You mean before I come to KFOG and play World Class Rock at 4pm? Well you'll think I'm lying.
I built a fishing rod. No really I did. If my chubby little fingers can do it well so can you. Here's the story.
Actually I built my first rod about 30 years ago as a kid. It was a white fiberglas rod with the handle already installed. As I recall it was quite the bluegill and crappie catcher! But the memory is kind of fuzzy on how I built it. I remember putting on the guides and wrapping them with thread and putting some kind of sealer on the top. I think I used a cardboard box with notches on the ends to hold the rod while I spun it around.
Well fast forward about 30 years and last year I built my second rod. It was a pretty high end GLoomis blank. I built the grips and put on a reel seat and (did a lousy job) wrapping the guides. While not pretty the guides were in a straight line and didn't fall off. I used it for finesse fishing small plastic worms for bass and even used it for some trout powerbait dunkin'. It fished great, very sensitive tip, lots of power, and perfect for my needs.
I built another last year that was a green blank and a I used white and yellow for an "Oakland A's" look.
So I just finished my 3rd rod. It is also meant to be used for pretty light fishing.
It is built on a blank from Batson and is their Rainshadow ISB722.
For you hardcore types here's the specs: 6' foot 1 piece 8-14 line 1/4-5/8 lure weight Fast action Med power and costs about 40 dollars. Ohh Ahh :)
Batson are known for their good value on rod blanks and people that build custom rods really like them as a finished and fished rod. This is my new "Brown Eyes Blue" spinning rod.
chestnut and light blue thread
Batson Rainshadow blank showing the action of the rod
I used a Fuji New Concept system to choose and place the guides. Basically you match the reel, in this case a Shimano Stradic 3000R, to the guides and get the line chocked down quick to the rod blank. It isn't the usual long funnel to the tip. It happens much faster. It is supposed to help cast better and control the line more. Read this if you're interested.
Big thanks to the staff at The Rod Rack in Hayward. They are a great source for supplies and advice for all rod builders. Most people get their rod blanks, handles, glues, and finishes mail order. At The Rod Rack they will have what you need. I bought lots of stuff there and got great advice and support from Steve and his wife. If you are into big game saltwater they also have a huge selection of tackle for your trips.
So why do it?
Do you get a better rod than you can buy?
No not with a 40 dollar blank compared to a 300 dollar rod. But you do get a really good rod.
Do you save money?
Not at the extreme. You can get a pretty good 50 dollar fishing rod these days if you are looking at a price point. Hey I fish with Cabelas house rods all the time, they are pretty good. Bass Pro Shops too.
So?
Well you get the fun of doing it. You pick your own parts to mix and match. If you like a sports team or like a set of colors you get to have just that. You will always have a better rod at a price point. Your 100 dollar rod will be better than a stores 100 dollar rod if you pick a good blank and build it right. You can build it as high end as you want and will have as good a rod as any store sells, or go cheaper and buy a 20 dollar blank, cheap guides, and have a cheapie custom rod. The fish won't know and I won't tell.
The 40 dollar blank plus the cork, the handle, the guides and finish and supplies ended up being about a 100 dollar rod. I didn't charge labor! :)
I expect it to be on par with some of the nice 175 to 200 dollar rods on the market.
Is it hard to do? Nope. Glue on seats and cork. Place and align the guides and wrap them with thread. Add finish, go fish. You can name your rod if you want.
Is it hard to make beautiful custom rods? Uhhh yea. I ain't there yet!
The guys that really do this for a living are masterful artists.
Maybe you'd like a checkerboard cork with real snakeskin on the handle?
I'm not even close to ever being able to doing that!
On the web rod builders gather at the rodbuilder.org forum. Just their FAQ and library sections will tell you a lot about this fun d.i.y. hobby.
So when people ask what I do all day sometimes I do things like this. It is pretty fun, but the real fun is when I get to take it out on the water and let it do its thing.
bigger/more photos here
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