The Fish Eagle II blanks were about the best bang for the buck when it came to lower-priced rod blanks. They ran around $30 or so until recently. Actually, the old ones(probably 5 years or more) were made in the USA(I've heard by Loomis but can't confirm), and were in the $70-100 range. The new blanks(with the "diamond weave" butt section) are made in China. Cabela's recently raised
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Lamiglas used to make a blank that fit that description, the XSH1022L. It was an 8'6", 6-10, 1/4-1/2oz rated blank. Unfortunately, they haven't been made in a few years and I don't know if anyone has one in stock these days. Talon also(supposedly) makes an 8'6" 6-10 blank. I don't know for sure where to buy one, I think Angler's Workshop would be a good starting point, as Talon make
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I used to fish for carp every so often as a kid, and it can be very challenging! The fish in the lake where i targeted them were so shy, that we couldn't even get close to the water or they wouldn't bite. We also never used any kind of weight, relying purely on the line floating on the surface as a telltale strike indicator. If these fish felt a hook or any resistance from weight, they would s
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Seeker makes some really nice glass blanks in their steelhead line. They seem to be faithful reproductions of the old fenglass blanks from the '70s. Anglers Workshop and Mudhole carry them.
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I considered going, but it would have involved driving a half hour home from work at 4AM, then another hour and a half south to Woodland, and sleep in the parking lot until the doors opened. I heard of some outstanding blank deals(a few XMG50 blanks for $20). I'm kicking myself now.
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I think that's just what's on the dies -- G.Loomis doesn't even use the threaded barrels that these seats use any more(they use a Fuji barrel). Last rod I built with one, back in May still had the "G.LOOMIS" stamp on it. Really wish they'd offer the older style trigger that was used on the old IM6 Loomis and Lamiglas LHS rods. I find that they're much more comfortable than the stra
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I've played with a few of the new made in China models, and was saddened by what I saw. The 209M had a boss for the spare pawl(and was marked as such, as they have been for decades) but no hole tapped into it and obviously no spare parts. There is a vinyl decal with the model number over the spot on the left side plate where the USA made ones had the model number and "Made in USA" mol
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I hold all spinning rods with all of my fingers in front of the stem, so I much prefer an uplocking reel seat.
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Fenwick used at least a couple styles of trigger-less reel seats on steelhead rods such as the FS83. One was a skeleton style with exposed aluminum hoods on the top and bottom, with a cork mid body. Another had an aluminum barrel instead of cork. There was also a seat similar to a Wiebe spinning setup, except that there is no exposed rear hood(just like the ones still used on Cabela's Fish Eag
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That was the original plan, but I chickened out and went with the more conservative garnet! I bet that red/black variegated thread would look very sharp on one of these blanks...
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Garnet without CP on an esprit blank will blend right in with it(I just got done finishing an ESH1142L yesterday). I was going to use candy apple, but figured it'd be too bright. I kind of like a little contrast on my wraps, but I think I like how it turned out.
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I have never heard of ABU using anyone else's oil. They supposedly have their own "rocket lube" that the CS/pro rocket/blue yonder reels come with, but I think that most of ABU's reels come with some other kind of oil on the bearings. The only current model Ambassadeur that I own is a 5500C3. In 2006 they changed the centrifugal brake design with 2 blocks, to a setup with 6 blocks
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That blank sounds an awful lot like a Lamiglas XSH1142MT. Try casting 2oz and you'll soon see why it's rated 1/4-5/8! A steelhead rod is typically designed for throwing light weights over long distances, and you'll possibly damage it when casting heavier leads, as the tips are very fast and light.
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The FS83C is still a prized rod, though most folks that seek them out are using them for pulling plugs these days. Lamiglas' version, the CG82DR is quite a bit stiffer IMHO. I think their Certified Pro 8'0" 6-15 or 10-20 models are a bit closer to that old Fenwick stick. Seeker also makes an 8'3", 6-15 rated blank, I have considered building one if I could find a suitable reamer!
