Kinda long post. First post in this section in a while

So here is my first rod build in almost 2 years. I built my last rod right before my twins were born in the spring of 2024. As you can imagine life kinda got in the way. I still had time to fish some but, the extra stuff kinda got put on the back burner.

The 2nd last rod I built was a MHX SJ 843 which, turned out to be a great vertical walleye jigging rod. It was not what I was looking for in a finesse bass spinning rod. I built the SJ843 thinking I’d be fishing heavy tube jigs in deeper water. However, with the twins coming along. Using the SJ 843 for what I had envisioned never really happened. As those lakes 3 hours north of where I live. What did end up happening though, is that I got onto a heck of a Ned rig bite all last year on the Saginaw Bay for Large mouth and smallies.

I was looking for another rod to go along with my 7ft st.croix ML premier for Ned rigs and other finnesse rigs. I really contemplated just buying a factory rod. The last rod I had built ended up running into some issues. Plus the new twins kinda really put a damper on wanting to build rods for a while. However, I decided to give building a rod another shot.

I’ve come to realize that even with my fast and extra fast rods. I like a fairly soft tip. I like the tip action of st.croix rods. Even though my mhx sj843 is super sensitive it feels like a broom stick in my hands.

The start of the build I wanted to keep things simple but, that never lasts.

I bought a Rod Geek 7ft3 m/l extra fast SCIII MXJ073mlxf blank. I compromised with my self with a fugi sk2 split grip. I limited my self to just an under wrap on the hook keeper, some simple inlays, and non metallic trim bands. Trying to focus on the basics.

I bought dark burl cork rings from tackle zoom ( I can’t remember the specific name of the cork) and made the split grip and top cork piece. Each piece is made out of 3 separate cork rings which, were glued and sanded down to the shapes I wanted. I mounted the sk2 split seat upside down. with the cork on top of the seat instead of the bottom. I did an inlay between the 2 reel seat pieces. An under wrap on the hook keeper. For guides I used American Tackle high frame Ti-forged air guides.

I tied the wraps for the split grip and between the reel seat first. Put a light coat of epoxy down first on those wraps. Then I dry fitted, epoxied the split grip and reel seat down. Next I did the did the hook keeper and the rest of the guides. Other than on the sk2 split grip. I did not use winding checks on the cork. I tried it on the SJ843 and really like the winding check less look. So I continued it on this rod

The only mistake I made was using colorfast 822 ( silver grey) underneath the nylon 428 at the hook keeper. I believe, I knew that would be an issue but, forgot being away for 2 years. The color fast thread kinda bleeds through the nylon over wrap a bit. That’s a learning moment I’ll remember in the future.

I really like these Ti-forged frames. They are super light. I love the look of high frame guides on spinning rods. The rods that I already have the high frames on seem to cast farther but, that’s just my opinion.

With the exception of the color fast underneath the nylon. I feel this is probably my best build to date. Like I said earlier in the post. I always say I’m just going to a basic non decorative build but, I always end up trying to add a ton of decorative wraps. I feel with this rod I did a fairly good job of a straight forward build with enough personal touches to make it mine.

For the most part I feel the wraps are good. I don’t have any wavy wraps or football looking epoxied guides. The sticker looks good which, sometimes is 50/50 proposition.

Tomorrow a brand new 3000 shimano NASCI FD arrives for it.

Next up is an ice rod for my dad and building my oldest 8.5 year old daughter a rod.

Photos of cork handles with out winding checks.

Nice work. Those reel seats are often difficult to set properly. Tag wraps look very clean, custom cork on point. Love that you chose one of my favorite all time blanks. ML St Croix are hard to beat. I just built a 7’10”MLXF.

For rods of the same length and power, the faster the action the softer the tip.

Did you use CP on the nylon over wrap?

When my grandkids were ready for rods I built them 6 1/2 foot St Croix SCIII's, and they handled them just fine. Still using them 20 years later. I'm not a fan of really short rods for kids. They quickly learn to handle rods of "regular" length and those rods cast farther and set hooks better than the shorties most people start their kids on.

Nice build!

8 hours ago, Mbirdsley said:

I’ve come to realize that even with my fast and extra fast rods. I like a fairly soft tip.

Nice build looks like it came out great

Very nice work, rod looks great

15 hours ago, Mbirdsley said:

...

The only mistake I made was using colorfast 822 ( silver grey) underneath the nylon 428 at the hook keeper. I believe, I knew that would be an issue but, forgot being away for 2 years. The color fast thread kinda bleeds through the nylon over wrap a bit.

....

The rod looks great.

The Japanese have a concept "wabi-sabi"...it centers on beauty in imperfection.

My new reel showed up today. Looks good on the rod. I have had a couple more expensive spinning reels but, this one is definitely one of the better ones I’ve put my hands on

12 hours ago, MickD said:

For rods of the same length and power, the faster the action the softer the tip.

Did you use CP on the nylon over wrap?

When my grandkids were ready for rods I built them 6 1/2 foot St Croix SCIII's, and they handled them just fine. Still using them 20 years later. I'm not a fan of really short rods for kids. They quickly learn to handle rods of "regular" length and those rods cast farther and set hooks better than the shorties most people start their kids on.

Nice build!

No I did not use color preserver over the nylon wraps. I haven’t used CP on my last 2-3 builds.

I was thinking of building her one of the color series rods from mhx which, off the top of my head are 6.5 ft long. I don’t trust her with a super expensive rod yet. Figured it would be as close as a do everything rod that I can find at that price point. I’ll set it up as a spin caster.

I’ve taken her fishing before and at this point she likes the idea of fishing. However, she also has a short attention span. I can build her better one down the road

Nice work!

Awesome. Nice work

Saweet man, looks like a beauty!

well done!

I am in a similar boat with my son being born in may 2024. I haven't painted a crankbait or finished a rod since.

One of my early builds was that same mhx blank and I had the same feeling...way too stiff. The sj blanks have a slightly softer tip than the mb blanks, but no where near what I would call a medium power blank in the sj series. A 3 power is a medium heavy in the mb line and I would certainly call it a medium heavy spinning rod blank. With that said, I am using my drop shot rod DS822 a lot more because its lighter tip, but still stiff backbone. It isn't quite heavy enough for consistent stupid tubes, but it does have the lighter tip to load 1/8 to 3/16 oz jigs in 3.5" tubes.

On 3/5/2026 at 2:31 PM, dwtaylor said:

well done!

I am in a similar boat with my son being born in may 2024. I haven't painted a crankbait or finished a rod since.

One of my early builds was that same mhx blank and I had the same feeling...way too stiff. The sj blanks have a slightly softer tip than the mb blanks, but no where near what I would call a medium power blank in the sj series. A 3 power is a medium heavy in the mb line and I would certainly call it a medium heavy spinning rod blank. With that said, I am using my drop shot rod DS822 a lot more because its lighter tip, but still stiff backbone. It isn't quite heavy enough for consistent stupid tubes, but it does have the lighter tip to load 1/8 to 3/16 oz jigs in 3.5" tubes.

That mb843 is definitely a medium heavy. It’s weird.it’s not good for bottom contact but, I can feel a fish breath on it. Why I’m going to use it as vertical jigging rod for walleye. Which, it does really excel at.

I thought I was going to like stupid tubes but, I like fishing regular tube jigs better. To combat grass and other junk fouling the hook I’ve learned to just go as light as weight as possible to try and ride up and over the grass. Sometimes though it still impossible to not get weeds on the hook. I probably wouldn’t use the rod I just built for stupid tubes either. However, it will be fine with regular tubes, neds, and occasionally a wacky rig.