Hello everyone i got a question for building a 80-150# class rod blanks with roller guides and swivel tip.

1. What type of rod blank do you prefer to start a rod build with E Glass, S Glass, Composite, or Graphite? IGFA class?
this will be paired with 80-130 tiagra or penn international or any other brand in this range spooled with Mono.

Thanks,

sebastian,
As with many aspects of rod building, you will find varying opinions and preferences. For a stout rod as yours, I would definitely go with E-glass. While it may be heavier than CF, glass is more durable and resilient to max flexing. There are FG blanks available with a few wraps of CF in the butt section which is OK, such as a Seeker CTF63XXH (100lb) which is a nice blank. I trust Seeker or Calstar for my heavy salt rods. Depending on what harness you might be using, consider 6ft to be the maximum length and 5ft will reduce the leverage the fish has over you even more.
With as much fish-fighting-force as you will be encountering, I strongly recommend spiral wrapped guides, especially if it is a stand-up rod but even if mounted to a chair. It requires considerable physical strength to battle such large fish and you won’t be wasting energy countering rod torque with guides on top, gimbal notch or not. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING DIFFERENCE!!! The only roller guides designed for spiral wrapping are from All American Roller Guides. They are 100% US made in Tustin, CA by Steve and his wife Laurie = great people and product.

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

Mark, thank you for the information
what are the differences compared salt rods to the IGFA class rod?

sebastian,
I admit to not knowing EXACTLY what the difference(S) is(are). I do know there are measurement specs for a rod to be considered legal by IGFA = 40in minimum from reel centerline to the tip top and 27in maximum from reel centerline to the butt. Other than that, hopefully Tom or other qualified people will answer your question. I am here to learn.
Allow me to urge you to obtain, read, understand and apply the invaluable information regarding “Stand-Up Trolling Rods” in Volume-21, Issue-3 of RodMaker magazine; truly a must-have.

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

Mark,
I have not built any 100# class rods but am about to start. Have fished a few and have done a little research on the guides (for spiral wraps) so this is very helpful. If you can add anymore I would appreciate it. What is the difference of IGFA rods? Also what would be the difference between a tuna rod and a bill fish rod, what lengths would be better for whatever fish or any other difference?
Thanks,
Lance

Hello Sebastian.

Are you trolling in a chair, trolling from the gunnel, or are stand-up fishing?

Most who have a swivel top are trolling.

The IGFA was invented to have a "Class" of rods for tournaments and records, it didn't completely take in the tournaments section.

If you are going to be in a chair you usually need a longer rod than gunnel or stand-up.

P.S. IGFA= International Game Fish Association.

Tight Wraps & Tighter Lines.

Bob,

New Bern, NC.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/20/2022 06:50PM by Robert A. Guist.

Hi Bob, mostly off of a gunnel with alu butt and options with both swivel tip and non swivel.

Hello Sebastian.

What kind of fishing are you going to be doing most billfish, tuna, shark, or other?

For any of them I use either S-Glass or Composite, but E-Glass would be OK, I would Not use graphite for anything that big (I don't trust the brittleness).

I also would prefer the swivel if fishing that big from the gunnel (When I fished for the big boy's I mostly used a chair).

Most people don't understand just how tuff 80-150# can be, you are not planning to try to pull the rod from the rod holder, are you?

If you are all I can say is Good Luck.

By the way most rods that big are 80-130# class if IGFA.

Gotta Go Good Luck, read you tomorrow.


Tight Wraps & Tighter Lines.

Bob,

New Bern, NC.

Bob, yes tuna, marlin, etc. but no sharks
no not planning to pull the rod from the holder

sebastian and Lance,
First and foremost, get a copy of “Stand-Up Rods” in Volume-21, Issue-3 of Rodmaker magazine, an invaluable, must-have source of information!
As Robert mentioned, a “stand-up “rod will typically be shorter than a “fighting chair” or “gunnel” rod, aluminum butt or not. A good starting place would be “stand-Up” = <6ft, “chair” or “gunnel ‘ = 6ft or over. With a chair or gunnel rod, the fish is, in theory, battling the entire boat whereas the fight is one-on-one with stand-up gear where a shorter rod will reduce the leverage the fish has over the angler. No matter what your present intentions may be, at least consider the possibility of using a harness at some point = accommodate and compromise the butt and foregrip length accordingly to make it comfortable to reach the handle of the reel and foregrip as well. The “Slick Butt” or “Tuff Butt” types of rear grips are an extremely good choice; they are easier to remove from a rod from the holder if the situation arises, are generally impervious to rod holders and just plain easy to clean.
While I may not be the best to answer questions regarding species-specific rods, the information within the article offered above will get anyone pretty dang close to a rod for just about any big-fish, saltwater circumstance.
I do not know how to put it politely but more and more people are using ring guides vs rollers these days because they are lazy and do not want to assume the minimal maintenance required of rollers. Simply put and what should be obvious, roller guides are the most friction-free and line friendly type of guides available. They will last a lifetime if simply flushed with freshwater while being rotated. Swivel tip tops are nice but not required, possibly more so on chair or gunnel rods.
Whether using ring-guides or rollers, stand-up or other, seriously investigate and consider employing a spiral wrap configuration; YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT!!! Most anglers do not realize how much of their strength, stamina and concentration is devoted and wasted to keeping the rod from twisting with conventional “guides on the top” configurations. The difference is astounding! It can easily and often make the difference between landing that 300lb tuna yourself or having to pass it off to someone else to finish. Virtually all ring guides can be spiral wrapped, but THE ONLY rollers designed for spiral wrapping are from American Roller Guides, owned, operated and manufactured by Steve and his wife, Laurie, in Tustin, CA., USA. They are great people and produce an outstanding, unique product.

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

Hello Sebastian.

Here are some articles on heavy rods in RodMaker Magazine, but unless you have an extensive collection of RodMaker...

Vol/Issue--------------Article-----------------------------Author------------------------------------------------------------------Page
21/3 Stand-Up Rods, Complete Guide To Building. By Tom Kirkman, Mike Ballard, Ian Miller, & Tom Kohl. 22
15/3 Roller Guides, Past & Present. By Boyd Pfeiffer. 28
5/6 Build: Stand-Up Rods, A Guide For Building Them. By Tom Kirkman. 22
13/4 Build: Saltwater Rod Construction, Heavy Duty. By Capt. Mike Ballard. 10

Go to RodMaker on the left <- open the page and chick on CD's or just hit the link below

cover of task specific skills from rodmaker magazine on cd
Special Edition Task Specific Rod Building CD
$29.
[www.rodmakermagazine.com]

This CD will answer most of your questions about building, but if not come back and ask away, this cd will help you to learn what questions to ask and how to do so.

You can also go to sites like MudHole also on the left<- and see what videos they have on the subject, if you go to the internet you need to be careful of the info you get.

Hope this helps you.


Tight Wraps & Tighter Lines.

Bob,

New Bern, NC.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/21/2022 11:28AM by Robert A. Guist.

I have had great success with Seeker's E glass tuna blanks. I have built about 2 dozen and some of them have been abused and I have had no failures and guys like the action.