Thanks for the input, guys. My thinking was that a live bait blank would be perfect for them - the blank doesn't need to flex as much as a bunker spoon blank does. Thanks for sharing the information - I appreciate it.
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Let's say you're going to build a trolling rod that's dedicated to trolling Mann Stretch lures (these things can be murder on striped bass in the Northeast in the fall). You might occasionally use the rod to drag something else, like an umbrella rig, but in terms of performance, you want to optimize it for pulling Mann's Stretch lures, and if it suffers on the rare occasions that you'll use it fo
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This is probably old news to most here, but I'll post it for those who haven't heard: according to the Pottstown Mercury, Gudebrod is closing for good, and will not be coming back. Here's a quote from the article: "Really, there's nothing left. The banks own everything," W.E. "Nat" LeGrande Jr., company president, said in a phone interview. "It's over." I don't wa
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I had an a-ha moment yesterday, which I'll post for two reasons: a lot of newbies read this board, and it might help them; and it will give everyone a chance to laugh at me (it's a fun game for the whole family). I was trying to epoxy a bunch of stuff -- gimbal, slick butt, reel seat, and EVA foregrip -- on a blank at the same time. I managed to get all the components together without making
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It really doesn't matter. Most guys, as Mark and Steve suggest, run the line around the same side of the blank the reel handle is on. But there are situations where doing the opposite, and running the line around the blank on the opposite side of the reel handle, has merit. I'll give you one: many guys plug the surf with conventional, non-level wind reels like the Penn 525 Mag. When doing thi
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Fenwick, for the record, is currently owned by the Jarden Corp., which owns many, many brands: Abu Garcia, Penn Reels, Shakespeare, Berkley, and All Star are all Jarden brands. I'd be curious to see the difference between a factory rod with a "Penn" label on it and one with a "Fenwick" label on it. I wonder if they're both made in the same factory in Asia. Jarden is a publi
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With a bunker spoon rod, you want a long, limber blank that will allow the spoon to "pulse." The pulsing gives the spoon the right action. I didn't realize this until after I'd built a spoon rod, but evidently a bunker spoon moves A LOT when it's being trolled -- one spoon sharpie told me that while dancing, fluttering, and otherwise driving the fish crazy, a spoon can move as much as 6
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Tell him you'll do it for him, but it'll cost him an extra $100. I bet he pays it.
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Phil, I think you got this, but just to clarify: my anvil line was a gag. I don't add weight to my surf rods, or any other rods. Some guys swear by it -- I've even had guys tell me that put 8 oz. pyramid sinkers inside the butt of their surf rods, but this is something I refuse to accept as a viable option. Joe, this is a weird situation. It happens every once in a while, I guess. I would go t
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Here's another thought: when you build the next one, mount the butt section (rear grip, butt cap, reel seat, foregrip, etc.) without epoxying anything. Put no guide or no top on, and see how the rod balances in this "naked" state. If the rod is tip heavy when you do this, it's only going to get worse when you put guides, thread, epoxy, and a top on. You'll either have to accept a tip-he
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Emory, you have pointed out another example of my point: you can get durability in a rod, or you can get less weight. But it can be hard to get both. This goes back to tradeoffs, and knowing what traits are most important to who will be fishing this rod. Guy A might want the lightest possible rig; Guy B might want a rod that's as close to bulletproof as possible. There's really no right or wrong
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I've spent more time than is probably healthy thinking about rod balance. And you know what? I've come to the conclusion that balance is just one trait, among many, that a conscientious builder has to contemplate. Why do I think this? Because building a rod is all about compromise. Take your example: you could pretty easily balance your rod without adding any weight by shortening the butt grip
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I don't have a catalog in front of me, but if I were you, I'd look at a fiberglass blank. It will be much cheaper, and will be very, very durable, and very strong. And the weight - glass is heavier than graphite -- seems like it won't matter that much with the kind of fishing you'll be doing. If you can go with a one-piece, and 11'4" is not too short, Lamiglas' SB1363M might be a good fi
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Man, I wish I had this problem. Every time I run out of a small item, I end up spending $150 on stuff. Since I have to order a $2 spool of thread, I think, I'll order another blank, and some guides, and a couple of reel seats... you can see where this is heading. I think I would embrace a $2 item that cost me only $12. And I want to add one thing: I placed my first order with @#$%& a few week
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I've been toying with the idea of building a few rods for some local kids, and I'm stuck trying finding the right blank. Here, generally speaking, is what I'm looking for: Something in the 8 – 8.5 – 9 feet range glass or a composite moderate / moderate-slow action 2-5 (or similar) lure rating 10-20 or 10-25 line one piece preferred, but not mandatory These will be kids from about
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A couple of times, I got blanks that were either defective or damaged in transit. I got replacements for all of them, but not once did the vendor ask for the damaged blank back (once, they did ask for a photo of a blank that broke during shipment). And this has come in handy, as scrap blanks are handy to have around for a variety of reasons. It wouldn't surprise me if a vendor doesn't bother aski
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I just built a rod with a tuff butt for the first time, and I was tempted to do exactly what you're talking about. I ended up sticking with the vinyl, because it seemed plenty tough for how the rod would be used. But this is an easy one: just have your supplier match a gimbal for you. It should take about 30 seconds. I think you're going to like how this turns out, by the way -- I've become a
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Ive never done it, but I've always associated big game fly fishing with having to spend a ton of money. That might be true with the reel, especially if you're targeting a spool-depleting species like tarpon, but I was pleasantly surprised, while perusing the new Mudhole catalog, that there are quite a few 11 and 12 weight blanks with very affordable retail prices. You can easily get a 12-weight b
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I just got mine on Saturday, if it makes you feel any better. I bet you get yours this week.
