This is probably going to be heresy, but I am a newbie to this so please be forgiving.

Due to job stress, my wife has highly recommended that I pick up a hobby to get my mind off work after I get home. Preferably one that she also enjoys to do with me. I have been a casual fisherman since I was a boy. Mostly pan fish, bass and pike. My wife and I used a fish out of our canoe regularly as a cheap date night before we were married.

Career, kids, and the rest of life have all taken me away from fishing.

However, I would like to get back into it. There is nothing like the peace of casting out, watching a beautiful sunset and feeling the breeze while gently rocking on a boat listening to the soft waves splash the hull.

As a result, I am looking at picking up new fishing gear as well as picking up new fishing styles. As I was reading up on all the new rods and reels I came across the intriguing hobby of rod building and thought it would be fun and relaxing to get into.

But, Holy Toledo! There are all kinds of nuances to different rods that I am only just finding out about.

Since I am basically naïve in this art, I would like to start with the basics.

On Mud Hole, they have an all-in-one builder kit which seems to have all the basics that I need (and they have a 20% off sale). In addition, they have a nice set of instructional videos. I understand that any specific portion of this kit can be upgraded but for the time being since I know next to nothing I think I will start there (although if there are better build starter kits out there, I am open to suggestions).

I plan to start with building a "jack of all trades" fishing pole and as I try out new techniques I would likely build rods for specific fishing styles I like.

Thus, I would like to start with a 7 foot medium fast blank. That seems to be the consensus as to the most versatile set up. The number of choices I have online is overwhelming and I have no idea what to start with.

What blanks do you suggest and why choose that blank?

North fork composites has a sale on so I was thinking about their X Ray blanks since they seem to be a good deal right now (and some posts specifically mention them).

Also, if I make a mistake is it pretty forgiving to correct or should I buy some really cheap blanks, guides and grips to practice on first?

Anyway, I am happy to hear your suggestions and I am looking forward to getting my mind off work and back on the lake where it belongs.

I would suggest doing the mudhole online class. It is basically the all-in-one kit you referenced plus a 2 day online course for the same price. The course is essentially free since it’s the same price as the kit without the course. The rod you build is a 7’ medium light mod fast spinning or casting and is pretty good for all around. You’ll have enough supplies to build 3 more rods on your own as well. You’ll be able to build a rod successfully with the instructional videos at mudhole but the online class allows you to ask questions and have someone watch you when you inevitably hit a snag. Going the mudhole route will also allow you to build a solid rod before going down the internet rabbit hole (rodbuilding.org…) and questioning every aspect of rod building.

There are lots of preferences and biases in anyone’s answer to your question with none being inherently right or wrong. I absolutely abhor kits for beginning as I think you miss a lot of learning while getting a rod that is more or less equivalent to a store brand from the discount retail world. Its providence is whatever anonymous supplier in China cut the best deal during a given time frame. Again, this is my bias. Since you are on here, you can kindly get great advice for picking components and learn a lot about custom building that buying a price-point kit won’t teach you.

In no particular order NFC, Rod Geeks (St. Croix), and Rainshadow can provide you with blanks that are at least designed by individuals and teams that purposefully spec and test their products. Point Blanks are in that category, but they have some characteristics that might not be good for a first build. The mandrels that create the blank’s dimensions are usually specific to generations of carbon and desired performance characteristics with these four brands. Pick a blank that is sanded with a smooth finish to learn how to wrap on.

Before you select, or at least build on a blank, it’s necessary to pick some building tools. This is where I think Mudhole has great strength with their CRB line of tools. One can wrap with slots cut in a box or even a fly tying bobbin, but their hand wrapper is nice. Flex Coat has nice tool and supplies for beginners and great instructional videos. They are solid with support.

I wish you well with job stress. There are several different parts of custom rod building that you can split with your wife. You may not want to start with shaping grips, but it’s one of these. There is also calligraphy, wrapping, finishing, and layout. Don’t be afraid of starting with a nice build, but I certainly recommend to keep it simple as intricate thread art, decals, and stuff like that just introduce possibilities for mistakes without making for a better rod.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/02/2024 11:28PM by Kendall Cikanek.

