Too big

Started by dustin.brace, February 24, 2011, 10:54:47 PM

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dustin.brace

Two of the rods that I was recently given are far too large to fit into my car. Is it possible to make them into three piece rods? I don't think I want to be the one that does it and I have no idea if it can be done. Thanks!
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Bryan Young

How big of a rod are we talking about?  In most cases, I do not like taking a solid rod and making it into pieces because it was not designed that way.  I use a roof rack to transport these rods instead of cutting it into pieces. 

If you really want to, there are several places that you can get the components and any custom rod wrapper should be able to do it, but they probably don't want to as I had stated above.
:D I talk with every part I send out and each reel I repair so that they perform at the top of their game. :D

Norcal Pescador

#2
Hey Dustin,
Yes it can be done. Should it be done? That depends on the rod and how you plan to use them. Fly rods are real skinny and long (typically 8'6" to 9'6") and are real common as a 4-piece because they were designed that way. On the other hand, brawny and beefy tuna sticks are almost always 1-piece due to the load on them. Are you talking about surf rods being used with 20# line? Then there's a reasonable possibility of a successful outcome. Notice I still said possibility. More info from you will help find an answer.
Rob

p.s. - while typing, Bryan beat me to a reply. But I agree with him......
Rob

Measure once, cut twice. Or is it the other way around? ::)

"A good man knows his limits." - Inspector Harry Callahan, SFPD

dustin.brace

I think the roof rack is the way to go. Can you imagine my tiny Honda Fit with a 15ft and 14ft on the roof?
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Bryan Young

Dustin, can you imagine a tiny old Datsun 210, 2-door, with 4 guys, a cooler in the trunk with the trunk open, eight 12-14 foot surf rods with 4/0s mounted to the rods on surf racks?  Not to mention all of the gear and food on the passangers laps?  That was us in Hawaii fishing off cliffs, like Bamboo Ridge, Laie Point, Portlock, Black Point, Waimanalo Beach, Makapuu,...man, I miss those days...young and many times, stupid.

So a fit with a 15' rod, ah, no problem.
:D I talk with every part I send out and each reel I repair so that they perform at the top of their game. :D

Steve-O

Hey Dustin,

Your car windows DO roll down, right? ( just kidding ya) Being from the 'redneck coast' North Carolina I can't EVEN begin to tell you how many carloads of anglers with fishing rods fully rigged with hooks, line and corks I've seen driving around waving in the wind out the back window like some CB radio fan gone antenna CRA-ZY!  Don't even get me started when it comes to Cane Pole anglers. Looks like some bristly insect going down the road backwards. Number one rod tip breaker? Car doors.....

The hardcore Outer Banks anglers do it differently......they put the rod rack up front bumper level and load up 6-8 rods across the grill and go.

That said.....your big rods could be made into three piece with ferrules and some skill. Are these big rods one piece? Solid or tubular. My GLoomis salmon and steelhead rods are two piece and I've broken one on a big fish - high sticking it out of frustration for having foul hooked it  and wanted my lure back before he went into the dead fall trees......oh well, lifetime replacement is nice. Point being that ferrules can be the weak link in a rod. Especially, as mentioned above already about their design. Fly rods work well as multi-piece due to lower loads. Surf rods can do well, too. Even a boat rod can be two piece if done right. Usually, it's right  at the butt and blank area ahead of the foregrip where the rod 'shuts off' and has much less flex.

Which all brings me to this risky experiment.

I picked up a cheap fleabay special; a  SeaStriker 30-80 BillFisher boat rod for $20. It had a broken guide insert, hence the low price. So I decided to make it into a "travel rod". My salmon rod tube stays stored in Alaska at the lodge we frequent so I needed to do something different for this June trip coming up. Going to another lodge in a different part of the state. I also want to have my rods and reels in possession with me in the plane. Reels in the overhead carry on and rods in a 40 inch padded soft case to stow with the strollers and such gear. Every year I see guys in Seattle carry their fly rods in cases and others with just a bundle of rubber banded rods in hand. It eliminates the rod tube - odd size baggage fees.

