“The "vibrations" imparted by mechanical devices for these "tests" do not replicate the "vibrations" generated in real world fishing situations.” While that is certainly true, it is missing the point HERE. What Aleks and Michael are attempting to measure is the ability of any particular blank to transfer the input it receives at the tip while fishing, NOT MEASURE THA
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Six pages in and no agreement on what sensitivity is. Not surprising. We can't measure fishing sensitivity, at least not of blanks. Maybe we could measure fishing sensitivity with a robot holding a rod and dragging a specified lure on a specified line over a specific man made bottom structure and measuring what feedback comes to the rod handle. Maybe not. You can't measure bite sensitivity, becau
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I never find the spine before building a rod. However, I did once get an ultralight blank that had an extremely obvious spine. If I bent the blank in my hands it absolutely jumped until I was bending it along the spine. Is this a sign of a less well made blank? I've never had a blank like that before or since, but I just couldn't bring myself to build on it. I felt that if the effect was that str
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I built a rod on a RodGeeks C2 7' light. I find it to be really sloppy. Slow action and slow recovery. I built a Rainshadow Revalation 6'8" ultralight and found it to be a much nicer blank. Faster action, more crisp. For what you mention above I think the ultralight would work, but if you wanted more backbone I think the Revalation light would work too. I've also done a Rainshadow Immortal w
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Apparently a high end Japanese rod manufacturer thinks off center guides increase sensitivity. See the second rod in the link. Not buying what they are selling, but gotta give them credit for trying.
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The RV6 looks cool, and I use them, but I can't imagine it makes one bit of difference whether you use a KW10 or an RV6. I use an RV6 when I do a titanium SIC guide set, and I use a KW10 when doing fazlite or alconite. Maybe I just have an OCD need to match.
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I figured the reel would be a product of one of the oem giants like doyo or banax. The question was whose name got put on it. I did find a couple pinnacle reels that looked close to your picture with an all sideplates. Odd that there aren't 12 versions of that same reel with different brand names. Maybe BPS picked out a unique collection of parts that no one else wanted. Seems very likely there i
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I'm gonna go Ryobi on your special flipping reel.
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I can actually see how having more info on rod power and action could sell more rods. Instead of trying a bunch of rods to find what you want, or asking on various forums whether the medium power rod in question is a "true medium," ERN could be used to convince people that they need a 23 ERN for a 3/8 oz chatterbait and a 25 ERN for a 1/2 oz chatterbait. It's the species (and lure) spec
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Looks good. Tip wrapping is only for looks, I just put a little thread epoxy to smooth the transition from blank to tip and maybe add a little strength.
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The zbone rods for a few years until maybe 2021 were built on xray blanks. I have heard the kistler designs were their own and not off the shelf xray blanks. My wild guess for xray blank that is close would be SB724.
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Can't go wrong with an xray. Plus then you can make it exactly how you want. Deals are nice, but once you start building it is hard to buy a factory rod. Of course when you are an addict like me you build and buy. Oh well.
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Let's not confuse where the rods are made with their quality. Fenwick and Abu make some very nice rods. Yes, in China. They also make some pretty cheap rods. I can absolutely guarantee that both abu and fenwick build some rods on nicer blanks than standard MHX or IM NFCs. Fenwick and Abu also make some very high end rods for the Japanese market. It is entirely possible that MHX blanks are made in
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I attempted my first dragon scale wrap. Made a cross pattern out of size D nylon and then wrapped over it with size A metallic. It looks pretty good, but I am having a heck of a time burnishing out gaps. Anyone with tips on how to get the gaps out? Maybe do the underwrap with mono so the thread slides easier? Clearly next time I will have to focus more on getting the wrap tight and clean the firs
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I use flex coat guide foot adhesive for guides too small to tape on (usually running guides). I heat the guide gently with a lighter, push it on the end of the guide foot adhesive stick, and then stick it on the rod. It is just sticky enough to hold the guide while wrapping but very easy to adjust to align guides. It's really low heat glue so it doesn't take much to get it to stick.
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Yep, that's guide foot adhesive. Useful stuff, but one stick lasts about forever.
