Good Morning,

I recently got into rod building and have built 10 or so inshore rods. I am addicted and love the art/sport. I primarily fish the NE Canyons and the inshore rods for the little mahi have been amazing. Something just hits different when you catch a fish on a rod you built. That being said, I want to dive into making a full set of standup/trolling rods for tuna/whites/mahi. On my boat I typically run 4- 30's with 80lb backing and 80lb top shot and set at 24lb at strike. 4- 50's with 100 lb backing and 100lb top shot set at 30lbs at strike. I am currently using the Penn Ally ALLBW2050C60RS on all my rods. They have been fine but are starting to get beat up and I snapped one the other day (not by a fish. Just me being stupid) For the 30's I would like to keep a similar setup to the Penn Ally's meaning the stripper guide being a roller and the tip being the roller. On the 50's I would like to do all rollers. Couple things- 1. I would like like to use wind on rollers. Which do you all like best? 2. I fish an outboard boat, although it has not been an issue, I was considering making the rods a little longer in the event I get a crazy green tuna and have to pass around the motors. Any issues you foresee with this? 3. Most of the blanks I have been looking at the OD on the them is bigger than most of the furrels on the reel seats. Especially bigger on the short butts that I would like to use for standup. Am I missing something? Or am i supposed to cut down the blank by the length of the reel seat/butt? I have had my eye on the Calstar blanks. But am open to any and all suggestions.

Hey Angelo,

Most of the fishing I do is offshore either trolling or bottom fishing. #1 While trolling at high speeds I now prefer non-roller guides due to the fact that once you are on braid backing there is a potential for the line to become synched in between the frame of the guide and the roller. #2 The longer blanks will assist you in maneuvering around the motors to avoid any chaffing. #3 I would definitely look into larger reel seat that fits the desired your desired blank. Check out the American Tackle stand up tuna blanks. The AXST60H is one of my absolute favorite blanks to troll with for a multi-species day. Great for running jets, feathers, and plugs for the pelagic fish.

Do you run bent or straight butts? I'm building more and more tuna rods without rollers for the exact reason Ancelmo mentioned above. I like a Fuji HB guide train and slick butt on my trolling standup rods. Check out thrasher blanks if you like the feel/sensitivity of graphite...Calstar e glass or Seeker if you prefer a more parabolic bend.

Thank you Ancelmo. I have not had an issue with the braid getting hung up yet. But I am sure its a matter of time. I will def keep that in the back of my head during this planning phase.

Dan- I use straight butts.I am going to look into the Fuji HB guide train. Thank you.

Angelo,
Before you do any more planning, get a hold of Volume 21, Issue 3 of Rod Maker Magazine containing the Stand-Up Trolling Rods article. It is extremely comprehensive, even including harnesses. While it may be a bit dated, most of the contents still apply today and is invaluable to anyone building stand-up rods. It truly is a must-have!
I would think a properly designed roller guide would not allow the line to get jammed between the frame and roller.
I strongly suggest employing spiral wrapped guides to allow ALL of your energy to go to battling the fish rather than wasting energy on countering rod torque with guides-on-top. It makes a HUGE difference! If you want spiral wrapped rollers, you only have one choice = All American Roller Guides - @#$%& series = high quality, made in the USA, great customer service. The Fuji HBs are a very good choice for ring guides. My personal preference for rods over 80lb (possibly only 50lb) is rollers; one simply cannot find a more line-friendly alternative and 80lb braid is expensive.
Calstar is a good choice of blanks and has a great track-record, as does Seeker. I use both for my stand-ups. Admittedly, I have not built either a straight or bent aluminum butt.
Keep in mind that the longer the rod = the LESS leverage you have against the fish! 6ft is a good compromise length.

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

Angelo,

I've built several stand up rods, mostly on Calstar or Phenix blanks. I've got 5 Calstar blanks in my shop that I'll be working on this winter (if I'm not out on the ice). From what I've been hearing, Calstar and Phenix blanks are nearly impossible to get right now, as well as the factory manufactured rods. All of the stand up and trolling rods I've built are either 6' or 7'. I've got a Phenix 700X3H with a Makaira SEa 50 on it that has done well on Yellowfin 200# or better, and I've been seeing a lot more Phenix rods on the boats. I still prefer the Calstar blanks, maybe because I've built on more of them but it's a toss-up now. I know you are interested in trolling rods, but for tuna less than 200#, the Calstar Grafighter 700H and the Phenix 700X2H are really hard to beat. Great for dorado and yellowtail too. I've got some guide sets and other things I'd like to clean out of my inventory, but the primary purpose of this post isn't to sell my stuff. I don't believe my email is hidden if you are interested..

Dave Sytsma

Mark thank you for the great information. I am going to get my hands on Volume 21 for sure.

Thank you for the feed back Dave. As i get more through the planning of these builds I will be sure to reach out regarding your guide sets.