Wanting to build a bent butt rod for multi use. Light tuna "black fin" . Trolling for kings or whatever we can get. but also for bottom fishing for snapper and grouper with kids. The rods will be in a holder when trolling and bottom fishing with the kids. My question is short or regular butt, and when to go roller versus regular guides. The blanks are power tip PTSW54XXH 80# class rods from mudhole. Thanks for any ideas, Joe.

Hello Joe - If you are setting these rods up for just the kids, you may want to consider the reach of the kids arms to the where the fore grip would be located. The fore grip is what they will be holding to fight the fish. That blank should work with a # 2 butt and the length of the # 2 butt can vary with each type.

Bob McKamey
Mud Hole Custom Tackle
bobm@mudhole.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/15/2019 12:21PM by Bob McKamey.

Most of the time they will be used in a rod holder. The kids are not big enough to hold the rods and usually have both hands on the reel crank, so the fore grip shouldn't be an issue but I did order the short fore grip. I guess my main two questions are, will the short curved butt be too short when using the rod in the rod holder and for the tuna application do I need to do an all roller rod or can I get away with a roller tip and regular guides?

I would say you are considerably over gunned for your needs. Thirty pound class would be adequate. What you are building would be more for nice yellowfin tuna.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

I agree with Russ. For everything you are chasing, except perhaps the grouper, you can handle with 30 lb test or under. If it were me (and its not!) I would go with a 6-61/2' "tuna" blank rated 30-50 or so, and run 20-25 lb mono on it. Better matched, and way more comfortable for the kids.

Thanks for the ideas.