When I first started building, I built maybe 3 rods a year. All for personal use. I used a hand wrapper that I built myself, As I got more into building I went to a power wrapper. Not so much for wrapping guides, but for use as a lathe and to make applying finish a little more efficient. Now I build maybe 1 or 2 rods a year, and still like having the versatility that a power wrapper offers. I
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Take your time reaming them. They ream EXTREMELY easy. And personally I ream them so they're snugging up to the blank at about 1/2" above the point I want them to be when in their final position. I've only used the ones from CFX that are available from Mudhole. One grip that I built myself, using the kit Mudhole has available, and the others that were stock grips. I love them though. The
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I don't really know what guides you'd put on a rod like that, so really can't help with that. What I would do is ask you what reel you're going to be putting on it, as that may well play into what reel seat you can use. I'm a bass fisherman and only build rods for myself, which means I use bass size reels. Shimano Curado 200's to be exact. I've come to use only the Alps MVT reel seat for my b
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On rods that I use for bottom contact baits, where I am fishing the rod, tip up, and trying to feel a bite (jigs, tubes, Texas rigged soft plastics, etc.) I set a degree of balance. Meaning I don't actually care where the rod and reel actually balance, I just care that it feels tip light. If it's not a rod I use for bottom contact baits, but instead use for cast and retrieve techniques, then I do
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I'm an instructor where I work, so I completely understand how difficult it can be to describe a way of doing something that you've done hundreds, if not thousands of times, to a person that has never done it before. It can definitely be a "patience is a virtue" kind of thing. I commend those of you that have taken the time to explain their method. I see parts of my method for doing tri
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posted to wrong thread lol
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The difficulty you describe is the exact reason I sanded the two NFC X ray blanks I've built on. I'm still not that great at guide wraps without needing to frequently pack the thread, so aside from not really liking the feel of the blank's texture, I just didn't want to deal with what for me, would have been an added headache.
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The only question I would ask is, why you take the rod tubes out of your boat? Does the design of your rod locker make it difficult to get rods in and out if you have rod tubes in the locker? I say this having a single console bass boat with about a 5' long rod locker lid, and nothing in the way of putting the rods in, or pulling the rods out of the locker. The reason I ask is, putting rod tub
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And of course all of these blanks that are designed by pros for specific uses or techniques come in the perfect length for every individual. And don't you dare think outside of the box. If you're building a spinning rod, you better be building it on a blank labeled for a spinning rod. And if the blank is labeled as a crankbait blank, don't you dare throw anything other than a crankbait on that bl
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I totally agree .... sensitivity is not an attribute that is hugely important in a dedicated frog rod. Because of that, I personally wouldn't be looking at anything like a Point Blank, or the new RX10 Eternity. While the lightness of those blanks would be a definite plus, it's just overkill IMO. Concerning the NFC blanks you mentioned. I built two rods on supposedly MB 736 X ray blanks, but I
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Kendall, I get exactly where you're coming from. My very first build was a jerkbait rod. I wanted the stiffer tip of a fast action blank, but the deeper bend (under the load of a fish) into the midsection of the blank. I'm shorter and the gunwales on my boat are a little taller than the gunwales on today's bass boats, and since I work jerkbaits tip down, I wanted the finished length of the rod to
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Wow ..... . I think we need a touch of reality here. While some may prefer using American made rod blanks, it does not mean that they are higher quality products than those built overseas. It may be a point of pride, but it's not a point of quality. And there are certainly quality issues at NFC. Just like there are quality issues at overseas manufactures. I
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Kent, so you saw the video I was talking about? Cool!!! Do you happen to have a link to it, because I was trying to find it again, and am not having much luck. So what did you think his facial expression and tone of voice meant? Like I said, to me it seemed like he had been kicked to the curb, but maybe you thought otherwise?
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Right Mr Wewerka, The Shimano G Loomis rods are only G Loomis by name. I watched a YouTube video some time ago where Mr Loomis was talking about his Edge brand of rods. In the video he mentioned that he hadn't had any involvement with Shimano in 10 years, and the video I was watching was in my estimation, pretty old. When the interviewer asked Gary, why? Gary said, and I can't remember his exact
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I have three rods that I use for spinnerbaits. All are heavy power, and fast actions. One of them is an old 5'6" pistol gripped Shimano Speedmaster. I use it when I am in tight to cover. Either roll casting or pitching. One of my other spinnerbait rods is also an old Shimano Speed Master rod. It's 6'6" and was actually the very first casting rod I ever owned. I originally got it for
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With all due respect, facts are not debatable. opinions are. It is a fact that flipping and pitching, while sharing similarities, are two different presentations. It is an opinion when it comes to what is the "correct," or best way to perform them. Please believe me when I say I mean no disrespect. It's simply that there are many things in this world, past and present, that have
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I've never owned a GLX (pre Shimano or otherwise) but I have fished with a couple that my buddies own. I'm not sure if they were pre Shimano or not, but fishing with them was the reason I started building my own rods. The X ray blanks are more sensitive than the GLX. I built 2 rods on NFC MB736 X ray blanks. At least that's the blanks I ordered. Long story short. They may actually be SJ 736 X ray
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Aaron, thanks for the heads up on the Pro Wrap braided metallic. Based on your synopsis, you just saved me $6.60. lol It sounds like a real nightmare to work with. A definite "no thanks" kind of thing. I don't know how many of you tried braid back when it first came out, and I realize there were braided lines prior to what most people know as the braided line of today, but anyhow ...
