MickD

I could help with recommendations for building a rod, but not with factory rods. But a few things that I've learned might help select a rod: - Pretty light power so it loads with light lures - The longer the better to help with loading and casting distance - Moderate or Mod/Fast action. You want it slower than "fast" or "X-fast" so it loads over more of its length. Will help with casting distance with light lures. In spin rods, rods of this type are often called "walleye rods." A friend built a BFS from a 7 foot 2 spin "walleye" blank, called M-L power, but it was measured to be more like what most would call "light" power. It works well. I think since manufacturers describe their rods differently between spin and cast you want the lightest power casting rod you can find. Others may disagree, but this is my opinion. "What do you all throw on BFS setup? " My friend casts neds on pretty light jigs with his. Not sure of the exact weight.

https://www.rodbuilding.org/library/repair-oquinn.html this works, done it many times.

You can shout and go to the echo, too. To find shore.

If you like the Stradic you bought, buy a couple more. Spools will be interchangeable.

854C is 7 foot 1 in heavy power. It's a pretty stout blank, so if worried about balance you might go shorter, like 6 1/2. Or find one and try your reel on it. Balance has a lot to to with reel and length of the rod. I wouldn't pay that much for a rod without knowing for sure it fit my needs. In ALL aspects of needs.

I would not soak rods, especially factory rods. Some of them have cardboard shims between the cork and the blank, and that does not like water for extended periods. A friend was told to soak his rod after salt water, and after about a week of daily soaks the grip was loose on the rod. This was a big name, fairly high priced fly rod.

I persnally would not use epoxy, not that hard and easy to get too thick and heavy. You want the thinnest possible coat. I would use the blank finish material U40 Permagloss. It cures very fast , so one would want to have everything very well set up, a very fast brush of Permagloss, a very quick follow up with glitter, then see what you have. Might want a topcoat. But Permagloss will be a LOT thinner and lighter than epoxy. Glitter paint may also be good, thin, and easy.

That's pretty conclusive. that means that that model of Kistler rod is not using state of the art material. Good material, but not the highest modulus.

I missed this. Great point, most likely not frayed, most likely a reel problem. Try a different reel.

We can all speculate and try to find an answer, but only the OP'r can find it conclusively. 1. Buy some new, inexpensive, mono line. Put it on a different reel. 2. Cast in your back yard until you are either seeing the problem or confident that it is not occurring. 3. If it's occurring, then the problem is in the rod somewhere, most likely the tiptop. (you are making sure the line is going through the rings of the guides and not the gap in the guide frames? This is not an insult. I've done it, easy to do.) If it's the tiptop, then you are damaging them by striking them onto something. The Q-tip method of inspecting rings is not foolproof. I've had cracks that didn't hook the Q-tip fuzz. 4. If it's not occurring it's not the rod. 5. Go back to the original reel and inspect the line guide carefully. If OK, spool up some of the new line on that reel (making sure it's routed correctly as it leaves the spool) and cast in your back yard until you are either seeing the problem or confident that it is not occurring. 6. If step 4 is valid, then: If it's occurring, it's in the reel. 7. If it's not occurring then your original problem may have been some defective line or something in the lake as DVT suggested.

This does not prove it's a Rainshadow if it just said "RX7."

It's not the guides. As someone suggested go through the whole line path very carefully. Have you tried different reels and had same problem?

If you have the tip piece you can repair it and the CCS numbers will be basically what the rod was before repair. If you want to go to that trouble. If you measure it as is the action angle will come out just slightly lower than the unbroken rod was and the power slightly lower than the unbroken rod was. This procedure will result in a rod that fishes essentially the same as it did before getting broken: https://www.rodbuilding.org/library/repair-oquinn.html I have used graphite sleeves for their thinner wall thickness (than glass) and they work just fine.

Keep in mind that on-line is not reliable, and RS has made a bazzilion RX7 blanks. RS RX7 is generally "good stuff." What "measurements," CCS? thx

If all you know are the subjective descriptions, "MH", "Mod-Fast," for example, you may not have the match you think you are getting. Subjective descriptions are not even consistent within brands. You need to have CCS numbers to match action and power well. If the lure weight recommendation for the proposed blank matches your plans then you probably are not far off. I have built two Elite Pro 6 1/2 foot blanks into rods for my use. They are very nice. Their True Natural Frequencies are quite high indicating fast recovery from deflection and high moduli.

I almost invariably use more guides than the traditional rules of thumb, and usually one more than Fuji's software recommends (spin.) I almost always am casting farther than my boatmates, so I don't think it significantly costs distance. I do it to get a better looking stress test on spin and to keep the line from crossing the blank under stress with guide-on-top baitcasters with micros. The friction of the guide/line interface has to be very low except possibly for the first guide on spin. Out on the rod there is nothing loading the line against the guides on the cast.

It is a different situation with spin since a simple, quick stroke of the thumb doesn't release the line like it does on a baitcaster. I simply will not buy a spin reel without an AR switch.

Nice! I think Bushidos along with Rainshadow Revelation are "sweet spots" in blanks. Sweet spot meaning you can pay more but won't get much more for your money. It's where the return for your added money is no longer getting much added performance.

Yes, I was talking about hoods. The newer plastic hoods have a very thick section, so maybe they will hold up fine, but the older ones were proportioned like metal hoods, and often would break. Most plastics don't last forever, contrary to what some people think.

Cheap mono never gets gummy/messy. I just don't see electrical tape having a place here. But to each his own. thanks for the reply.

Doesn't it get gummy/messy?

Fuji states IPSSD requires BGS cork. https://anglersresource.net/product_categories/cork-eva-handles/ I've never used either, preferring a size 17 DPSSD mounted uplocking with a small ramp off the front that matches the diameter of the hood. I can use any cork I want, easily made from cork rings. I have a builder friend who likes the VSS, and I'll ask him about the differences.

When you cut from the butt the action will be slower, the power less. Have you considered the difference in jig weight between Saginaw River and Detroit River? I could be wrong, but I think the current speed is much higher in the Detroit River than Saginaw, and that would require heavier jigs and a more powerful rod. IMHO. Walleye jigging in a lake with 1/4 oz jigs and jigging in the Saginaw River with maybe 3/8 oz jigs and jigging in the Detroit River with 1 oz jigs are three different "walleye" techniques, in my opinion. And for optimum fishing, they require three different rods. Forget about "walleye" and consider the conditions and lures.

For crankbaits you do not need an expensive blank. Many anglers prefer a slower action, slower recovery speed, even glass instead of graphite, so the blanks can be very affordable and work just fine.

For seats it's just a matter of personal preference, although I would stick with the major brands, not some mystery thing from Ebay. I like metal hoods-sooner or later plastic seems to break. As for guides we seem to be in a trend that we have to have the most expensive guides/hottest whatever on the market. I have NEVER had a guide groove. Tip tops , yes. I use SIC tiptops to prevent this, but any of the current guides will work just fine with any line, including braid. Can normal people notice? On very light tipped finesse rods the difference between stainless steel and titanium can make a "feelable" difference, but if you keep the size down (like size 4.5 Fuji KB's and KT's for runners), the difference is so small that I doubt anyone will notice the difference. But if you go big on that type of rod the weight of the guides will affect the recovery speed and sensitivity to the point you will feel it.