I might have posted this question before! In my journies surf fishing the North East coast I came across an old salty dog who carried a long surf rod (12 footer) one piece. It had seen its best days but still resemble fine craftmanship. What made it percular was that the wooden butt end was spiked tapered to a point and he used it as a walking stick, as well as spiking into the sand after a long cast into the suds with a 3 oz lead and a wiggling eel.

It was dark but from my glimps of it it had a long wooden butt handle nicely turned chrome reel seat and wooden foregrip with what I think was a E-Glass blank. Has any one on this board built such a rod. It captured my interest. I am thinking of building one with more modern components (Graphite blank, Fuji low rider guides, graphite seat and possibly a screw in or plug in extention for the spike at the end of the butt grip. Would like to make it as light as possible. Still wondering what material to use as spike attachment.

Daiwa, among others, used to make these rods with the spike on the butt. I suppose it saved the fisherman from having to carry a separate sand spike with him. He just shoved the whole rod into the sand!

I am not sure where you could get these spikes, save for finding some of the old Dawia's at a yard sale and taking them off and using them on your rods. I'm sure with some imagination somebody can come up with something. Take a look at the hardware or gardening stores. Maybe they have something that is designed to be pushed into the ground that could be adapted for use on a fishing rod.
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Thanks Tom, I will look into those Daiwa rods, maybe emailing them at their site thay can foward me any info they had on them. The rod I saw was definately custom made and old.

I will keep you informed if I find a suitable device to use as the spike.

Olympic also built rods with a spiked butt. They were pointed and shiny chrome plated. Also rusted pretty easily. But somebody must have been making them for these companies to get them.

P.S. They don't work as well as you might think they would. Mine would either sink up easily in soft sand and then the rod would fall over when I tried to tighten the line against my sinker. Or the sand was hard and I couldn't get it to go in and it fell over from not being inserted far enough down. Not trying to discourage you but there are some things about that style that probably contributed to it's demise.

Thanks William,
These are the kind of things I need to know, makes it a challenge. I will experiment with spike first before working on the components, wrapping and finish. Have several ideas to tackle the problems you mentioned. May have to turn a piece of hard wood for a but section, make it one section with spike at end, like I saw the old timer have.

william good point on the falling over thing probably due the fact that with a spiked butt you don't have as much surface for resistance as you would with a sand spike made out of say 2" PVC. Just a thought.Jim Gaskins

I saw a wooden spike on the Fuji Tackle - Australia web site. I don't know if this what you are looking for but it is something to look at. [www.fujitackle.com.au]

Chris

Sounds like an interesting concept. However a few things scare me. I dont think you can pound on it hard enough to keep it in the sand without damaging the blank. And if its not anchored, some fish will have a rod following him around the ocean for a while. Secondly, when you use a long surf rod, where do you place the butt of the rod while reeling in? If you are like me its in the fold between your leg and pelvis. At best this can puncture a wader, at worst it can puncture your.....well you know.

Just my 02 cents worth.

Mike Moran
Alleghany Anglers
www.alleghanyanglers.com

Did not think of that, at times I place the rod against my self, in a frnzy with a battling striper or Blue fish one can get hurt with spike. Tis it was an idea that you fine gentlemen steared me away from. This is why I post then here.

Thanks