Best Black Hole Blank for Grouper

Started by FalconerRods, July 19, 2017, 08:13:04 PM

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FalconerRods

Hey Kil -

Looking to build a heavy duty rod for big grouper in Florida.  Looking for a 7' rod to pair with an Avet Raptor HXW spooled with 100# or 130# JB hollow and 100# - 150# fluorocarbon leader.   Typically fishing 300' of water with 12 oz - 18 oz of lead and live or strip baits.   The angler I'm building it for has been using a huge Penn reel and a heavy duty Calstar Grafighter.  Now that he has fished some smaller diameter, lighter set ups he wants to lighten up but still has to be able to turn big grouper up to 60#or so and AJ 80#+. 

Would you recommend the 7' Giant or one of the Cow Specials for this application?   Thanks!

Bill

ksong

If you look for long 7' rod, Black Hole Giant blank or Cow Special II are good choice.
You are good for goliath grouper of several hundred pounds.
If you look for blanks for average grouper in 10 lb - 30 lb range, 5'8" Black Hole Cape Cod 450g blank or 7'3" Black Hole Challenger Bank 731H blanks are recommended.
In fact, commecial grouper fishermen in NC are using 5'8" Black Hole Cape Cod 450g blanks.
They broke all kinds of rods while grouper fishing for years and they just love the 450g rod as they finally don't break the rods and the action is good for groupers.

FalconerRods

Hello Kil -

Just wanted to close the loop on this.  Ended up selecting the Black Hole 7' Giant Blank...set up in a spiral wrapped configuration.  Outfitted with an Avet Raptor HXW with 100# hollow core and 150# fluoro leader.  We spent time to get the reel seat and handle placement just right for my customer Roger Ball.  Once I got the guides right this blank would dead lift 30# easily with the guides simply taped on with masking tape.  Once we had it just right I wrapped it up and the waiting game began.

Wind and weather made it tough but my customer Roger Ball finally was able to get out and got it done.  Got a 46# Copper Belly which was his personal best to date.  Several other grouper with no issues. 

No complaints on the rod blank.  It balances well, has a responsive tip but dead lifts with brutal power.  Thanks for helping me get it right!

Bill   

FalconerRods

Posting a pic of the guide spacing and dead lift testing just so people can see I am not exaggerating.  I almost needed a bigger bucket!

steelfish

Quote from: FalconerRods on March 12, 2019, 02:34:56 PM
.......  Ended up selecting the Black Hole 7' Giant Blank...set up in a spiral wrapped configuration.  Outfitted with an Avet Raptor HXW with 100# hollow core and 150# fluoro leader.
Bill   

that its a great fish, congrats to your buddy

Bill, any reason to chose a graphite reelseat on a rod intended to fish 100# braid and 150# leader?
I know that as long you are using the rod clamp on the reel is secure to the rod, I recently built a rod for that same purpose and was debating if going with a graphite reelseat or an aluminuim one and opted for the aluminium one for a peace of mind, ALPS have one that weights pretty light and looks killer
The Baja Guy

FalconerRods

Hey Steelfish -

The ALPS seats are extremely well made and would also be great for this application.  Good looking, too.

In my experience, metal seats are just not required for most of the applications where the angler is holding the rod.  I'd draw a line at trolling rods, but these Fuji HD graphite reel seats are more than strong enough for the job.  I proved this to myself by gluing an HD22 onto a solid fiberglass blank and mounting an old Penn 6/0 Senator on the rod.  My brother and I then tried to pry or rip it out of the seat and literally destroyed the reel trying to do so.  So, I'm convinced 20# or 25# of drag is no problem. 

The other consideration is corrosion.  Obviously the graphite seats don't corrode over time which all things being equal is a plus.  But that's just my opinion based on my experience.  Hope this helps!

steelfish

Quote from: FalconerRods on March 17, 2019, 12:44:40 PM
Hey Steelfish -

The ALPS seats are extremely well made and would also be great for this application.  Good looking, too.

I'd draw a line at trolling rods, but these Fuji HD graphite reel seats are more than strong enough for the job.  I proved this to myself by gluing an HD22 onto a solid fiberglass blank and mounting an old Penn 6/0 Senator on the rod.  My brother and I then tried to pry or rip it out of the seat and literally destroyed the reel trying to do so.  So, I'm convinced 20# or 25# of drag is no problem. 

The other consideration is corrosion.  ............  But that's just my opinion based on my experience.  Hope this helps!

of course it helps a lot !!

thanks to share your findings on your experience

The Baja Guy

Cor

Quote from: FalconerRods on March 17, 2019, 12:44:40 PM
Hey Steelfish -

The ALPS seats are extremely well made and would also be great for this application.  Good looking, too.

In my experience, metal seats are just not required for most of the applications where the angler is holding the rod.  I'd draw a line at trolling rods, but these Fuji HD graphite reel seats are more than strong enough for the job.  I proved this to myself by gluing an HD22 onto a solid fiberglass blank and mounting an old Penn 6/0 Senator on the rod.  My brother and I then tried to pry or rip it out of the seat and literally destroyed the reel trying to do so.  So, I'm convinced 20# or 25# of drag is no problem. 

The other consideration is corrosion.  Obviously the graphite seats don't corrode over time which all things being equal is a plus.  But that's just my opinion based on my experience.  Hope this helps!
No one that I know of or have heard of uses a reel clamp here.   We only use graphite reel seats as well and I have never heard of a reel coming adrift from a rod because of a real seat breaking.

Like everything fishing, it has probably happened somewhere some time, like I once had the foot of a reel separate from a reel.

The amount of pressure on a stand up rod is just not what we sometimes like to think.
Cornelis