MickD

I never said the reel I was trying to use was a vintage reel. I have plenty of vintage reels, from my first free spool, a J. A. Coxe/Bronson narrow spool through a number of Pflueger Supremes, both narrow and wide, and on and on. But I don't think I could get any of them to cast anywhere near as well as the Calcutta and later reels. I may be crazy, but not a masochist. Tried even cranking one lately? The crank diameters are so small it's like using a toy instead of a tool. It appears that many others have trouble with FC on baitcasters, like I do. I'll give the monos recommended a try; I'm pretty confident I can make it cast satisfactorily. You all have mentioned some brands that I've not even heard of, and it is good to use a new line that comes with positive recommendations. I'll give the line conditioners a try also. I expect things will get better when I get the rod on the water, out of 30 degrees F, and the line wet. I put the reel on a new rod I just finished and had to give it a try in the yard. thanks again.

Thanks for the responses, everyone. Sounds like the consensus is with a good grade of mono, which was what I suspected you would say. Not familiar with Sunline, and many mentioned it. Worth a try. The reel is a Calcutta 100 that was rebuilt by the late David Green into a 150, ( the reel was butchered by another reel repair/tuner and had to be rebuilt into a 150 because no 100 spools could be found) and it is now really fast and I cannot get it to work well with any flouro I've tried. I'd like to use it on spinnerbiats because I tend to overcrank them, and it has a 5.4 ratio, if I remember correctly. It is not that I'm new on baitcasters; I've used them for many many years, ( I do have a workable thumb) and I've had good luck with monos in the 12-17 range and braid of about 30. I've been trying to make flouro work on this reel because of its lower stretch, but think I'll have to go the mono route.

I'm trying to make an old (sentimental) baitcasting reel work for spinnerbaits and am having trouble with backlashes. What do you consider the best line and pound test for the best chance of casting without backlashes? For bass, so probably above 10 pound test. I used to use a high quality 30 pound braid and it worked well, but I'm trying to avoid knots going through the guides so would like a mono or flouro if I can make it work. thanks,

I forgot to mention that all flouros are not created equal, and some are so stiff they are real pains in the butt. And I have trouble making them work at all. Even 8 pound flouro can be a problem. The most forgiving line for a spinning reel is braid. I use a lot of braid with flouro leaders (doesn't matter how stiff the 3-4 foot leader is) joined with double uni knots. If you want a really sweet casting setup try 10 pound Power Pro with a 15 pound flouro leader. If you are not a braid user you need to know you don't want to break off snags by wrapping the line around your hand and pulling. You can get cut that way. Point the rod directly at the snag, lock the spool with your hand, and then pull. No cut hands, no broken rods.

I have always been taught to have the line loop off the stationary spool in the opposite direction as the line goes onto the reel. Meaning if the reel rotor is going clockwise looking at the front of the reel the line should loop off the line spool counterclockwise looking at the spool face. However, I do remember that some of my Shimanos recommend spooling up off a rotating spool. It was described in the owner's manual that came with the reel. Check out your instruction manual. Also, when adding line to the reel, do it while tensioning it a bit while cranking it on. You don't want it really tight, but you also don't want it loose.

My son's best fishing buddy used to kid that Vanish is called Vanish because it causes all your fish to vanish. Seriously, though, I will not use it. With all other flouros I've tried the improved clinch knot works fine if you 1. lick it, 2. carefully help the knot slide tight by "sliding" it with your fingernail while tightening the line, and 3. when it's all tightened up, really give it a strong, but slow pull to "set" the flouro (make sure it's still wet). Flouro tends to take a "set", which I mean it will not recover from being tightly bent, so if you pull the knot very tightly it will set and not slip. If you're still having trouble with it, put a couple more wraps on it. I think I use about 6 turns.

When I first posted the pics I couldn't get them to size up to the point that they offered a good view. No problem today, so I need no tips. thanks for the coment on thread work. The pearl metallic lost a little gleam with the "no CP" treatment. It might look better with silver metallic, but maybe not. Next time I'll test both.

