The latest build thread...

[Mbirdsley]

so here are the parts for my jigging rod build.  top ssr match high gram spinning guide kit.  right delt handle from lure parts. Fuji DPSSD reel seat size 17.  for grip cork from piscari.  ProWrap Fusion Variegated black and grey i guess thread wrap and 1 rubber winding check. 

 

Im kinda disappointed in that cork grip from lure parts.  i’ve had it for a while looking for a shorter rod to build as it’s only a 7 inch grip.  i start sanding it down to size and holes just start appearing every where on it. i was able to fill most of the holes with pro-paste and than re-sanded the grip.  from now on im building my own handles from cork discs.  oh, i’ll be using a fuji fazalight tip top in polished steel color. 

 

i bought the forgrip from piscari. which, is the same color from the sj843 build.  i was going to use it on the last build untill i decided to use the vssm reel seat. so ill use it in this build. trying to keep things simple again with this build.  so nothing too blingy. 

 

i’ll use the reel seat as a up locking one. 

 

i’ve been eyeing those ssr match guides for a while.  i like the minimalist look.  

 

this should be a very nice looking a feeling walleye rod. 

[Mbirdsley]

best thing about working nights and a rotating schedule is on my off days i get time work on projects.  i have the handle completed on my jigging rod. 

 

to make this bass related. i think this will make a good small stream smallie rod also. something shorter i can take in my canoe. while, i float from spot to spot. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mbirdsley]

so i took the SJ 843 out vertical jigging for walleye today.  it worked very well.  i may be looking into building a MH 6’6 version for jigging the detroit river.

 

after playing with it today i’d say it’s more of an extra fast rod than fast rod which, is fine for what what i want it for. 

 

caught all my walleye and a couple smallies on it. 

 

i did put U2 epoxy on the cork.  which, in be been hesitant to put U2 on previous builds because , i thought it would change the cork feel.  It dosent. 

[KCFinesse]

9 hours ago, Mbirdsley said:

i did put U2 epoxy on the cork.  which, in be been hesitant to put U2 on previous builds because , i thought it would change the cork feel.  It dosent. 

 

 

I've been doing tru-oil on most of my builds. I think it looks good (darker/'richer' than u40), but it may make the grip a bit more firm (I generally prefer it).

 

I've been going through some Stryker blanks I've ordered this winter for personal rods with my latest being a ds703 built out with microwave guides.

 

Pro tip- glitter finishes are a lifesaver for anyone with a basement shop and a toddler upstairs 😁

 

-Jared

[MikeK]

Where do you get Tru Oil?  Stryker blanks are on sale right now.  What do you think of them?

[KCFinesse]

3 hours ago, MikeK said:

Where do you get Tru Oil?  Stryker blanks are on sale right now.  What do you think of them?

I've usually just got mine off Amazon or at one of the big outdoors shops dealing a lot of firearms.

 

I've done a handful of rods with Stryker-the blank speeds run on the somewhat more slow/moderate side to me. Ive fished a ds692 as my primary ned rod for the past year and have really liked it.

 

The customer service is unparalleled (between these guys and the folks at voodoo). They donated a blank to my bass clubs charity and they are an American made product. They aren't heavily geared towards bass, but I do like supporting them. 

 

-Jared

[Munkin]

On 3/16/2023 at 10:55 AM, Logan S said:

Got to fish a few times with all the rods I've built so far, very happy with all of them.  I think the Point Blank 7'MH/F is the most impressive of the group, it's an amazing jig rod...Power and action are perfect and the sensitivity, balance, and overall feel are the best I've ever used for how I fish a jig (lots of skipping and casting).  The Point Blank 7'ML/F is also impressive but I think it's just a little more powerful than I prefer for what I built it for originally, hence the 2 builds below which are slightly lighter in power.  I'll use the 7'ML/F for heavier shakeyheads and tubes.  

 

I finished two PB691MLXF spinning rods the other day.  Still learning with every build, my decal troubles are behind me I think ever since I started sealing the edges with color preserver before finish.  

 

 

I also snagged two NFC Delta Hybrid CB blanks, the 705 and 706, to try for squarebill, lipless, and chatterbaits since they were having one of their big sales...Hopefully they don't take forever to get here, I've heard NFC shipping is questionable at best.

