Hello All,
Im new to rod building and Im wondering what are people's thoughts on rod blanks. Like what blanks people like and trust or blanks people dont like. Im looking for good but affordable blanks for walleye fishing, jigging and live baiting. Im going to be making rods mostly for friends so I want to be able to give them some good info on what blanks to use. I have been looking at MHX and CRB blanks and wonder your opinions? So, what are peoples thoughts on blanks?

Brandon,
Blanks are really a personal preference.
Normally when you pay more you get a lighter and more sensitive blank - all other factors considered.

But, so your shopping, make your choices and jump in.

Good luck

The availability of affordable high quality blanks today is astounding. Your mentioned blank lines are fine, as are probably hundreds of other lines of blanks representing thousands of blanks. I usually build some model of the Batson/Rainshadow lines, but also have built and especially liked the Bushido line from American Tackle. I think it is one of the best kept "secrets" in rodbuilding.

The comment on what you get with spending more money is usually true, but there are some sweet spots where the less expensive blanks truly excel, at least to my taste. You really cannot go wrong by sticking with the most popular brands. They didn't get popular by providing bad product.

If you can find a way to do so there is no substitute for test-casting a particular rod blank. I would not get sucked by claims of highly specialized blanks; those that claim to be made for specific species or specific lures.

Short of test casting, but better than the usual descriptions, are the blanks which have their power and action described by the CCS system which gives an objective number to action and power. Only a few manufacturers do it, and some only on certain of their lines. If you need help in understanding the system, use the link on the left "Common Sense Info." Two that I know of are the Point Blank series and Pac Bay's Quickline series. Before anyone posts that this system is only for fly rods they should get themselves educated so they understand that while it started with fly rods, it is applicable to any blank of any length, power, and action.

I think the same people who write wine labels also write some of the rod blank descriptions.

Bushido Blanks by American Tackle offer great bang for the Buck in rod blanks. Give them a try.

Brandon,

I have nothing at all agains the CRB blanks, as they are fine blanks. The little 561L blanks are fun little blanks to fish. I've built a couple for my wife and kids over the years. That being said, they are more general purpose blanks for the occasional fisherman. They are capable of doing a lot, but aren't really designed to excel at specific task. If you have friends that like one rod that does it all, they may suit those guys very well.

If you have friends that want something a little more technique specific, odds are pretty good that you can find something suitable in the MHX line, AmTak Bushido line, something from Batson or a number of other options. From the MHX line, for jigging, you might want to look at the spin jig line, or the lower powers of the mag bass line (for ball head jigs and grubs or similar, I am a huge fan of blanks with a lure rating of 1/8 - 1/2 oz. or 3/16 - 5/8 oz. with extra fast actions). For live baiting, take a look at the popping line. Those are all places to start, as you might find something really useful in other styles of blanks.

As others said, the best thing you can do is get your hands on the blanks, but when in doubt, stop in here. Search for previous posts looking for what you have in mind, or ask. The more detail you can give the better. The search function here is very useful but takes a bit to get used to. If you go to google and search for something like "rodbuilding.org walleye jigging blank" you should get a pretty good overview of relevant threads.

Joe

I myself like the e-glass or the s-glass for walleye. Because when the bite is light when you lift the rod they will start to flex if a walley is just holding the jig and they won't feel the pressure then just set the hook if they are aggressive you will feel the tap