Before this forum account is closed down permanently I need to add in here that Bob Batson also worked at the Houston rod blank factory created by Don Mook. I received a really nice email from someone who wanted to let me know that Batson Enterprises and RainShadow and their legacy also came right out of the Houston blank factory. I did not mean to exclude any part of that legacy, and I wou
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You don't have to worry. It won't happen again. I asked permission to post this thread about reels. Permission was granted. There is quite a bit off the forum discussion going on which was the inspiration for this thread. I thought it would be a good idea to share with custom rod builders ways to do things differently and start with the environment and reels leading into the rods at the end
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> > Sometimes I wish I'd never started reading > > something. > Same here over 90% of the time and now save myself ahead of time based on experience. Make it over 95%. I came to read Phil Enwicki. Best part of the day! Another drive by sabo on this one. Last one to. So be happy! Posted by: Peter Yawn (---.mpls.qwest.net) Date: December 25, 2022 09:44PM I figured t
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Peter Yawn Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I'm gonna go Ryobi on your special flipping reel. Merry Christmas Peter! Its a brush buster! Kidding
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Chris Catignani Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Norm...thanks for the explanation on drag > washers... > My particular situation is that I dont lock the > drag down and use a lighter lb test like 14lb. > The old drag washers, on occasion, would lock up > and...well no bueno. What reel is this Chris? And are you saying you flip with
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External quote: "Quantum's Flippin' switch requires the angler to depress the thumb bar to draw out the necessary amount of line out from the reel. This slack line is held in the angler's free hand while the other hand negotiates the rod and reel to gently flip the lure out. Once the thumb bar is released the reel pops back in gear providing instant readiness for hookset without the need
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Norman Miller Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I agree links to online articles and > pictures should be used vs copying and pastings > since it does cut down on the amount of space > used. Norm, I have to disagree on this one because if this forum is to be a body of knowledge and a repository of information, then links won't provide that.
Forum: rodboard

Top reel from forum recommendation: "Without a doubt, at least IMO, the greatest reel ever built for flipping and pitching, were the Shimano Castaic reels. The Castaics have a two way thumb bar that allows the spool to be engaged without having to turn the reel handle." Nothing to argue. Case closed.
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Curious how you balance your flipping and pitching rods and reels out? Once you have the reel dialed in and a fixed weight to work with, how do you approach its placement on the rod and balance it all out? Hopefully this is short enough...
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Spencer Phipps Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Have the rules been changed? Posts like those > above from Kent take up a lot of room and aren't > particularly enlightening on a rod building forum. > Bass fishing forums are Facebook are a better > place. What rule did I break? If I posted anything out of line please delete. I am tryi
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Chris Catignani Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I flip and pitch with a couple of older Shimano > Citica's with upgrades: ceramic bearing, carbon > drag washers and 106mm carbon handles. Drag washers are coming up in this thread already. I've read locked down drags and upgrades... Chris, what if I told you from an old bench tech that carbon fi
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I am sorry to hear about your health issues. I hope you recover and get back to fishing. Its interesting you say you fish here in winter. David hit upon something with his one handed reel comment above. Dead on with it too. However... there are other reels that do the same or similar... on to the reels for this job.
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David Baylor Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > If I could somehow talk Shimano into building my > dream reel for flipping and pitching, it would be > a reintroduction of the Castaic using the Curado > 200 K frame, with an MGL spool. What if I told you such a reel might already exist and has been around for nearly 20 years? ***
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Flippin' & pitchin' is a big deal down here in Florida. One of the most common techniques used for bass fishing in cover. So I wanted to start a thread about the flippin' & pitchin' reels, and ask each of you what your requirements are for them for this technique, and how you match it to a rod and use it? I hope we can get into the function and operation of the reels because there a
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I use that blue painters tape. I cut it into very thin strips. Cheap. And it works and one roll lasts a long time. I use super small micro guides with the shortest foot I can buy, usually less about a 1/4" long, so whatever I use has to be thin enough to hold guide on rod while I start the thread wrap. So the thin strips I cut are less than 1/8" wide and about 2 inches in length give
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Congrats Norman!
