Hey guys, could someone recommend a good rod blank for a crappie rod, 6'6" and guide selection, I like Fuji and usually use 4.5 KB,KT runners , love Point Blank and have built all my rods ( 7) using them. just don't know about the best choices for lighter stuff, probably will see nothing but roadrunners and jigs in the 1/64- 1/8 range. Thank you in advance.

Keith Langford

Unfortunately I don’t have any recommendations as I’m a new builder. However, I am also interested in recommendations on panfish rods so bumping this thread.

Nobody got nothing, point blank, Batson, North Fork. Anybody, somebody. Thank you.

I haven’t tried the PB661LF for Crappie but it might be worth a try. It’s rated 1/32 to 1/4 oz. For my crappie rods I’ve been using the MHX S841 and they work just fine with small jigs. Catch a lot of fish with them, plus my 10’ jig poles.
Norm

I like the mhx s721, not quite there in length but it’s a fun little rod for crappies.

I might be wrong because I'm new, but whiteout experience would dictate thar a rod as ultra light action as that would not need to be top of the line. The sensitivity would be in its ease of deflection rather than any vibration transfer through the blank.

If you're using braid or braid to leader you could probably get away with a little bit of a sturdier blank without losing casting distance and let the drag handle the rest, plus I feel this helps with hook penetration and will add to any sensitivity anyway ( rod will deflect just as easily but add a little puul/feel once it gets to the muscle).

Maybe this is an opportunity to explore a company you aren't very familiar with yourself and dip your toes into one of their mid level blanks.

It do something crazy like get an 11 foot fly rod and build a crappie rod out of the top if it and a short stout rod with the bottom... I know, I know - I said it was crazy.

Good luck with the build bro

That would be a very light power blank for 1/64 oz and top out at 1/8 oz. Might try a 2-wt. fly blank like the REVF662-2SB.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/10/2023 07:20PM by Spencer Phipps.

Keith,
Man , you're throwing some small stuff .
I built on a Rainshadow Revelation REVS72ML-SC which is rated 1/8-3/8 oz. It's my go to rig if there's a school of crappie around . Love it . For the size baits you'll be throwing , I think the Rainshadow Revelation REVS68UL-SB would be a blank worth looking at . It's 6 feet 8 inches and rated for 1/32 - 3/16 . You can seldom go wrong with advice from either Norm Miller or Spencer Phipps . The 2-wt fly blank is a great idea and , as you know , you couldn't possibly go wrong with Norm's suggestion of the Point Blank PB661LF .
Ron

Kieth,
You have to have some patience to allow people to log on to RB.prg.
We're not on htre 24/7.
Herb

That being said - CTS has a model "AIR" Turbo Taper (fine tip - strong Butt) one-piece 7'6" 1/32 - 1/8oz
Herb
CTS

Herb, meant no disrespect and I knew I had come to the right place, Norman and the gang here have helped me tremendously. Sorry for the impatience fellows. Would this blank work for a dock shooter as well, and do you need to do anything different with the guides for a dock shooter. was reading an article on it and they were using St. Croix Avid X AXS69MLF, and were loving them. Norm what kind of 10' rod are you building, two piece I presume, I am looking into making one of those as well for longpoling and vertical jigging.Thank you all again.

Keith,
My commebt was tongue in cheek - kidding you.
Dock shootion - sure - but at that lure rating - better not catch anything that is going to wrap you around a dock support.
Herb

For my crappie jig rods I use 10’ two piece Revelation fly rod blanks in 5 and 6 wgt. I set them up as fly rods with Minima guides, using inexpensive fly reels and line with a 10 lb mono leader. I use them with or without a snap-on unweighted Thill bobber. I don’t cast these, In shallow water I flip them toward structure, or in deeper water fish vertically. The use of fly line makes it much easier to strip-in the fish. Very few people fish for crappie in a similar manner, but I catch a lot of fish with these rods. The reservoir I live on is a great crappie lake with 2 pounders being quite common with many 3 pounders being caught. I make or modify a lot of crappie rods every year, many of them are built on light steelhead rods from 8’3” to 10’6”. They use them for long distance casting of light jigs and/or float and fly rigs below the spillway or off the bank.
Norm

My favorite crappie blank by far is a 7'10" steel head blank that I built up many years ago.
Without a doubt, it still puts more fish in the boat than any other rod.

Check out the longer lighter steel head blanks for a crappie rod.

Take care

I'm currently building a couple on the NFC P-700 xray blank that I am hoping work very well for crappie and panfish. Going with ips soft touch carbon split grips from them along with cork hidden thread foregrips.

I am new to the forum and just getting into this wonderful hobby!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/16/2023 06:28PM by Lucas Houtsma.

I really like the 6'6" blank from RodGeeks. C266MLF and I have made quite a few for customers that use them specifically for crappie. Good luck.