I’m looking at building a new rod when I get back to Charleston in a week for use around the creeks and eventually down in the Keys. I’m leaning towards a 7 ft fast action with a medium power. For my first rod, I’m probably going to just buy a kit with all of the components included. Does anyone have any suggestions on what components I should look for? How about the epoxy and threads? ANY info/tips/tricks/etc from anyone who’s built a rod before would be helpful.
Somebody told us Wall Street fell but we were so poor we couldn’t tell. Cotton was short and the weeds were tall but Mr. Obama gonna save us all
I have about 30-40 rod builds under my belt. Inshore rods are easy/fast to build. Kits are okay, but the guides included are generally lower grade. If I build an inshore rod I usually purchase the Fuji Concept guide kit in either Hardloy or Alconite. Just buy the kit for the appropriate length rod and there will be plenty of guides. I usually use one less than is in the kit. I like the Alconite better as they are quite a bit lighter yet more durable. You will want a 8 to 9" rear grip and about a 2-3" fore grip. I use predominately gudebrod thread and Flexcoat epoxy finish. I like the U-40 Rod Bond for glueing grips as it is a gel and lubricates well.
The upside of a kits is that everying thing is sized so you don’t have to figure out sizes of the reel seat, Butt cap, winding check, etc. I suggest you read up on as much as you can before you start.
Rap you should really listen to Hairball. That man builds some sick rods. He’s going to help me build my first custom rod in a few days. He ordered all of the right parts and when finished, I will have a heavy spinning rod for the Jetty’s and beyond. And it’s gonna be a sick rod.
“There is no hunting like the hunting of man, and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never care for anything else thereafter.”
Ernest Hemingway
I’ve been looking around at components and have been getting a whole mes of ideas. I think I’m going to stick with the kit for the first rod so I won’t be too pissed if I mess it up. Once I get at least one rod of experience under my belt, I’ll probably piece together and build my custom rod.
I probably will get the Alconite guide kit to go with my kit rod for the first build. I might use this opportunity to experiment with the decorative wrapping and cork inserts in the grips as well.
Somebody told us Wall Street fell but we were so poor we couldn’t tell. Cotton was short and the weeds were tall but Mr. Obama gonna save us all