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I hope its ok to mention that photos can also be posted here without the app by using standard HTML coding of image URL address link placed within the coding: image URL here At my age and with my eyesight getting worse, I cannot use a cellphone for forum activity. I need a bigger screen like this laptop. Trying to work my way through a forum on a cellphone is no fun for me. I need a magnifying
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El Bolinger Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > @KENT - thanks, that definitely makes sense, I > went way ahead of the guides just to get a feel > for wrapping - but for real wraps I'll heed your > advice. How far in front of the foot do you start > (3 turns 5 turns 10 turns)? I don't put any wraps on the blank by itself. I don't start
Forum: rodboard

From where does Kistler blanks come from? The South. Which is where my main focus for this thread has targeted. The Southern angle to an incredible rod making legacy born in USA. There is an Oklahoma angle to it, and a northwest angle to it and quite possibly beyond. My main target zone is Loomis, Mook, and that Houston factory and its derivative rod blank legacy is why I am chiming in on this th
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Another cool side story to all of this Houston factory legacy is that it all tracks back to Morgan McCain founder of All Star rods. Take a read on what he is credited for on numerous websites: "Morgan McCain, the founder of All Star Graphite Rods and originator of technique specific actions, has a passion for building fishing rods of only the highest quality..." And "McCai
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Google- and being retired and have too much time too dig around for it! Just pick up a little piece up here and there... like this one... another derivative of this same legacy... I guess when I get a rod in my hands I want to know more about it and where it came from and who. I want to know the who behind my rods. When they are made in China fishermen here in USA have nameless faces making th
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The rod blank is already a natural megaphone and the grip is on the output end anyway so why not create a handle that is an extension of the natural megaphone we hold in our hands to fish with. It seems like a logical next step. Wonder why no one else came up with it before now? If they have, I am not aware of it. And I am not sure what you are saying or asking about the priced out components
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I found another historical quote supposedly from Trey Kistler: December 20, 2010, 09:27:31 AM Grab a drink, sit back and enjoy some very interesting facts about how Kistler Rods has made it through some rough roads, including the warranties on thousands of defective graphite blanks over the past 12 years as we continue to learn and accept how all things are a part of God's plan whether we
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Our Story Our company was born in a Texas garage. After Trey Kistler returned home from serving in the Gulf War, he went to work with his father building fishing rods. When his dad retired, Trey decided to blaze his own trail. He decided to make an exciting life for himself, his wife and four babies. He decided to create some solid American jobs. And he decided to try and catch as many fish as
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Ed, certainly a fine job for first attempts, but I would like to bring something to your attention. I would not recommend any thread wraps to be put onto any custom rod that extend beyond the foot of the guide. Its possible when epoxy is applied to thread wraps of this length there are problems that can come along with it I have personally experienced and swore I'd never do again. The rods
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A simple solution may be to just change up to a more flexible epoxy.
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Where did you go wrong? It may be the epoxy. Hard epoxy does not bend well. It is like a liquid plastic that hardens and there are different hardnesses to epoxy. For rods I tend to use flexible epoxies, not rigid epoxies. Bend a rigid epoxy and you can get cracks and separation from the bank. And you are right about low temps also causing epoxies to harden up enough to crack when bent. The
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Mark Brassett Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I agree with everything you posted, Kent. That > being said I'm still going to buy, then replace > those $100 casting reels. > > BTW, good to see you are back and posting valuable > info on this board. Thanks Mark! Tim Scott Wrote: ------------------------------------------------
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Mark Brassett Wrote: -------------------------------------------- > ----- > > I won't spend over > > $100 on a reel these days. The higher priced > ones > > just are not any better and usually the same as > > the $100 model with a bit more bling. Just pick > > out the one you like best and stick with it. > > Mike Ballard Wrote: > ---------
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Mike Ballard Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I clean and service a lot of reels and I have > learned that most reels are made by the same one > or two companies. Some are spec models they make > to a firm's request while other times it is really > only the exterior cosmetics that are changed while > the internals are identical. I won't spe
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