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Aaron, looks good. I have wondered how that Pro Wrap metallic braid looks when actually on a rod. I'm liking it. When you say it is too wide, is that because it's like size D thread in diameter? And how is it when pulling through? Does it shed or grab more than a normal metallic thread would? Additionally. Chris, I would be remiss if I didn't thank you for the compliment. Thank you.
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I love this place too Lynn ..... I've never been asked to write a book. I'm actually shocked by the suggestion. I figured everyone would be tired of reading my long winded posts on this site, and they surely wouldn't want to read any more of my ramblings in book form. I'm open to title suggestions guys. I'm leaning towards something to do with beating your head against a brick wall ..... or m
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NFC MB 736 X Ray. I have two rods built on that blank. Their primary use is for smallmouth bass. One rod I use for dragging 3/16 - 3/8 oz tube jigs. I've used it in up to 30' of water when up on Lake Erie. I have 12# Tatsu fluorocarbon line on it. The other I use for 3/8 - 1/2 oz football jigs + trailer. I've fished those in up to 30' of water as well. I have15# Tatsu on that rod. The blank is
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Kent? Sure, a single tip guide will utilize the the same amount of power from the blank as line running through guides attached along the blank's length ..... IF and it is a huge if. If the line is anchored at the tip. Funny thing about fishing rods though .... they have reels attached to them, and the line is anchored at the reel. Tell ya what ...... do CCS test for the IP of one of your rods. D
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As far as the slack or semi slack line thing goes, it appears to be a definition thing. As for my definition, a slack line would be fishing a weightless Senko, or a weightless wacky worm on the fall. Or even if you're fishing a jig or Texas rigged bait and you're trying to get it to fall right along the cover you're fishing. Let's say you're fishing a dock and the post you're fishing is sticking
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Robert, very cool and a bit ironic that you posted those links. I live in Akron Ohio, and the Soap Box Derby is just beginning this week. In fact I was detoured around the road that runs by the facility today, and can actually see the hill from where I work.
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Kent, I was typing my latest post while you were. I kind of have to disagree about the bait not sitting on the bottom while flipping, or pitching for that matter. When flipping, at least the way I flip, and others(even old Denny himself) that I've seen flip, you're letting the bait fall on a slack line. Your hand controlling the line is following the line back to the reel. The folks you're descr
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Roger's explanation for not including the weight of the bait being used, is spot on to my way of thinking. I don't balance with the weight of the bait in mind, (that weight can change drastically) I balance it for when the bait is on the bottom. As such, when I start to balance the rods I feel need balanced, I have the reel mounted that is full of line, with the line ran through the guides, and
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Aaron, when I first decided to add weight to the butt of my flipping and pitching rods, I did it with reducing fatigue in mind. And reducing fatigue is still the main reason I do it, But I quickly learned that there are more benefits to doing it, than just reducing fatigue. It aids in the presentations themselves. It's so much easier to accelerate the tip of a rod that is balanced to be lip light
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Roger, I too respect your opinion. And if you and others prefer to build with a longer rear grip, so be it. I choose to add weight because my main concern is how the rod performs while in use. While in my hand going through the range of motions a rod goes through when I am using it. In this and prior threads, I have mentioned how much weight I have added to some of my rods to get to the degre
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I'm late to the party, but since I am a balanced rod and reel combo nut for those types of rods, I wanted to share my method. I do pretty much exactly what Joel said. First off, its a flipping and pitching rod which means it need to be easily manipulated. You put the rod in some weird positions while flipping and pitching, and too long of a rear grip can quickly get in the way. Build with a c
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Like Lynn and others have mentioned, I wouldn't be concerned with the balance point of a trolling rod, or pretty much any rod that is used for a cast and wind retrieve. The line is under tension, and different baits and in the case of bottom bouncers, different weights load the rod differently. I would be impossible to balance a rod for so many variables. Simply changing line weights will add or
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