I certainly don't have the size thing down yet. Any tips?

trying to send photos, missed last try.

I just built an Eternity 2 4 piece 9 wt fly rod, and I am impressed. Lighter than the RX8 8 wt in spite of using the Alps alum reel seat. The Alps titainium two foot guides are very well finished, look great, match the reel seat well. CCS data shows it's a little faster than the RX8 (70 vs 67 AA). Both are on the high side of their wt class for power. Dark blue thread without CP looks great, same color "tone" but darker than the blank. Pearl metallic trim.

I have made tons of peel and stick decals using Paint Shot Pro graphics program and ink jet printers. I like the waterproof vinyl media from papillio the best, easy to handle, takes detail well. One warning, if you use inkjet printers do not use refilled ink cartridges. You have no way on knowing the quality of the ink and you may encounter very fast deterioration of the color quality in the sun. 1. Design it. 2. print it- let it dry a few hours. 3. Spray it with fixative, papillio has one that is excellent, but if you buy from the paint store get a fast drying that says it offers UV protection. Let it dry a few hours. 4. Measure the blank circumference and cut the decal to fit that dimension. A little overlap is not a problem since the media is so thin the overlap gets hidden by the wrapping epoxy. 5. If the background of the decal is dark, darken the edge of the decal with a sharpie to prevent a thin white line from showing. 6. Install it. Position it carefully and install on the blank, the center first, then work it down from the center to the edges. 7. Take a hard smooth tool, like the winding buffing tool, and with a protective sheet over the decal (the backing works well) give it a good, firm rub down to force the adhesive into intimate contact with the blank. 8. Put a little color preservative along the edges to help seal the edge from the epoxy and prevent lifting. You need not put it over the rest of the decal as the fixative protects that. 9. I design my wraps and decals so that I wrap over the ends of the decals. You may have to play with your printer settings to get the color/quality you want. I don't recommend trying to match the blank color-it's almost impossible. Better to choose a contrasting color that doesn't rquire exact matches. Follow the instructions of the media supplier. Papillio offers a clear decal media, and I have used it with success. It doesn't have the shelf life of the white, though, so I don't trust it unless I use it soon after purchase. It tends to separate from the backing in storage. If you plan on using the same decal design multiple times, like a standard logo, I would recommend Decal Connection. They are great to work with, can do any color, even metallics, and you don't have to worry about fading.

Except for trolling rods and really heavy duty rods, like salt vertical jigging rods, I've never found a detectable advantage for spiral wrap for any fishing action. And they look goofy. I know, pile on, guys; sacrilege for sure. Regarding spiral micros, with micros so close to the axis of the rod even the supposed torque advantage is minimized. The recipe for the simple spiral is to place all guides in the same position as you would any casting setup, with the second guide from the butt at 180. Halfway between the first and second guide put a very low guide at 90.

there is no reason to epoxy them together. Nothing will be gained. You'.. lose the flexibility of easy travel.

There is a little more to it than preference. Ergonomically, the 17 or 18 are better for most hand sizes, but each adds about half an ounce of mass relative to the next smaller size. I use 17's on all freshwater spin rods exc the ultralights. About 8 hours in, you'll appreciate the difference. For all but the ultralights, unless you're building a really heavy power rod, I recommend the 17.

If you have a good builder remove and replace guides it will cost nearly as much as a new build. I suggest keeping the old rod for when you want to use a setup that requires knots to go through the guides. The new rod could be a blank optimized for a different technique than your current rod and you would have two different rods for two different techniques. It really does help to have technique-specific rods. Drop shotting and cranks need different actions, for example. Also, it is not a given that the optimum spacing of the guides will be the same for the different types of guides. I think rebuilding compromises too much for little savings. Finally, you just cannot have too many rods. It is impossible.

Very hard to beat the American Tackle Bushido blanks for the money. Excellent blanks, as many of the others recommended are.

