New to the rod building world. I’ve always thought about building for myself and getting exactly what I want. I’ve bought and sold or traded more sticks than I even want to think about so I decided to go for it! I didn’t want to completely suck going into it, so I bought a few inexpensive rod kits and gave them as gifts to friends and family. I have two builds narrowed down already… possibly a third. I have a Rod Geeks gift certificate, so both blanks will come from them. My plan with these two was to keep them super lightweight for target casting docks and laydowns all day so I went with lightweight components that I’ve heard good things about.

First is going to be for small shallow diving crankbaits. My personal favorites the Bandit 100, LC0.5, and the 6th Sense 25X. I normally throw them on 12# FC, but I’ll go down to 10# on occasion. I’ve grown to love glass rods for all my cranking so I’m looking forward to trying their 7’ ML glass blank. I’ve been looking forward to trying out the REC Recoil guides, but I’m going to stick with a Fuji SiC tip top as well as a Fuji ECSM seat. Hopefully you guys could help me out with the guide layout with the Recoils. I’m not 100% sure what kind of layout would work best. For the handle I’m doing a CFX Ultra Touch Tapered Rear grip and butt/cap.

Second rod is for spinnerbaits. Mostly all 3/8oz and some 1/2oz depending on the brand of lure. I often lean to grabbing a Covert. Even after all the rods as I’ve been through, I’ve never owned a St. Croix. So I’m gonna use the 7’ MH SC2 or Carbon 2 blank. I know people love these blanks for moving baits, so I’m gonna give it a shot. For this one I’m going with American Tackle AirWave guides with a Ring Lock NanoLite tip. ECSM seat again. The plan was to use the same grips, but I love the feel of cork on a fishing rod, so I’m on the fence.

The possible third build is another spinnerbait stick. Medium 7’ SC2 this time. I have . I’m thinking about holding off on this one until after I’ve had some time on the water with the first two. If I like one more I’ll do the third the same way or even take ideas from both.

Let me know what y’all think… I’ve gone through so many of these threads getting info and opinions on materials it’s really just y’all’s ideas packed together.

Hi Christian,
Responding, particularly to your comment about fiberglass blanks. I became a fan of fiberglass blanks in the early 90s. Using rattle traps in tidal creeks I was losing easily 80% plus fish using graphite rods. My first fiberglass blank was a St. Croix SG – 56M. From the first fish on every rattle trap was deep in their mouth. I’ve built three of them before the blank was discontinued. Everything I have used since, has been a little bit of a compromise. Eventually, I broke all three of those rods and built another Saint Croix blank, a little bit more of a medium, moderate action. I used that for 25 years until last year it broke. I would say The SG 56M was sort of light. Using 1/2 oz. Rattle traps was severely loading the rod or overloading. But resulted in exactly what I needed. So my goal has always been a moderate action blank that is loaded to capacity or over. I also used a couple 5 foot Clemens blanks in the past. Those worked well for small crank baits. On One of my last one now. To replace the broken rod I built a rod, on the Rainshadow E-glass SPG783. That is 6’6” moderate action rod. Though rated for 1/2 ounce, I believe a half ounce rattle trap really loads it heavily. I’ve started using that rod last week and have only caught a few fish, but it is behaving the way I expect. I know a bunch of people have composite rods, but I don’t know anybody uses a straight, fiberglass blank. When I talk to experience bass fisherman about my tale they look at me like I got three heads. Works for me. I also have a 7 foot St. Croix fiberglass rod I use for larger crank baits.
Phil

I think it’ll be a challenge going light, using fiberglass. I went through the fiberglass stage with spinnerbaits and crank baits, but went back, preferring lighter, and surprisingly, more sensitive. It’s surprising how subtle strikes can be on a moving bait (remember Doug Hannon’s classic video of a bass completely inhaling a crank bait and spitting it out without the fisherman ever knowing?).

