I am putting together my first offshore / inshore larger species rod and am looking for ideas on guides, reel seats, grips and butt. The blank is a limited edition (according to Bill Batson) 7'9" green resin color finish RX6/E Glass RCLB79M (.630” butt and 7.5 tip). I want something I can fish off a boat, beach, jetty or pier that can also cast. The reel I am looking at is an Accurate Furry FX-500 that I can use 50lbs braid with a mono end portion up front. It will be spiral wrapped, and I was thinking Fuji RVh 16, RVh 8 and the rest RV 6 to the tip with 8mm tip top. Do you think this will be adequate or do I need to go with larger guides or different guides? How long should the front grip be and is EPDM a good material for the foregrip or would EVA be better? I also was thinking a split rear grip and butt using a composite cork material. Will that allow the exposed portion of the blank to get scarred up when in a rod holder? Should I use a solid piece and what material. And for the butt end I was thinking an Alps TFB weighted triangle fighting butt or would a rubber butt be better? The real seat area where it will mount to the blank is about .625” in diameter. What reel seat would you use and what size for the Accurate Fury FX-500? I was thinking an Alps CAH LX Centra-Lock Window Reel Seat size 18 or 20. What would you recommend?

Lance,
“...something I can fish off a boat, beach, jetty or pier that can also cast.” is expecting quite a bit. While the length of your chosen blank may be a good compromise, I am unfamiliar with its other specs as well as the type of fishing and size of fish to be targeted. Certainly, the Fuji RVs are a great choice, but for a fraction of the cost, KWAGs will get the job done. Spiral guide wrapping is a great choice one way or the other. Stay away from foam grips if it will be in and out of rod holders; use a slick-but or heat-shrink over cork tape for durability. A 20mm seat would be minimum; 22mm or possibly larger would be better.

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

Normally a rod you fish off a boat isnt that great for pier or beach fishing as those tend to be around the 9' range while a boat rod usually maxes out around 7'6". If you try to make a rod that works for both, you will be making a compromise in one area or another.

Lance, best you rethink your plan.

You could build a surf rod that would do for beach, jetty and pier. Make it 2 piece and 9 feet and it could do for boat work in a pinch.

What you have picked would do well for a public boat, but would be dismal for your other needs.

The reel picked wouldn't be so good for casting and I'd think the "beach, jetty and pier" part would require good casting.

You need to communicate your primary needs,along with waters fished, and target fish, to get better ideas.

In any case I wouldn't spring for RV guides on that price blank (and on any blank I'd just use one). Full length EVA grips are fine. Gimbal choices depend of if you will always have a fighting belt, and if you want to fiddle with having to remove a cap in the heat of a battle. A ball shaped gimbal is a nice compromise if you aren't sure.

I fish the RCLB line and like them. I just think they are best for drifting/lobbing live bait and/or trolling. I don't rank them that good at bottom fishing or distance casting. I use the RCLB70ML as an all purpose 30# class trolling outfit (and wouldn't try to cast with it). The RCLB79M would be a very heavy class blank for jetty and pier.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

This would be a meat large lure rod for offshore up to about 100lbs fish like ling, kingfish, dorado, small sails, snapper, triple tail, bull reds and Tarpon. Off the beach and jetty for shark and bull reds live baits and large lures. In the tropics large snook, snapper, rooster fish, wahoo and grouper. I am only wanting to cast about 100' when needed (not building a distance caster) and paddle out baits if I want to go farther. I am thinking a solid EVA rear grip covered with shrink wrap and a rubber round butt piece. The foregrip with EDPM, do you think it is too soft? I am not worried about the price of the guides just the diameter of the ring. What ring sizes would you go with for a reel that size? What other reels?

Lance,
You have given yourself a great reason / opportunity to build two rods.

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

Like some of the guys have said here....lever drag reels like the one you are looking at are not the best for casting.

Best of luck whatever you decide.