wanting to build a hatteras type heaver for drum fishing. going to use up to eight ounces of lead and a chunk of bait that may weigh half that much or more. is the common rule of thumb for these type rods still shorter ten footers with stout tips? is there any advantage in going to a longer rod? with so much weight it might be harder to cast if the rod is made too long. I am 64 years old and in good physical condition but only 5'8" tall so rod length could be important. any thoughts on what is the hot set up these days? I have not fished for the obx drum in nearly two decades and know there have been improvements in the type rods people are using for heavy bait fishing.

Walter,
My customers in NC are ordering 12'0" two piece blanks with unequal pieces. Tip section is 8'4".

[ctsfishing.com]

One customer had a custom 12'0" made to handle 8oz plus bait. It was a one piece blank and paid $350 to have the engineering done. Since CTS already made this blank there will be no engineering on subsequent blanks. But shipping on that blank was $300 +.
Regards,
Herb
U.S. Distrib. CTS Blanks

Herb,

You may want to look for another shipper. I found the $300 you quoted to be shocking.
Shipping a quantity of 12 blanks (14' length, 8' tip) in 4 boxes from NZ to Hawaii (door to door) was quoted at 220 USD and included documentation fees. It did not include import fees.
The quote was for UPS Express.

Walter,

People often go by the length of the blank when it may be more appropriate to go by the effective length as measured from tip to butt when the blank is loaded. What I am saying is that the action is also important in determining the appropriate length. 13 feet is becoming more common.

Talon blanks are well known in Hawaii as they are of good quality and reasonably priced. Their website is Talon-Graphite. Click on custom blanks, then select Ulua blanks on the right side of the window.

St. Croix is a sponsor (left panel) and does carry blanks rated in the heaver range.

Hope this helps,
Don

Don Becker

Don
This was a one piece 12'0" blank.
Herb

Herb,

My apologies. I should have caught that info.

I am used to shipping 16' outrigger tops for very little cost by barge.

Is there a freight consolidator in NZ that you could use?

Don

Don Becker

Walter unhide your email & I'll send you some info off-line

Hey Walter,

I fish the northern obx with a St. Croix Avid 11 foot 3-8 ounce and I really like this blank. I can cast up to 7 and bait with it and will eventually build a heaver like you want in the future. Usually if the conditions are rough to need 8 or more to hold bottom the fish are closer to the beach. I just don't see how going much more than 11 foot will help with distance anyway with that much weight and if it did it would wear most folks out fishing for a length of time.On my blank radar is the 12 foot Rod Geeks made with St Croix materials and design and Fiberstar Composites 11 footer.

While it won't change the swing weight of the sinker and bait, if the blank you choose is graphite versus glass, you can probably go a little longer in the graphite model and not suffer any undue physical penalty on your end. Same regarding the action of the blank. A faster taper will have less material out near the tip so this would also allow you to go a little longer with not much of a penalty for your physical abilities.

...................

Walter,

Having fished Hatteras since the early 80's I can tell you that the current standard setup is graphite, mostly two-piece,12 to 13 feet long. You can spend as little as 150 dollars on a blank, or as much as 400 dollars depending on the maker. I would not get a blank with a top rating below 10 oz. because you have to account for the 8 oz. sinker plus the chunk of bait or fish head you're going to be throwing. My rods are rated to 16 oz., and while that may sound excessive, they seem to load perfectly with 8 and bait. Good luck with your build.

Don,
CTS does that stuff for me. They charge me $60 no matter how many blanks - up to 11'0".

But once that length is exceeded the price goes up..

CTS once shipped me 3 one piece 11'0" blanks which I had to re-ship to customer. Both UPS and FedEx wanted in excess of $600 to ship. CTS negotiated UPS down to $350 - their dime because their error.
Price was high because tube too light for freight and too long for ground.
Have to be careful with that stuff.

BTW - tube arrived crushed. probably by a fork lift. They didn't care - delivered it anyway and claimed contents not damaged. They fought us at every turn.
herb

Herb Ladenheim Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> BTW - tube arrived crushed. probably by a fork
> lift. They didn't care - delivered it anyway and
> claimed contents not damaged. They fought us at
> every turn.
> herb

Hi Herb,

Ditto. A shipment came in via cargo ship. The cartons were not ripped and the insurance company refused to pay. 30+ outriggers distroyed. The diameters of the outriggers were 2" at the base and 3/4" at the tip. For Pacific area shipments, I have had good service from FedEx and DHL. UPS has provided good service for UK shipments.

Don

Don Becker