Thanks for all the info.

Mudhole will be doing an in-person rod building class near where I live in the upcoming months. Will I get more out of the class if I wait and do it in person rather than online?

Eric,


I just started building rods in 2024 but love it. Since I live a little over an hour from Mudhole, I attended their inshore rod building class. After that I was hooked. I got a lot out of face to face instruction with questions and answers and hands on assistance. I would highly recommend attending the in person class near you.

I really enjoyed the online course and mudhole will even tell you that there are advantages to the online course (higher instructor to student ratio, easier to see what the instructor is doing, the class flows better). It’s hard to imagine that face to face isn’t better overall though. Give Mudhole a call and get their recommendation.

Thanks everyone for all of your help and advice!

I think I'll do the face-to-face course. There is just something about being there in person that is appealing. It will be hard to wait until February though......

So far our friends at NFC have recommended the MB-705-1 (HM) blank.

Also, the kind folks at Rod Geeks have told me that the C371MF blank is the blank used for the St Croix 7'1" Victory medium fast which has very good reviews for being a versatile rod.

That should get me a medium light (from the class), a medium and medium heavy to start off.

Here are my next questions:

Some forms of epoxy can dampen vibration. Does the choice of epoxy matter for sensitivity in rod building? Are all epoxy formulations for rod building fairly equivalent or are some better than others?

Also, do the reel seats matter for sensitivity or just the grips?

I probably should go to a store and hold a bunch of rods to figure out which handles feel most comfortable for me. However, should I be focusing on carbon/composite, cork or EVA/foam? Which type transfers sensitivity best? Style is one thing, but comfort and functionality are what I am looking for.

Again, thanks to all for taking time to answer my questions!

Epoxy is very strong in adhesion or its ability to stick tightly to well prepared surfaces. However, it’s not as strong at handling internal shear forces as most of the rod materials it’s used to bond. This means that you want a thick enough layer to well contact both surfaces without it needing to also fill gaps. With fitting that allows just ample coating space, the difference in dampening between epoxies made for rod building is likely not perceptible. A fishing rod is more of a lever arm than a resonating device in most bite situations. Changes in tip pressure usually aren’t at the levels and rates needed to “strum” the tip.

EVA foam and the rubberized cork composites are heavy with other additional dampening properties. The material thickness here is far more than epoxy bonds. The carbon tube grips I’ve seen rely on a couple of synthetic rubber feeling discs to affix them to the blank. This would seem to allow for little vibration if you buy into needing to transmit it in a rod. There are maybe other types of core materials, but I don’t like the feel of them enough to delve deeply. Natural cork and the carbon sleeves are light and fairly rigid, without feeling overly hard.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/05/2024 12:53PM by Kendall Cikanek.

Instead of building what someone suggests or some "KIT" that someone offers, here is how I got started about 1980. I was a Steelhead fisherman so I decided that I pretty much knew what rod worked for me so I decided to build my own rod. My wife and I went on a road trip and went to a supply shop in Woodland, WA next door to a company that made blanks Lamiglas then drove to Seattle and went to another shop. In each shop I told them the kind of rod I wanted to build and they helped me pick out all the components I needed. In the first shop I bought a Lamiglas blank, Fuji guides and cork grips. They helped me understand epoxy and thread finish. The second shop steared me to a G Loomis blank and similar guides and more info. There wasn't the internet for me to learn from so I bought a few books. I literally had that old box with a v notch at opposite sides as a means to wrap those rods. The key was to build what I thought was the kind of rod I was used to so I could compare them to factory rods I had been using. What is nice about being a rod builder, when I had a need for a rod to do something and one was not available to do that I could just buy a blank and build it to fit me and my need. I don't have to buy the standard rod that the manufacturer builds to fit "most" anglers.

Now as far as dealing with stress from the job, I would drive to the river I usually fished for Steelhead and Salmon and then it was just cast up stream and manage the drift of my lure and at the end of the drift and reteeve of it and cast again while enjoying nature and forgetting issued with dealing with my 50 engineers and technicians and the documents we produced or with a contankerous boss. It was rejuvinating.

