Rod & Reel

[ccupit]

Cast away skeleton and curado


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[AtTheWall]

For whitebass - A Galvan Brookie 3 wt fly reel with a custom 7'6" Revelation fly rod of my own build. Rio weight forward fly line in 4 wt with a 6 lb Rio mono tippit. I may tie on a 4lb or 6lb leader from my tippit, to whatever fly I opt to fish that day.

The custom Brookie far left. 2nd from left, if the wind is up, Galvan 5\6 wt reel with a custom Blue Halo Fiberglass fly blank of my own build. Blank is 8'6" and line SA WF fly line in 6wt with either a 6 - 8 lb tippit.



Or if it's ultralight casting tackle for whitebass - I use a custom 5'6" Batson\Rainshadow spinning rod, of my own build, matched to a Shimano Stradic C14+ spooled with 4lb test flourocarbon.

[AtTheWall]

Bass fishing - I use Lews, Shimano & Daiwa reels on various custom rod builds I put together. Fuji SIC with Titanium guides on some and others Fuji SIC stainless.

[randal]

For white bass I'd get a cheap $50 open face combo from bass pro I paid $35 for mine on sale 10 years ago and they are still great.. do you really need a expensive sensitive rod for sand bass? Nope. I have some revos and shimanos from my black bass days and about 10 record 60's for blue cat but I don't see a point in spending a lot for sand bass fishings..

[BigCountry101]

AtTheWall - now you got me wanting to build a custom rod! Any pointers?

[JTRichardson]

My new toy I got Friday.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Justin--

I messed around with some of those at the bass master classic expo and they felt phenomenal!


For me, I fish all stars, falcons, duckett, and h2O express rods. For reels I use curados, old lews bb-1ngh, h2O mettles, and the occasional revo

[iamntxhunter]

I use Curado reels and my rods are mainly Falcon with a couple of Allstars and Castaways.

[Mayhem]

Justin--



I messed around with some of those at the bass master classic expo and they felt phenomenal!





For me, I fish all stars, falcons, duckett, and h2O express rods. For reels I use curados, old lews bb-1ngh, h2O mettles, and the occasional revo

I have always fished shimano and switched to the mettle and manic and they both sucked. I have been wanting a concept C for a long time won that reel for $25. It is smooth a silk.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[JTRichardson]

I have always fished shimano and switched to the mettle and manic and they both sucked. I have been wanting a concept C for a long time won that reel for $25. It is smooth a silk.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have a few of the old model Mettles (1.0's) that are fantastic. I've heard nothing good about the newer ones

[BBRU]

And unless you are a professional or serious tournament angler you are a **** fool for spending that kind of money on one rig.

If you looked in my rod box on my boat you would be down right appalled then...... LOL You would probably think I need professional help....

[Kmiles84]

Quantum smoke on 13 fishing omen balances nice

[boomer453]

8 curados in my boat along with 5 Lews tournament reels and 1 revo sx. if i need more or have to replace any it will be with Lews. seem to be better quality in my opinion but just my .02 worth. Rods are a mix of makers (G Loomis, Kistler, Lews, St Croix) either bought or won in tournaments but the best seem to be the G loomis or the St Croix.

[AtTheWall]

AtTheWall - now you got me wanting to build a custom rod! Any pointers?

Shop blanks for application. If you are going to engage saltwater species, where the size of hook-up can become unpredictable (jetty and surf, deep open water near Gulf passes), shop saltwater blanks. An 8wt for fresh isn't an 8wt for open water passes - blank composition toward the butt on saltwater are thicker walled for lifting power.

If you like pond hoping and casting banks from a boat, in pursuit of bass (all species), an 8'6" blank around 7 or 8 wt will be best for Texas winds. I know a bunch of folks state 5 - 7 wt for bass but, casting in Texas winds, which average 10 plus miles per hour during prime bass months, you want a fly stick that can punch the gusts and still present a big bass fly. Some of the bigger bass flies rival tarpon flies and you need some power in the fly stick to make the cast, with a buffeting Texas wind.

Snakebrand fly guides and strippers are excellent - quality American made guides. If you build a traditional fly stick, use their guides - best price and performance.

If you want a stick that can muscle some saltwater stuff, and opt to build an 8wt that can bass plus work over oversized redfish, I would recommend leaning hard on Fuji SIC guides through the entire blank. Two double foot guides off the reel (stripper and second guide) and then go single foot Fuji SICs to the tip. And a SIC tip guide too. Reason.....think going into backing under intense pressure on 100 - 200 yard runs. A saltwater worthy fly stick will still fish bass and big bass flies.

Fighting butt - 1.5" minimum - keeps the reel off the ground when you prop the rod and it also gives you a little mounting spot on your body to rest, as line is zinging out (big fish). Without it, you are holding the rod non-stop without leveraging your body during long run periods.

Wrap each ferrell, on the female end of each blank section, with a supporting blank reinforcement wrap. Fly rods bend like mad and each connecting section will benefit from the extra strength provided around the blank in these zones.

You can see these supporting bands here on my 7wt Blue Halo fiberglass stick.





You can also take a factory stick and mod it out if you want to lean on a proven blank. TFO BVK 8 wt I stepped on below.

You can buy many of the high end fly blanks as bare stick. So many of them out there though......worth digging through as many fly shops as possible, just to feel out possibilities.