Super User MickD Posted May 26 Super User Share Posted May 26 Not having experienced an NRX I can only offer what I consider to be the best blanks out there for power to weight ratio, True Natural Frequency, and a very crisp, clean, feel. They also are smooth, so no troublesome ridges to contend with. I'll bet they are as good as an NRX. #1 = Anglers Resource Point Blanks and #2 = Rainshadow RX10. I have good experience with one Phenix M1, also, but no experience with the rest of their line. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reel Posted May 26 Share Posted May 26 Again, not any discredit here, but if you look at the best blanks mentionned above, the price starts at close to two hundred dollars + guides + reel seat + grip + miscellanious, it goes up real fast even if you don't use the best accessories. And that's not counting the tools and the time it takes to build the rod. I don't think even the most busy rod builders build more than 4 or 5 rods a week. With the variety of blanks and of accessories, it very difficult to know what the finished products will be like. Rod building on that scale is an art, not engineering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User MickD Posted May 26 Super User Share Posted May 26 The question posed referred to what many consider to be the epitome of purchased rods, NRX, so the answer was based on that reference. If the question were to be asked what do you consider to be the best value in high performance blanks, or what are the blanks that are at the price point where adding more money doesn't yield much more advantage, the answer would be different. There are some very good blanks out there for less than $100. If one builds on blanks for which the objective power and action numbers are known, he can very well predict what the finished products will be like. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibock Posted May 28 Author Share Posted May 28 What is the most sensitive blank for a build regardless of price? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logan S Posted June 9 Share Posted June 9 On 5/27/2024 at 10:57 PM, Ibock said: What is the most sensitive blank for a build regardless of price? Point Blank. I've owned many high end factory rods and built many "high end" rods myself now. If the application calls for a sensitive, fast or extra fast action...You won't beat a PB. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User MickD Posted June 9 Super User Share Posted June 9 Use a titanium Fuji Arowana tiptop and titanium micros to keep its recovery speed as fast as possible. I like Fuji KLH 20h-10h-5.5m or 16h-8h-5.5m + 2KB4's, the rest KT4's. Makes a great, responsive, rod. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twofishy4u Posted July 10 Share Posted July 10 I've been building for about 10 years. I've used blanks from St. Croix, Northfork (Gary Loomis), Phenix, MHX, Batson and Point blank...to name a few. For anything with bottom contact nothing is even comparable to my points. My son who was 11 at the time couldn't believe how much better it was than his Northfork X-ray. Fishing same line, same jigs, same weight, etc. We now have 4 point blanks....all setup for finesse spinning. MickD sent me down this worm hole!!!! 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User MickD Posted July 10 Super User Share Posted July 10 7 hours ago, twofishy4u said: I've been building for about 10 years. I've used blanks from St. Croix, Northfork (Gary Loomis), Phenix, MHX, Batson and Point blank...to name a few. For anything with bottom contact nothing is even comparable to my points. My son who was 11 at the time couldn't believe how much better it was than his Northfork X-ray. Fishing same line, same jigs, same weight, etc. We now have 4 point blanks....all setup for finesse spinning. MickD sent me down this worm hole!!!! Not that I have a LOT of experience abusing Point Blanks, but I have one incident where my 731MXF built as a casting rod got wrapped around my trolling motor at so sharp a curve/angle that looking down on it made me instantly believe "That rod is a goner." But, it did not break and I'm still using it about 4 years later. Only a couple bent guides. Point Blanks not only are very high performance blanks, they appear to be pretty tough, too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delaware Valley Tackle Posted July 11 Share Posted July 11 16 hours ago, MickD said: Not that I have a LOT of experience abusing Point Blanks, but I have one incident where my 731MXF built as a casting rod got wrapped around my trolling motor at so sharp a curve/angle that looking down on it made me instantly believe "That rod is a goner." But, it did not break and I'm still using it about 4 years later. Only a couple bent guides. Point Blanks not only are very high performance blanks, they appear to be pretty tough, too. High performance and high durability rarely if ever go together in rod blanks. Point blank rods are on my short list to try. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User MickD Posted July 11 Super User Share Posted July 11 9 hours ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said: short list to try If you finesse fish, I suggest you start with the PB701MLF. Somehow it fishes both quite light and quite powerful, with CCS numbers most would consider medium power. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyman X Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 We also have 4 PB's. 661 MLF, 2- 691MLXF, 701 MHF. Love em' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delaware Valley Tackle Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 5 hours ago, Lyman X said: We also have 4 PB's. 661 MLF, 2- 691MLXF, 701 MHF. Love em' Any issues keeping smallmouth pinned with the MLXF? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyman X Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 No issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User roadwarrior Posted July 23 Super User Share Posted July 23 https://www.eastackle.com/c-163-cts-rod-blanks.