Kerry Hansen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Instead of building what someone suggests or some
> "KIT" that someone offers, here is how I got
> started about 1980. I was a Steelhead fisherman so
> I decided that I pretty much knew what rod worked
> for me so I decided to build my own rod. My wife
> and I went on a road trip and went to a supply
> shop in Woodland, WA next door to a company that
> made blanks Lamiglas then drove to Seattle and
> went to another shop. In each shop I told them the
> kind of rod I wanted to build and they helped me
> pick out all the components I needed. In the first
> shop I bought a Lamiglas blank, Fuji guides and
> cork grips. They helped me understand epoxy and
> thread finish. The second shop steered me to a G
> Loomis blank and similar guides and more info.
> There wasn't the internet for me to learn from so
> I bought a few books. I literally had that old box
> with a v notch at opposite sides as a means to
> wrap those rods. The key was to build what I
> thought was the kind of rod I was used to so I
> could compare them to factory rods I had been
> using. What is nice about being a rod builder,
> when I had a need for a rod to do something and
> one was not available to do that I could just buy
> a blank and build it to fit me and my need. I
> don't have to buy the standard rod that the
> manufacturer builds to fit "most" anglers.
>
> Now as far as dealing with stress from the job, I
> would drive to the river I usually fished for
> Steelhead and Salmon and then it was just cast up
> stream and manage the drift of my lure and at the
> end of the drift and retrieve of it and cast again
> while enjoying nature and forgetting issued with
> dealing  with my 50 engineers and technicians and
> the documents we produced or with a cantankerous
> boss. It was rejuvenating.


Dang, as I sit here with a health Issue I mistakenly sent the previous MSG without spelling and grammar check, SORRY!

Eric,

I'd avoid a 'kit' build. For me, a lot of the enjoyment of rod building is in choosing the componentry that I like, and not what someone else put into a kit for me. It results in a few more builds to find what you like while also honing your skills. It also helps you to find what aspect of building you enjoy the most so you can focus more on that. So, you end up with more fishing rods - the horror! If that's an issue, give them away to friends and family. They will LOVE you for it.

With regard to rod choice - your desire for an all-around rod is solid. Here's the dirty little secret in the fishing industry: rods have become specialized to the point of ridiculousness. Especially in the bass world. The marketing machine has anglers completely buffaloed. In reality, there are very few techniques that you can't handle with two rods. A 7' medium power fast action, and a 7' light power fast action. In walleye fishing - you can accomplish almost everything with a 7' medium light fast. For panfish - the 7' light fast will do everything you need it to. It may seem like heresy, but I believe you can fish a dropshot on a rod that isn't a 6'10" medium extra fast. The fish won't laugh at you, and you won't miss any strikes. Some very specialized techniques - punching grass mats, flipping/pitching etc - need different gear - but by far the majority can be covered with those rod choices.

If I were building one rod for my area (northern Wisconsin), it would be a 7' medium light fast power. The only time I'd be concerned is when I hook into a musky over about 36".

I'll make one last comment - completely unrelated to rod building. You mention the need to relax and enjoy a hobby with possible wife participation. If you have the space for it - I'd highly recommend a garden of some sort. It's an ideal activity to have a partner with, and for me, my garden is the ultimate in stress relief. You put your hands in the dirt, and you grow good food to eat. There are actually studies on the health benefits of getting your hands literally full of soil - it's a thing. You are outside in nature, and can have your wife right next to you helping you pull weeds, mulch, harvest, water, etc. It's an amazing hobby - and who doesn't like eating a dinner made with stuff they grew in their backyard? Just a thought.....

Again, thank you everyone for all your great advice and insight!

I should probably clarify. In my original post, the "kit" I was referring to was actually not including the blank or the components to make the rod. It was all of the equipment I needed including the wrapper, dryer, the epoxy, etc. Initially I was looking at the "advanced" kit from mudhole which I was under the impression had everything except the actual rod parts. I was still planning to use all personalized parts to make the creation my own. Thus, why I wanted to know which blanks people recommended.

