Hello all. I am not a rod builder although it's something I have considered as my late uncle built beautiful rods and taught me a few of the basics. The reason for this post is that I would like to have a rod built and I would like some advise on blanks / guides / handles. This rod will be used primarily for smallmouth with live bait, but I also fish artificial baits as well. Typical for us is to drift a 4" yellowtail shad on 8 lb fluorocarbon with the smallest split shot we can get away with, following the current break below the dams on the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers. I also wade the smaller streams nearer home. I'm replacing (sadly) an old favorite Loomis Bronzeback that is now on the bottom of the Tennessee river. What I like (and what this rod was) is 7', Med action, extra fast tip. Sensitivity is super important as you need to skim your bait over the bottom and really pay attention or your hung up all the time. Oh and I am a big Tennessee handle fan, one of the reasons for going custom. So all of that being said, what would you guys recommend as the lightest and most sensitive blank for that build and the lightest guides. And while I hate to use the term "money is no object" that's kind of the case. Compared to the cost of dragging the boat an hour or two to the river, owning the boat, staying overnight sometimes, the difference in cost between the best blank out there and a middle of the road blank is insignificant.

Sorry for the "War & Peace" length post, but any advise would be greatly appreciated. I'm also looking for a builder, the directory only lists one for TN, and he's not answering.

Thanks
Todd

I would think that the SCV76MF from Rod Geeks would make you very happy at 1.8 ounces and established St. Croix quality. It’s six inches longer than what you lost, but in big river wading out west, most everyone is going much longer. Best wishes in the build and fishing.

I build mostly saltwater rods but have done some smallmouth rods at customers request. Because I know more about saltwater type blanks I have successfully used the 7 to 7'6" fast action popping rod blanks to make them happy. Mud Hole's MHX line has some good ones and so does Batson. And FWIW both are sponsors here.

At a little closer to 7' is the SCV610MXF. It's right in line with my favorite, the no longer produced Rainshadow RX8+S823.

This is how I build my TN handles:

[www.rodbuilding.org]
[www.rodbuilding.org]

If the full 7' is important to you, I would use a handle made from woven graphite tubing, as you can extend it 2" beyond the butt of the blank and not have to worry about it failing. The woven graphite section in the images above is graphite fiber sleeved over a foam core. I trimmed it out with EVA to add some color and to soften the edge a bit. I like to wrap my reel on with thread and finish just like a guide, but you could certainly use tape.

Since you know some of the basics, why not hang around here, learn from a lot of the guys here and build out the rod yourself. It's a great hobby and so much more satisfying catching a fish on a rod that you built yourself. If you do decide to commission the rod, instead of dictating the build to the builder, talk to them about your preferences and see what their recommendations are and go from there. I suspect that many builders will appreciate working with a well informed client.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/23/2020 01:22PM by Joe Vanfossen.

Todd
I would recommend any 6'6" to 7' name brand rod blank in the "spin jig" category. I also fish for smallmouth in south central PA rivers and the spin jig blank category of blanks fits the bill in med light and medium powers. I have been pleasantly surprised by some of the budget blanks (CRB and Mudhole's OEM) but have used many other higher level blanks with good results. MHX blanks give you "good bang for the buck" and their selection of spin jig blanks is quite nice. I have also built rods on Pac Bay, Batson, Lamiglas, St. Croix, Rod Geeks, and Castaway blanks.....and several other older company blanks. They all build a nice smallie rod.
Rog

Joe, i really like those short tapered tennessee handles except i turn the taper around which allows me to bring the choke guide closer to the reel because the reel is cocked up a bit towards the rod..using braided line handles the sharper angle without a loss of distance..this is for lighter spin rods..

Thank ya'll for your time and thoughts. I've got to find a builder, evidently they aren't any in my area, at least not that a general search will turn up. It would be nice to talk in person, although not a deal breaker.

