1st Custom Rod???

[BIGfryFish]

I'm looking to try my hand at building a custom rod for casting & spinning reels.    Where would I mount the line guides?  On or below the spine?

 

Would a two-piece rod work for me, or should I go with a single piece?  What kit(s) (Netcraft / Mudhole, etc) should I look at?  

 

Ideally I'm looking to build a 7'6" to 8'6" two-piece rod.   For my first kit I'd prefer to stay under $250.00

 

Thx,

 

 

 

 

 

[Steveo-1969]

I don't build custom rods and was just poking around in here when I saw this thread.

 

Question - are you looking to build just ONE rod that could be used with a casting reel OR a spinning reel?  If that's the case I don't think you could find guide sizes/placements that would work well for both......

[MickD]

The spine is of no significance.  Most builders are building on the straightest orientation of the blank.  You have bigger issues.  Not sure I understand the casting and spinning, two different builds?  The only way to have a single rod that works with both reels is to have the blank, with a male ferrule, mate with a handle/grip with a female ferrule, and rotate depending on the reel.  Not ideal, and difficult to get the compatible right parts, and no trigger for the casting setup.

 

Could use clarification.

[spoonplugger1]

How heavy of line are you using?

[BIGfryFish]

10 hours ago, Steveo-1969 said:

I don't build custom rods and was just poking around in here when I saw this thread.

 

Question - are you looking to build just ONE rod that could be used with a casting reel OR a spinning reel?  If that's the case I don't think you could find guide sizes/placements that would work well for both......

I'm looking to build "one" rod that could be used for either a casting reel OR a spinning reel.

6 hours ago, MickD said:

The spine is of no significance.  Most builders are building on the straightest orientation of the blank.  You have bigger issues.  Not sure I understand the casting and spinning, two different builds?  The only way to have a single rod that works with both reels is to have the blank, with a male ferrule, mate with a handle/grip with a female ferrule, and rotate depending on the reel.  Not ideal, and difficult to get the compatible right parts, and no trigger for the casting setup.

 

Could use clarification.

So the spine is not really "too" important.   The guides just need to be as straight as possible.

 

One rod that is capable of using either casting reel OR a spinning reels.   The trigger for the casting reel isn't really important to me.

 

12-15 lb line

 

Maybe I worded my intentions wrong.    I would like to build a "spinning" rod that can use either casting reels OR a spinning reels.   There wouldn't be a trigger on the rod handle.   Depending on the reel used, guides will be fished up or down.

 

Are their any specific kits I should look at?  

 

 

________________________________________________

 

 

 

 

After watching videos at Mudhole I got interested in personal thread designs.

Is there a good place/program/book I can check to learn how to design my own?

 

I'm talking about the method used in this video.

http://www.mudhole.com/The-Video-Archives

The Fundamentals of Weaving with Cam Clark

 

 

 

 

 

 

[spoonplugger1]

Try this to give us an idea of how far away from a perfect spinning layout we need to go. Put your spinning reel on one of your casting rods and go cast it, you'll be surprised how well it works, and it will give us an idea of how far we need to go. As you know turning a spinning rod over and installing a casting reel will work, but the high guides on top feel funny to say the least.

[BIGfryFish]

Well I have a couple Shakespeare Ugly Stik GX2 Spinning Rods that I use with both kinds of reels with no problem.

I never noticed any problems.  

 

I'm looking to build an general rod.   Something good for bass, trout, crappie, catfish, etc.     

[MickD]

Spoonplugger makes a good point.  If you limit yourself to braid less than about 15 pound test for the spin reel, then most any guide setup would work to some degree.  I presume you are talking about one set of guides on the blank that will work down for  spin and up for cast, and in that case I would use two Fuji 

KL guides starting with  16, then 12, a KB 6, then whatever size you want to the tip, in KB's and KT's.  Your cast outfit could use whatever line you want.  Test cast both ways to find the right spot for that first KL 16.

 

Why KL's?  They are lower than Y type spin guides so should work better when baitcasting 

than higher spin guides, but should still handle the braid if below about 15 when spinning.  I doubt if you'll find a kit that meets your requirements, but this setup might.  Use a smaller spin reel, like a 2500 size.

 

Fuji's new cc frames with Fazlite rings are quite affordable.

Forgot to mention, if that 16 first guide seems too small, Fuji makes a 20 KL.  Then I'd go 20-12-6 for the first three.  But it will look pretty big when on top.  But many casting rods used to use pretty big first guides.

[BIGfryFish]

I would like a two-piece rod.   What kit(s) (Netcraft / Mudhole, etc) should I look at?  

 

Ideally I'm looking to build a 7'6" to 8'6" two-piece rod.   For my first kit I'd prefer to stay under $250.00

 

 

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

Just curious; what's the advantage of fishing a spinning rod upside down with a casting reel? The power and action of the rod don't change. Why not build a casting rod to compliment your spinning setup ?  

