Rod Builders: What to look for?
I know absolutely nothing about rod building. If I had the time, I might want to try. Even so, there would be a steep learning curve involved. I expect my first rod, even if it looked good, would be the crappiest casting rod ever made. :laugh:
How would I know that without even trying? Because like everything else, becoming a good rod builder comes with experience and putting your time in. It can't be learned overnight.
There's nothing wrong with a guy wanting to learn how to build how own rod. There's a sense of satisfaction that comes with doing something on your own that is indescribable unless you've actually done it. :thumbsup:
What's a hardcore surfcaster to do?
As you become more experienced and spend more days/week on the water, you realize besides your skill and intuition, your rod and reel is one of the main tools you will use to bring that big fish in. Hopefully one day you will nail a trophy, or at least your personal best.
You start to realize that without the appropriate tools, if you're out there in the middle of the night, you may one night lose the fish of a lifetime. :eek:
So you start to upgrade your gear, a little at a time, as you can afford it. Some guys upgrade to a more modern conventional reel to make sure they won't lose a big one. Others gravitate toward the spinners and the higher end ZB or VS reels.
Still others realize that either because of the wet environment and rough conditions, a 2 rod piece gradually becomes a liabilty, unless you're willing to epoxy the pieces together.
What you should look for in a builder?
As I said, many guys who don't have the time or skills to build one themselves will start looking for a custom rod builder. How do you decide who to choose?
Reading some threads out there convinced me some people choose a builder based on whether the guy is popular or has internet popularity. That's fine, IF the builder is talented and experienced. :thumbsup:
What if the guy you think is behind the work is sending it somewhere else, how can you be assured of quality workmanship?
How can you be assured the rod being built will match you and the fishing you do?
I have nowhere near the knowledge a lot of you other people have out there about rod builders. In the past few weeks, I've learned a few things about what to look for, and the heartache people experience when they blindly give the job to someone they don't know. :beatin:
I'll try to share some of those suggestions here:
1. First of all, you should know who is actually building the rod. A lot of places farm out their work. Who is the guy is doing the work? You really want the answer to that question. He's not just "some guy". He's the guy responsible for your fishing enjoyment when you're fishing for 5-8 hours at a time, and don't want to have unnecessary aches and pains. If the rod isn't built to match you, you may have shoulder problems.
2. What is their building experience? Salt, fresh, strictly offshore, strictly surf, or a combination of one or all? Rod building is a great way for a kid to start out learning at the table of a master, but you don't want that kid building your rod unless his work is supervised. Actually, if I were doing the choosing, I would rather have the master builder build my rod. There's no room in my budget for mistakes.
3. Do they ask questions about what Model reel or reels you will be using on that rod? That's an important step a good builder won't skip on because the setup depends on the answer.
4. Will they balance the rod to the reel you will be using? I only recently learned about this. Not balancing a reel and rod together can give you some fatigue over long casting sessions.
5. Do they really know what they're talking about when they talk about splining a rod? One that isn't done right will will whip to the left or right when casting straight. This is not optimal and can result in decreased casting distance and fatigue.
We have a thread in this forum I found fascinating, where Gunny aka Stripercoast1 details his early experiences as a kid building rods in a tackle shop. Everyone has to learn somewhere. The thing that stands out in that thread is how he took that experience and learned from it to become one of the better rod builders in his area.
I'm sure there are a lot more things one should look for. I started this thread because of the mis-information I was seeing on other threads.
Feel free to chime in with any suggestions for choosing a custom builder, or experiences you may have had.
