I ordered a blank this weekend to build a rod for a specific salmon fishing spot, spinner, and the center of a small boat position. It will work well for other situations, but it got me thinking about how custom building allows for tailoring to a set of variables unique to a single location. What builds have you all done to address site specific challenges? This one is throwing a 1/2 ounce spinner in a spot where large cohos try to run under the boat to get into fast, shallow current. The best spot for anchoring is very small.

In the fall chinook, (king salmon) come into the rivers feeding Lake Michigan and into their harbors. The advantage is with the fisherman who can make very long casts efficiently and cover lots of water. To cast Little Cleos I built a Rainshadow RX8 salmon blank into a baitcaster, I think it is 8 1/2 feet long, and it casts a mile (and a half).

I worked on rod after rod in a pursuit of the perfect flip and pitch rod for the Coosa River water willow. Generic flip and pitch rods seemed tailored to places like the stereotypical Florida grass and Texas brush. They were too heavy for the light cover grasses of my local lakes and could not present the bait to the Coosa Spotted Bass in the best manner.

Kendall,

Great topic which applies to bank fisherfolk, too!

In some ways, all my rods are built with the intention of a specific use....and often, these rods are good for a variety of situations, too. But I hear you loud and clear!

1.) I built a specific rod (MHX 6'3" MH Elite) to wiggle my way through brush and overhanging trees to pitch jigs and stick baits to log jams close to shore. I needed a short and powerful rod with a relatively quick lock-up and light (XF) to flip/flick my baits 1/4oz baits with minimal back cast (roll cast), AND keep the leverage close to my hands for fighting 3-5lb. fish with 6 to 15 feet of line out the rod tip. Whew! What a list! This rod also works well for fishing the floating dock on the lake(s) where there are 107 vertical steel poles and railings with a roof overhead. Casting set up. Simple Spiral guide train. (I built an NFC 607 (IM) to shorten the blank even more, but haven't fished it much yet. It might be too powerful and the tip a bit stiff for what I want...we'll see.)

2.) In February and March, I love to fish the tailwater of a Corps lake when they release water (in wetter years) to draw down for spring rains. Sauger, white bass, crappie, large drum and carp, and catfish nose up to the outlet in the current. I built a 7'6" Med power spinning rod with an XF tip to make long casts and drifts with double rigged 1/8 oz. jigs. 2500 size reel. Light braid and leader. I never know what might give me a go, but being able to reach certain current seams is critical in getting any bites at all.

3.) A matching pair of 6-foot light SC3 blanks for my winter crappie fishing buddy who likes to vertical fish with two rods at a time. I went 6-foot because he likes to keep his baits in the cone of his electronics under the boat. The rods have to be durable because he often drops the other rod when he gets a fish, and it bounces a bit on the gunnels; and because when he pulls a hung jig free, or flips a slab into the boat, the rod can get bent pretty good. Recoil Guides.

There are three examples off the top of my head. Not as specific as fishing a specific pool on a specific river with a specific lure like you, I admit. However, I get you and would be thinking the same way!

For years I've been trying to build a very sensitive rod to use on brush lined small rivers for bass. My 5th one is, I think as close as I'm going to get. Rainshadow Immortal 6'2" xf cut to 5'6" spinning. It's caught Alabama and Shoal Bass over 4 lbs and still feels good with an 8" Chattahoochee or Bartrams Bass.

Hello All.

I own a place in Bridgeton NC on Black Run off of the Upper Broad Creek, none of the fish there are much of a challenge with any of my store bought blanks and I do not have the tools to build bamboo,
So what I did is hunted down a reed from a swampy area nearby.

I caught a bunch of 1lb and smaller puppy drum and other small fish.

Here is the build sheet..

