Good morning!

My name is Ryan. I've been interested in building my own fishing rod for awhile now but honestly I have no idea where to start.

I'm a woodturner and I've turner pepper mills, pens, nutcrackers, etc. Now I'd like to build a fishing rod with a turned handle. Penn State Industries at one point sold an entire kit that included a handle and rod blank, the guides, epoxies, thread etc. but they got out of that business some time ago.

I fish freshwater, both ice fishing and open water. I prefer a spin cast reel, and i usually go after pan fish.

I would love to find some place that sells an entire kit like what I detailed above, just to start with so i can go through the process and experience what work, and what doesn't.

If I had to buy everything individually I'm sure I'd what to buy, in what quantity.

Any push in the right direction woudl be appreciated!

Thanks

Ryan,

You did the right thing by posting here. Lots of good advice. First, you can buy kits from the major suppliers listed on the left side in the sponsor column. Many also have tutorial videos on their sight to get you started. Youtube has a large selection of videos as well.

Hi Ryan,
If you do build the spin cast rod, you would be able to start with a stripper guide the same size or smaller than the line opening on the spin cast reel. This might simplify your guide selection. Hope this is helpful.

Ryan, we have some great, short videos on our website and youtube channel that can help you learn. Here is a link to the youtube channel

[www.youtube.com]

Flex Coat Company
Professional Rod Building Supplies
www.flexcoat.com

Think about one of the all inclusive kits (blank, reel seat, grips, guides, thread, adhesive, wrap finish, brushes, etc.) for your first rod. That will get you started up the learning curve at a modest price. Then spread your wings to ultimately building up some of your own components. It's a crawl, walk, run strategy.

This is all great feedback! Thank you.

Do you have an all inclusive kit you woudl recommend? Or a particular brand?

Lots of good resources right under your nose. On this site along the top of the forum you see buttons for rod building FAQs and Glossary. Also the magazine Youtube channel at [www.youtube.com]

What would really benefit you is a good rod building book. There are many of them out there. For a few dollars you can get something that is more than just an amateur video by an unknown builder and something that tens of thousands of builders have relied upon to get good rod building results. Try any of the sponsors to see their list of quality rod building books. They all offer them.

Ryan

Don't have a specific kit or vendor recommendation - I build fly rods almost exclusively and not from kits. Top of mind supporters of this forum would be Get Bit and Mudhole as places to start online window shopping.

And the videos suggested by John Cates above are great. Poke around the other vendor web sites and you will find other videos as well.

Ryan you have been given some good advice. I would only add , since you are an experienced woodturner making a cedar grip is simple and it's almost as light as cork once reamed to fit the blank. Buy the kit and make your own handle the same size as what is in the kit. Save the cork you will need it later in you rod building experience. My best friend only has the use of one arm so he made a stainless ring to put his rods in when fishing and the cedar handles are doing the job. He coats them with finishing epoxy and the cedar really pops!!

Good to see you on the forum.

Tom

I'm new to the obsession myself, having started wrapping about 6 months ago. I started bt watching youtube videos to get a feel for what's involved, then I reached out to a local rod builder to see if he could show me the ropes. Really great guy and went through everything I needed to know. Right around Christmas, one of the vendors to the right was having a 10% off sale so I called them and explained what I was looking for. Great help, talked me through the details and helped me pick out the right kit. The kit even came with a start to finish dvd so all my bases were covered.

Just a few things I learned in the process...
1. Thread it cheap. if it doesn't look right, redo it.
2. Practice! Practice! Practice! get some old rods, strip them down and rewrap them. Don't get too discouraged if your wraps don't look perfect...you'll get there.
3. Be carwful mixing your epoxy, the paste isn't as sensitive but the thread epoxy needs to be accurately measured. If your off, it won't cure properly.
4. Patience! Go slow! Take your time!

Lots of great info here, be patient and you'll have a lot of fun with this...

The reason I wanted to get into rod wrapping was not to save money...the $$ I've spent so far would buy me some really nice stuff, but it was to learn the art of wrapping and to make rods for my kids that will have that personal touch. It brings a smile to my face when I see their response to a rod I just made them.

Good luck!

Dave

I'm new to the obsession myself, having started wrapping about 6 months ago. I started bt watching youtube videos to get a feel for what's involved, then I reached out to a local rod builder to see if he could show me the ropes. Really great guy and went through everything I needed to know. Right around Christmas, one of the vendors to the right was having a 10% off sale so I called them and explained what I was looking for. Great help, talked me through the details and helped me pick out the right kit. The kit even came with a start to finish dvd so all my bases were covered.

Just a few things I learned in the process...
1. Thread it cheap. if it doesn't look right, redo it.
2. Practice! Practice! Practice! get some old rods, strip them down and rewrap them. Don't get too discouraged if your wraps don't look perfect...you'll get there.
3. Be carwful mixing your epoxy, the paste isn't as sensitive but the thread epoxy needs to be accurately measured. If your off, it won't cure properly.
4. Patience! Go slow! Take your time!

Lots of great info here, be patient and you'll have a lot of fun with this...

The reason I wanted to get into rod wrapping was not to save money...the $$ I've spent so far would buy me some really nice stuff, but it was to learn the art of wrapping and to make rods for my kids that will have that personal touch. It brings a smile to my face when I see their response to a rod I just made them.

Good luck!

Dave

If you would like to check this link to our Mud Hole Custom Tackle Turnkey Kits, they offer everything to get started. Among these kits there are complete starter kits for ice rods, as well as other freshwater kits. Thank You

[www.mudhole.com]

Bob McKamey
Mud Hole Custom Tackle
bobm@mudhole.com

Everyone here has been incredible helpful! Thank you for your thoughts and direction

You cannot miss with a Mudhole kit! A great way to get started.

X 2 on the mud hole kits

My tip...don't buy a darn thing until you read one or two books. I read two before I ever ordered a single component. If you don't want to invest alot of reading time, then go with option #1 below. If you don't mind doing the research, read both #1 & #2.

1) Rod Building Guide by Tom Kirkman...Tom actually owns/runs this web site. This "book" is fairly condensed & will get you a pretty quick working knowledge of how you need to get started.

2) Advanced Custom Rod Building by Dale Clemens...a bit longer read, but worth it in my opinion.

THEN order a kit, or your individual components. I've seen many people build their first project with expensive parts & make rods that looked like they had been building 20 years...but I don't trust myself that much. I suggest doing like I did...buy a decent, but discounted, blank...mid-tier components to finish it out...and get the experience under your belt without breaking the bank.

Most of all...have fun!

If you happen to be in an area where rod building classes are available, take one or more. By taking a class, you learn very quickly and if you start to make a mistake, the teacher will help steer you away from the pitfall that you may be making for yourself.

Good luck.