I'm just back from a trip and was able to land a good mid size tuna( BFT) . It was about 240-250 LB and a relatively short length of 5 ft 8 inch. It was a real fatty guy and round as a skippybal. The fight took about 40 minutes and was stand-up on a Pinnacle 60-100 rod and a Makaira 50W with 130 lb braid and a thick 100 lb+ topshot.
The fish took a very long first run of about 400 yards and I initially thought it would have been much bigger.
That's why I put reasonable hurt on the fish with a drag setting of 35lb. With one third of the spool reduced in diameter it must have been in the good 50 lb of drag and even than It took the first half hour fighting with no significant line retrieval. Not all tuna fight the same, apparently.
It must be noted that we were fishing on a mount where the top is 500-600 ft below the surface and immediately next to it, it drops to 6000 ft. It is much different when your tuna is in shallow water.
The fight was good but though. I have an Black magic XL wide plate and the drag was very ok for me. In fact I could do more but have not done this stand up for hours.
Still, I'm wondering what happens when an equally fit really big tuna would hit my stand-up gear. On the same spot they have caught tuna in excess of 9 feet. The rod had a little spare but generally would like to see not much more than 50 lb of drag. The makaira can do more but I never tried it to the rated drag. The rod is with short bent but approx. 5 ft 7 inch in length
Although I already blown my fishing budget for this year (and part of next years) I'm looking with one eye to a heavier rod. I'm thinking of a extremely short rod, something amongst the lines of the Dennis Braid Short stroker but I would like it to have a little shorter (I'm a short guy myself, at least by Dutch standards)
So I'm looking at blanks to build me a 4 ft 5 inch super short stroker in the 80-130 lb class (or 60-130 lb)
I found a couple of blanks that qualify for further investigation. The main problem is that with a 20 inch bent butt I would have to cut off almost half of the blank in some cases but still a significant portion for the short blanks.
Brand Type Length blank Blank Rating Fibre glas or Composite Tip diam Butt Diam Supplier Price USD Possible Butt # Action American Tackle (ATX) AXST56XXH 48,5 inch (4ft 0,5") 80-130 E-glass? 15 (6mm) 0,865 MH 44 2 F Calstar Baja Boomer 5ft 6 inch 60-130 E glass 15 1,175 MH 105 6 XF Calstar 6455XXH-B 5ft 6 inch 50-120 E glass 14 (5,6) 1,09 MH 105 6 XF Calstar Grafighter GF410 XH 5ft 6 inch 40-100 Graph/e glass 12 0,92 MH 133 4 F Seeker S6450XXH 5 ft 50-130 Graph/E glass 14 0,965 MH 85 4 F Seeker Super SS-CTSF55XXXH 5ft 6 inch 80-130 Carbon S glas 17 (6,7mm) 0,95 MH 161 4 F Seeker Super SS-TSF55XXXH 5ft 6 inch 80-130 Carbon S glas 17 (6,7mm) 0,95 MH 161 4 F Pack Bay PBXII X2ST56XXHS-B 48,5" (4 ft 0,5 inch) 60-130 E-glass 15 0,86 MH 44 2 F Phenix (black Diamond Hybrid) PHD 660X3H 6'6" 60-130 Carbon-Kevlar 9 0,84 MH 189 2 F Calstar Grafighter GF755XXH 5ft 6 inch 60-unl Graph/e glass 12 0,89 tackle24 122 € 2 F Batson Rainshadow .695"X.250"X65" 5 ft 5 inch 60-130 solid glass 16 0,695 ? ? 2 mod F |
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Is it feasible to cut 2 feet or more of the butt of a Baja Boomer or am I missing something
I would appreciate your comments/answers
Hoi Reinard
Congratulations on catching a very nice fish and that on stand up tackle, no mean feat!
I am presuming you intend to build this rod yourself.
I've built many casting rods (as a hobby) but don't have experience with this type of heavy tackle. Just as a general statement I've never hesitated to modify the characteristics of a blank by cutting the but or the tip, or for that matter strengthening the but area or even extending it. It is OK as long as you know what you wish to achieve and have tried to test what you wish to do by bending and pulling and lifting etc. Also work in small increments, rather cut 5cm when you think it should be 10cm and so forth.
Cutting 2 ft off a blank that is only 5' 6" sounds a bit extreme, but then again as I understand, the intention is to add an equal length aluminium butt, so maybe it will work. :o
If you shorten a rod a rod from the butt side you usually reduce the backbone and will lose some of its pulling power. I don't think I would be tempted to cut 3' off the blank, then add the 2' but and hope to end up at 4'6", would need to do that differently.