[BIGfryFish]

14 hours ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

Just curious; what's the advantage of fishing a spinning rod upside down with a casting reel?

Nothing, just personal preference.   I don't like the trigger rods as much.    So a rod that can be used with both would be nice. 

 

After some searching I narrowed down to these possible choices.

 

http://www.mudhole.com/CRB-2-Piece-Freshwater-Turnkey-Rod-Kits

http://www.mudhole.com/MHX-Light-Freshwater-Turnkey-Rod-Kits

http://www.mudhole.com/Ultimate-eZ-Rod-Builder-Hand-Wrapper-Supply-Kit

http://www.mudhole.com/eZ-Rod-Builder-Hand-Wrapper-Supply-Kit

http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/netcraft-fiberglass-spinning-rod-kits/netcraft-fiberglass-spinning-rod-building-kit-8-foot-light.aspx

 

Which of these would be a good first time builder set?   I'm looking for something that has all or most of the basic items needed to get started.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[grub_man]

As a first time rod builder, you are asking a lot of a first build.

 

A rod blank is a rod blank, and it doesn't care what kind of reel you put on it.  However, the guide train design for casting and spinning rods are drastically different.

 

As a first time rod builder, you should be focusing on learning the fundamentals, and how to properly set up and/or choose a guide train for either a spinning or casting rod.  Once you get that under your belt, then determining the tradeoffs for your particular multipurpose setup will become easier to wrap your head around.

 

What size spinning reel are you planning on using?  Also, when it comes to casting reel, I assume that you are talking a baitcasting reel, but are you using a low profile casting reel, round level wind reel, or a conventional reel without a level wind?

 

However, since you really want to go this route, I would recommend an oversized casting guide train.  Start with a double foot casting guide with either a 16mm or 20mm ring (2500 or larger spinning reel, go with the 20mm guide) in one of the taller frame styles.  Start with it at 24" from the face of your spinning reel (You will need to do some test casting to find the best location).  Follow it up with a 8mm or 10mm guide in the same frame style.  Then go with 6mm single foot fly guides to the tip of the rod.  You will likely want a total of 8 - 10 guides plus a tip top.

 

After you mount your reel seat and tip top, tape the largest guide to the blank at the prescribed location. (Personally, I like to use small wire ties rather than tape).  Tie a string to the tip top and hang weight from it to load the blank so that the rod loads from the tip.  Next run line from the reel through all of your guides and begin taping them in place so that the line path matches the curvature of the blank pretty well.

 

Once the guides are taped in place, it is time for test casting.  Make a few casts, look for line slap on the rod blank between the reel and the first guide.  On this build, you will likely want the guide closest to the reel as far away as you can get it without line slap.  After a few casts move it around one way or the other and see if your casting distance improves.  If so, keep experimenting until you get the best distance you can.  Next, you can try moving around the second guide a bit to see if anything changes.  If not, go back and load the rod again, to check the layout, tweak guide locations for the line path.  Then give it one last round of test casting to be sure things are still good to go.

 

Next put your casting reel on to see if it performs adequately.  Again, make adjustments if necessary, and try the spinning reel again just to be sure.  At this point it will be about finding the layout that works okay for each reel, but probably not optimal for one or the other.

 

All of the kits you are looking at should get the job done, but I would certainly swap out the two guides closest to the reel as outlined above.

 

Joe

 

 

[BIGfryFish]

1 hour ago, grub_man said:

As a first time rod builder, you are asking a lot of a first build.

 

What size spinning reel are you planning on using?  Also, when it comes to casting reel, I assume that you are talking a baitcasting reel, but are you using a low profile casting reel, round level wind reel, or a conventional reel without a level wind?

 

However, since you really want to go this route, I would recommend an oversized casting guide train.  Start with a double foot casting guide with either a 16mm or 20mm ring (2500 or larger spinning reel, go with the 20mm guide) in one of the taller frame styles.  Start with it at 24" from the face of your spinning reel (You will need to do some test casting to find the best location).  Follow it up with a 8mm or 10mm guide in the same frame style.  Then go with 6mm single foot fly guides to the tip of the rod.  You will likely want a total of 8 - 10 guides plus a tip top.

 

All of the kits you are looking at should get the job done, but I would certainly swap out the two guides closest to the reel as outlined above.

 

 

I'm not expecting to build the perfect rod for both kinds of reels.    Just a rod that can use a spinning or low profile casting reel adequately.   This rod would use Freshwater reels for bass/trout/catfish.

 

The guide closest to the reel is the issue.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[grub_man]

Good.  Then try to use the smallest spinning reel you can get away with for the line diameter and type you plan to fish, and the rest of the advice I gave you around guide sizing an placement should get you in the right ball park.