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I really like the xray MB736 for throwing 3/8 and 1/2 oz chatterbaits. Obviously very sensitive, but more on the moderate side of fast (don't remember AA). Good for ripping through weeds.
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Agree that the Seaguide adaman coated guides are very nice. Remember not to judge guide weight by appearance. Stainless rings are not necessarily lighter than ceramic rings. If you feel that guide weight is very important to your builds you owe it to yourself to weigh a bunch of guides.
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Just saw your other post about guides. I am also a Fuji guy. I can also see where microwave/airwave guides might be a bit more simple, but I have never felt the need to try them. For the blanks I listed above I would do Fuji KLH fazlite in 20H, 10H, and 5.5M set according to the Fuji KL GPS. For runners I would do size 5, unless you run braid to leader and tie big connection knots. I think I put
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Not to insult Berkley (my favorite rods as a kid) but virtually any blank you buy will be better than the one used in your current rod. As above, I think the rainshadow rx6 is a great value. No need to look higher than "standard modulus" graphite for your first build. The mudhole CRB blanks are also a good value, but having built on their medium power blanks I find them to be to stiff a
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For a first rod I would strongly recommend a Rainshadow RX6. High quality at a good price. If you want a more moderate action the popping blanks are nice, otherwise the regular spinning blanks are fine. Agree that you want a "light" powered blank in this series rather than "ultralight." You will not have to modify these blanks at all, and frankly modifying blanks is a much mor
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Epoxy doesn't have significant fume problems, but it can be tough on skin. Try not to get it on you. Thread epoxy should be fairly easy not to get on you. If having problems with rod buidling epoxy you could wear gloves. Yes, if you are going to sand rod blanks you should be outside and wear a mask (respirator). I would be very careful around sanding rods. Generally you can completely strip a rod
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Agree with Gary above. Go slow, pack often, lower thread tension. Also, wrapping xrays is easier after wrapping some deltas which have much more prominent ridges. Also agree with Mick, I'm done with ridges even if I can wrap on them ok. Lots of other options.
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Yes, it has to do with the "coils." Braid is soft and will go through just about any guide fine.Mono and fluoro are not very soft, especially with high pound test. Basically if you are going to fish mono or fluoro that is heavier, you want larger guides to start with to tame the line. Reel is much less important. A little different angle or a few mm in spool size won't make much differe
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Because there is no definition of sensitivity we cannot say what is related to sensitivity. Weight, length, power, and action have (or can have with CCS) actual definitions. If Mick thinks that rods with a higher TNF feel more sensitive to him, he is right. We can't argue with that. Now, if we wish to define sensitivity as recovery rate, or ability to transmit vibration, we can measure that and f
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I've built on the 721 xray and agree that it is way too light for anything I would consider a carolina rig. It works for light drop shots, but for me at least it is right on the line between a useful bass rod and a rod for panfish. Guess we didn't ask what you are fishing for, if I am way off base let me know.
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I built a sturgeon rod for my buddy on a rainshadow RX6/E-Glass blank (RCLB70L). Max weight listed is 3 oz, but it would have no problem with heavier weights for bait fishing on the bottom. He says it has a nice fast tip for bite detection, which I am told is important for sturgeon at the rod is in a holder and you need to see the bite. One of these years I will try for them myself.
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I agree that JDM reels are not better. However, they have two advantages. First is a wider variety of retrieve ratios and spool depths. Want a stradic with a slower ratio? JDM is your only option. The other benefit right now is that JDM reels are way cheaper due to the current exchange rate. For 30-40% off I can deal with the service issues (although some independent reel repair places will work
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Be careful with what is called a medium or a medium light. There is a huge difference in power. For example, a St. Croix medium light might have 350 grams of power, and the Batson immortal medium light casting blank has a bit over 600 grams of power. I'm thinking for all the techniques above you could get away with something in the 450 gram range. I agree with trying both spinning and casting and
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Which rods are they using that blank on? The make so many varieties of graphite and blends I can't keep up. I mean 3 is halfway between 2 and 4, so that has to be the answer, right?
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