I absolutely agree, one of the reasons I want to make my own rod is to be able to personalize it by making it with the parts I like best. These first rods I eventually plan to pass on to my wife and kids (2 sons and a daughter) while I hone my skills. Eventually my goal is to make rods from a C5 blank from St Croix, an immortal from Rainshadow and if I can figure out which NFC blank is closest to an NRX+, -- those will be the jewels in my rod making crown. That is of course, until the next generation of cutting edge blanks come up ... ;) But I have a long way to go and a lot to learn before I get there.

However, I must admit, from a practical standpoint, having a class with experienced experts showing me how to do things (not just by watching you tube videos) to figure it out is a really appealing idea even if the class means learning by building a standard set up.

PS Rick, my wife laughed about gardening. She said, "Yeah -- if YOU do all the weeding!"

Power wise the St. Croix SCV C70 MF and the NFCMB705-1 HM have very similar powers, but the NFC is faster actioned by quite a bit. I don't think you could go wrong with either, being a bit slower actioned the St. Croix would probably throw its max lure weight better.

I agree with Spence but I never much cared for the faster action of the 705, It does make a decent casting Shakey head stick though. For a general purpose stick from NFC I’d go with IM705 or delta 705/705( excluding bottom contact stuff). For everything I’d go x ray 736



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/06/2024 05:56PM by Thomas Kaufmann.

Just a suggestion.
There are a lot of quality blanks out there, but I would not go higher end on your first build.
As you develop skills, you may be amused at how your first rod looks farther down the road.
If you want an all-around blank, I would suggest a Batson Forecast RX6 Graphite.
It is very tough material, and forgiving in use.
The models I personally like are the more moderate actions.
Again, that seems to be a little more versatile in use.
Specifically, SP842 or SP843.
Here is a link:
[www.schneidersrods.com]

We also stand ready to personally talk you thru your component choices.
Something that is hard to find nowadays online.
Give me a holler if I can help.

Best wishes,
Ron Schneider
Schneider's Rod Shop
Mountain Home, Arkansas
[www.schneidersrods.com]
mtnron40@yahoo.com
870-424-3381

Eric,
I think that for a beginner, one of the best things to go, is to go to a store, or even good will and pick up an inexpensive or used fishing rod.

Then, go home and cut the guides off the rod. Then, go ahead and remove the rest of the finish from the rod.

Clean up the guides and use this cleaned up rod blank and used guide to rewrap the guides back on the same rod.

In doing this process, you will learn the techniques used to strip and to clean up a blank as well as stipping the guides and materials to rewrap the guides back on the blank.

--------------------------------------------------
This is a very inexpensive way to get started and to learn the basics.

Otherwise, I would purchase an inexpensive grip, reel seat, rod blank and a set of guides. A razor blade, a pair of scissors a cardboard box and a couple of books.
Also, pick up some appropriate glue and finishing epoxy.

Go ahead and glue on the rear grip and reel seat. Then, practice spacing - in different configurations, using 1/4 inch wide masking tape to tape guides on the blank. Then, cut them all off and try a different spacing. When you do this, put a reel in the reel seat and thread the line through the guides and then use the floor or ceiling to bend the rod into a fish catching shape and check out the path of the line. See if you have a uniform distance of the line from the blank as you move down the rod. If is not, tweak the guides as necessary to find the correct spacing After doing this a half dozen times you will begin to learn the required knowledge for appropriate guide spacing. Then, tray wrapping the guides in place using simple black thread a half dozen times for each guide and to train your fingers and eyes to do the job. Note, good light and a hand band magnifier are a great asset to do great guide wraps.

Then, there is the subject of applying finish which is the tale of another learning experience. But to wrap, cut a couple of v shaped notches into the ends of the card board box and run the thread through the pages of a book to supply tension on the thread when wrapping. These are all starting suggestions, but as you learn, you discard what you don't want or need and make or purchase better tools. Some folks prefer to purchase all of their tools, but others prefer to make their own tools. Your choice.

Best wishes on your goal of building some wonderful fishing tools.

As an update to all and thanks for those who helped me out on this topic:

I purchased a building kit from mudhole (with a magnifying glass since I am getting to the bifocal era of my life). Thanks MudHole for giving me another new user coupon since the kit did not qualify for the discount! I decided to get the parts for the rods separately from the kit.