 

Going to have to come down for some lessons! I love everything about those except I like uplocking instead of downlocking reel seats.

 

Allen

[MickD]

6 hours ago, Munkin said:

I like uplocking instead of downlocking reel seats.

Me too.  One can put a ramp off the front, same diameter as the seat hood, and it's all smooth and nice up there. 

[Mbirdsley]

my jigging rod is done.  it came out really nice.  it is a rainshadow rx6 722.  can’t wait to get it out walleye fishing.  

 

so i used crb ssr high framed match guides.  after using the fugi high framed guides on my mhx rod i can see why fuji guides are the gold standard.  I intended this to be a lighter and cheaper build so the ssr guides arnt a big deal.  the ssr’s work fine however, just the feel and more prep needed rather than the Fuji's makes a big difference. Any thing above a M/L i would definitely use the Fuji guides. UL, L, M/L i’d use the SSR’s. 

 

 

[Mbirdsley]

A new MHX mb854 in dark green metallic was just dropped off at my door along with components.  This will be a spinner bait and chatter bait rod with a 6:4:1 curado K reel.  however, what’s nice about the mb 843 blanks is that i can bring a extra higher gear reel and have another t-rig, punching, or carolina rod ready to go. 

 

im going to use a fugi sk2 reel seat with no for grip which, i bought a nylon winding check that wil fit in the barrel of the sk2 seat. Im using fugi alconite frosted grey guides. 

 

im thinking it will be a cork split grip with with green in the cork and vertical cactus on the handle edges. I’m going to do some sort of wrap in the split grip 

 

it will be done in my fraternity colors so dark green ( blank) and white (thread ) 

 

 

 

i also bought a crb thread in lay bobbin.  hope i get it done before my twins are born. 

[MikeK]

Congrats on the twins!

[Mbirdsley]

slow but steady progress.  i have the butt wrap done and the grip done.  quality is night and day difference between pre made handles and making your own from cork rings.  kinda a pain in the butt process  but, definitely worth it quality wise and price wise. 

 

 

the cork rings are from tackle zoom.  the darker one is called verticals cactus which, is very dense and has a lot of burl in it.  the lighter cork is green mixed with the usual colored cork.  i used the verticals cactus on the bottom of the fighting butt and on the ends of the split grips.  i’m hoping by using on the ends of the split grip that it will prevent the corners from getting wore down and chipped from use. 

[Chris Catignani]

10 hours ago, Mbirdsley said:

...i’m hoping by using on the ends of the split grip that it will prevent the corners from getting wore down and chipped from use. 

I like to do this on the butt end of a split grip (3 maybe 4 rings). Burl is heavier...but the extra weight on the end can help usually.

I will also use burl on the foregrip of say a crank bait rod or spinner bait rod. Rod where I will do so serious chuggin.

[wisconsin heat]

Finished my jerkbait topwater rod. 7’ M CRB blank trimmed down 2” to 6’10”. CRB LZR guides, handle from AliExpress. Tried a dragon scale in metallic black to keep with the blackout theme, but the black just doesn’t show through 🤷‍♂️. Maiden voyage was successful caught a monster largemouth and a bunch of stripers! On another note, I picked up a Piscifun Carbon XCS reel to put on and it was around $40 and I was pretty impressed on how it handled, it is also extremely lightweight and made fishing jerkbaits all day pretty comfortable! I’ll be picking up another one.

 

 

Just now, wisconsin heat said:

Finished my jerkbait topwater rod. 7’ M CRB blank trimmed down 2” to 6’10”. CRB LZR guides, handle from AliExpress. Tried a dragon scale in metallic black to keep with the blackout theme, but the black just doesn’t show through 🤷‍♂️. Maiden voyage was successful caught a monster largemouth and a bunch of stripers! On another note, I picked up a Piscifun Carbon XCS reel to put on and it was around $40 and I was pretty impressed on how it handled, it is also extremely lightweight and made fishing jerkbaits all day pretty comfortable! I’ll be picking up another one.

