Rod blanks

[ratnest]

Looking for info on who everyone likes for purchasing Rod Blanks or kits for making custom rods.

I am not looking for high end (price) blanks, but a good product. I fish mainly trout. Looking for a 6 to 7 foot rod, in a ML  fast action. Prefer a 2 piece for easy transport, but it is not a requirement.

Thanks in advance.

[Downriggerer]

I use Mudhole or Get Bit Outdoors for most of the rod blanks I want. They have some selection for trout rods, but it is minimal and a lot of them are 1 piece. Not a lot of trout in Florida.

Lamiglas also has some decent blanks, though they are a little higher on the price scale.

[SkunkedAgain]

I've used Mudhole as well, I've just built ice rods, but i really like the characteristics of the blanks I've gotten from them... One rod is glass and so sensitive even the light biting Newton perch can't disguise their pecks... Another one is a heavier glass rod I did for my Jaw jackers and it is excellent for that purpose, it sets the hooks well and deals with the stiff bend the jacker puts into it... I also have some really nice graphite rods as well, I've been happy with all of them so far... (However, all of my rods are 26" to 32" so i can't speak for the longer rods..) Later J

[PAC12_AfterDark]

2nd for mudhole. I have never had an issue with them.

[ratnest]

As a first time builder, would your recommendations be to buy a kit, or select parts individually, or does it not really mater?

[meancuznalfy]

I've used the mudhole, like the MHX blanks, not too expensive. I did a ML 7' rod this summer, worked well, and the kit was only $70, pretty reasonable I think.

[Downriggerer]

As a first time builder, would your recommendations be to buy a kit, or select parts individually, or does it not really mater?

That all depends on you and what you want to have at the end.  The kits are usually pretty budget and the rod you end up with at the end is serviceable.  

If you select the parts you want, the rod is exactly what you want and exactly the performance you are looking for.

If I was building a trout rod for throwing spinners, I'd build it differently from a rod I was going to use to chuck power bait.  You don't get those options with kits.  

I got in to rod building almost 15 years ago because I couldn't find a rod I liked for kokanee.  No one made one that had the performance I was looking for, partly because most kokanee fisheries aren't like Flaming Gorge.  A fly rod blank won't lift a 5 pounder at 80 feet.  And a stiff/faster rod yanks the fish's jaw off.  The Jared Johnson Lamiglas blank was close, but it wasn't built well for a production run.

I started from scratch and designed the kokanee rods I use today to both lift a 5 pounder from 8 feet but that also has the slow action I need to not rip lips.  My catch rate increased drastically, became more fun, and each adventure was much more satisfying knowing that I had cracked the code on getting kokanee to the boat.

Sometimes you just have to build your own to get what you want.  But, it's a lot harder to get right than working from a kit.

---

I've used the mudhole, like the MHX blanks, not too expensive. I did a ML 7' rod this summer, worked well, and the kit was only $70, pretty reasonable I think.

My only complaint with the MHX blanks are that Mudhole buys them for $1 in China and then sells them here for 50x that.  Not that other companies don't do that too.  But, buying an off the shelf blank from Alibaba and putting a trademark and some marketing on it doesn't make it better than any other Alibaba blank.

There is a difference in more expensive blanks.  I built a custom Seeker halibut rod on a Hercules blank and a Loomis ultralight blank that are easily my favorite rods to fish.  Every time I pick them up, they are light, sensitive, and custom.  Every time I pick them up, the heavens open like when Arthur pulled the sword from the stone, angels sing, and fish everywhere curse.

[SkunkedAgain]

I bought the three rod ice kit and I didn’t think I wanted all the light tipped rods. I was wrong, those kit rods give me abilities I hadn’t thought about needing and I really like them. After I built the first 3 I ordered what I wanted in a jaw jacker rod and it turned out great too. So as a beginner I’d do the kit again and next time after you are a little more into it, then customize. I didn’t expect to start a new hobby but I love building rods now and I’ll be doing more. I didn’t know how bad off the shelf rods were until I built my own, they are so much better for what you want. I need to do long summer rods now, but will have to do it between ice and cat season. Later Jeff

[meancuznalfy]

The kits gave me a idea what I was looking for and everything that I need( I bought a turnkey kit, so got all the equipment and supplies that I needed to build a rod), like winding checks and how many. Until I built a rod I didn't know what that was, now I can mix and match what I want from different places, did that with a couple ice rods last month, now looking at another open water rod for this summer.

[nofish2]

Everyone has given great advise, I have had great luck with Get Bit and Mud hole and I will add Rod Geeks. I have a koke blank from Thrasher rods that I am just starting on. I will say that you get what you pay for. Kits are kits and all you can do to customize it is the wrap and if you order the parts you want you can customize the hole thing.

Good luck and have fun with your build but be careful it can be addictive.

[utwalleye]

I have been building rods from mudhole for about 30 years now. they have the best price and quality around. they came out with the
MHX line just after Loomis quite selling blanks. then 2 years ago they came out with the color CRB line and those rods are very nice for the price.