As far as suggestions, I like the Rainshadow Eternity ETEC68M. This is my go to jerbait rod, but it actually excels with the shallow crank baits and spinnerbaits that you mentioned. This is also my favorite topwater rod. To save weight, you need to start at the blank, then the handle and reel seat for the most influence. Guides will not make that much of a difference if you are 5.5 sized running or less. The difference between titanium and stainless is imperceptible at those sizes. Sorry, but I’m not a fan of recoils, and definitely would hate them more for moving bait applications. I prefer the seats like the Fuji Acsm as they don’t require arboring (lighter). Cork is typically the lightest handle material, with split grip designs saving even more).

I do have an order in for some NFC “hybrid” CB705 Zentrons for deeper running spinnerbaits (heavier as well) and chatterbaits, but I haven’t received those yet to offer an opinion. This might be a consideration for the last rod you were asking about. These are fiberglass tipped with a graphite base. If they come out tip heavy, I’m not concerned, as you fish these baits with the tip down anyway.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 04/14/2024 12:12PM by John Santos.

Whatever your blank, guide, and handle choices, here are a couple of micro-small weight-saving tips:

1.) Drill a hole through the trigger of your casting seat as the hook keeper; you don't need to add one.
2.) Trim the threaded barrel of the seat so there are no extra threads and extra material beyond your locking hood with the reel installed. (This is for a no-foregrip design which also saves weight.)
3.) If you go with a split grip to save weight, measure your hand and the way it holds and casts the rod. Get the size grip that fits what you need and no more. Same on the butt grip.
4.) Keep the build sleek and clean of excessive bling. Consider using narrow, thread trim bands between split grips instead of metal winding checks - or none at all. Same for trim rings between reel seat and grip. Minimal to no decorative thread wraps.
5.) Guides no larger than needed to pass your line and leader knots (if you have them).
6.) Overall: Eliminate the Unnecessary - whatever it is! This was Rich Forhan's mantra. Rich even trimmed the reel foot itself to the minimum required, I believe. Most of the suggestions above are from Rich.

I just wanted to throw this in the mix as I generally believe there is not a rod out there that can't be made better by making it lighter where possible.

4.5 KT, stainless steel frame, Alconite ring. .103 grams.

4.5 KT titanium frame, Torzite ring. .059 grams.

Definitely not much of a difference, but let's not forget ....... guides are leveraged weight. Their weight is multiplied by their distance from the fulcrum. Any difference in weight is multiplied by its' distance from the fulcrum as well. That being the reel seat.

I can tell you for certain, that I can feel the difference between a guide train using SS frames, and one using titanium frames. It''s not a difference in sensitivity that I am speaking of. It's a difference in tip weight. Now I admittedly have never used running guides that didn't have the same frame or ring material that my reduction train used. The majority of weight in a guide train is in the reduction train. Being closer to the reel seat, it's weight isn't as leveraged as guides further from the reel seat. But one reduction train guide can weigh more than all of your running guides, combined.

7 of the last 9 rods I've built for my personal use have guide trains that use titanium frames. Not because I have money to burn, but because I can feel a difference in tip weight of those rods. Those 7 rods are rods I use for bottom contact baits, where that kind of thing (tip weight) can make a difference. The other two rods using SS framed guides are rods I use for cast and retrieve baits. Tip weight isn't really a concern for me on those type of rods, so why spend the extra money for titanium guides.

As far as eliminating weight elsewhere in the rod .... especially behind the reel seat. I personally think that for certain kind of rods, it can work to your disadvantage, and result in a poorer overall performing rod and reel combination.

As an example .... I recently completed a build on an NFC MB725 C6O2 blank. I used an NFC XO skeleton grip on it. Titanium framed guides, SIC rings. And a couple of trim rings to add some bling to the thing. Total weight of the rod, 3.35 oz. I have a Shimano Chronarch 150 MGL on it. Weight of the reel, 6.55 oz. Super light combination, and I am severely tempted to pull the butt cap off, and add at least a 1/4 oz, weight inside the butt of the rod. Actually adding 3/8 oz would probably fit my balance preferences a little better. And at least IMO, make the rod even better than it already is.

Weight, if in the right place, is not a rod builders enemy. It can be their friend. At least that's how I see it