Is there a way of determining mono line ratings for a fly rod blank? I thought about using a fly rod blank for a light trolling rod for surface streamers. thanks, mark
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Thanks Guys!
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I'm wondering if adding glitter to rod finish is a common practice? I have some very small holo. glitter that i've used in lure making. Thought about trying it on a rod. Any issues with that? thanks, mark
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Thank you all for the info... mark
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hi, id like to try graphite or texalium tubing for a rear grip on my next project. could you give me some tips on installing those? i plan on using 4 foam arbors on a 10" grip. just dont like the idea of having lots of empty space in between the arbors. is this a common thing? thanks, mark
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a tuna over 1000lbs on spinning gear, that would be torture!! in my area we're testing limits every year on these fish but im targeting fish up to 200#'s. my biggest landed is 165#'s. i know ive hooked fish well over 200 but never saw the end of the line after the initial strike! we always hope to run into the smaller variety to throw our plug into the melee. best, mark
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thanks guys. i should have provided more info on how i will use the rod. this will be a spinning rod used exclusively for casting to busting tuna. no other uses. i will use it in a harness for most fish. id like to use fuji K series guides, perfection alum. gimbal and reel seat and EVA grips. i was concerned not so much with component selection but how i install the components. i want the rod to
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hi, im getting ready to build my first big game rod to be used for large bluefin. it will be a spinning rod in the 7' range. ive never done a heavy duty spinning rod. i plan to do underwraps but what else should i do on a heavy duty spinning rod? i want it to last. what is the best way to determine the lengths of the front and rear grips? can you offer any average grip measurements to get me sta
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cabelas still sells there innerflow rods. never used one but they get great reviews....
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hi jim, i appreciate the info. i found these on mudhole, do you think these are considered heavy duty? Sic ring, SS frame... best, mark
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hi jim, im not sure. its a guide that is supposed to be a heavy duty version of the k series to be used on popping rods for large tuna. best, mark
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hi, does anyone have any details on this big game version of guide and are they available yet? i heard that most of the big popping rod companies are not building because they are waiting for this guide. i confirmed that most suppliers are out of stock with popping rods. anybody know whats going on with these guides? thanks, mark
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excellent. thanks tom. thats what ill do. ill use single foots on at least the top third of the rod. thanks, mark
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thanks everybody for your input. much appreciated. karry, thanks for all the great info. thats a big help and i will be using that info. tom, what about using double foot guides in the lower section and single foot towards the last 3-4' of the blank? why do you recommend single foots for this type of rod? best, mark
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hi, i want to build four rods to be used for a variety of fishing techniques in freshwater. they will be used for boat fishing and almost always used in rod holders. i plan to use them for flat lining crankbaits, sometimes used with planer boards(2 rods), flat lining with snap on weights, trolling without downriggers, various mooching type setups or similar to mooching with a max weight size of 4
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thanks guys. you given me much to read. appreciate it. best, mark
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hi, in the past couple years ive started using more and more superlines and that has made me more confused about a rods line rating. when a rod is rated for say 8-12# line, how does that translate to a braided superline? whats more important, a lines diameter or its breaking strength? just hoping to start a conversation about this subject to learn more about it. thanks alot, mark
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im planning a heavy spinning rod build and im trying to decide what type of guide to use. my largest guide needs to be 50mm so i know that limits my choices. casting distance and durability are my two priorities. what is the difference between all purpose guides and casting guides? which type would you reccommend for this type of rod? thanks, mark
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ive had great luck with the st croix SWS70MHF saltwater premier spinning rod. does anyone know if this blank is available for purchase? if not, is there a particular blank available that would be comparable to this rod? this rod is rated for 20-40 line, 7', fast action, medium heavy. it has a great tip and cast lures a mile. im also looking for something similar action but heavier. your suggestio
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thanks for the reply tom. and yes, i did read the chapter several times. sorry for offending you. in fact i read the entire book more than once. i took that process described in that chapter as a necessary step in the rob building process but i am wrong. i guess my own experimentation will clear this is up for me. best, mark
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as a beginner this is one area that i find real confusing. ive read as much as i can about this subject and have read all of the major books on rod building including toms book. tom, you had a chapter dedicated to rod spine but now it seems like a non issue. what has changed? the books i read made it seem like the spine was very important but from what i read on here its not a big deal. please ad
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hi dan, this year has been crazy. crazy good, but crazy. the fish are huge. ive heard of guys seeing smaller fish but everything we have hooked has been huge. my last fish was 66" long, 44" girth, around 160#'s. landed one other around 130#'s in july and my buddy landed a couple similar size. got lucky with that 66" fish as it got tail wrapped but it was still a huge battle. that t
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great post! i didnt realize there are fellow tuna nuts here on this board. i fish cape cod bluefin exclusively and find it difficult to keep up with the growth of these fish, gear wise. we havent caught a single fish under 100lbs this year. next year is gonna be even tougher. my last fish on a jig was with a Shimano Trevala 5'8" 80-200lb line on labor day. the fish got tail wrapped and we la
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thanks for the replies. that turned into a disaster. got glue everywhere on the seat. tried to use little glue because the connections were so tight but still had ooze out. my once shiny graphite insert is no longer. all well, live and learn. ill make sure next time that the reel seat i order doesnt come in 4 pieces. no way to tell from the website and no instructions were included. kind of irrit
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i just received all of the supplies and components to start my first spinning rod project. i already have a problem so i hope you can help! i purchased an American Tackle Matrix reel seat which came in four pieces. i was not expecting that. the reel seat came with the two ends that the reel foot goes in, a colored graphite insert and a woven material tube which goes on the inside which lines ever
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hi, how does metallic thread differ from regular nylon thread? is there a different technique for applying metallic thread to a rod? any special steps? thanks, mark
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ive read that lighter is better for obvious reasons when it comes to rod blanks. but what does the butt diameter and tip size say about a particular rod blank. ive noticed many different size butt diameters on rod blanks with the same power,length and line ratings. does a smaller number mean lighter, more sensitive, better? or is there no correlation? thanks, mark
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thanks for the info guys. great help. one more thing. can i cut off the tenon that some of these split grip kits come with? i want just a flush end so that i can pick whatever reel seat i want. thanks, mark
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hi, how does the construction process for a split grip differ from a regular rear grip? will any type of blank work or is there a certain type with a special butt diameter? also, how do you finish off a rod with a reel seat that does not have a foregrip above it? thanks alot, mark
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is there any general guidelines to follow when selecting components and in particular reel seats and guides? as a beginner who recently ordered supplies/components for my first spinning rods, i found the selection of these parts difficult. ive read where one should match the size of the reel seat to the angler and do a static test with the guides taped on. but, i mail ordered these items and didn
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