Comments: Completed Rod CR
NAME: Bob'S. DATE: 2/1/2011
Inventory# / Build#: Inventory # 193 / Build # 19 E.DATE: 2/24/2011 More Comments:
Hours: Cost:
BLANK:
MAKE: Bob's Back Yard. $1.00
MODEL: Reed Rod II.
LINE: 2-6#.
LURE: N/L.
ACTION: Slow.
POWER: Ultra-Light.
LENGTH/WEIGHT: 6' 2-3/4" / N/L.
BUTT DIA: .370.
TIP DIA: 12.0.
CENTS:
ERN:
AA:
Cost Ea. Quantity: Distance From Tip in Inches.
GUIDES:
Fuji Hardloy Spinning BLVLG-7. 0.92 8 4", 8", 12", 16-1/8", 20", $7.36
W/S4 SS Frames. 24-3/8", 29", 3/4". $0.00
BLVLG-10. $1.09 1 39". $1.09
BLVLG-12. $1.15 1 44". $1.15


TIP TOP:
Fuji Medium-Heavy MNST-12-12. $10.25 1 $10.25
Gunsmoke Top.
REEL SEAT:
Struble Mis-Matched. Fly Seat Parts. $7.99 1 $7.99
REEL SEAT ARBORS:
Pacific Bay Graphite. GA14. $0.62 3 $1.86
WINDING CHK/HOSEL:
Ruber Vinyl Check. CK10B. $0.75 1 $0.75
BUTT CAP:
Ruber Vinyl 5/8 X 5/8" Butt Cap. RVBO. $0.85 1 $0.85
HOOK KEEPER:
N/U.
GRIPS:
BUTT: Shaped EVA. RGV5-1/4". $1.25 1 $1.25
INTERMEDIATE: N/U. $0.00
FORE: Shaped EVA. FGV3-1/4". $0.95 1 $0.95
SPACERS: N/U. $0.00
THREADS: Cost: Guide Totals: $19.85
UNDER WRAPS: N/U. Components: $34.50
GUIDE WRAPS: Gudebrod 290 Tan sz"D". $1.50 Supplies: $14.50
TRIM BANDS: Gudebrod Gold "J" Metallic sz "A". $3.00 Labor: $50.00
DEC WRAPS: N/U. Sub Total: $99.00
MISCELLANEOUS SUPPLIES: Shop Standard. $10.00 6.75% NC Sales Tax: $6.68
DECALS: F.E.T. $10.00
TOTAL: $115.68


Tight Wraps & Tighter Lines.

Bob,

New Bern, NC.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/02/2023 05:50PM by Robert A. Guist.

I expected some long casting and brush rods. I figured there would be some spinning blanks built for baitcasting. I thought some total surprises would appear, but I wasn’t thinking a reed rod. I’m not sure if Bob is a more creative builder or writer.

Alex,
One of the 5 ft. 4 in. SJ blanks from NFC might have been a good choice for your build. My most specific technique rod was probably the rod I built in Florida on a prototype Kunnan blank for fishing wrecks with salmon jigs developed in the PNW.

Spencer, When I break or lose the one I have I'll try one of those. They're less expensive than the Rainshadows I've been using too.

Spencer Phipps Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Alex,
> One of the 5 ft. 4 in. SJ blanks from NFC might
> have been a good choice for your build. My most
> specific technique rod was probably the rod I
> built in Florida on a prototype Kunnan blank for
> fishing wrecks with salmon jigs developed in the
> PNW.


Would you share which Salmon Jigs?

3 jigs, 3 companies. two of them can be fished on light tackle and spinning rods they can be jigged, cast and retrieved jigging, trolled or vertical jigged.
1. Sonic Baitfish, been around a longtime and can be tied and setup 3 ways depending on what action you want and how you present it. Mack Lures.
2. Buzzbomb, cast and jig even from shore, vertical jig or troll, light gear and spinning can be used.
3. Pt. Wilson Dart Jigs come in three patterns, candlefish, herring, anchovy, so you can best match the baitfish you think are there. This is the bait I designed the rod for, I needed more power, heavier line and less length for keeping the fish out of the wrecks and reefs once hooked.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/04/2023 05:57PM by Spencer Phipps.

30 yrs ago i built a pair of spinning rods used for bait fishing with sawbellies in the local resirvoirs for trout. application was for rowboat fishing . i used 11ft 8wt fly blanks , when placed in rod holders my bait was about 23ft apart which helped keep the lines from tangling.Once others saw them i ended up making about a dozen sets of them.

Fishing is not a matter of life or death, it's much more important than that