Yes, trimming from butt end does lessen power, but ironically, the rod will feel stiffer.
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Phil, Extending the rod length will actually increase the power.
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It is a question of patience. As Roger suggests, 100 grit would be good start. I went from 60 to 150, to 220, then used green, then gray Scotch-Brite pads to polish.
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Mo, I recently received several NFC HM blanks that were significantly higher in power than some I currently had of the same model numbers. We’re all aware that blank power specs are likely to fluctuate somewhat within a given model, but these were dramatically different. Because the blanks in question were also much heavier, I suspected that they were not sufficiently sanded by NFC. Being unhap
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Since “short” rods are no longer popular, very few blanks are available shorter than 6 1/2 feet. All my personal builds are under 6’, so I have no option but to trim. Other than having to pay for unusable “footage”, there’s not much downside. In fact an advantage is having the option of “tuning” the Power/Action by trimming from the tip or butt end of a longer blank to achieve the desired perform
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Joshua, Your friend’s use of the 6’ rod may not be as dramatic and/or extreme as it seems. I can relate to being old (dinosaur) and favoring shorter rods. Most of my bass rods are 6 foot or less and although they provide increased leverage over longer rods, the shorter grips don’t usually allow as much force to be applied. Some of my fishing is much the same as described and I can even get by wi
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I consider myself suitably chastised.
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Disappointed maybe, or disgusted, but not not angry. When petty animosity precludes open discussion, no one benefits. I think there’s credible pros and cons for both CCS and the so-called RDA, but perhaps they’d best be debated on more of a one-on-one venue. I did question your rationale for the cheap shot “knock off” label, but your explanation as to what you see as plagiarization of the “Big Pi
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Okay, now I get it. So I guess there’s a sense of moral/ethical consternation because of the use (theft) of some methods prescribed in the CCS article. Evidently there’s a contentious history of debate regarding the subject, so I’ll refrain from giving further reasons why I think RDA can be useful. Obviously it’s not a subject open to discussion and no sense risking being banished from the web-si
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I agree with all of the above….most of it anyway. And I don’t dispute Tom’s proclamation as to which system came first…..for those of us that care. His reference to RDA being a “Knock-off” may be a bit irrational. Although I think CCS is the most effective way to make relative blank comparisons, I think it’s unlikely that all blank manufacturers will provide it any time soon, and even if they
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This subject came up in another thread (http://rodbuilding.org/read.php?2,467692), so I thought it may be worthy of a new thread. It seems that whenever the RDA (Rod Data Analysis) measuring system is brought up, the proponents of CCS begin to hyper-ventilate, and unless there’s a viable copyright infringement, I don’t get it. I can’t imagine referring a rod builder to the “Big Picture” articl
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I agree. If all manufacturers provided the CCS ratings it’d be helpful…..along with length, butt diameter, tip size and weight, line/lure ratings, and any other info that would help categorize blank characteristics. Unfortunately, many blank/rod manufacturers show little interest in measuring and/or posting CCS ratings. Even for those that do provide the CCS data, the rod builder has to understan
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I think the system of measuring should be determined by what your intent is for the ratings. For blank comparisons and for two-handed casting rods, the CCS is probably more appropriate. With rods being cast using two hands, the entire length of the rod is part of the dynamics of casting (and fish-fighting), so using CCS, where overall length is relevant, would be preferable. If you want a means t
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I failed to note that the above stated conversion is based on the RDA (or “Big Picture”) system of measuring AA (reel seat to rod tip), as opposed to the method defined in CCS (overall length). There is a marked difference in AA measurements between the two methods. I.E. A rod measured using the RDA will be 5 to 6 degrees less than if measured using the overall length of CCS. FWIW, this is wha
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In addition to max dead-lift, I also think that because it’s the stiffest axis, it’d provide max sensitivity as well…..at least for certain retrieves. Whether the difference is discernable would be debatable.
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Although I agree with Tom, it’s obvious that blank/rod’s actions will continue to be specified by fast, moderate or slow and it can be helpful to have a rough translation between AA and the subjective categorizations. These are the conversions based on my subjective opinion/perception: <59 deg=slow; 50-63 deg=moderate; 63-66 deg=mod/fast; 66-70=fast; >70 X-fast I also have a conver
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Although there’s some valid “nay-sayer” points made here, some may not be as relevant as they would’ve been 15 years ago. Braided line has been a game-changer and I think, has necessitated a different mind-set when it comes to its use. While rods and reels can be designed to accommodate both mono and braid, the end product will not be optimized for either. I’m not suggesting that mono (or flu
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Since reel specifications are normally considered when configuring and building spinning rods, it seems reasonable to rethink, or perhaps question the choice of reel if braided line will be used. It’s kind of a “chicken/egg” issue. With the trend toward the use of braided lines (with or without leaders), smaller reels are often a better choice. The larger reels incorporating bigger spool diameter
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We all do a lot of subjective thinking /talking. It would be prudent to put our theories to practical test casting as several have suggested. Roger’s idea of setting up a rod with 7 guides vs. 14 guides is a good one. He may not think you’d find much difference (subjective thinking), but I think anyone with a normal sensory system would (more subjective thinking). I have several rods where I’ve e
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Jon, I normally set up my bass rods using a “one guide per foot + tip-top” rule. I use Fuji 3.5 running guides (on top) and although my line does touch the blank under load, I could care less. It’s never caused a problem of any kind. Over the last 8 or 10 years, it seems that there’s been a trend toward more guides and I cringe when I see performance-killing guide spacing of 2” to 3” close to a
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Thanks Tom, that's helpful.
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The Rosetta Stone chart stops at 173/16.00 and the URRL (table 2) does not provide a direct conversion. I'm glad to hear about NFC publishing a complete "authorized" conversion. I don't think many of us were aware of it. I'll contact them to see if it's available.
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Norm, I agree with you regarding IP number rather than ERN. I’d like to see a published conversion from cents to ERN. I think many of us use IP numbers and see no reason to make a further conversion to ERN. I have several versions of “bootleg” conversion charts, which may or may not be legitimate.
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Dan, I shortened and mortised a carbon fiber grip using a Dremel tool with a sanding drum. I placed the grip in my drill press and rigged the Dremel tool vertically on the drill press table, which I could rotate into the spinning grip. It resulted in a clean stepped diameter of the grip. After I mounted it into the reel seat, I tinted (black) some Rod Bond, which effectively covered the seam bet
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I recently tried a carbon-fiber grip (Forecast) and didn’t care for it. It was a bit heavier than a comparable cork grip, but not much. After fishing with it for an hour or so, I didn’t care for the feel of it. A slick finish would probably be an improvement (also added weight). Anyway, I cut it off and replaced with cork, which I think has a better feel.
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I think that tip trimming has long been known to increase lure weight ratings, and of course, the Action Angle, but not much consideration has been given to how the power ratings are also increased (beyond "Tip Power")…..in some cases, considerably. To demonstrate to someone how significantly the Power can be affected, I took another one of my rods, and measured (CCS) the Power and A
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Been there, done that (Ha). Lower powered blanks seem to be more tolerant to tip trimming. You’ll still see a substantially decreased A/A (action), but the greater overall flex with a lower powered blank tends to be more forgiving. You may have to repurpose it because you’ll also be seeing a considerable Power increase. Before cutting, I’d recommend that you measure the blank/rod (CCS or RDA) to
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