 

 

 

[Mbirdsley]

finally making some head way.  I messed around with epoxying the butt wrap and the wrap between the sk2 split grip for 2 weeks.  No matter what I did. I  kept getting fish eyes. At first i thought there was contamination on the blank. so i sanded the blank down and re-epoxy.  still was getting fish eyes, re-sand and than get fish eyes again etc etc.

 

 finally i narrowed it down to either old pro kote which, was 1 1/2 yrs old or I had contaminated the pro kote in the bottle some how.  So i bought some new pro kote and the wrap finish came out great finally !!!. from now on id i have guide epoxy over a year ill just throw it out. 

 

everything on the handle is expoxied up and drying right now 

 

ill start wrapping this weekend. 

 

 

[wisconsin heat]

Spinnerbait rod

 

 

[Mbirdsley]

2 hours ago, wisconsin heat said:

Spinnerbait rod

 

 

what blank did you use ? 

that is what the blank on the post above is going to be primarily for along, with chatter baits. 

[wisconsin heat]

On 5/26/2024 at 9:25 PM, Mbirdsley said:

what blank did you use ? 

that is what the blank on the post above is going to be primarily for along, with chatter baits. 

MHX MB843-MHX rod blank, was 7' MH, but chopped it down to 6'9". CRB LZR guide set. Going to be a spinnerbait rod to use from my kayak, shorter length should help with accurate casts.

[Mbirdsley]

3 hours ago, wisconsin heat said:

MHX MB843-MHX rod blank, was 7' MH, but chopped it down to 6'9". CRB LZR guide set. Going to be a spinnerbait rod to use from my kayak, shorter length should help with accurate casts.

nice. thats the same blank i’m using.  it will also be a spinner bait and chatter bait rod.  this is the second mb 843 that i’ve built.  the first one i use as a light jig/ t-rig rod. 

[wisconsin heat]

13 hours ago, Mbirdsley said:

nice. thats the same blank i’m using.  it will also be a spinner bait and chatter bait rod.  this is the second mb 843 that i’ve built.  the first one i use as a light jig/ t-rig rod. 

Small world! Took it out for its maiden voyage today, The rod seemed to work well, felt just about as expected casting a 1/2 oz spinnerbait and trailer, and a 5/8 oz football jig. I think 3/8-1/2 oz jigs and spinnerbaits will be just right in the zone. 

[Logan S]

I've been severely slacking on my own thread .  I've probably built 20 rods at least since the last time I posted, but just been so busy lately. I'll try to catch up a little.

 

Here is my literal latest build, an XRay SJ 732.

[wisconsin heat]

Fly rod

[Sota]

On 5/25/2024 at 12:02 AM, Mbirdsley said:

finally making some head way.  I messed around with epoxying the butt wrap and the wrap between the sk2 split grip for 2 weeks.  No matter what I did. I  kept getting fish eyes. At first i thought there was contamination on the blank. so i sanded the blank down and re-epoxy.  still was getting fish eyes, re-sand and than get fish eyes again etc etc.

 

 finally i narrowed it down to either old pro kote which, was 1 1/2 yrs old or I had contaminated the pro kote in the bottle some how.  So i bought some new pro kote and the wrap finish came out great finally !!!. from now on id i have guide epoxy over a year ill just throw it out. 

 

everything on the handle is expoxied up and drying right now 

 

ill start wrapping this weekend. 

 

 

That’s a nice looking rig. I like the dark cork with the light veining. 

[wisconsin heat]

More pics of the fly rod.

also finished a spinning rod. 7’ M on a CRB blank. Trying out the microwave guides and also trying out reversing the grip so that it is unlocking with the main grip above the reel as opposed to below it.

[Mbirdsley]

On 9/24/2024 at 8:01 PM, Sota said:

That’s a nice looking rig. I like the dark cork with the light veining. 

thanks.  its not done yet.  hopefully this winter i’ll get it finished up.  its basically done but, i had some epoxy do some weird stuff around the rod info sticker.  so i need to sand it down and apply more epoxy.  than its done. 

 

the wife and I had twins in june ( i also have a 7 year old) .  I’ve been bass fishing 1 time since june 24th. hopefully next spring i’ll get to try it out.