I am new here. I made custom rods back in the 70S when Fenwick was king of the blanks and Lamaglass did not have the looks but some really good blanks. Fast forward, retired 2016 going to build a new rod for flounder and trout fishing in NC. Rod building has changed. Most blanks from china. No idea what the numbers indicate from a blank from across the pond. Looked for a off the shelf rod and found Shimano Clarus in a 7 ft light power fast taper was the perfect rod for me. A medium or medium lite would put more fish in the boat but not near as much fun. My perfect rod would break at the drop of a hat if you handled it like a ugly stick and Shimano interduced a whole new line of clarus rods that did no even vaguely resemble the previous clarus series. New series are basically Bass Rods.
All the 7 ft lite power I have found are small at the grip end and preform poorly on large flounder and big trout. the clarus was large at the grip end and would preform well with the large fish. My question is have any of you guys run into my problem and have found a blank that duplicates the 2016 clarus blank. I do not mind getting the wrappers and dryers out if a blank is available. TKS

Shimano does not sell blanks. You may be able to find something from North Fork Composites which was started by Gary Loomis after left Shimano



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/23/2020 02:59PM by Phil Erickson.

Light power really doesn't mean anything, what's the ratings decal on the rod say for line and lure weight?

If you still have the rod post the model number and specs for us so we can make an assessment. And welcome to the best rod building resource on the net! I suggest subscribing to Tom's magazine on the left.Rodmaker Magazine

Point Blank PB701MLF. .558 butt, 4.5 tip. Medium light fast action 1/16- 3/8 oz baits. Norman Miller will most likely have the skinny on that blank. Hopefully he checks in and can share his thoughts. Norman is pretty much da man around here when it comes to the blanks from Point Blanks. Actually he's da man on a lot of things. but he knows a lot of numbers for the Point Blanks.

X2.

Robert Ford---This is the info off my last new rod. Shimano css-70lc length:7'0'' line WT:4-8: lure wt:1/8-3/8oz power light action fast IM8+Graphite Construction This is all the info on the rod. I have micrometers and calipers that I can get to tomorrow if you need decimal sizes. TKS

I have no idea what the intrinsic power of your Shimano Clarus light powered rod is. However, based on what you said about comparing it to other light powered rods which were unsuitable due to lack of power, I would guess your Clarus has an IP in the 350 to 450 gram range (I.e. the weight required to bend the rod 1/3 of it’s total length). Many light power rods have a lower IP. David made a very good recommendation in suggesting the PB701MLF it has an IP of 570 gm which puts it in the range that many rod manufacturers would list as medium power. So this rod is probably more powerful than your Clarus, but it has a nice responsive fast tip that will cast a wide range of lures and a powerful butt section that will handle some pretty good sized fish without a lot of problems. The PB701LXF has an IP of 440 grams which might be closer to your Clarus. The Point blanks are fantastic blanks, they are very light in wgt yet powerful, and you don’t have to worry about skinny butts with these rods. However, because they are very high end blanks they are expensive. If you want something less expensive yet still very nice try some Spin Jig Blanks in the light to medium light power. Spin jig blanks also have fast tips and powerful butts. MHX makes some very nice SJ blanks that are great buys. Hope this helps.
Norm

I knew Norman would have the skinny on the PB701MLF. Like Norman, I have no idea what kind of power the Clarus rod you're mentioning has, nor do I have any experience with Point Blank blanks, so anything I offer is purely speculation. With that said, I very familiar with the Shimano Compre and Crucial rods of that era. If I remember correctly, when the Clarus was introduced it was the rod series below the Compre, and eventually took the Compre's place. If the Clarus' powers were in line with the Compre, then the numbers Norman presented for the PB701LXF would probably be right in the power range you're looking for.

As Norman said, they're an expensive blank, with the blank most likely costing you more than the Clarus rod did, itself. But it fits the large butt dimensions you mentioned liking about the Clarus. One other blank I was thinking of was the Quickline series of blanks from Pac Bay. Pac Bay no longer makes them, BUT ..... I did a little looking around for existing stock, and Angler's Workshop, one of this board's sponsors, is still listing some of those blanks, which I would assume means they have them available. The problem is, the particular blank I think you would be extremely happy with, is a 6'6" blank. But you could always extend the blank.

Anyhow, as a point of reference, I built 2 spinning rods on the PBQLSJ782. If I remember correctly, it has an IP of 522. so it may be a little more power than you're looking for. But it is a fantastic blank, with a gorgeous gloss black finish. Angler's Workshop also lists the PBQLSJ781. I have no personal experience with that blank so again just speculation here. But I am betting it would be a blank that you would love. They're listed as fast actions, but if I remember correctly their AA's were 77 and 78 which puts them in the extra fast range. I have a KR concept guide train on mine and use fluorocarbon as the main line and they cast beautifully. Light and very sensitive.

If I have one negative to say about them it would be that they are very thin walled and a bit brittle. I broke one of the rods I built on the 782 blank. And while it was purely my fault, I wouldn't have thought it would have broke in such a manner. That wouldn't keep me from buying another one though. And actually, looking at Angler's Workshop's web site, I am seriously considering inquiring about the availability of the 902 they have listed. I'm in the market for a longer shaky head rod, and it would fit the bill perfectly !!!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/24/2020 10:16AM by David Baylor.

I got my calipers rebatteried. Here are the decimal values of the Clarus rod. rod tip= .071 thousands. butt measured above the for grip 15.5 inches from bottom of rod =490 thousands. Any other info needed let me know. Thanks for all who have responded. I use this rod 3 to 7 days a week. Fishing is my thing, it is what I do in retirement, number one priority. I ware out several rod tips a year. I also make knives and to quote the greatest knife make of all time the late Robert Loveless, a knife should feel as good in your hand as your penis did when you were 16 years old. I truly believe the same is true for fishing rods. Boomer

I have made some rods and had some made since my last post. I had a rod built from a Point Blank PB701MLF. Fuji titainum guides handle. Feels great in your hand but just a little stiffer than what I am looking for. Bought another point blank blank, a PB701LXF. Thought it would be lighter. WRONG! It should have been rated a medium. Some one is getting a very expensive gift Christmas. Unusable for me. Bought a RS6 sp842 7 foot mod fast action 6 to 12lb line 1/8 to 3/8. This feels good. Cast great. No annoying recoil on hard cast like some rods. Setting hooks on big fish that don't move much when you set a hook you end up with a rod behind your head cranking wildly to get the rod back in front of you. I may be looking for something that does not exist but the Shimano Clarus filled the bill perfectly. Given the extra information any of you guys have a recomendation for the blank I am looking for. If it exists? Boomer