Good morning from Tampa Bay,
I have done 2 rod repairs now (by hand and painstakingly slow).
I want to build a spinning rod for inshore red drum and snook. What is your favorite rod blank for this?
I'm thinking my wife needs to buy me all the pieces to build this rod for Christmas.
Your thoughts are much appreciated.
Has anyone used the abalone jig skins before? Are there any tips to using the stuff?
Thank you,
Nick
lol. Call me when you get a minute.
There are probably a lot of good blanks out there but I wouldn't buy anything except St. Croix now. I would never buy another Rain Shadow or Mud Hole MHX.
-steve
During my years living in that area, Snook were a favorite target. In open areas, grass flats, beach, channels etc., I used medium to light rods, 6 to 7.5'. Around docks & bridge pilings I used considerably stouter rods and heavier lines. Back then I used rods I built on early Loomis blanks and a stout 7' Shakespeare wound glass rod I rebuilt. Now I'd probably go with St. Croix SCII blanks as the price suits me better, although I love the way the Avids (SCIII) cast and feel. I also have a 6.5' med-power Penn Power Stick I liked.
I dont know about blanks but the new St. Croix rods I bought are amazing. Its their Mojo Inshore series.
A little late to the party but I would check out United Composites Pioneer SHX or United DHX series (both of them are their freshwater blanks). I have a rod built on their UC 711M (DHX swimbait blank). It is a beast. Landed some big snook and about a 70lb tarpon off the beach with it. To start I would look at something like UC 702 or 703 if you want a 7 footer. If those are more money than what you want to spend then look at the Pioneer SHX. They have the same blanks just a single helix design so they are a little cheaper.
I had mine built to throw bigger swimbaits mainly for snook but tarpon as well. So the blank I used is probably heavier than what you are looking for. Its a 15-30lb blank that can handle 1-4 oz lures.
Gator,
Thanks for the info, i'll Definitely look into it.
Where are you located?
Nick
Valrico, FL
Shouldn't you be asking which blank would be best for snagging sea horses? ;D
I agree with what gator stated regarding UC's Rods. Another UC rod would be the CE700H .CE Series is a very durable, lite weight composite. The 7-6" Tilefish Junior in their all graghite GUSA would work. I am also a fan of St. Croix. Picking the right line class & length in their Premeir Musky series would work great. All these rods are very different in how they feel when pulled on with their very different actions even amongst the UC rods.
I just noticed you stated wanting a spinning reel. If your wrapping the rod yourself all these would still work. Also look at the Challenger Plantinum CP from United Composites. A little heavier but extremely durable with
a soft fast tip.
Gator is right about the UC 7-11's they are fantastic rods for fresh water, inshore & some have used them for Wahoo which I've never caught myself..Jeff
Quote from: cwillis85 on January 26, 2018, 01:50:44 AM
Shouldn't you be asking which blank would be best for snagging sea horses? ;D
Oh oh! There's a story here. ::) Dominick
Quote from: Dominick on January 26, 2018, 05:01:47 AM
Quote from: cwillis85 on January 26, 2018, 01:50:44 AM
Shouldn't you be asking which blank would be best for snagging sea horses? ;D
Oh oh! There's a story here. ::) Dominick
So there I was, knee deep in spent brass and hand grenade spoons. Wait that's the wrong story.
So there we were, Chris and I, kayak fishing on the first day above 70 in the Tampa Bay. The water has warmed up to 58.6 degrees. No wind, extremely low tide, and no bite. I started throwing those preserved finger mullet you find in sealed yellow bags. I was desperate. One retrieve felt slightly different than the usual sea grass getting caught. As the little unappetizing mullet neared the surface I could see something attached at the hook. To my surprise it was a new species for the fishing passport. A seahorse. Took the little guy off the hook, he was still wiggling his tail around, and put him back in the water to live another day.
(http://alantani.com/gallery/23/16623_26_01_18_3_20_11.jpeg)
Sorry for the bad picture, he kept putting his tail in front of his face.
