Lance Dupre Wrote:
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> A fast action blank is not a good choice for a
> large swimbait rod. Mod Fast is a much better
> choice for a reaction strike type lure.

As I said before, these are not my specs. I don't use these kinds of rods. These are my nephew's. I had him on the phone today to finalize the build sheet. He's pretty stuck on his specs. I did get some leeway on the guides, and I talked him into a longer rear grip.

Update: The build sheet is complete. I offered up all of the blank options I have found, or have been suggested by you guys and other anglers I know that use this fishing technique. Keep in mind, my nephew, due to his budget, had some decisions to make on the build, particularly, the blank. But, here's what he settled on:

Blank: Rod Geeks C270XHF as was suggested by one of the members here. Apparently, they use St. Croix material? Anyway, he's a fan of that so...
Guides: CRB LZR double foot
Tip Top: CRB LZR
Reel Seat: CRB Graphite 17 mm
Grips: 11" rear & 2" fore cork (he originally wanted 9")

One note on Rod Geeks: I didn't care for their guide size chart for this blank. It called for 12-10-8-6-6-6-6. I don't care about the size so much, but I couldn't find a size 6 tip top in 7.5 mm. I went to size 8 so I could go size 8 on the tip top. Did have to go 8mm instead of 7.5, but I can deal with that with glue. Plus, the tip top has a foot so I can wrap it for extra strength. I also opted for a different guide layout: 12-10-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8. I also went double foot on all of the guides.

Anyway, Hopefully he'll be happy with it. He said it's only going to get used a couple of weeks out of the year. If he doesn't like it, he can always use it as a snake beater. lol

It seems like a good build. I’d probably shrink back to a 10” rear grip and go with a 4-5” fore grip for a kayak rod, though. I’m not sure if the posters here realized it was for kayak use. What you want on the shore or a powerboat is different than a kayak.

Thanks Kendall! I'll mention the grip idea to him. I could easily turn that rear grip into a 10" and make the 2 into a 3". To get 4-5" on the fore, I'd have to just buy one. I'm not at a point, yet, where I have spare materials laying around.

My favorite part of rod building is the capability to match a rod to a very specific need. This example is very interesting as your nephew has a legitimate desire to use a bait on a platform not well designed for it. It’s doable, and he is choosing wisely to get a rod built around his purpose.