If you are just starting to build rods getting a kit would be the best, It took me a couple of rods to get things dialed in as to what I wanted.
I have built the kits and they are nice but I still order a lot of parts, some times the guide aren't up to par and the cork is not the best and the reel seat is just what they put in. don't get me wrong the kits are very nice but if you want something special.

---

Oh yea, one other thing, nofish2, what do you mean can be addictive ?? building rods runs my live now. I have a wrapping machine 8 foot table over head lights, lighted magnifying glass, rod racks about 100 spools of thread, you get the picture, it becomes crazy, just wait until you start wrapping closed wraps if you go that far into it. very time consuming they are. have fun and good luck

[PAC12_AfterDark]

As a first time builder, would your recommendations be to buy a kit, or select parts individually, or does it not really mater?

That all depends on you and what you want to have at the end.  The kits are usually pretty budget and the rod you end up with at the end is serviceable.  

If you select the parts you want, the rod is exactly what you want and exactly the performance you are looking for.

If I was building a trout rod for throwing spinners, I'd build it differently from a rod I was going to use to chuck power bait.  You don't get those options with kits.  

I got in to rod building almost 15 years ago because I couldn't find a rod I liked for kokanee.  No one made one that had the performance I was looking for, partly because most kokanee fisheries aren't like Flaming Gorge.  A fly rod blank won't lift a 5 pounder at 80 feet.  And a stiff/faster rod yanks the fish's jaw off.  The Jared Johnson Lamiglas blank was close, but it wasn't built well for a production run.

I started from scratch and designed the kokanee rods I use today to both lift a 5 pounder from 8 feet but that also has the slow action I need to not rip lips.  My catch rate increased drastically, became more fun, and each adventure was much more satisfying knowing that I had cracked the code on getting kokanee to the boat.

Sometimes you just have to build your own to get what you want.  But, it's a lot harder to get right than working from a kit.

---

Willing to share what blank you went with for the kokanee rods?

[Downriggerer]

As a first time builder, would your recommendations be to buy a kit, or select parts individually, or does it not really mater?

That all depends on you and what you want to have at the end.  The kits are usually pretty budget and the rod you end up with at the end is serviceable.  

If you select the parts you want, the rod is exactly what you want and exactly the performance you are looking for.

If I was building a trout rod for throwing spinners, I'd build it differently from a rod I was going to use to chuck power bait.  You don't get those options with kits.  

I got in to rod building almost 15 years ago because I couldn't find a rod I liked for kokanee.  No one made one that had the performance I was looking for, partly because most kokanee fisheries aren't like Flaming Gorge.  A fly rod blank won't lift a 5 pounder at 80 feet.  And a stiff/faster rod yanks the fish's jaw off.  The Jared Johnson Lamiglas blank was close, but it wasn't built well for a production run.

I started from scratch and designed the kokanee rods I use today to both lift a 5 pounder from 8 feet but that also has the slow action I need to not rip lips.  My catch rate increased drastically, became more fun, and each adventure was much more satisfying knowing that I had cracked the code on getting kokanee to the boat.

Sometimes you just have to build your own to get what you want.  But, it's a lot harder to get right than working from a kit.

---

Willing to share what blank you went with for the kokanee rods?

Sure, it's a Batson RDR76L.  I use a Size 20 Fuji Deluxe Trigger seat and Avet SX reels with Forecast LTC series guides.  The lever drags on the reels make it so I can set 2 rods on the downrigger at once with one hand and no backlashes.

[DanzTuna]

Haven't been on the forum for quite a while, couldn't remember my user name, so had to set up a new account...Dang!.

I've been building custom rods for many years, mostly for surf, offshore and jigging. Just for laughs last year, I decided to take one of my slow pitch jig rods to the Gorge to see how it would work out on the pups and kokes. This rod is used primarily for smaller tuna. The rod I used was a Batson Revelation slow pitch jig rod model REVSJ66-CW. It worked out beautifully for jigging and trolling. As with all slow pitch jig rods, they have a parabolic action, sensitive tip and shut off at about the handle. For a laugh I put it in the rod holder and hooked it to the downrigger and caught several kokes trolling. It was sure a lot more fun than my 8'6" downrigger rods. If I remember correctly the blank is about a hundred bucks and you can get them from Utmost (they're right across the street from Batson). The blank is woven graphite and is rated 15-25# but the rod is designed to flex under a very light load. Don't let the high line rating turn you off. I have mine built with Winn split grips, Fuji Alconite guides/tip-top and use a Daiwa Kyohga reel with Depth Hunter braid a fluorocarbon top shot.

[liketrolling]

Downrigger knows what he is talking about. I have 3 batson RDR76L  and one RDR710L    I have caught 15 lb lakers on them.
never bot from this place just found it,  and you need to buy good guides.
https://charkbait.com/product/rainshadow...od-blanks/        $44. to $46  any one of the 3 would be good
guide chart
https://charkbait.com/wp-content/uploads...ss-RDR.pdf

I have bot from this place,  Just saw this blank (I should not of read this post)  may buy this blank need downrigger to check it out for me.
may be to much money. but what is money.  I love a good kokanee fishing rod.
https://getbitoutdoors.com/krx-763-2-b    this one is $89    so with all the parts ?????