Alex and the SF 49'ers came to mind when I thought about a custom reef baitcasting rod(basically a 2-handed 7' bass rod). He has a way with colors and deacles and I loved what he did for a friend on a LA Rams themed custom rod. So we worked on all my preferences, starting with the blank. He's real detail oriented, with information and opinions/suggestions about every step in the process.
The rod handle, both sides and the seat;
More;
Man I'm so bad at lighting when taking pictures. The 2nd pic. blank stats. say: NORTH FORK SJ706-1 - Fast - Heavy 7ft 0in - 10-17lb - 1/4-1oz
That's beautiful, Alex has stepped his game up big time. Hope you hang some nice ones on it.
Great work by Alex. He has come a long way in a short time. Great eye with colors. Rudy
A real nice Alps reel seat, cork handle/butt and the guides(9 + tip-top) are Fuji _ _,the best out of Alex's suggestions, but I deleted that specific model info. Maybe he can chime in here. Yup, there's some grass on the guides(last pictures from above post) from practice casting on the lawn at work. Casts 7/8's of an oz.- great! Plenty of fast load and snap-back with this puppy.
I love me some detailed work. Even the packaging was top-notch. Everything was wraped with foam paper and the tip was protected with extra bubble wrap. Nothing moved in the PVC tube. And I got detailed instructions before it arrived:"if you see some BLUE bubble packing plastic when you take one of the caps on the tube, thats the rod tip, DONT pull from it, you could break the tip..."
Alex, I think the postal inspectors got to us though. It came with one end cap missing and the tape right there where the cap used to be, with cut marks on it. They probably pulled it out( the right way thankfully) then twisted it back in. It was still real tight when I got it. The cap? Probably lost in the first P.O. It was shipped from---zip - 92231 - Calexico?
wow, that was super fast shipping to Hawai, considering it was documented on the USPS california office monday, glad it arrived in one piece haha, my first rod that travel this far and I was kind of worried but now its in home and you liked it, I will post my "traditional way" to take pictures of a finished rod in the next days, let me tell you that it's was a pretty fun to work on your rod those NFC blanks have a very cool and unique feel (maybe normal from Gary loomis but I have never owned or used a Gloomis rod before), pretty sensitive and parabolic on the last 1/3 of the blank but then a nice and gradual stiffness to the rest of the blank when you pull on the tip, so I hadda (Gregg style) install another single foot on the last running guides to avoid the line to touch the blank when fighting a light fish, anyway, more details later.
Thanks again for let me put my personal touch on a fishing rod for you compadre Gregg.
Welp, too bad the Niner's got beat-up so much in their 2019/20 superbowl run. They lost too many key players before, and at, this seasons beginning. For now, I'll wave my new magic wand to cast a spell on 2021's season and see if there's some mojo in it. Maybe a Raiders themed rod next?
Great job Alex! I'm very pleased. I now have 3 real nice fancy rods that aren't flyrods.
Very nice work ! With all that gold on the rod I figured you would mount that Penn Levelmatic on it ... ;-) Ol School meets New Cool .
Cool
Great looking rods. Not so long ago Alex started Rod building, really pro finish now!
Good going.... both of you.
That baby looks great G! 8)
:) As the kids say today .... Yer got a tube full of dope ... Well done Alex , enjoy Greg..
Quote from: CooldadE on January 16, 2021, 05:30:13 AM
Very nice work ! With all that gold on the rod I figured you would mount that Penn Levelmatic on it ... ;-) Ol School meets New Cool .
Cool
Yup. #1, the Abu Ultra Mag, not the greatest baitcaster, a mid-80's graphite comp., but it has that disengaging/auto-pick-up levelwind system, that I love. #2, a '73 Red Abu 5000, #3 the gold levelmatic, a gift from CooldadE.
No need to open a new thread so, I will post some pictures of the fishing rod for Gregg before sending it to him.
Gregg, wanted good quality components and accesories for this fishing rod, no blig-bling metal inserts and themed with the 49's team, So, we looked some options for blanks and found this NorthFork composite blank he liked it for his needs, the guides used on this build are Fuji LN Alconite guides double foot for the 1st 5 guides and LN single foot for the rest 4 guides to the tip (just to keep the last section of the rod light and sensitive), the tiptop is Fuji Sic, the Reel seat is an ALPS aluminium Triggerseat which is perfect for this rod, high grade cork grips and the guides were wrapped with 49's colors.
the blank have the last 1/3 or almost last 1/4 really really flexible and sensitive, in that zone its so flexible that when checking the line on the static test I had to re-arrange the guide train and add another single foot guide until having a smooth line transition all the way the blank, after that sensitive zone of the blank it becomes a bit more stiff but in a smooth gradual way to the rest of the blank, I really liked this blank, no wonder why Shimano bought G-Loomis rods brand, after that Gary Loomis started Northfork composites blanks.
now, some pictures ;D
few more
last ones
Note: all the single foot guides have what its call a "locking wrap", which is a normal wrap but when you are about to finish to wrap the leg you made some wraps on the foot of the guide but only on around the guide not over the blank, then continue with some more normal wraps over the blank and the guide, the idea is to have a "lock" on the guide to preventing from sliding away from the thread on an unfortunate hit on the rod, with those wraps just on the guide it keep it attached to the rest of the thread on a lateral hit.
its not much visible on the pictures but hey, that was the idea LOL
Quote from: Gfish on January 16, 2021, 02:45:39 AM
Alex, I think the postal inspectors got to us though....... They probably pulled it out( the right way thankfully) then twisted it back in. It was still real tight when I got it. The cap? Probably lost in the first P.O. It was shipped from---zip - 92231 - Calexico?
I was told and aware that I cannot leave the tube with both caps taped and secured so, I cut the end where the butt of the rod was and put extra tape on the cap with the tip LOL, forcing the guys on the postal office to open the tube on the cap that already had the cuts on the tape, too bad they forgot to put it back, first PO was calexico, Ca.
Quote from: Gfish on January 16, 2021, 03:05:06 AM
,,,,. Maybe a Raiders themed rod next?
that would be a cool one.
Ok. Cool. Great pictures. Sometimes the old I-pad just don't work well.
Great job !
Outstanding Amigo ! Bill
Glad my man Bill brought this back up- that's a SWEET build, gents!
thanks amigo.
Alex - beautiful work amigo :)
Nice build & theme work Alex !... Jeff
thanks Chris and Jeff,
if that rod were mine it would've been built with a Redskins theme ;D ::)