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twofishy4u Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 We have now Point blanks in 6'6 light, 7' light, 7' medium light. They are all awesome. All built as spinning rods with KLH guides. There is a noticeable difference in the 6'6 light to the 7' ml but the 7' light is just a touch under the 7' ml. They all have there place. The 6'6 is my favorite spinning rod right now. Quote Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User MickD Posted July 25 Super User Share Posted July 25 10 hours ago, twofishy4u said: There is a noticeable difference in the 6'6 light to the 7' ml but the 7' light is just a touch under the 7' ml. I assume you're talking power. Note that all the PB blanks have CCS power/action numbers published in the detailed specs. Makes it easy to compare the differences. Nice work, PB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spoonplugger1 Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 Old adages don't help our endeavors, the new rods are not built like the old ones when increases in modulus meant easier to break, it has been untrue for many years now, carbon and resin systems have come to the point where the use of scrim to maintain hoop strength to keep rods from blowing up isn't necessary anymore and it's been that way for some time now. Time to remove that from our mental filing cabinets. We have had rods/blanks on the market for over 40 years that have used no scrim, they have always had a line of deep sea carbon rods durable enough including the first all carbon deep sea rail rods developed a decade ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twofishy4u Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 11 hours ago, MickD said: I assume you're talking power. Note that all the PB blanks have CCS power/action numbers published in the detailed specs. Makes it easy to compare the differences. Nice work, PB. yes power wise. As we know the 7' ml if more of a medium rod with the ccs data but does seem to cast 1/8 ounce well. The 7' light feels almost the same in hand and while fishing. Love them both. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hytekrednek Posted August 8 Share Posted August 8 anybody here use the Diawa carbon fiber framed line guides? Are they even available for custom builders? I have a St. Croix Legend Extreme that has them on it. It is one amazing rod. I love the carbon handle on it, and is super sensitive. I like it better than my Shimano Poison Ultima , but only because of the handle. The rods are very similar in sensitivity. They both are more sensitive than my Edge Silver Widows, but they cost more too. The silver Widows are awesome for their price "as far as commercial rods go" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logan S Posted August 9 Share Posted August 9 15 minutes ago, Hytekrednek said: anybody here use the Diawa carbon fiber framed line guides? Are they even available for custom builders? I have a St. Croix Legend Extreme that has them on it. It is one amazing rod. I love the carbon handle on it, and is super sensitive. I like it better than my Shimano Poison Ultima , but only because of the handle. The rods are very similar in sensitivity. They both are more sensitive than my Edge Silver Widows, but they cost more too. The silver Widows are awesome for their price "as far as commercial rods go" The only way to get Daiwa AGS guides is secondhand somehow. Daiwa won't even send them out for warranty on their rods, they make you send the entire rod to them to get a guide put on. NFC recently released their own version of carbon framed guides, supposedly 20% lighter than titanium framed guides of similar size. Even when on sale they are still pretty darn expensive though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twofishy4u Posted August 9 Share Posted August 9 A guy I work with has had a few Daiwa rods with those guides. Every rod has had a guide issue. NFC ones look similar/same. No thanks as of now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hytekrednek Posted August 9 Share Posted August 9 My St.croix Legend Extreme has them. So far no issues with them after about a year and good bit of use. I use my gear a good bit but dont abuse it. I do my best to maintain my reels and rods , still though, accidents can happen. Hopefully I wont break any of these guides Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sota Posted September 3 Share Posted September 3 On 7/10/2024 at 8:56 PM, Delaware Valley Tackle said: High performance and high durability rarely if ever go together in rod blanks. Point blank rods are on my short list to try. If you want to put together a Point Blank. I volunteer to try it out for you. I can even give it a good home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dv616 Posted September 6 Share Posted September 6 On 7/11/2024 at 7:07 AM, MickD said: If you finesse fish, I suggest you start with the PB701MLF. Somehow it fishes both quite light and quite powerful, with CCS numbers most would consider medium power. After all your posts about Point Blank, I finally decided to order the PB701MLF and the PB701LXF. Time to see how they compare to my favorites. I may need to switch up my preferred guides though. I have been using the MicroWave Nanolite guide train for spinning, love the simplicity and versatility in case I shuffle reels around or give them away to family or friends (I have more blanks to build on an try than I can possibly carry in a boat if I get them all built). At some point, I need to get everything built and then part with some of my finished products. With the microwave setup, I feel confident that who ever ends up with the rod will get good performance with a 2500 (plus or minus a size) reel and not have to worry about what reel they may end up using. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User MickD Posted September 7 Super User Share Posted September 7 12 hours ago, dv616 said: After all your posts about Point Blank, I finally decided to order the PB701MLF and the PB701LXF. Time to see how they compare to my favorites. I may need to switch up my preferred guides though. I have been using the MicroWave Nanolite guide train for spinning, love the simplicity and versatility in case I shuffle reels around or give them away to family or friends (I have more blanks to build on an try than I can possibly carry in a boat if I get them all built). At some point, I need to get everything built and then part with some of my finished products. With the microwave setup, I feel confident that who ever ends up with the rod will get good performance with a 2500 (plus or minus a size) reel and not have to worry about what reel they may end up using. You don't have to worry about reels or even lines (within reason) if you use Fuji KLH20-KLH10-KLH5.5M followed by 2 KB's, then KT's to the end. Whatever runner size you want, unlike Microwave where you have no choice. You can get a variety of rings and frame finishes, spacing of the reduction guides using the KR software on the Anglersresource.net site, and they simply work. I don't even test cast any more. Runners are placed with the two line test found at the same site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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