I am looking for a blank for a specific application.

I bought a few heavier top water lures during some recent sales.

Mainly lures from 3/4 to 1 oz. with most of them being closer to 1oz.

Within my current line up i have more MH fast blanks than anything MHX Mb 843's, Northfork MB 705 and MB 736 most of these go up to 3/4 of an oz.

I have an MHX MB874 that i am working on finishing up now and 2 fp885's


Baits should be in soon.

should i push it and use my Med/Heavy rods or is there a blank out there that is better for these heavier top water baits.

ideally something 6'10" to 7'4"

the PointBlank

7'3" Med Heavy or Heavy Ex Fast look the most appealing.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/05/2018 12:22PM by benjie bates.

Staying with the X-Fast tip that you’re looking for, from RainShadow we’d recommend the Immortal IMMC73HXF ( [www.rainshadowrodblanks.com] ) or the Revelation REVC72H ( [www.rainshadowrodblanks.com] )

Though one of our guys here prefers a little slow tip when fishing top water, letting the rod load up a bit more. If you want that direction then the Immortal IMMP70H ( [www.rainshadowrodblanks.com] ) and Revelation REVIP70H ( [www.rainshadowrodblanks.com] ). Of course everyone has different preferences when fishing which is the beauty of a custom built rod.

James Taylor
Batson Enterprises
BatsonEnterprises.com | RainShadowRodBlanks.com | ALPSForeCast.com | Build2Fish.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/05/2018 03:58PM by James Taylor.

Benjie - I think it would be best to finish building the MB874-MHX & FP885-MHX and fishing them before making any decision. Those two blanks are amazing. I would not suggest a extra fast tip. With a 1 oz lure, you are more prone to snapping the tip out of a extra fast tip blank, even on a cast. A fast or mod-fast rod blank will be better for not ripping the treble hook from the fish's mouth on a hook set. Also, keep in mind that the resistance of working a top water lure is way different than retrieving a 1 oz crankbait. Thank You

Bob McKamey
Mud Hole Custom Tackle
bobm@mudhole.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/05/2018 02:31PM by Bob McKamey.

Sounds like you haven't even tried the rods you listed and what you're currently building yet with your new topwaters so i would do that first before making any decisions . I much prefer blanks that are listed as medium heavy in power myself but effectively casting 1 oz topwaters could be troublesome as in my experience they can be difficult to load with artificial's that light .

I also prefer fast to X fast tips because a flick of the wrist can send a light lure a country mile, iv'e never had any trouble with hooksets due to the faster tip but some have .

The first question I would ask is, what baits are you going to be throwing with it?

If you're talking bass baits that use a constant retrieve like the bigger Whopper Ploppers, the full size Deps Buzzjet, or a Spro BBZ-1 rat, then I'd be looking at something heavy or mag heavy power, with a moderate fast action. You're talking big heavy baits with treble hooks. IMO you're going to want something that loads into the mid section of the blank when you have a fish on. And a blank like that is going to cast those baits better.

I built a flipping rod on an NFC MB709 IM. It's rated 3/8 - 2 oz baits with a mod fast action. I throw the 110 Whopper Plopper and the full size Buzzjet with it. Works great and will handle 1 oz baits with ease.

If you're talking big walking baits, some of the bigger prop baits, then I'd be looking at fast action, but I wouldn't discount the mod fast action for those baits. Contrary to popular belief, you don't need a fast action rod or blank to work a walking bait properly. They're slick and their hydrodynamics mean they offer very little water resistance, other than their actual weight.

I wouldn't go extra fast action, not with 1 oz and up baits. And not for big heavy baits with treble hooks.

Baits are

Megabass dog-x Diamante

Shower blows 125

Vixen

Those are the main 3 baits that I ordered. Again 2 are 3/4 with the sb-125 being closer to 1oz.

I’m a just loving building rods. I do have one completed fp885 that I do love in fact so much I’m building a second.

The 874 isn’t done and I kinda had other baits in mind when ordering it

But the mhx 874 might very well be the rod for these baits.

Just want to properly match things up.

Ahhh .... walking baits. IMO those present a problem. It's a whole lot easier working those baits with the rod tip down, and that makes using a longer rod much more tiring than a shorter one. For me personally and the way I like working those baits, along with my physical dimensions, I'm 5'8" tall, I would be looking for a blank no longer than 6'6" That's me though.

Personally, I'd give your FP885 a try with those baits and see how you like it. If you like it but wish you had a rod a bit shorter, I'd look for a blank like the NFC MB669. It has the same lure weight ratings and mod fast action of the MB709 I mentioned, just 6" shorter.

A common mistake made when fishing topwater baits is to strike/set the hook too soon, pulling the plug out of the mouth of the fish. Braided, non-stretch lines and fast action rods compound this error.

If your looking to go with a less expensive option, look at the RX6 MB785 at Schneider's Rod Shop to the left in the hot specials section.