Ok overthinking things again. Looking for opinions. Building on a NFC FW 461-1. Four foot six UL Moderate action. Not concerned with reduction train. Going somewhat unconventional with just two reduction guides but it works. As for runners I am running five Pacbay minima f size 4. So total of seven guides. Static load looks perfect. If I drop down to just four runners I can get to "that's pr
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Hi all, I have a new fly rod build in the works and I'm looking for a little input on guide selection. I purchased a CTS Affinity X 11' #3/2 nymphing blank and I'm looking to use Silicon Nitride single foot guides instead of traditional snake guides or wire single foot guides. These guides are the very small "micro" type guides which I think should work well with the small dia
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I understand that Fuji has discontinued the T FST tip top. I am looking for no larger than a size 5 ring. What is the recommended replacement? I am looking for an SIC insert with titanium color to match my titanium K frames. Thanks Tom
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The Great Lakes, indeed all of the world's fresh waters are stressed due to many pollutants. I've been paying attention. A thought came to me, micro plastic particles and fibers. These are miniscule in size, but are entering the food chain of the tiny critters that feed on algae. These get eaten by small bait fish, then by larger fish, then by us. The fibers have been found in trout, pike
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I have noticed what might be considered a misconception of just how strong guides themselves and their thread-wraps actually need to be to mount them securely to any given blank. While certainly no one wants a guide or its thread-wrap to fail while battling that Big-Bad-Boy-trophy-of a-lifetime, it is very possible many builders go overboard in the strength department without even knowing it. Alt
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I am building a redfish rod for a friend. Casting distance is one goal as his fishing requires long casts to spooky reds. He wants a medium action (8-12lbs) rod 7'3" in length. I am thinging the airwave guides would be a good choice on a MHX blank for this rod. I see the runners are 5mm. Is this going to work with a double uni knot with 10 lb braid to a 20 lb. mono leader. I have seen t
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Putting aside appearance, what type or model of spinning rod guides performs the best?
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Hej, I am currently building a 7.2 MH spiral baitcasting freshwater (mostly) pike rod. For stock reasons I have a double foot Fuji RW 5.5 follows by KT size 5 runners. I intend to do the locking wrap on the KT that should have been KBs but is it useful to wrap all the guide with the locking wrap? I am asking because I have a tip heavy rod so If I can save weight for balance I am all in.
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I'm interested in trying some Fuji T-KTSG single foot guides on a med-heavy saltwater rod. I'll be spiral wrapping the rod. I'm not concerned about the guide frames failing but I am a little worried that the guides may pull out of the wrap. I always use a Forhan lock with single foot guides but this single foot guide splits and has 2 "legs" that cradle the guide ring. I'm thinking I
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A while ago I had found some Fuji single foot boat guides - they were the most heavy duty single foots I had seen. I don't recall the part number, but do you guys know if anything like that is available and from who?
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Hello everyone I have been asked to build a light power spinning rod to be used with a size 1000 Shimano spinning reel. Will a size 1000 reel lock down securely in a #16 spinning reel seat? I will be using a self turned acrylic seat insert and a set of #16 skeletons, I am wondering if I can use a stock reel seat to size the insert I will be turning, or should make the "between the hoods&
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Hey guys, I’m going to put together a crankbait casting rod (Phenix X11) and was wanting some recommendations on guides. For example, should I use 2 or 3 double foot guides or is that overkill? I’ve seen this on factory built comparable rods. The Fuji casting rod kit only has one double foot guide, would this be ok? How does one know what to use or is it more or less personal preference? As alway
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I post this thread as a curiosity to see where custom rod building members of this forum stand on this issue. For me, I am nearly 60 years old so I have been fishing since the late 1960's and I have lived through many phases of the fishing tackle changes over the years and decades and I have seen things come and go and some stick around. And it is precisely all those years- my younger years
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Hello I'm brand new to rod building and have never built one before and I'm finding some of it a little overwhelming. I just bought a bunch of blanks from NFC during their black Friday sales, first rod I'm going to build is a swimbait rod, (SWB 807). Its going to throw glide baits in that 3-4oz range with 50lb braid and 30lb mono leader with a FG knot. The real confusion is on the guide
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Hello everyone, my name is Ernie and I am posting for the first time. I am not necessarily new to rod building, but after spending a little time reading some of these posts, I might as well be. I built most of my rods over the years according to the principles laid out in Dale Clemens' "Fiberglass Rod Making" that I likely purchased some forty years ago. I guess some things have changed