Lots of great advice! One thing I missed was an answer to your question about a torch for getting rid of bubbles. It is very easy to overheat epoxy and damage both its physical properties (strength/elasticity/etc) and excessive heat can cause it to harden in ripples which are hard to fix. I do not use heat after mixing the epoxy. I put the bottles of epoxy in hot water for a minute or two until they feel warm, not hot. Then mix the epoxy (http://www.flexcoat.com/learning-center/using-flex-coat-finish/measuring-and-mixing-flex-coat/). Flex coat has a lot of other on-line instructions, too. Many videos. I then tap the container onto a table to help bubbles rise, then gently blow on the surface of the epoxy. After a minute or so, there will be no bubbles. After you apply it you may find a few, just gently blow on the epoxy to burst them. Keep in mind that your work area must be very clean to prevent dust particles which will not burst and may be blown onto the epoxy if you are not careful.

there really is no option, the guide needs to be removed and replaced. Best bet is to get a good builder to do it, won't be that expensive. If you want to do it yourself, Go to Mudhole.com and look at their instructions on how to wrap a guide. They also have tremendous variety of guides so you should be able to match it well. Measure the outer diameter and call Mudhole; their customer service people are very good, describe what you're trying to accomplish, and follow their suggestions. Keep in mind that size and finish are the important issues; micros are so small that other differences won't be noticed. You can cut notches into the ends of a corragated box to guide the rod while rotating it, and you can tension the thread by running it through the pages of a heavy, closed book. When you take the guide off be careful not to cut into the blank, just try to get the wrapping epoxy and thread off. When you finish the new wrap, it is better to use two or three thin coats in order to prevent sagging-you most likely don't have a setup for rotating the rod while the epoxy is curing. If you buy the Pro Kote from Mudhole, it will take over a day to fully cure. I suggest for a beginner that you use Flex Coat as it cures much faster. You need to measure the two parts of the epoxy very carefully to get very close to a 50/50 mix. Builders use syringes (one for each compoonent). Since it is an inexpensive rod, you may not want to do all this, but don't throw it away. Builders like rods like this to use for rod repairing; they use the blank to build sleeves for repair. Or, take the guide off and use it as is as a starter rod for kids. It might work just fine.

Check out books by Tom Kirkman, the forum Rodbuilding.org, and Rodmaker Magazine. It is my opinion that one underestimated dimension is the distance between the reel and the butt of the spinning rod. Too long and the rod hangs up on clothing with tip-up techniques. I once took 1 1/2 inches off the butt of a $160 blank because of this error. Balance is so unimportant compared with ergonomics, and you really can do nothing more than use the lightest guides to affect it. If you really try to balance most rods you will screw up the ergonomics. Adding weight to the butt with balancing devices, in my opinion, is counterproductive. But one of the reasons for building your own is to get things the way you want them, so go for whatever you want. I suggest you test cast every rod with the reel seat taped in position and the guides taped on. You can then decide without committing what you want to do. I also suggest you visit the Fuji Anglers Resource site for a lot of good design info. It obviously is slanted toward Fuji, but it is still good info. Keep in mind also that braid line makes almost any rod cast very well. You can go smaller on guides with braid than with mono or flouro. (that will help balance and sensitivity).