Why not start with the Seeker S6450XXH if you want to go so short?
Only some comments as they come to mind, sorry no answers!
I am no rod builder, but the only blank that I think can survive a chop like that is a Gator Glass Unlimited blank.
I fish stand up and heavy tackle. I have a Baja Boomer and Several Rainshadow EGlass Rods 80 to 130, but they are all 5'6".
The Rainshadow has a lot more backbone than the Boomer.
You might want to consider an IGFA Rated Blank too. They are Huge. Most tuna stand up rods are built on 80 IGFA Blanks.
JMO
Thanks for the replies gents,
I've found two other rod blanks from united composites that are possible contenders
They are short, only 4 ft long
It is the CX 40XOS which is an unlimited class rod and the CX 40XO wich is an 60-130 rod. The blanks do not have a very large diameter but are heavy wall.
I cannot find to many builds for short strokers that are below 4'8" on length.
Maybe I'm pushing it too much
IGFA blanks are ussually to stiff for stand-up use.
An 80 igfa is way different then a stand up blank rated for 80, whether it is a 30 to 80 or 50 to 80, those blanks would be super soft, like a igfa 30. An igfa 50 would be comparable to a 50 to 130 stand up or something like that, or a xxxh stand up blank.
For my particular setup, I use an IGFA 80. I can't see it being any more difficult to bend than the rod you are suggesting.
Next to a 80 to 130 Boomer, 5'6"
Hi shark hunter,
Maybe i'm wrong about IGFA rod classes. The IGFA rods that I used to drill fish on where not that suitable for stand-up fighting but I only have faught fish on 80's and 130's. They were quite stiff with very thick rod tips.
If they are not all like that than my ignorance is because of lack of experience. Luckily I'm still young enough to learn (Those few grey hairs doesn't chainge that)
What I'm looking for is reasonable flex (specialy at the tip) with still a strong backbone to fish high drag if necessary. That is why a thought a 80-130 blank would suit the needs.
That boomer is on my list ;D
I've got some feedback from some people using short strokers, one uses a melton 5' and the other uses the Brais short stroker and both are happy with their chice for stand-up heavy tuna.
I think I need to investigate some more but I got plenty of time as my next big tuna trip is next year.
Sounds like you are on the right track. I too am no expert, but have some experience using heavy tackle.
I'm fishing 200lb test on that IGFA 80 blank. I know a builder who specializes in this type of rod.
If you are looking to get rainbowed up, you will like that boomer.
http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=15590.0
Congratulations on that catch!
It is simple physics really, a short rod with a longer butt section will provide greater leverage, and allow you to put greater pressure on the fish. I know published numbers of ~35lbs max on properly fitted modern standup gear seems awfully large (especially in an extended battle), but I am aware of some testing that suggests it is actually possible to hold (at least temporarily) ~65lbs of force at the reel end. This translates to even greater numbers at the tip. From a practicality standpoint drag settings in excess of 35lbs at the reel on standup gear is excessive.
If you are looking to build a short, stout, non-parabolic standup rod, around an eglass blank.. I would focus on blanks that are already designed to fit your need. The Milton, Seeker S6450XXH, United Composites CX 40XOS, Brais, ATX, and others mentioned would likely fit your needs. Here in HI alot of guys use short 5' or less, Rainshadow, Seeker, or those Australian stubbie blanks to fight the fish from a shotgun holder. I have often thought tuese blangs on a long bent butt would work great for standup. 5Os7Ss uses a custom-built Rainshadow Stub130 blank that is actually solid glass. It is supper stout, heavy, yet has a fast tip section. Might be an option for you.
Yeah,
It used to be "so many girls, so little time" ;D
Now I have that a little with choosing rodblanks...
The rod is intended for stand-up fishing with a black magic XL harness and plate. For my purposes I think a short bent butt is best although I might order a second short traight but juts to be able to choose depending on circumstances.
Both the Calstar Graphiter GF755XXH as wel as the Boomer are high on the list although both blanks are relatively long (5'6") and I would need to cutt a lott of the butt section of the rod.
That's why I am still also looking at the United Composites CX40XOS (4'), the American Tackle AXST56XXH (48,5") and the Pack Bay PBX X2ST56XXHZ-B (48,5")
I'm still a little reluctant to cutt so much of a blank but if really want a short rod than I might just need to take a plunge and grab s saw ;D