So, I can:
- Buy fiberglass poles for $165
- Make poles using steel conduit/pvc
- Make poles using schedule 80 pvc at bottom/ schedule 40 up top.
What say ye?
I am sure this has been discussed 1000 times but did we ever reach a consensus?
Fiberglass. You won’t regret it.
'06 Mckee Craft
184 Marathon
DF140 Suzuki
Bought fiberglass 13 years ago and never looked back
I am sure the fiberglass ones are great and if I could shrimp more, I could justify the cost. The reality is, I make it down 3 - 4 times and my PVC poles work fine. I took 5/8" copper grounding rods and cut 18" sections, ground a point and marine epoxied them into the ends of my poles. They stick every time. I added extensions to the 10’ sections by gluing in threaded adapters. That is my weak link and I do break one every now and then. The main pole works fine though unlike fiberglass, they do not float. Maybe one day when I have a spare $160 I will buy a set.
“Apathy is the Glove in Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”.
Steel conduit 10ft, and PVC 6ft, joined together, works in all areas of our coast! our set is going on 12 yrs.
Fiberglass for sure. No comparison. Once the season is over, a few poles make a good frame for a duck blind on the boat.
I bought fiberglass for 140 bucks in Newberry Worth every dime…
c’mon doug; get off of that fat guvment money and take a trip up to see mike in newberry. you can tell him i sent you for a discount. have sold many a pole for him. they are the bomb. i have had mine for years.
Picked up 2 sets for me and a buddy from Mike down in Newberry last week. The poles are quality and I especially like the tips compared to the aluminum ones that were glued in on my old set.
Dang Bobby if you’d pay more in taxes maybe I can get a raise. Maybe I’ll get a half set this year.
“Apathy is the Glove in Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”.
If you go the conduit / PVC path here are some tips. I dented the conduit just a bit with a hammer on the part that
would slide into the PVC which made it fit tightly. Take some hard wood dowel and insert them into the end of the conduit
and sharpen then with a sander (or knife), and coat with fiberglass resin. This makes then easy enough to stick even in hard bottom.
The main issue with the conduit is it will bend, but is easily straightened. I only ever used duck tape to put them together and
my last set lasted me 3 years before I got my fiberglass, and a friend still has them after 4 more.
Maybe shoot them full of expanding foam to make them float?
Mine had the foam…I left that out as it adds expense. They don’t fully float either. The conduit sinks and the PVC end floats…at least mine did. But I used 10ft PVC and the conduit was 3 ft into them making for a 17ft pole.
use rivots to hold pvc to conduit…works great!!!
19’ Key West CC 140 Johnson
16’ War Eagle 40 Yami
12’ Alumacraft 1954 Johnson 5.5
can you swim 5 miles? “NO” then what is the difference in 5 miles and 50 miles!!! Go for it!
cut the conduit at an angle and hammer the end shut so it make a knife like end to cut thru the hard bottom
19’ Key West CC 140 Johnson
16’ War Eagle 40 Yami
12’ Alumacraft 1954 Johnson 5.5
can you swim 5 miles? “NO” then what is the difference in 5 miles and 50 miles!!! Go for it!
I have 17 foot yellow poles I will let you hold for $110.00 from moncks corner
10 feet 1/2 inch galv emt and 5 feet of 3/4 cpvc overlap them about 8" and rap the joint in the middle with a hammer to expand it then flatten the end of the emt to make a point. Takes about 30 minutes to make a set mine has never has came apart in 30 years have had to replace a few but never came apart. Take caution putting screws or anything else to hold them together because your net will hang up on it. They are tough enough to break the crust at Crab Bank and Bull’s Island.
See ya on the water/19’ Neptune/115 Johnson.
Where in Newberry are y’all getting the Shrimp poles. I have some friends coming in, and I’m going to have them stop in and get me a set. Thanks in advance!!!
BJ Graphics in Newberry 803 321-3048
dfreedom; what the hell is this bobbie. i have a set of nuts and hair under my arms and shave. (so do the french girls/except they do not shave). it is BOBBY. thought that i taught you better. ha ha. also. for your info; i get my first social security chk tommorrow. i am semi retired. we got to put a trip together and head to the bay. give me a call. there are a couple of weekends coming up without ball games. this one coming is not bad. also; got to take a day off to use my gator tag.