I built a couple of really light rods on the Rainshadow IMMWS62MXF walleye blank. It's a 6'2" blank that I cut to 5 1/2' for one and left the other 6'2". I throw a 1/16 oz worm in rivers with the rods and they are very sensitive.
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I don't use one. Instead I put the hook in the reel seat along side the reel foot. This obviously doesn't work for all hooks and lures but all I have to please is myself.
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I think I have one on a Diawa inshore rod and I do like it.
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Does anyone know if the AERO Comfort Finish Reel Seat is heavier than a genaric reel seat? And what are their actual weights? They're both 16 mm. I'm a weak old man and like the lightest components for my rods. Thank you.
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My wife has 2 kitchen scales and what everyone says is right.
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I make my own reamers with a dowel, Using a dremel with a cut-off blade I slit, not all the way to the tip, the dowel enough to get a piece of sandpaper in it. Chuck it in your drill and ream away. I have a set from 1/8th to 3/8ths inches.
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Besides Mudhole, Get Bit is close by there. They have bunches of stuff also.
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For weighing and comparing guide weights I use my hand loading powder scale.
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I was at Get Bit outdoors yesterday and they have bunches of cork grips.
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I use the same rod I use for spinnerbaits. 6'6" fast mh. The crankbait rod is too soft IMO.
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I'm using the Immortal rod, I shortened, for worm fishing and it's outstanding. I think it would be too short to work the lure when in a boat. In a kayak it would be fine.
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I'm at my winter home in FL and re-wrapped a store bought rod with Minima guides. All my stuff is at my N GA home, Flex Coat, dryer, etc. so I coated the wraps with several coats of Hard as Nails nail polish until I go home in a couple of months. I fish with the rod.
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I'm not interested in the last few feet of casting distance just want a decent more sensitive rod for inshore fishing. I finished the rod and it feels much better with the lighter guides. I even caught a bass today with a twitch bait. It cast just fine. I left the reel unshimmed.
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You guys amaze me with your knowledge of the theory about how things work. I followed the recipe Norman gave me on guides for a previous rod I built and it catches fish almost every day. They were the smallest lightest guides, Minima, with the lightest blank, Rainforrest Immortal walleye 6' cut to 5 1/2'. The rod weighs less than 3 oz and the reel is 6 so I, as an old man, can fish comfortably
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I know it isn't the correct way but does anyone shim the foot on a spinning reel to point to the 1st guide? I have a rod I'm putting lighter guides on and didn't order a raised 1st guide and wondered if I was the only one that thought about it. Thanks
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I've been kayak fishing in the small rivers and creeks in N GA for many years and use short rods for the kind of fishing I do and the places I go. 5 1/2'. Longer rods get hung in overhanging trees and bushes.
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Thanks for the assurance. The first rod I'm going to do is a fast action ML I use for trout and redfish with 10 or 15 lb braid. I'll report back when I finish it in a week or two.
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In looking at a few, mid grade, rods that I use and they have heavy insert guides. My feeling is that the rods can be crisper and more sensitive with light weight guides, I put in an order for a bunch of Minima guides to try on a couple of these rods. Are there comments on this?
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I've been using a bbq spit motor for more years than I can remember. I just mount it in my vise and clamp a wood v to the bench. For a chuck I use a large crutch tip and tape the handle to fit.
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I used the Mudhole Split-Grip Spinning Handle Kit SGK-6. The rod weighs about 2.5 oz and the whole outfit weighs 9 oz. It's 5 1/2' long and you probably like your rods longer.
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I recently built a rod similar to what you are looking for I think. Mine was the lightest rod, handle and guides available with the best sensitivity. I used the minima guides and a Baston Immortal blank recommended by several people on this board. I use a reel that weighs the same as your CI4, an Okuma Helios with usually 6 lb mono or fluorocarbon. In fact I caught 3 bass with it today. I've
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I use a cut of wheel in a Dremel in a vice and turn the part.
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I bit the bullet and bought an IMMWS62MXF blank, cut it to 5'6", added Minima guides, 16, 10,6 and 3 4s, a split grip cork handle, put it together and fished the lake with it yesterday and today. I used 6 lb fluorocarbon with a 1/16 oz bullet weight and a finesse worm and caught many spotted bass up to just over 2 lbs. It cast fine and the feeling was as good as my regular worm rod, a Bass
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Again thanks for all the suggestions guys. This morning I compared apples to apples on the lake. The wind was blowing 10 to 20 so it was almost like river fishing with the bow in the line. Using my regular worm rod with 8 lb fluorocarbon and an 1/8 oz sinker as a control, I first threw my river 5 1/2' MHX rod with 6 lb mono and a 1/16th oz weight. Next I put an 1/8 oz sinker on the MHX rod an
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David, I'm putting the same line, weight and worm on my lake worm rod and will test tomorrow. I'm thinking about going to a HM-SJ781-MHX or HM-SJ782, cutting to somewhere between 5'6" and 6', using the guides and reel seat that Norm recommended, when my ship comes in. I looked at the IMMWS62MXF-TC Rainshadow blank and it looked like the best match for my purpose, what do you think? I'd ha
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Thanks Norm. I wrapped my present rod with minima guides but in larger sizes for the light weight. I think I have a 25, 16, 10 and 3- 6s along with a light reel seat. I used it this morning in the lake and It's not nearly as sensitive as my Basspro 85 modulus casting rod with 1/8 oz weight, a finesse worm and fluorocarbon 8 lb line. The MHX CS721 has a 1/16th oz weight, the same worm and 6 lb
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David, It's a shoal bass I caught last weekend. They're more elongated than a smallmouth and green, not brown. They're indigenous to the Chattahoochee/Flint River drainage in GA and FL. I've been using Vicious fluorocarbon for several years with good results for lake fishing so will load a spool. Norman, Thanks for the suggestions. I've been using braid for several things but never on a rive
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Interesting discussion. Everyone has a different opinion on what I should try. By the way Russ I use a plastic worm and usually a 1/16 oz bullet weight unless the current is heavy then I'll use 1/8th oz. In our low water conditions the 1/8th gets hung too often to use it. The first thing I'm going to try is the fluorocarbon line, next is the MHX SJ782 blank, then if all else fails, braided li
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Thanks for the response Sam. I've been rethinking and reading some things that I think might help my sensitivity problem. One thing is the monofilament line and I just bought a spool of fluorocarbon 6 lb line for less stretch. I usually use a 1/16th oz bullet weight and a finesse plastic worm. What I'm comparing is the feel from lake fishing and river fishing. I use a older Basspro baitcasti
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I'm looking for a 5 1/2 or 6' blank for river bass fishing with 6 or 8 lb mono. I built a rod on a MSCS721-MHX blank with minima guides and cut to 5 1/2' and don't find it sensitive enough. For several years I used a Basspro Extreme 5 1/2' 2-8 lb and din't find it sensitive enough so built the MHX rod. I fish from a kayak and have to cast under many trees so the shorter rod is a help. Would t
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