So I stripped the BillFisher rod, replaced the broken guide, acid-wrapped (spiraled around the blank) all the guides but the stripper and THEN cut the sucker in half. :o :o :o I bought a two piece reinforced ferrule from Mudhole and installed it and disguised it with black paint and  an 80 # Spectra wrap.......this is turning into a long schpiel.... ::)......let it cure for a week and then put the reel on it and sat in my man cave with a  fighting belt on, 80 # test, a bucket full of soapstone and "caught and played the BIG ONE"!!! ; :D    No SNAP! CRACKLE! or POP! Will it break on a huge or feisty fish? Maybe.....I'll find out in 4 months ...make that 3.5 mos.  The rod cost a $20, a $2 guide, a $ 8 ferrule set, some epoxy and my time. High end travel rods may be way better for WAAAAAYY mo money....but the fish won't know the difference.  I realized I've changed the dynamics and limitations of the rod.....but now  I've passed the young and foolish phase of my life and am into my older more calculated risk taking phase.......ppPPPFFFFFTTTtttttt!!!! ;)

My take is if the manufacturers can make a travel rod ...why not me? I've got two more as back ups going with me.......just in case ::)

Hope your coffee didn't get cold reading Steve-O's Daily Fish Wrapper. ;D

Steve-O

BTW - how did the bamboo rod repair tun out...the ferrule issue one?

dustin.brace

Still waiting to work on the ferrule repair... I am nervous about it. Had planned on doing it this past week but my mother is/was in town for the first time since I moved to CA so we were busy being tourists.
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Bryan Young

What I want to know is where are you getting all of these rods from?  With exception of clearing out old fishing rods in Alan's garage, I have yet to score like you.  Hawaii on the other hand, whenever someone upgrades, freebees...  :D :D :D
:D I talk with every part I send out and each reel I repair so that they perform at the top of their game. :D

dustin.brace

Quote from: Bryan Young on February 26, 2011, 07:00:47 AM
What I want to know is where are you getting all of these rods from?  With exception of clearing out old fishing rods in Alan's garage, I have yet to score like you.  Hawaii on the other hand, whenever someone upgrades, freebees...  :D :D :D

Bit of a long story. I take care of a 90 year old guy. On Monday mornings we go out to coffee with a group of about 10 guys, all over 82, except me. Well anyway, all of them either sail (which I do), fish (which I do), or hunt (which I have never done). The only one that doesn't sail or fish is my "boss". I knew that this one guy had been quite an active fisherman for over 50 years so I asked him if he knew anyone that might be in the market to sell some old rods. He told me that I was talking to the right guy. The next week he came back and told me that he would not sell me the rods; he just wanted them to go to someone that would use them and take care of them. Being that he is 83 and has an implanted defibrillator, he cannot fish anymore. In addition to the three rods he also gave me five or six reels, a tackle box full of ... tackle, and a bunch of old weights that I plan to melt down and turn into torpedo weights.

I am planning to really fix up the rods, one has no guides but the tiptop. I need to fix the ferrule issue and figure out how to transport the rods but it will all work out well I am sure. A roof rack for my fit from Thule would cost no less than $350, yikes!
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Bryan Young

Dustin,

Go to a surf shop.  They have surf racks that are all temporarily mountable.  Some hard and some soft racks.  I prefer the hard rack myself.  This is what I have. 

:D I talk with every part I send out and each reel I repair so that they perform at the top of their game. :D

dustin.brace

Quote from: Bryan Young on February 26, 2011, 05:50:24 PM
Dustin,

Go to a surf shop.  They have surf racks that are all temporarily mountable.  Some hard and some soft racks.  I prefer the hard rack myself.  This is what I have. 


That could work for me. Lord knows that there are a ton of surf shops down here in SoCal! Any idea of a good price?
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Bryan Young

Decent racks should run $150 or less.  Talk to the guys and see what will best suit your needs.  You may want to show him a pic of my rack to see if they have something that will fit.  If not, soft racks are great too.  Sorry, no pics of my soft rack.  It's in Hawaii.
:D I talk with every part I send out and each reel I repair so that they perform at the top of their game. :D