How hard is it to build a custom rod? This question coming from someone with no previous experience.
Printable View
How hard is it to build a custom rod? This question coming from someone with no previous experience.
Wouldnt call it hard. Just time consuming depending on how fancy you want to go. If you want something simple which is what I would recommend the first time aroud it s not bad at all. But the more fancy you go the more difficult and more time consuming it becomes.
All it is is putting hoops on a stick with twine. The prettier you want it, the more time consuming it becomes.
There's a lot that goes into building rods. A lot of time and a lot of money. It gets addictive. There's so many small details that have to be learned from failure. I've been building for awhile now and still learn new techniques all the time. I would recommend getting some books and dvd's and do a little research on cost of materials before you decide to buy anything. But there's no better feeling than catching or seeing someone catch a good fish on a rod you built
Biggest problem I know is that once you start you can't stop. You will make up reasons why you need to build another rod. One for Kings on a sunny day, one for Kings on a rainy day. You get the picture.
Lot of good places to get advice and instructions. Google Mudhole and look at the instruction on their site. Talk to the guys at J&M and the lovely ladies at the Rodroom.
On a serious note. IMHO, building your own rod will make you a better fisherman.
Like previously stated, the prettier the more complicated, just wrapping rods isn't hard, talk to a person who knows about it for all the little details
Thanks rodbuilder, I know you're pretty heavily into rod building.
Any advice on a decent priced rod blank for a first attempt?
What kind of fish do you plan on targeting with it?
Bass, Crappie, Walleye for my first attempt.
Then maybe trying a northern/muskie rod after...
i personally like the mudhole blanks, not MHX but the IM6 graphite series. they have a 6' 6-10lb line class blank and a 7' 8-12lb blank that would probably fit the lighter applications, these are both very inexpensive blank, $18 and $25………..I wish I could recommend a good muskie blank but I frankly know nothing about muskie fishing man, sorry.
these are both very light blanks however, I wouldn't personally use the 6' for big large mouth or big small mouth, the 7' maybe but there is a 7' in a 14-18lb rated version
You know what? I can't say enough about this forum! Never been on a site where people are so willing to give true advice and recommendations about fishing and equipment! To that I owe you all a thanks!
The mud hole im6 blanks can be very fragile. I have built quite a few and have had 6 break now
Don't know where you live but Mud Hole is offering a rod building class in Mobile 9/20/14.
Really? Ive only seen the MHX blank break myself, which blank model did you built on?Quote:
Originally Posted by the original pier pest
i built two of the im6 blanks and they lasted about a week before breaking
Well damn man, I have never had one break, but i guess others have had different results, how bout the ISB843 Rainshadow?
I have 3 CRB "mudhole" blanks and I haven't had one break either. One I had literally doubled over fighting around a 20lb class red and it held up fine. I do have a MHX blank that is extremely tippy, its like all the movement in the blank is at the first 1/4 of the blank. Its rated as medium w/ fast action but I swear its extra fast. Hauling up decent sized spanish I'm just waiting one day to hear the snap. Now i just handline them.Quote:
Originally Posted by rodbuilderESM
Let me preface by saying that I know next to nothing about building rods, though I do think building anything custom would be a great way to spend some time (and money!) (guitars, rods, knives, etc...) I was listening to a podcast the other day about surf fishing and one of the guests had just starting building their own rods, at first for himself, and then to donate to charity events. One of the things he mentioned doing was bending the blank (IM6) to almost 90 degrees, and from that point, marking where the guides should go in order to have the line maintain an almost perfect curve (less angles). He said a lot of the manufactured rods just place guides at set intervals, whether or not that will result in better curvature of the line. This bending and marking may be standard common knowledge for custom rods, which like I said, I know little about, but I found it to be interesting enough to stick in my head and figured I would pass it along. He also swore by Fuji Recoil guides.
What he said is true. A good custom rod builder will perform a static test on the rod to place the guides so the line follows the curve of the rod under stress as much as possible. The total process is a little long to describe here, but I am sure a Google search on static testing will get you information. You can also check out this site. Look under their instructions.
Custom Fishing Rod Building & Tackle Crafting Supply | mudhole.com