getbitoutdoors.com

I think there may be some misunderstanding about terms for "popping action." First, drop shot blanks are almost invariably fast or extra fast action. This means that the blank bends mostly in the top 1/4 or less and they tend to feel more sensitive.. "Popping rods" were designed for inshore popping cork fishing, and are generally moderate or moderate-fast action. Which means the bend goes well down the blank. They are more suitable for crankbait fishing in freshwater as the slower action doesn't tear the hooks out of a fish's mouth as faster actions will. If you watch the pros in action with crankbaits you'll notice the rod bending way down toward the butt. That is a crankbait action. Popping rods actions are similar, but probably a little faster. Don't get confused by another similar term, "hot n tot" action, which is a blank with a very stiff butt and a soft tip, which by definition will be a very fast action. Before you invest in an expensive blank, be sure you know what you're getting. As mentioned before, the kind of fishing you are going to do should influence the speed of the action, regardless of the length. Longer rods will generally cast farther, but may be too long for "tip down" fishing, like retrieving jerk baits. For me, it goes like this: drop shot: extra fast action tubes/worms/jigging/soft jerk minnows: fast action with fleurocarbon or braid with fleuro leader. crankbaits: crankbait or popping rod action with fleurocarbon or braid (with fleuro leader) Fleuro sinks so is good for cranks and is a little more sensitive than mono. surface: crankbait rod action (moderate, not fast or moderate-fast) with mono (floats, better action on the surface lures)

Microwave is a good system, glad your rod pleases you. There is a misconception re the issue of Microwave vs SIC. SIC is a top quality ring material available in a number of geometries. I think what is referred to in the beginning of Microwave vs SIC really means Microwave vs. "Fuji KLH SYSTEM". Both systems work on the same principal, which is reducing the friction of the line going through the guides quickly, with few reduction guides, which are usually smaller and TALLER than we have used in the past. You can do Micowave with two different ring hardnesses and two different finishes, and you can do KLH with two different ring hardnesses and I believe 3 different finishes. But it is the geometry of the system that is significant. Advantages of Microwave? Simple to set up, no options, just buy the guides and space them per the Amtac recipe. Advantages of KLH? More options on finish and setup. You can design the guide system with the first two or three guides Fuji KLH, then use other guide sizes and even other manufacturer's guides to the end of the rod. For example, I have built a steelhead rod with KLH titanium guides for the first three, then dBlue titanium micros to the end, and they all match just fine. To understand the KLH system go to Fuji's website http://anglersresource.net/

Finding a shop for this is probably harder than just doing it yourself. 1. Measure the diameter of the tip of the blank, as has been suggested. If you don't have calipers or micrometer, ask one of your "shoppy" friends; they will help. Convert to 64'ths of an inch. The tiptop you will order will be the next highest 64th conversion above what you measured. 2. Assume, like has been suggested, that the diameter of the ring is a 6 mm. It won't be far off, and this is the ring diameter that you will order. 3. Look at the tiptop that broke off. Is it a. silver or b. titanium (a little darker than silver) or c. black. One of these is the finish you want. 4. Call Jann's netcraft with this info and buy from them a tiptop with these specs. The ring material will be up to you; I would go with the hardest you want to afford, talk to Jann's about this. Also order some hot melt cement from them. 5. When you get the part in hand, heat the hot melt and smear it onto the blank and try to get slivers of it into the barrel of the tiptop. Heat the tiptop with a match only until the hot melt moves easily and slide the tiptop onto the blank, aligning it with the other guides. 6. Not rocket science, don't get intimidated, you can do it.

Those are some pretty nice rods you are considering taking apart. Keep in mind that right now they are good looking rods that work well, and what you may end up with is a bunch of rods that may not look good and not even work any better. I would not consider taking the guides off to make rebuilding the handle/grip area easier. Tell a custom builder you want that done and you might as well just sell them and start over with new factory rods or custom rods made just the way you want them. They must be casting rods, right? Because with spinning rods your hands are on mostly the reel seat and not on any grip exc the butt grip when casting with two hands. (And maybe the foregrip when jigging). On casting rods most people use the grip for casting but retrieve palming the reel, which makes the EVA a pretty good grip. What is the reason for your wanting to switch EVA out for cork? Knowing that might help us figure the best way to skin the cat.

No, don't get into rodmaking for one rod. There are so many very good rods available at BPS and Cabelas, just go as high as you can on price. Every one of their higher priced options are better. But you can get an excellent rod for about $100, and there is no justification in making your own unless you plan on a long term hobby. In fact, it will take you probably 5 rods to get to where you can match the BPS and Cabelas rods' quality and workmanship. Maybe more.