Hey, I was wondering if any of you guys out there could help me out with rod blanks.  I just started building rods and took a couple classes and I wanted to start working with some higher quality material now.  Do any of you know any high quality blanks out there other than the big names or would I be better off going with GLoomis/St. Croix blanks or something along those lines?

Or, maybe a better way to ask it, what blanks do you guys prefer when you build rods?  Is there any high quality blanks that are cheaper than the big name blanks?  My next rod is going to be a medium-heavy, fast if that makes a difference.  Any thoughts would be great.  Thanks!

Oh, and I'm looking for a good rod building book if any of you know of one.

    I personally would recommend that you take a look at Batson.  Their RX7 line is impressive for a mid priced blank and the RX8 would be hard to beat.  I have heard it referred to as being SCIV level from several people a the the ICRBE.  Check out the book by Tom Kirkman.

Andy

I 100% agree with Batson as Bowtech stated.  Also, recommend Castaway from Swampland tackle.

Eddie

Thanks bowtech and ej!  I checked out the Batson website and the blanks look great with great prices, too.  

I have a couple other questions I might as well ask, too.  I don't know that I like the reel seats recommended to me for my spinning rods.  It just feels like I'm holding all graphite where as on the rods I've purchased in the past, I'm holding a good chunk of cork and they feel more comfortable.  I don't know if I'm getting what I mean across but do you guys know of where to find some good reel seats that might incorporate more cork rather than all graphite?

Also, what kind of guides do you guys like?  I'm thinking about buying the titanium frame fuji SiC guides for the next couple rods to compare the weight to what I'm using now.  Are there others out there that are light or that I should know about?

As far as reel seats go, I prefer the graphite as I think it has more sensitivity. Mudhole has some of the seats you are referring to on their site. But you can get the graphite in larger sizes to fit you hand and be more comfortable also.

As far as ti Sic guides, the cost difference is not worth the weight savings over alconites IMHO. A Ti Sic 6J weighs .120 grams, and an alconite 6J weighs .173 grams. You will never feel the difference in weight once on the rod. You can save that much weight by using thinner coats of finish. Plus the alconites will handle any of the lines on the market.

If you really want to save weight, then look into building micro.  

Eric

I really don't think that Ti-framed SIC's will offer you much advantage over alconites.  If you really want to go all cork you can always do a Tennessee seat.  I had always dismissed them as inferior until I saw Rich Forhan speak the other day and that is what he recommends.

Andy

Thanks again you guys.  

I hope this isn't a stupid question but what do you mean "building micro?"  Haha, sorry, I'm new at this.

By the way, that's a hilarious signature animation you have ernel.  Cracks me up.

Give the American Tackle Aero grips a shot.  Most comfortable spinning grip I have ever held.  Folks I have used them for on builds love them.  Ernel and Andy nailed it - Alconites are the way to go.  Can't be beat for the price.

Eddie

Well in a nutshell, building micro is using micro guides. Using 4mm guides and even smaller. How much weight can be saved is dependent on how small you go.

10 LSG 3.5 weigh .41 grams

1 BFAT 4.5(3.9) tip top weighs in at 1.5 grams.

You would have to use 30 LSG 3.5 Micro guides before the weight would equal the tip top's weight.

By using the micro guides, you keep the weight of the tip portion of the rod lighter. This in turn will improve the over all control of the rod, allowing for more precise casting with less effort. A lighter tip will also create a more sensitive rod as well.

When building a spinning rod as you are. you can still build "micro". You can actually use a smaller butt guide as well. One of the instructors at the expo this weekend was using a size 10 for his butt guide and was running 1.5 mm guides from the choker out. The butt guide was a high frame 10. I haven't got that brave yet, but I will.

Saying that these guides are very small is a huge understatement. You can actually pass a 4mm micro through the center of a 6 mm guide.

With that being said, micro is not the end all of all builds. It does have it's place, but also has it's limitations. If you use leaders, then passing knots has to be considered. As does the use of real heavy, or stiff monos and fluorocarbon lines. Test casting during the "design"of your build will tell you when you have it right.

How do micros cast. The rod I am building for my father, is set up with 4 mm guides spiral wrapped. I can cast a 3/8 oz lure and almost spool my reel. It holds right at 95 yards of 12lb XT. There is only 4.5 complete wraps left on the spool. Not rings, but complete wraps from one side of the spool to the next. Once again, I will very rarely cast this far as it will be "out of range" to effectively set the hook, but it means that I can cast easier to the specified targets that are within range. The blank is a Batson RX7 IMB843 MH Fast tip.

If you have anymore questions, I will try to answer what I can. In order to get a full education in micros, you can go to rodbuilding.org and use the search function for micros. You will get hours and hours worth of reading.

Thanks for the props on the siggy.

Eric

Wow, after everything I've learned in the last few months and now it seems like I've barely got my feet wet.  I'm looking forward to learning all this, though.  Thanks again guys.