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Hej hej, After 16 hours of research mostly on this forum, I almost feel like I know you all haha. Here I present you my rod build. I hope you can help me to see if everything make sense. AIM: Mostly pike (small to medium) and large perchs Blank: REVS72MH-2SB from Rainshadow 5/8-3/4 lure weight 7.2ft 2.6oz Reel: Shimano curado K Reel seat: Fuji sk2 kskts 17 Handle: cork rings Fighting
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OK, sorry to go back to this well discussed topic but I can't find anything related to the weight of the line vs. a couple grams of under wrap and finish on the guides. After a little thought it seems to me that once you have a few feet of line out past the tip it will far outweigh any guide under wraps that were done (assuming nothing ridiculously heavy was done). Won't the affect of a couple
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I know similar topics have been discussed and for that I apologize. I'm building multiple 78" and 84" light inshore rods. Primary use will be for sea trout and small to slot drum. I will be fishing size 2000 and 3000 reels and running mostly 6 to 12 lbs mono. I have completely over thought the whole reduction train process and I'm about to pull my hair out. I have used the gps
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I haven't read the article from Rod Maker Mag. yet ( I let my subscription expire, I have renewed), But after seeing the article i decided to share my experience. Kent and I started a friendship @2 months ago. This spawned from our passion to make everything perfect. He came to my house with a rod wrapped to his specs. I showed him my 6-8 versions. I started this acid wrap after reading this
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I ordered 4 X-ray blanks and have to figure out the guides for them. I have an Mb 736, SJ 736, flip 766, and a SJ 732. I would like to make these decent feeling and light weight. I have read a ton and struggled to figure out the difference in guides. Is there a big difference between stainless and titanium, Alconite and sic? I guess I don’t want to have to waste money if there is no ne
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This is probably a revisitation on an old topic, but I have several ice rod blanks I want to sand down before I build the rods. The problem with nearly all the blanks I've been able to access is the lack of a consistent bend. The "ultralight" 1# - 4# rated blanks all have a good limber tip, but when you get about 25% down from the tip they get really stiff. Most of the guys I talk to on
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We have been building all of our freshwater bass rods on Fuji concept and CRB lazer guides. What differences would we notice when building on the Fuji K fame guides?
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First time builder. Overwhelmed with choices. I do know I want a ..... Spinning rod Med-light Fast or extra fast action. 6'10" up to 7'6" 1/8 oz. popper. Mostly teased, Braid 6 to 10 lbs. 2 or 3 or 4 pc. Shortish handle . About 9 inches This rod will be strictly for fishing smallmouth bass from a canoe with a 1/8oz. popper. 10hrs per day on the water. For week long fishi
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I just saw a video, , where a fellow explained rod spine as where the layers of graphite (young fellow, never heard of fiberglass) overlap as the material is rolled on the mandrel. Where the end of the material acts with the beginning of the material to create a stronger side, thus forming the spine. He further explains how the spine must be placed as the rod bends so the rod doesn’t twist under
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Time to lighten things up during these times. We have all had a major blunder while learning our craft. While in the moment i'm sure we all wanted to break the blank over our knee or send the spool of thread across the room like a 90mph fast ball, but looking back I'm sure we all laughed it off once things got back to going smoothly . I'll start it off. Many moons ago when I started building rod
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Now that I have your attention, this is not actually a battle between the two but simply a test of the old world COF guide arrangement versus Fuji’s modern KR Concept. A few weeks ago, I stated desire to learn the (casting) difference between an old-school COF rod compared to the present day KR Concept rod and it apparently sparked some interest from others of you on this site as well. If you car
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anyone built anything on this blank? Is the power really as high as the lure weight advertised? Id like to build it for ned rigs, tubes, micro jigs set up as spinning rod. Primarily throwing 3/16 and 1/4 oz max
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I wonder what are the three most common false beliefs or conclusions held by rod builders about building rods?
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Hi, Have just ordered some CRB Micro Guide bands and have a quick question regarding their use... Do they stretch over the tip top, or do you need to get the bands onto the blank before you glue the tip top on? Regards, Paul Farrell NSW Australia.
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Hey builders, I am planning to make a new flipping stick. I don't do a lot a of bass fishing anymore. I was just wondering what size rod most of you use for flipping/pitching for bass. My old rod is a 7' telescoping Bass Pro Extreme MH. I am thinking of going with a 7'6" MH Diamondback blank. What do you think about 7'6". Too long? I mostly pitch from about 35 ft. from the river
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