Thanks Billy and Jay! Glad to know I'm not just a really bad salesman. And on fishmen "want what they want, and don't tell me different" - I had a guy that wouldn't buy a 6'9" Musky rod because it was just too short, and he had to have a 6'10" rod - no joke. Still scratching my head on that one. Marc
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I agree with all here - and I use SF fly guides on my baitcasters. BUT........Billy V. really hit on something. I find I can educated probably 5%-10% of the people, the rest have things set in their head, like "The line can't touch the blank or it will SNAP!", and also won't buy a spiral wrap because it is too different. I find that most of the time if I try too hard to educate you
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Just did a guide repair to a Shimano bait caster, and they use V frame #6 spinning guides for running guides, and shortly after, came accross an older St. Croix that had the same thing. I can see where they would help keep the line off the blank, being higher frames (looks like both companies took advantage of this to help use fewer guides - 6 plus tip top on 6'6" rods) Anyone have any
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Just wondering if anyone uses the Pac Bay Hialloy's enough to be able to comment on their durability, both normal wear and general knock around handling. I like some of the frame styles they offer like the new DPL Aero casing guides, and the older M style spinning guides. Any info would be great. Thanks, Marc
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Good thing it was a 2 pc. rod!!!! (One more plug from a 2 pc. fan) Marc
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Now getting requests for 9' Muskie rods. I don't even see anyone making a 9' Muskie blank, so I am guessing I would have to look at a salt water. Any ideas for a blank to start with? Thanks, Marc
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Hello Bob, I live about an hour from the Chip, and have a good friend that guides it full time, and he uses a 6'3" med-hvy. The two biggest things to decide on for a muskie rod are power and length. The power is really dictated by the weight of lures being thrown, and for bucktails a Medium is really popular, with a Med-Hvy running a close second. For length on a bucktail rod, most
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Just got an e-mail from Jimmi - he modified the ordering format, and it is much easier (similar to the old format). Thank you very much!!!!! Marc
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Let me start by saying Decal Connection has been great to work with - no complaints. I just placed my first order on the new site, and it's way more time consuming to order and leaves more room for error. Jimi and Debbie - great people to work with, but please bring back the old format, I think it was way easier to order on. Just my .02 Marc
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I do have printed info on spiral wraps, and do prefer them when. Up here in northern Wisconsin selling a spiral wrap is up there with trying to get a walleye guy to buy a 2 pc. rod!!! Thanks for the guide choice - Bill, do you have any heavy Castaway blanks, like an MBC846, that can handle 2 oz. baits? I have built some MBC846's as medium muskie rods and the guys love them. Thanks, Marc
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Almost all conventional wrapped - only was able to get one guy to go spiral this year!! Usually size 8's. Thanks, Marc
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I want to use SF fly guides for running guides on some muskie rods. I know most styles will hold up to the fish, I am more concerned about the fisherman. Any thoughts on which styles are the tuffest (abuse resistant)? Thanks, Marc
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Hey Ted - I have built on a lot of the black Matrix blanks. I think you would like the SJ781 if you like a lighter rod in the 6'6" length. I know it is listed as a 1 power, but it is really over rated at that, and is actually almost identical to the SJ720 in action, and would save you having to lengthen the blank. I really think you would like that blank, and it's really pretty too. If I
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Blank powers of UL to Medium spinning. I have done 6'6" UL spinning with no problems this way. I did try to do a 6'6" 2 WT fly blank as a spinning rod, and yes it did snap!! But that blank only weighed .7 oz. and I am not sure of the reason for breakage. Marc
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I guess as we look at pushing things further, the idea of pushing the limit of how few guides you can use and still build a good rod is worth considering. I bet the weight loss from dropping 2 guides is more than that of using threadless wraps, and a great option for those that don't want to mess with micro guides. I just think the idea of fewer guides is one that has really been overlooked,
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After doing a repair on a 6'6" Medium Power walleye spinning rod this spring (ring popped) that only had 5 guides and was used hard for 10+ years, I started playing with less guides. After building Bass/Walleye spinning rods up to 6'9" with 5 guides plus tip, properly spaced, the rods fish great. With all the use of micro-guides to reduce weight, I have to say dropping a few guides
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Jann's has it in stock. Marc
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Hey - glad to know it's not just me. I can't get too many guys to buy the spiral wrap yet, but do it when I can due to torque factors. I am really starting to think these guys should be using a lot more fiberglass or glass/graphite composite blanks. Any suggestions on those type of blanks? Thanks, Marc
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I am noticing a higer rod breakage rate with Bass baitcasters than the walleye and even the muskie rods I build. Anyone else see this? Any ideas to curb it? I don't believe it's a blank issue as it's not the same failure every time. The blanks are mostly MBC783's and 843's used for plastics. Thanks, Marc
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Just gotta fill in here. I grew up in a machine shop, and we used the same Gold Cermet for finish machining steel and stainless steel. In the machining industry cermet was often a cheaper tool material to use - yet Fuji sells it like it's mined from Mt. Olympus. Better than SiC, nope, sold at a premium, yup. Just my 0.02 Marc
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The full length Pac Bay arbors are MUCH harder than the Flex Coat, and much stronger. They would be my first choice for this type of application. Good Luck, Marc
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Not a bad idea Bill. The more people I work with, the more I see that most fishermen's beliefs are based on marketing than facts. Just a question for you Bill, I build mostly for walleye and musky guys, can you ever get a bass guy to go two pc.??
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Thanks Guys!!! Glad it is not just me. I did a blinfolded sensitivity test last week with 2 local guides - handed them a one pc., then a 2 pc.. Neither guide could pick which was the one pc. and which was the two pc. - one of them even said the two pc. felt a little better, yesterday he just ordered a 6'6" one pc. walleye rod. At least the ice is finally off the lake!!! Thanks, Mar
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Had a guy in the shop today wanting a 7 foot Med-lite walleye rod like the Berkley he brought in, only a little lighter. I handed him a really nice 7' 2 pc. walleye rod I had, he smiled, said it felt great (was much better than his Berkley), and then asked for a one pc. because they are so much more sensitive! Where did all this nonsense start in the first place???
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If it is done properly, totally encased in epoxy, it will hold for sure! If it works for you, go for it. Remember, there is always more than one way to do something. Marc
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Using Diamondite over bare nylon thread I get great results. But when I use it over a longer thread wrapped area ahead of the foregrip (approx. 1.5" long) that is treated with CP I get a lot of bubbles. I have tried both Diamondite CP and a few others, same results. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks, Marc
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I just replaced some worn guides on an older 6'6" Med-lite freshwater spinning rod. It has seen many years of very hard use. The only real failure was the ring popped on the tip. It only has 5 guides and has held up fine. I have seen many such rods with a lot less guides than commonly used today, and do not see any problems with such lay outs. So, are we really going overboard these
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I am very interrested in building durability in to rods, mostly freshwater spinning. I have found SF fly guides to be more durable for running guides, and stick to mid-modulus blanks. It also seems the shorter the rods, the less breakage I see. I just can't believe the abuse some rods get! Any tips or build styles anyone else uses to increase durability of rods? Thanks, Marc
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I have dabbled with marbling Diamondite with some great, and some less than great results. Anyone tried this much, and any tips? Thanks, Marc
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I have been using mine since they hit the market - I love it!!! Well worth the $$$. I have rigged mine with an arm that holds a spatula (made from Loc-Line and an aligator clamp), and I can mix Flex Coat liquid epoxy glue in it as well as rod finishes. If you build regularly I would say yes, it's worth getting. Marc
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