A Question For The Rod Builders

[llPa1nll]

So I have 2 older 7foot bass rods one is a generic spinning blank it has a Tennessee cork handle. The other is a 7ft Allstar spinning rod, on the Allstar rod one of the ceramic discs inside the line guide has popped off and gone MIA. Any hope to repair the rod? The generic rod like I said has a Tennessee cork handle, any chance that I could take that off and slap another handle with a longer butt on the end of it, it is woefully out of balance and creates some severe arm fatigue when using it.

[MickD]

Since you even ask about repairing the rod with the guide issue, I assume you're new to building, so assume you don't have a lot of building tools. If you are asking if the ring can be replaced, no. But the guide can be replaced. Go to a source like Mudhole.com and look for the closest guide you can find to the one that is damaged. You can find the right size by measuring the inner diameter of the guide frame where the old ring was mounted. That will be the nominal size of the guide to be replaced. Buy the guide, a spool of thread closest to the color on your rod, color preservative, and epoxy winding finish. The Mudhole site will have basic winding instructions. You can tension the thread by running it through the pages of a book. (or, if you have a buddy who builds rods, he can probably do it for you).

Regarding the "generic" rod-the reason it is so out of balance is probably because it has a pretty heavy blank and/or guides. I doubt it is worth rebuilding, but you can simulate what you will have for balance by taping weights on the butt and then using the rod. Installing a grip is usually done from the tip end of the rod so that the taper of the blank can be matched in the reaming of the grip. Going on from the back means that the front of the grip will have to be the butt diameter of the rod. When glued on, it will not be as strong as it would be if you were matching diameters closer. A way to do it well would be to buy a pipe type spinning reel seat and trim rings for each end (to finish off the seat to the blank nicely)and build it without a foregrip (not needed anyway on most rods). For the butt, buy a pre-built 2 or 1 1/2 inch butt grip and bore it to fit the butt of the rod. You will now have a split grip rod which will balance as well as can be done for your rod. Mudhole site also has instructions on installing reel seats.

To take off the original handle will require you to take all the cork off. Since it sounds like a cheap rod, that may not be too difficult. A sharp knife used carefully followed by sandpaper, then possibly paint to provide a new finish where the grip used to be.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

One of the advantages of a Tennessee handle is that you can position the reel anywhere along the handle to help balance it. Lighter guides and/or a balancing weight in the butt may be a better option if needed.

[MickD]

If that "generic" rod is glass, then I would just put it on the wall of the garage. There are so many really nice graphite rods available for very low prices, especially if you shop the end of the year sales, that it is not worth trying to save a rod that has no chance of being a decent rod for most fishing. Compared to what is available today.