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This is a goofball setup: it's joining 40 lb. monel trolling wire to a 60 lb. fluoro leader. I've been experimenting a bit, and the connection that I like the most, for strength purposes, is a haywire twist in the wire, and then an Albright knot with a lock tied through the loop made by the Haywire twist. It's evidently a very strong knot, and my tests have so far confirmed this. But there's
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One of the reasons I asked, Tom, is because this is not a casting rod. It's a trolling rod. And I've been pulling out my hair trying to replicate a fish peeling drag. And I couldn't, at least not in my shop. But I like the idea of casting it. Just because the rod will not be used for casting doesn't mean that I can't test-cast it, right? Sure, I'm not going to win any distance contests, but I
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I'm doing some experimenting with passing some larger knots, and while I've worked with smaller ones before, mostly with fly tackle, these larger connections are something that's new to me. While I know that the goal is to use a guide size that passes the knot "comfortably," I'm waffling a bit about how big to go. One the one hand, I'm afraid that my experiments will fail when a kno
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Cutting a blank is a wonderful idea, as long as A) you know exactly what you're doing, or B) you're willing, as the cost of doing an experiment, to ruin the blank. If you don't fit into either of these categories, trimming is a terrible idea.
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I've never used a CentraLock seat, Brian, so I can't say. I also can't comment on what other guys feel. I can say, though, that the Alps triangular reel seat, to me, feels great in my hand. I actually bought one for the first time for a conventional rod, and when I saw it and played with it, I liked it so much that I started toying with ways to use them on rods other than heavy saltwater boat
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My two cents are that one rarely regrets buying better equipment, especially when one is chasing bigger fish. You'll do fine with a graphite seat, but if it were me, I'd get an Alps triangular reel seat, and not look back. They are, in my opinion, tremendously good for the way you'll be fishing -- they're great with spinning reels, and will be worth the extra loot you shell out.
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Joe, where are you fishing? I ask because I fish the same neck of the woods as you (Corson's Inlet State Park), and I've learned the hard way to be very wary of any freswhwater blank that will be used in saltwater. Most have butts that are just too flimsy for use in saltwater. A year or two ago, I wanted a rod just like yours, for targeting small stuff (mostly fluke) in the suds, so I built a
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One trick that I've learned over the years: after filing/grinding/shaping the guide feet, I like sealing them before I wrap. On guides with black frames, I like black nail polish; on chrome or silver guides, I like clear nail polish. You can buy both at any chain drugstore. A bottle costs a buck or two, and will last about forever. I do this to prevent saltwater corrosion. If you're fishing i
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If you're on the fence about going to the Expo, you should take a look at airline prices now. I was on the fence, too, but I just booked a non-stop USAir flight from Philadelphia to GSO for $135, including taxes. It's not going to get any cheaper than this -- I'd probably pay more for gas driving -- so if you've wanted to go, but didn't want to pay a lot for air fare, then you should search for f
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The two key things for surf rods are species sought, and method of fishing. "Surf rod" means about as much as "bass rod" - there are just so many different ways to ply the surf. A 13-foot 8-n-bait Hatteras Heaver is a surf rod, but so too is a light 7-foot job used to throw small stuff (bucktails, rubber, etc.) to small fish in the wash. Find out what he's going to be doing, a
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I am not a pro builder, so this program is not designed for me. But as an impartial outsider, I can offer a couple of comments (unsolicited, of course): - this program is a great idea on NFC's part. One of the problems with this racket is that anyone can call himself a custom builder. I see it as a good way to ensure that people who are interested in NFC get a good product, and to prevent th
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