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I prefer a freespool button over the thumb bars any day, but unless you're looking at a Quantum Cabo or Ambassadeur C3, you're out of luck. I'm a steelhead fisherman, and we like to thumb our reels, no real use for a flipping switch in that application. I've got dozens of levelwinds, and while nothing matches the smoothness of my Daiwa Luna, my favorite steelhead reel is still a 33 year old ABU
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I don't know if you mistyped, but the Dream Reamer can most definitely be chucked into a drill and used at LOW SPEED. Remember, you will want to have it in reverse when using it in a drill to keep it from acting as a screw and busting the cork.
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Do any of our sponsors here carry a cork reamer capable of fitting grips to a blank with a butt diameter of .775? Looking at building a glass steelhead rod and having a hard time finding a suitable reamer, figure that I'll just bite my lip and spend the money on one as I don't have any old blank pieces to use for that at this time.
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I would follow Spencer's advice and check out the Lami XSH1202MT blank -- it's an extremely fast blank. Another one to have a look at is the XMG1202M, it's rated a little lighter but is a stiffer rod and i would not hesitate to run 20lb test on it.
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Really depends on quite a few factors. The reel used, length and action of the rod, and most importantly, the operator! Most baitcasters aren't designed to cast 1/16oz lures, but there are a few out that are capable of it, and now some are even being designed for ultra-finesse fishing(like the Daiwa Pixy and Presso, rated for 4lb line). My lightest baitcasting reels are 1970s Ambassadeur 250
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A Lamiglas XMG1142LL or XSH1142LL sounds like it'd fit the bill. Both are 9'6", 4-8lb, 1/8-3/8oz rated blanks.
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Spencer Phipps Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I'd look at the Lamiglas Certified Pro XSH 120 > 2MT. A much faster blank than most blanks in this > catagory. It will also throw a little more weight > than the upper limit would let you believe. They > have this Mag Taper Medium 8 to 17 lb blank rated > 1/4 to 5/8 but the 8 to 12 lb blank is
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How's the texture on those things? My main gripe about the carbon fiber/texalium grips is that they feel slick, and have no "give" to them like cork or eva does. Well, and the fact that they cost twice as much as cork!
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Is the C5 that you picked up a new model(beveled side plates with no label wrapped around the edge)? If so, it most likely has a decent carbon fiber drag, which is far superior to the older style. Still, the smoothies may be the way to go, especially with that light of line. If you're running 6-8lb test, and like classic reels, I might suggest saving some pennies and picking up a 2500C off @
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TiCh is the more or less black color. The gold colored finish is TiN(Titanium Nitride). I haven't had much experience with TiCh yet(the rod I'm working on has a TiCh hood and guide frames), but in my experience, TiN has a tendency of wearing off over time. I believe that it is used to plate drill bits, etc because it can be removed and re-applied fairly easy...I'm not sure if that's a plus o
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Generally, a standard seat will have a non-reinforced nut on the hood, while a deluxe seat will have a reinforced one(noticeable by the metal band on the hood side of the nut). I have heard that in heavy use a standard seat's nut can split, but I have owned rods with both types of seats for many years, with no problems.
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Most guys up here in WA who still mooch in very deep areas use a shorter, heavier rod like one would use for salmon jigging. 15-40lb test rating, and good for up to 8oz of lead. Might even use graphite for added sensitivity through 200' of water. I do prefer an 8-9' 10-30lb glass rod for everyday shallow mooching duty, though.
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The pyramid sinker makes me think he's using it for plunking. A lot of the guys plunking on the columbia use 11-13' stout rods, so I think a surf rod blank rated for 20-40lb test would be in order.
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I like the feel of an unsealed cork grip. After a few months/years of use it takes on that nice deep color, and just gets more comfortable.
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Scuffing the finish would be beneficial. However, I wouldn't lose any sleep over not doing so. Most mass-produced rods probably have no scuffing under the handles at all, and likely aren't even totally covered in glue before assembly. Check out the library section, there is an interesting article on surface preparation that covers that.
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I always like to feel and play around with a rod blank before I buy, if at all possible, or handling a factory rod with the same blank. It's really a personal thing to me -- I let the feel and action of the blank do the talking, not so much the brand. When buying factory rods, I had always been a Lamiglas fan, but had heard good things about St. Croix's steelhead blanks recently, and decided to
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