Shortening Handle on New 16ft WM / Lews Signature Rod from Grizzly Jig

[Rojo]

I mentioned in another thread I ordered a 16ft WM / Lews Signature Jigging Rod for late winter fishing. I hold all my jig poles with my index finger on top of the blank right forward of the beginning of the grip. When holding the rods with that grip the long butts bump the seat, my side, and anything else it can making you have to hold your arm uncomfortably away from your body. So for DIY source material this post is being created.



In this first image I have already cut & sanded square the extra length of the rod off. I just wrap blue masking tape around the butt to ensure a square cut on the bandsaw. My bandsaw is a metal saw with a gearbox so it runs slower than a woodworking bandsaw. The rod butt caps I use are The Mud Hole's house line of composite cork butt caps. I use their cork butts on these longer poles because they are regularly slid around on the deck of the boat while I'm un-winding the wind knots in the line tangled around the tip. These Butts are durable.



This picture shows blue masking tape being used again to mark & measure the amount of EVA foam that must be removed for the new butt cap to slide on.



Here I use a razor blade allowing the tape to be a guide, to cut just deep enough to allow the EVA to be removed leaving a square shoulder for the epoxy to adhere to. A Dremel tool with a "New" sandpaper drum is used on the slowest setting to put the radius back on the remaining EVA. Enough EVA is sanded away so the new Butt cap just slides on without stretching or compressing the EVA.



Here is a end shot after the fitting is complete.



Any 5 minute epoxy will work here, I like a clear finish epoxy. The pad is a Bondo mixing pad so you can just tear off the top sheet when it's full of mixed epoxy. Leave the tape on till set, this will help in the cleanup if you have excess epoxy that squeezes out.



I use a reduced diameter finer grit "New" sanding drum to blend the Cork Butt Cap to the EVA. You have to just take your time, I hold the sanding drum at a 45 degree andle to the seam. This makes the blending easier for me.



The Blended Butt Cap.



PowerPro's 8Slick 10# test HiVis is easy to see when you get a bite on the drop but not seen here I have 4ft of 8Slick 8# test in Moss Green tied as a leader, best of both worlds to me. The Double Uni Knot is used with 10 wraps each side. Usually the hook will straighten before the line breaks.