Baby Blue two piece halibut rod

Steve-O · June 23, 2011, 08:38:57 PM

I built this one from scratch. The 7 foot 30-50 pound e-glass blank was cut down to 5'6" or thereabouts. I then painted it black, wrapped it acid or spiral style with turbo boat guides using cobalt blue with silver accent thread. No fancy patterns just business. For the reel I used my Taiwan Avet SX clone and it matched and balanced beautifully. You can see the reinforced ferrule near the fore grip where I cut it down to fit into a foam lined zip up cloth bag as a carry on piece. I was more than pleased with the results and fighting capability of this mini-version of a deep sea rod. It felt great with no fatigue factors ever. I did switch to my 2-speed Avet clone on deeper waters and I believe I've found the combo for me. Might just build another in gunmetal and silver for the 2-speed reel.

Steve-O

alantani · June 23, 2011, 09:02:33 PM

man, it's nice to see that SOMEONE is actually getting out to fish! i'm headed out tomorrow morning with roger and jeff. it will be my first trip of the year. alan

Steve-O · June 23, 2011, 11:59:40 PM

Alan, yea, I fish plenty here in Utah...but this is the biggest game in town. CARP- either mirrors like this 12 # beaut or common carp up to 30#. The rod and reel combo behind me is a self built spiral wrapped 30-50 # class 7 footer mated with a Abu Garcia Black Max I rebuilt from your site. The blank is the same as the above only not cut down. A flea-bay special of 5 old white e-glass blanks for $30.00 Carp angling requires tossing a lead of 1-2 oz and a hookbait boilie covered in a tennis ball sized blob of break-away, scent field creating mix of birdseed, bread crumb and flavoring mix. No chumming in Utah nor is corn allowed (carp all time fav bait) but the regs don't specify the bait size - only that it must be attached to the hook and line. Like lobbing a half pound cannonball. Folks look like I'm nuts until the fight and landing happens. Then they want my recipe to which I reply bread dough and birdseed.

Steve-O

Best of success to you on your trip!

alantani · June 24, 2011, 06:54:30 AM

looks to me like the photo of the month!

Alto Mare · June 28, 2011, 12:40:27 AM

That's one gorgeous fish Steve, I've never seen anything like it. Thanks for sharing.

broadway · July 24, 2011, 02:33:36 PM

Beautiful fish... that thing looks prehistoric! Nice catch!
Dom

Dominick · July 24, 2011, 06:32:24 PM

Steve-o: What kind of fish is that? It looks like a well done wood carving. Dominick

Alto Mare · July 24, 2011, 06:59:30 PM

Quote from: Pescachaser on July 24, 2011, 06:32:24 PM

Steve-o: What kind of fish is that? It looks like a well done wood carving. Dominick

Yea...the captain was bored so he carved it out of his leg.

Tile · July 24, 2011, 08:35:45 PM

It's a mirror carp.

seaeagle2 · July 24, 2011, 09:35:22 PM

So if that's a 5'6" rod, that's a pretty good size butt in the second picture, what did it weigh in at ? Also what blank did you use ?

Steve-O · August 06, 2011, 02:30:29 PM

Hey Alan - Photo of the Month?!?!? I thought you were just kidding. THEN there it was under PHOTO OF THE MONTH....thanks!

Mirror carp it is. They have the fewer larger scales versus the common with a uniform scale pattern. The only non-pressured, easily the hardest fighting fish in Utah is the lowly carp. This pond is clear, clean, circular and chock full of BIG carp. Now when I fish them they tow me around the pond in my kayak.

The hali-rod -The 7 foot 30-50 pound e-glass blank was cut down to 5'6" ... Well , I don't know WHAT I was smoking when I typed that!!! They were 5'6" BEFORE I cut it down. I bid on a bundle deal of 5 e-glass blanks on ebay a while back. Got 'em for $30.00. No-name brand as I recall. Built the one behind me in the pic for carp fishing and it is still 5' 6" with an Abu G 6500 Black Max reel on it.

The baby blue halibut rod was the same blank- no name e-glass 30-50 pound class cut down to 4 foot 10 inches with a reinforced ferrule installed to make it a two piece travel rod.

The Halibut in the picture - Five and a half feet and weighed out at 150 pounds.

Sorry about the wrong initial info.

Steve-O

Alto Mare · August 06, 2011, 03:33:48 PM

Hey steve, are the 6 guides on that baby blue rod going in the opposite direction from the bottom 2 or did I have too much espresso this morning? If I ever get lucky with one of those mirror carps, it's going on my wall, it's so gorgeous it looks fake. I tried some of that bait on the Chesapeake, well similar to yours but was having a though time keeping it on the hook $:-\$ , I think it was too soft. this one was pink in color.

Irish Jigger · August 06, 2011, 05:41:51 PM

Not too much expresso Alto but a good observation. The guy who first spiral wrapped rods like that was accused of being on "acid" hence the term "acid wrapped." Commonly referred to nowadays as spiral wrapping,eliminating rod twist when using a multiplier.

Alto Mare · August 06, 2011, 09:27:13 PM

Thanks for the explanation Jigger. I never seen that before, I would think that it would create more friction, but then again, what do I know.

broadway · August 07, 2011, 12:27:39 AM

I've got a custom spiral wrap from Capt. Neil in L.I. For what I use it for (live lining and drifting eel and bunker) it works awesome. There is very little torque on the rod cause the line is already at the lowest point in the rod like a spinning rod. Ya gotta try it, Sal... it actually works, but I don't know how it would work on the troll.
Dom