Rod Action

[Crestliner08]

Thanks for that information "crappie wrangler". Two of the three 9' rods I now use are the B n' M SHSS model. Sometimes I can cast great with them. Then all of a sudden my fingers fumble and I throw a nest of line. I can usually undo the nest with a little patience, but it is annoying. Another 9' rod is the Roger Gant "The Difference". This is difficult to cast with even though it has more guides than the SHSS does? It's probably just me. I have no problems casting the 7' SHSS. I just enjoy fishing with the longer rods; especially when I hook into a good one!

[crappie wrangler]

Typically the line tangle gets its roots on the previous cast. After the cast during the first turn of the handle a loop is achieved on the spool. Generally it is not noticed until the next cast when a birds nest is the result of the loop.

[wicklundrh]

Here is the long and short of it:

Rod action will differer from blank to blank and company to company. The reason being is that all of them utilize different proprietary blends when creating their blank composits. A St. Croix blank in SCIII in a 6'6" Light weight fast action will have a much different feel than a fenwick elite tech 6'6" rod in the exact same weight and action.

The best advice is to go to a store that has a very large selection of rods and put them in your hands. Each person is different with what they like. Some guys prefer a stiff rod for jigging because they do not like the bounce in the rod, others prefer a limber rod with a soft backbone. Everyone is different just like every rod is different. Take them off the rack, put them side by side, wiggle them, jig them, and feel them. Take a 6 foot piece of mono and a light weight jig with you and tie it to the tip. Feel what the rod does in your hands. Best tip I could give you!

I build my own rods as well so I can get the exact size feel, shape, length and so on of the rods I use. They are "purpose" driven. If I build a rod for jigging, it will NOT excell as a rod for pitching jigs.

[crappie wrangler]

Total agreement here. I like a slightly stiffer rod with a soft tip and I generally use St Croix blanks. My fishing buddy has health issues and can no longer feel a strike because his hands are numb. To compensate for his numbness I made him a one piece 9' bait casting rod that is very soft actioned so he can see his strikes instead of feel them. His rod works for him my rods work for me because we use different technics to catch fish. Expierence also makes a big difference. I have tied a crappie jig on a stripped bass rod and caught crappie but we are talking about personal ideal conditions not what has to be done when there are no other options. Good to see a post from other custom rod builders. Best suggestion is if you can afford a custom rod get one. It will make the single biggest success difference over any other piece of equipment you own.

[ibcamn]

Huckabee Pro Series...medium heavy medium action, combined with 20 lb braid, super sensitive combo.