Todd

Ben,

The taper is an optical illusion from the angle of the photograph. That grip section is (roughly) uniform OD. Although, I kind of like the idea of introducing a little bit of a taper for use with braid. The guide train on that rod is a set of microwave guides.

Reach out to vibronics rods. Owner is Steve Gardner and see what he can do for you. He is in NC but a VERY accomplished bass anglers and still on the forefront of design and innovation. His work is spot on!

understood Joe..it fooled me..lol..i,ve been using tapered eva grips and flocking them..just one wrap of reinforced gorilla tape over the foot..the flock makes it very easy to remove the wrap and reuse the tape many times over..never gets loose..

I have built a dozen rods using the blank that Kendall discussed and using the SCV76MLXF. I use these rods for livebait rigging smallies up in the upper midwest, Great Lakes. For what you are describing I would be leaning toward the 7'6" MLXF. That blank has a great tip and plenty of backbone. Between my guiding customers, friends and myself we have put tons of big smallies in the boat on those rods/blanks dragging a 4"-6" retail chub. My next choice would be a 7'6" hotshot blank from North fork composites. North Fork Compsites is a blank manufacturer owned my Gary Loomis.

See you on the water, Doug
Captain Paddlefoot

Todd, fishing is fun, building your own rod is even more fun..give it a shot..

Todd Hughes Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thank ya'll for your time and thoughts. I've got
> to find a builder, evidently they aren't any in my
> area, at least not that a general search will turn
> up. It would be nice to talk in person, although
> not a deal breaker.
>
> Todd

Maybe somebody here: [www.tackleworks.org]

Point Blank PB701MF, 7 foot, medium power (you meant medium power, right?), fast action, very light weight, as sensitive as it gets IMHO (there is no objective measure for sensitivity, so what you want is the lightest build you can get with premium material, smallest, lightest , guides that will pass the knots you want to use) . Put a Pflueger Supreme light reel on it, or other very light reel, and you will be amazed. I handed mine to a buddy the other day, after he had been fishing with my other very nice rods, and he immediately felt the difference and is hooked.

My rod is built with the Fuji KLH 20, 10, 5.5M, a couple KB4's, and 4 KT4's to the end. Titanium frames. With what you are planning a 16-8-5.5M reduction train would work, but I use the 20-10-5.5 because it will take larger reels and heavier line, so it is more versatile.

[pointblankrods.com]

I also have a 7-3 PB built as a caster, and wrapped it around my trolling motor this year, and it survived. I was amazed. So I don't think PB's are as fragile as some high mod blanks.

Hey Todd,

I do quite a bit of smallie fishing here in MN and love the MHX DS822. Comes in lots of fun colors and is also my go to walleye rod! I agree with Ben, jump in and start building as it is a great hobby!

Chuck

><))))">….><))))">….><))))">….Just Fish

Prior Lake Rod Building Guild
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Which Bronzeback rod did you have? In my experience most of the Bronzeback spinning rods are more of a moderate fast than something like extra fast. I have a St. Croix SCV 76MLXF and I don't think I would be using it for what you describe. It is truly extra fast, with a very light tip. To me that isn't a live bait rod for big minnows. Works great for small jigs/ned rig though. I've actually had great fun with the rainshadow popping blanks using sucker minnows for smallmouths. The slower action really keeps them buttoned up. The Immortal versions of the popping rods are very sensitive. I'd probably go with the medium power for what you are doing.

I built a heavy Immortal popper for larger bass lures, and I absolutely love its medium-fast action. It is too bad that it’s impossible to switch between the medium-fast rod you recommended and the fast one I recommended between casting, working the bait, and playing the fish.

Thank you all very much for your replies.
Michael, your right, that's exactly what I'm after.
Peter, thanks for your tyhoughts, you might be right and extra fast is too much, just fast is what I had, and have on my other bronzeback.
Ben, I'm gonna give it a try one of these days. I'm an engraver of sorts, so I'm not really scared of detail work.

Thanks for your order, Todd!