Nick
Those are really cool little fish Nick. Better than catching a redfish or snook in my book. We raised them for a while when we lived in the Southeast.
-steve
Nick, the blank I'm sending is a Rainshadow 7'0 that has some copper fade right above where the foregrip sits...I bought them specifically for building puppy drum rods with. it will be a good practice build for you and they will throw 1/2 to 1.5 oz nicely for spoons, spooks, flukes, Carolina rig, etc.
Quote from: thorhammer on January 26, 2018, 07:34:58 PM
Nick, the blank I'm sending is a Rainshadow 7'0 that has some copper fade right above where the foregrip sits...I bought them specifically for building puppy drum rods with. it will be a good practice build for you and they will throw 1/2 to 1.5 oz nicely for spoons, spooks, flukes, Carolina rig, etc.
John, can you tell me the model of that RS blank?
Im looking for a blank to cast 1/2oz to 1oz lures to the rocks with the Komodo, right now Im using a shadow stalker rod XH but it dont get "charged" until you put a 1oz or 1.5oz lure (max is 4oz lure), I need something for lighter lures, that or using a 4000 size spinning reel.
Quote from: thorhammer on January 26, 2018, 07:34:58 PM
Nick, the blank I'm sending is a Rainshadow 7'0 that has some copper fade right above where the foregrip sits...I bought them specifically for building puppy drum rods with. it will be a good practice build for you and they will throw 1/2 to 1.5 oz nicely for spoons, spooks, flukes, Carolina rig, etc.
John you are too kind. I have all kinds of ideas going through my mind of how I want to build this out.
No fishing for me this weekend. Wife goes away on work trip for two weeks. Spending time together going to Gasparella festival in Tampa to watch the pirate fleet invade!
That's no good, be a weekend of laying concrete and fishing the pier at night this weekend. Might be a kite in all the wind but I am going fishing.
Quote from: cwillis85 on January 27, 2018, 01:44:11 AM
That's no good, be a weekend of laying concrete and fishing the pier at night this weekend. Might be a kite in all the wind but I am going fishing.
I'm not saying I couldn't be convinced
Quote from: thorhammer on January 26, 2018, 07:34:58 PM
Nick, the blank I'm sending is a Rainshadow 7'0 that has some copper fade right above where the foregrip sits...I bought them specifically for building puppy drum rods with. it will be a good practice build for you and they will throw 1/2 to 1.5 oz nicely for spoons, spooks, flukes, Carolina rig, etc.
Well as usual I went to heavy with my advice. Seems things change so drastically regarding rods & equipment depending on where the persons fishing some times. But I do understand Snook can be like bass regarding the assortment of things people seem to throw at them. Plus I dont fish salt water every week :-\... Jeff
Quote from: ReelFishingProblems on January 26, 2018, 01:39:47 AM
Gator,
Thanks for the info, i'll Definitely look into it.
Where are you located?
Nick
Valrico, FL
Nick, I am over in Pinellas.
I just had a builder order another UC blank (UC 83H) for launching hard plastics. It's an 8'3" 10-25lb, 1/4- 1 1/2 blank.
Post a picture of that rod when it's done please!
We should get together sometime, on the water or otherwise.
I may head out to honeymoon island next Sunday to take the kayak out.
Nick
I launch my paddleboard from Dunedin causeway quite a bit. Here is a pic of the first rod that I mentioned earlier.
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/923/Hqtvmu.jpg)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/320x240q90/924/Ww0VN9.jpg)
How light lures do you use for them ?
Quote from: mjdgator on March 10, 2018, 12:04:55 PM
I just had a builder order another UC blank (UC 83H) for launching hard plastics. It's an 8'3" 10-25lb, 1/4- 1 1/2 blank.
UCs are really nice blanks.
Dwight
7' Black Hole Challenger Bank 701L blank weighs only 2.3 oz, but the rod can handle 40 lb drum or any size snook.
https://youtu.be/j-AR0hKNCR8
Nice catch!
And it's a reasonably priced blank too.
May have to put that on the "things to do" list (different from the honey-do list)
Nick