I purchased several blanks from Rod Geeks. Thanks Rod Geeks for the advice on choosing the blanks.

I also contacted Ron Schneider to purchase and help me choose some basic components for a medium light, casting 6 ft rod since I want the first rod I build to go to my 10 year old daughter. It may not look pretty in the end as my first rod, but I am certain she will always cherish the fact that it was the first rod i built. (also, it gives me the excuse to tear apart her old, little kid rod she does not use anymore to practice wrapping the guides -- thanks for the idea Roger).

I do eventually plan to purchase and make some rods from NFC blanks, but since the one recommended was a little more expensive, I plan to be better at making rods before I give it a try. Plus, with the cost of shipping I was planning to buy several blanks at once to save on shipping costs, which means I need to know what rods I plan to make at that time.

I couldn't wait for the rod building course. Of course, if I botch rod building up too much this fall, it also gives me time to sign up!

Finally, resources like this exist because of the support of businesses like the ones listed on the left side of the page. My patronage to those businesses is in gratitude for all their help and I hope will keep funding for resources like Rodbuilding.org so that I and the generations after me can benefit from the cumulative knowledge of so many experienced builders. I want the businesses to know that their generosity matters.

Thanks to all!

Eric Hernandez Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This is probably going to be heresy, but I am a
> newbie to this so please be forgiving.
>
> Due to job stress, my wife has highly recommended
> that I pick up a hobby to get my mind off work
> after I get home. Preferably one that she also
> enjoys to do with me. I have been a casual
> fisherman since I was a boy. Mostly pan fish,
> bass and pike. My wife and I used a fish out of
> our canoe regularly as a cheap date night before
> we were married.
>
> Career, kids, and the rest of life have all taken
> me away from fishing.
>
> However, I would like to get back into it. There
> is nothing like the peace of casting out, watching
> a beautiful sunset and feeling the breeze while
> gently rocking on a boat listening to the soft
> waves splash the hull.
>
> As a result, I am looking at picking up new
> fishing gear as well as picking up new fishing
> styles. As I was reading up on all the new rods
> and reels I came across the intriguing hobby of
> rod building and thought it would be fun and
> relaxing to get into.
>
> But, Holy Toledo! There are all kinds of nuances
> to different rods that I am only just finding out
> about.
>
> Since I am basically naïve in this art, I would
> like to start with the basics.
>
> On Mud Hole, they have an all-in-one builder kit
> which seems to have all the basics that I need
> (and they have a 20% off sale). In addition, they
> have a nice set of instructional videos. I
> understand that any specific portion of this kit
> can be upgraded but for the time being since I
> know next to nothing I think I will start there
> (although if there are better build starter kits
> out there, I am open to suggestions).
>
> I plan to start with building a "jack of all
> trades" fishing pole and as I try out new
> techniques I would likely build rods for specific
> fishing styles I like.
>
> Thus, I would like to start with a 7 foot medium
> fast blank. That seems to be the consensus as to
> the most versatile set up. The number of choices
> I have online is overwhelming and I have no idea
> what to start with.
>
> What blanks do you suggest and why choose that
> blank?
>
> North fork composites has a sale on so I was
> thinking about their X Ray blanks since they seem
> to be a good deal right now (and some posts
> specifically mention them).
>
> Also, if I make a mistake is it pretty forgiving
> to correct or should I buy some really cheap
> blanks, guides and grips to practice on first?
>
> Anyway, I am happy to hear your suggestions and I
> am looking forward to getting my mind off work and
> back on the lake where it belongs.

Me and my wife are confined to our house A LOT. We have a 12 year old speciel needs son (epilepsy started at 4 months old, autistic). I started this hobby back in May. Glad I did. I spend a lot of time in the rod room these days. You’ll enjoy it.

Jeremy Moore Wrote:

> Me and my wife are confined to our house A LOT.
> We have a 12 year old speciel needs son (epilepsy
> started at 4 months old, autistic). I started
> this hobby back in May. Glad I did. I spend a
> lot of time in the rod room these days. You’ll
> enjoy it.

Thank you, Jeremy. I wish and hope the best for your son and family.