My new rod!

[Bluebasser86]

Recently asked @ghot to build a new rod for me. It was a trout, crappie, and light bait spinning rod for bass. Took some work to find the blank that would work, but eventually settled on a Rainshadow Immortal 7' UL that Gary cut down to around 6' 8" which made it more like a L/ML. I had foam fore grips and Winn butt grip. Gary suggested the Microwave guides, which I had no experience with, but they came highly suggested by him so that's what I had put on it. I received the rod from Gary 2 days ago, man it feels and looks great! It balanced very nicely with the size 25 Supreme XT I put on it as well. I already caught several fish on it. I've taken my son fishing at his request the last 3 days in a row. I let him catch some fish on it today and he approved!

 

[Hogsticker]

Nice build. Looks really good. Just curious, how did cutting 4" off the blank make it more powerful? It's an ultra light and now it fishes more like a light / ml? It's always been my ex cutting a blank from the rear makes it less powerful. 4" usually doesn't transform the blank too much, but I'm curious being it was an ultra light. Did he cut it from the tip? Thanks 

[Bluebasser86]

8 minutes ago, Hogsticker said:

Nice build. Looks really good. Just curious, how did cutting 4" off the blank make it more powerful? It's an ultra light and now it fishes more like a light / ml? It's always been my ex cutting a blank from the rear makes it less powerful. 4" usually doesn't transform the blank too much, but I'm curious being it was an ultra light. Did he cut it from the tip? Thanks 

I believe it was cut off the butt section. I'm not sure what the actual rating would be considered, or what their UL feels like, but to me it feels like a light action now. I have been fishing a 65 pointer and a #10 Husky Jerk and it fishes both great. 

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

Looks good. Trimming a blank from either end slows the action slightly. Trimming from the tip raises the low end of the lure weight range. I'd expect trimming from the butt to decrease deadlift capacity to some extent. The only way to quantify is to run CCS tests. Suffice it to say if it works it works call it UL, ML etc. 

[MickD]

You will not find better epoxy work than that rod-it is perfect.  I like the up-locking Aero seat.

[Sam]

May you have many years of good fishing with the rod and then may your son inherit it and have more good years with the rod.

 

Please keep us posted on using micro-guides on a spinning rod and how they perform.

 

Thanks.

[jbw252]

Best of luck with the new rod.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

4 hours ago, MickD said:

You will not find better epoxy work than that rod-it is perfect.  I like the up-locking Aero seat.

Yes and that's arguably the hardest step to master. 

[Iluvsmallies]

Loooks awesome!

[J._Bricker]

Beautiful rod Blue, something I'm sure your boys are gonna look forward to calling it their own one day. JB

[.ghoti.]

Thanks for the kind words, gents.

 

I only have one question. Blue asked me to wrap it to match his Supreme XT. No problem, says I. Since I'm color blind, that is sort of a problem, don't you think? I took my XT to Anglers Workshop and had the guys there pick out the thread.

 

How did they do, Clayton? It looked OK to me, but what do I know?

 

So, is it an ultra light, or a light, or even a ML? Beats me. I consider the designations basically meaningless. Batson calls that blank a UL, mod-fast. It's a mod-fast in my opinion. Feels a bit closer to light than UL to me, but again, that's my opinion, and you know what they say about opinions.

 

I do know cutting four inches off the butt did not change it in any manner detectable by hand. Technically, after removing four inches from the butt, it is slower and has a little less lifting power. Well, you can't prove it by me. I could not tell the difference.

 

I Clayton thinks it's a L/ML, I'm not gonna argue with his conclusion. We all have our own criteria we use to apply these designation, and we all can't be right, which means we all can't be wrong. You decide for yourself.

 

Besides, the dude is bigger than me, and he carries a sidearm. I ain't arguing with him.

 

Bottom lines is, if he likes it for what he's using it for, it's the right rod for the job.

[Hogsticker]

Nice build. Looks really good. Just curious, how did cutting 4" off the blank make it more powerful? It's an ultra light and now it fishes more like a light / ml? It's always been my ex cutting a blank from the rear makes it less powerful. 4" usually doesn't transform the blank too much, but I'm curious being it was an ultra light. Did he cut it from the tip? Thanks 

Yes, we can call it whatever we like, a the right rod f the job is the right rod. Nor was in any way trying to be argumentative. Simply trying to determine how he drew his conclusion. 

[.ghoti.]

Like I said, I could tell no difference in the blank, before, or after, the cut. Blue did not feel it before the cut. His perception is simply his perception. I can say this is not your typical, whippy, noodle bending, ultra light rod. it is very crisp in response. That could be why, in his hands, it feels like heavier power rod than it's rating.

 

Hogs, didn't take your question as argumentative. It's a valid question. Here's a thought. I think most people's experience with ultra light rods, mine included, is a 14.95 wally world stick, like a shakespeare, or zebco combo; and not with a premium graphite, high quality stick like this one. It's a night and day difference. A new feel, if you will.

[Bluebasser86]

Yeah, it definitely doesn't fit into the criteria of what I consider an UL. After getting to fish it some more, I'd classify it as a light. It fishes the baits I intended it for perfectly. 

[crypt]

that is a work of art.....beautiful job.

 

[TX-Deluxe]

One day I'll have a rod that has my name on it

[Damn Yankee]

58 minutes ago, TX-Deluxe said:

One day I'll have a rod that has my name on it

Grab a sharpie and get to it!