Just on the chance that Mark means something else......I don't have a problem cutting my tag ends so they are under the wrap....But I do have a problem with them sticking out like a sore thumb after I apply my finish. Before the finish they are hard notice. The problem seems more pronunced on lighter colored threads such as gold metallic. Regular black is never a problem. I'm not making the
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Billy has a valid question. I tend to forget what today's spinning reels are capable of. I'd go 30# class no problem...maybe even 40#. No way I want single foot guides on an 80# outfit. But that is just me. Never in my wildest dream did I think I'd see $1,000 spinning reels catching thousand pound fish and spinning rods with roller guides. Times change:)
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As far as strenght to catch a fish I don't think it is a problem. However double foot guides are a little harder to damage from abuse. For that reason I think many still use them for anything intended for offshore work.
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Sadly the only thing surprising is just the point Karen made. Far too little praise these days. No news is good news and what have you done lately is the norm:( Yet one disgruntled customer seems to make a lot of noise. I know I shouldn't mention but this thread hits home hard. Today I just learned a very long term employee was let go. He went home and killed himself. It makes one reflec
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I would rather not have the line touch. 4" apart sounds right but 11 guides sounds a little much for what I assume is a 7' rod. I'd imagine something like 4" apart for the first three guides....then something like 4.5, 5, 5.75, 6.25, 7.75, and 8". That should leave about...what....34.75 left for the grips/handle and distance from reel to first guide. How far from the center o
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Thanks guys. The blank, HS1023F was a closeout at Utmost for $30.75. I decided it was worth a try for that price. My concern was that hot shot rods might be intended to be overly soft in the tip, noddle like if you will. I suppose I opened myself up by mentioning high sticking. All I can say is I have been fishing 45+ years now and have never broken a rod while fishing. I have seen some r
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Awhile back I asked about the possibility of a popping rod doing double duty for offshore dolphin fishing and redfish/trout work. It was suggested I take a look at hot shot blanks. Well I have but I'm a southeast guy and know nothing about the fish or the technique. Perhaps one of you gentlemen can comapre it to something else such as a popping rod or live bait rod? I get the feeling the ti
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Justin, take a look at "lip seals" and "wiper rings". You might be able to come up with something.
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Billy, good chance I will end up with one of your blanks. Right now I was fishing for a little info on names I have no experience with. I know Seeker and Calstar and would wager my soul that they will dead lift their ratings. Lamiglas and St. Croix are familar as well. Many names like Fenwick aren't what they were though. So what about names like CTS, OTI, United Composites, Phenix, etc?
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I have been away from the hobby for too long. Many of the names I used to rely on have gone by the wayside. What are some of the names you trust for salt water and inshore blanks? I’m looking for blanks that are light in weight yet strong in the moderate price range. I’m willing to sacrifice durability and ruggedness if required. Russ
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I'm not a fly fishermen but live down here and have caught a few tarpon. IMHO I'd be more concerned with the fly reel. You need a great drag and 500 yards of backing isn't out of the question. The rod can't do more than the tippet allows and generally that amounts to the weak link being in the 15-20# range. I think a good 10 weight will be okay in that range. All depends on how big a one y
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From somone who fished before mono was widely used I'd say to pay more attention to improving the line.
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I doubt I am the only who got an email. To me the guy seems quite reasonable. He work speaks for itself. The recent thread on rod balancing makes the point that the "technically correct rod" might not be the one that catches the most fish. In short I think all sides could profit and I am sad to see a missed chance to bring another builder aboard. One just came in and at his reque
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It is a shame that someone should send such an email regardless of the circumstances. Given the diplomatic way in which Tom conducted himself it is totally out of line. Tom is the epitome of southern gentleman and I greatly admire his ability to treat all in a fair an even handed manner.
