though. As of now the only blanks I've found suitable lengthwise are St.Croix 5SC86MHF2-G and 3SC86MHF2, how do you think those would fare with some dropshotting?

Best regards

Hi Johan, I've not tried "dropshotting" for Zander (walleye) before so I can't comment on the exact set-up. I've done dropshotting for largemouth bass but never for walleyes and it was from a boat. When I think of dropshotting, I'm thinking more vertical fishing with the weight at the bottom and the lure (hook and bait whether it be artificial or alive) placed above the weight. Is that your intention to have the weight at the very end with your bait above it? Just looking for some clarification to help you out.

If the St. Croix blanks do work out here is my take on them. If this is your first time rod build I'd go with the less expensive one first (3SC86MHF) because you will be doing things for the first time and they all may not turn out quite like you had planned. It will still be totally functional, but it may not have the look you were going for. Also if you really need the sensitivity (mean lightness) then the 5SC86MHF2-G would be the way to go. There is 0.3oz between them in weight.

You can also check out the Batson line of blanks, XSt1025F, IST1025F and DSS1025-2. They have these blanks spec'd out like the St.Croix's you have listed. Some are lighter in weight and some fall in between the St. Croixs. I've not built one so others that have will need to respond to their adequacy for your intended purpose.

Chester

May your line be tight and your beverages be cold!

Johan,
How large are the Zander that you are targeting?

I know that Zander in some parts of the world grow to very large sizes. So, before recommending a particular blank, it would be good to know the typical weight of the fish that you expect to catch.

Be safe

Hi Johan!
I personally use a Batson XST1025F spinning rod, however 30g is probably the absolute limit, for jigging at any rate. The StC blanks are definitely great for this application. You could also check out Phenix blanks, their Karabela series to be exact. They are basically S&S blanks, built specifically for Poland and would probably suit your purposes just fine. A more exotic but just as good an option qualitywise are Fishing Art blanks, made in Poland. Have a few - cool stuff and their maker is very flexible in terms of e.g. switching between various graphite modulus types, adding power in the butt, plus they also make 3-piece travel blanks up to 8'6" in length.
Tight lines and good luck,
Michal

Thanks for the quick replies! Chester, I use the exact rig that you're describing with the weight at the very bottom and the lure placed around 50 cm above it. Instead of fishing it in a vertical fashion you simply cast it and retrieve it, stopping every meter or so to work the lure in the same spot for a while. I usually fish in rivers where you need to have a bit heavier weights in order to have the tackle stay in the same place and not move about in the current, therefor anything less than 15 g wont suffice in keeping the rig still on the bottom. The river system where I fish is known to hold specimens of Zander up to 9 kg, but the size that I normally catch vary from 1 to 4 kg.

The rod will need to be light, have a sensitive tip in order to transmit the movement of the rod to the bait and also needs to have a bit of a backbone in order to drive the hook in to the Zander's tough mouth. I was thinking along the same lines as you Chester, in terms of not overdoing my first proper build with a blank that costs over 200$ when I wont be able to do it justice. Definitely a good point. The Batson and Phenix blanks look like they could be right up my alley. It's always a plus if they're available in Europe as I'd prefer not to pay tax and extra fees to have it shipped from USA. Michal, do you have any first hand experience with using your Batson rod for drop shotting and/or jigging?

I should also clarify that I have built one rod before so I'm not a complete beginner, but that was with cheaper components and I'd love to build a proper rod this time that will stand the test of time. Thanks for the help so far!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/16/2014 12:03PM by Johan Eriksson.

My XST1025F in my view is a light/medium river bank/wading zander jigger's dream. It is a light and truly sensitive blank, which will let you feel the fish caressing the soft rubbery thing at the end of the line ;-) and zander are definitely known to do that, when they mean PULL NOW! As I said before 30g total lure weight is really the maximum casting weight. I really love the Batson RX8 lineup, because the blanks are all light, sensitive though powerful at the same time and they have an alluring "glass fibre" sort of sweetness, yet all in a really high modulus blank. Cool stuff.

The Phenix Karabela line is funny though. They seem to have a sort of fly blank-like feel, but they do not lack butt power and castability. They do not have the glassy sweetness of the Batsons, but they are damn sensitive allright! The Polish-made blanks are new stuff. Available since early last year, but their range is really awesome! They do not cost a mile at the same time, so you could contemplate getting one .... It is not a bad idea to call the company owner and blank-maker at the same time (a certain Krzysztof Zielinski). He can for sure recommend just the blank you need, if you can be specific enough with what your expectations are.
Cheers,
Michal

Thanks a lot for the help, Michal and all others!

I've made up my mind now and I'm going to try to get a XST1025F blank from a vendor in Europe, if possible. Looking to pair it up with a Fuji skeleton reel seat and some suitable micro guides to keep the weight down. Anyone got got any tips on good micro guides that will handle braid well for years to come?

Best regards