cidgrad96

Gee a Newbee quiz on a site notorious for knowledgeable people. Sine I am the forum idiot I will answer this: It is a rating system for graphite rods, based on graphite content using a modular model. It is not a set number but based on graphite content in a density range Problem No industry standard, so you still have to try company to company as an IM 7 rod say from one company might feel and weigh totally different from another I hope I passed the test, I hate summer school :-/ I sense the sarcasm and point taken. You are right, there's no industry standard. I can buy IM8 from Hexcel and then call it HM70 or whatever. The original IM ratings designated the tensile strength of a particular carbon material. Take a look at Hexcel.com and you can find the charts. Also the rod doesn't have to be completely that material for me to call it that. So a quick answer JB... there's no consistency among different brands in IM8. I'd say put your hands on it and feel it. No substitute for that. Also - Only you can make a rod cast accurately.

who thinks the rods will be yellow... raise your hand?

Only ones I have seen have been in for repairs. The guides kept coming out from under the wraps. Seem like decent rods though. I'd suggest looking close at the guides and making sure they are secure. The ones I have had come in didn't have enough rod finish to even cover the ends of the thread wraps.

What is an IM8 rod? What does IM8 mean? (I ask to see how many people can answer this one)

The word really rolled out when one of the wholesale only rod building suppliers sent out an email saying "Announcing . . . . . . We will be a distributor for Gary Loomis's new blanks. Watch for a flyer very soon. " That pretty much let the cat out of the bag. Of course plenty flew around about all that. North Fork Composities is not a new company. What gets interesting is to look at the defendant list on the trademark infringement lawsuit filed by G Loomis Inc (Shimano). Tells you a lot. The rod manufacturing world is much smaller than many people realize.

Actually if you shop around a little, you can often find higher end blanks on closeout pricing. Bingham Enterprises and Fishsticks4U are great for this. Fishsticks had the ATC blanks in barrels at the ICRBE for $20 a rod. Granted there's no warranty, but $20 for a blank that previously sold for $60 is a good deal. If you shop around, you can find higher quality components at a good price as well. Bingham currently has ECSM reel seats at $1.99. That's less than wholesale! So look around - you can really build on a budget if you keep your eye out.

Don't invest a lot on your first blank. You mess up the handle, the seat, etc... you're going to be an unhappy camper. Check out the MudHole custom builder blanks. $20. Pretty good blanks. Not a lot of variety. Build your first one, tear it apart, build it again - get comfortable with it. THEN spend money on a better grade blank.

Depending on when the rod was made, it varies. Older models may not. Manufacturers sometimes change brand of guide manufacturers year by year because of better or worse deals given the quantity they run that year. Seems the ones this year on Kistler is Fuji. In the past they have used Batson. If it's a Fuji hardloy, the frame will be black and the guide ring won't be black. It will be a greyish type color.

I use a type other than the BPS balancer. It's similar to the one that screws in the butt. I prefer that style as opposed to the slip over type. JUst personal preference.

Bronco - When you factor in your weight, you have to include the weight of the lure. Too many times I see guys throw a 1/2 oz worm behind a 1 oz sinker and not understand why their rods that are rated for 1 oz can't handle the rig... well... they are throwing 1.5 oz! Same thing with jig rods. Guys forget to add the weight of their trailer - .5 oz jig with a paca chunk weighs .7 oz. (RIG Measurement - weight the sinker, hook, swivel, lure, beads to get a real feel for the weight). If you aren't fishing a lot of close up situations - like throwing under trees, around lots of docks, etc - basically situations like working open points, ledges, etc - I would consider something between 7'6" and 7'11". Two reasons... longer cast and more hooksetting power. Also, if you are dragging in deep water, you need the long cast unless you are standing there feeding out line to make the lure sink straight down. If you aren't feeding line, the weight is like a pendulum and is coming back at your boat on the way down. If you are fishing lots of cover, I would move more towards 7' and as long as you keep that sinker at .5 oz, you should be fins with a rod rated 1/4 or 3/8 to 1 oz. I think you are probably going to have a hard time finding something excellent that fits that wide of a weight range. If you do go that route, I would suggest you probably head more towards a 3/8 - 1.25 oz rated rod. Sounds like you may need that. Weight balancing systems are nice, especially on longer (7'+) rods with tip up techniques. Yes the rod weighs more, but in the long run it wears you out less because it's less strain on your wrist and forearm.

RW hit it on the head with the descriptions. Couple other things I will throw out there - Consider using slower actions for techniques like flippin/pitchin, cranks... why? Fewer lost fish and fewer broken rods. flippin/pitchin is a very aggressive, violent technique that can be hard on equipment. Rod Length - Longer rods generally allow longer casts and also more aggressive hooksets. The hooksets and casts are a result of a larger swing arc (think golf clubs here... drivers are longer to hit the ball further... bigger arc = more speed). For hooksets, simply put, you move more line when you set the hook with a longer rod. Guides - What do more guides mean? Nothing if built correctly. Longer rods usually need more guides, shorter rods need fewer. If the rod is set up correctly, the guides will be set in a fashion to keep the line in the same curve as the blank. The line may touch the rod during flex, but the line shouldn't drop below the rod. Guide size - I'm a huge proponent of micro guides on bass rods. Smaller, lighter, better line control, everything with them is a plus. They aren't available on production rods yet. One thing also about measuring action - MOST rods are designed to be flexed 90 degrees. Not more. If you are trying to figure out the action, suspend the rod horizontally and hang weight off the tip until the tip is pointing straight at the floor. Gives you a good idea how much weight it takes to bend your rod and you can see the flex from a more objective position than sticking the tip in the dirt and looking at it.

Reel - Shimano Core Rod - Custom. Why buy something off the rack that everyone else has? You'd do a custom car, golf clubs, etc... fishing is no different.

I would go braid as well. For a feeding period reaction bite on a moving bait (skipping is moving) can the bass see the line - sure, does it know what it is and have a power of reasoning - no. If it is hungry will braid stop a stop a feeding strike - probably not. How many times does a bass hit a skipped bait on the fall? Often. They don't have time to analyze the line.

Before you can pick anything... What type of water are you fishing? Lakes, rivers? What size lure (12", 10", etc)? What size weight? All of these are important factors and you need a rough idea before making the right selection.