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Brad, you basically have two main ways to go. Either you add the same amount extra on each guide....for example, take the guide and tape it to the blank and then put a 1/4" piece of tape at each end of the guide. The outside edges of the tape will be the ends of the underwrap. If you start the guide wrap an 1/8" from the guide foot that leaves an 1/8" of the underwrap as a trim
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Thanks Billy, you are making me feel better for being too chicken to use CP:) Do you double wrap guide wraps? If so is it for looks or strength? I've always just done a single wrap and gotten away with it.....well on big roller guides we did double/triple but that is it.
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This topic might be off limits here but.......when using mono on the top wrap is there also a normal colored thread used (on top) and are either removed?
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Glad to hear from you Sean. Ideally I would like something near as light as the Croix and with the stiff tip. I'd also like the ruggedness of the Seeker. I'm not sure such an animal can be had. Croix does make an even heavier blank but it is more $$ and longer. Perhaps the best route is two rods. Build the Croix and hang something like a saltist on it with 60# braid and 40 mono top shot.
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Billy, the blanks you have had brought to market are a great service to all of us east coast party boat fishermen. IIRC you have fished the dry tortugas area. I seem to recall you saying you liked 50# line for muttons. Muttons top out around 20 pounds. Baits are generally ballyhoo size. Water depth is generally under 150'. I don't know if you caught any grouper but they are typically two
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Hey Owen, I'll take a look at the IMU series. I like the value in the Baston line. I have the rclb80xl (nice 15# class spanish mac rod) and 70ml. I like them a lot but feel the live bait rods have too soft a tip for this application. Typically we will fish a standard fish finder rig with a very long leader. The idea is to have the live bait close enough to the bottom to entice Mr. Group
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Jeff, with all due respect I think you are over estimating what is required to do a static test. A foot or two of PVC pipe and a couple of pipe clamps along with a soda bottle or mop bucket are all you need. It works a whole lot better than any chart or advice from others. The main reason why is everyone uses a different reel placed in a different location with different brand/style of guides.
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I need a bottom rod for grouper and snapper fishing. I’ll be fishing the south east coast of Florida and Gulf of Mexico. Generally the fish aren’t all that big but occasionally amberjack show up. I’ll probably fish 50-60# test. The hard part is I’ll need to use a lot of lead. Most of the time (I hope) it will be in the 4 to 8 ounce range but I may have to use upwards of a pound on ra
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Live bait rods are good examples of something with a soft tip. You want to be able to cast without tearing the bait off the hook. Some rods for certain lures will have a tip that vibrates and imparts just the right action. Even some popping rods could be called soft tipped. In the cases above the power of the rod could be anything from light to heavy. Now the speed of the rod is something
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Brian, I think it is a reflection of the type of fish we have here. A lot of them are speedy top water fighters. If you can follow them you can do well with light gear. Sean is correct in stating that far too few take the time to get a scale and see where line/knots/blanks fail. Also few seem to have an idea of how much drag they can fish. A good example is the guy with 40-60# gear with th
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Chris, if you let us know what line and knots we might be able to help. The brand/model of guides would have a bearing as well. The more info you provide the better.
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If one wanted to buy a smaller diameter thicker walled blank what would you be looking for in a catalog listing? A smaller than normal butt diameter for a given power level?
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Steve, there are many ways to do it. For a very easy method look in the library for Tom's pdf on adding trim bands and inlays.
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Brain, IMHO the anodized aluminum reel seat and MNSG guides are way more than you need. I'm making the assumption you will be fishing no more than 30 pound test. Those parts are what I'd be using once I got to 50 pound class. They will certainly get the job done but there are lighter choices that are totally adequate. Take a look at the Virtus light guides. They come in 316 stainless or tita
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I'd wager the guy already knows. After all he did walk into your shop. Not like you dragged him in from off the street. I'd say most guys that are considering a custom anything are trying to rationalize the cost. They just need to be reassured that it is a smart move. I have seen guys do custom work at extreme ends. Some will build whatever the customer asks for (even if they think it i
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FWIW, I fish much the same waters. I have used the Fuji DPSH reel seat on many rods over the years and never had a failure. They make a nice graphite gimbal with cap too. The SIC tip top is nice.
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