So I really like useing long ultralights with small slip bobbers and bait for them 'yellow bellied perch' as they call 'em around here (I'm from Chicago so they always been bluegill, shellcrackers, and sunfish to me).

However, I'm cheap too. Finding a 10-15ft ultralight for cheap isnt easy.

So what could I expect if I glued the sections of a 3pc telescopic wal-mart panfish pole (like the B&M ones, with the little spring clips to hold line) together (so its always extended, transport will not be a problem), wrapped guides on it, and either just taped a spinning reel to it (probably will anyway for testing) or made a cork handle for it? I've already got the pole (when the brim are bedding, thats all we use) and the reel And all these type poles I've used are very 'flimsy', what I'd call ultralight. If it turns out that I like it enough, I may try it with one of the 20ft telescopic poles too. 20ft may be getting crazy though?

Yes, I know the terms I'm useing for some of this may not be correct, but I've only wrapped about 6 guides in my life. And one was with 8lb line 'cause the guide came off the pole while I was fishing and that all I had. The others, well I just cut the steel guides off an old rod that I really liked, but the mono had cut grooves in the steel guides. Fishin for 30# carp on 6lb line will do that, and tied on a new set of guides with the ceramic insets or whatever they are made out of/called?

Take a look at fly blanks. For those fish since you want a long rod, a 4 wt fly would make a nice UL .
You could even do a say 2-3-4 piece rod for transport.
You don't need a sage for this. So look around on the prices. Batson Forecast might be the ticket.
I would think some thing in a mod-fast to fast action



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/2005 08:08AM by bill boettcher.

Jeff,
I have done a similar rod using a B & M 12 ft. 2 piece crappie rod. Since you already have the rod and do not want to spend a whole lot, I would suggest a good set of eyes. Get the lightest you can get away with, single foot and use the forhan lock in wrapping them. I would also suggest a cork grip maybe with sliding rings( see Jann's NetCraft ). It will get you the rod you want but good luck on transporting it.

Jeff,

I agree with Sam Fox about the B&M crappie rods, they are close to being standard on the west coast for budget minded surf perch fishermen. If you are made of money, Daiwa and other asian market tackle specialists make telescoping RODS (not poles) with eyes, reel seats, etc. up to 24' in length in graphite of carbon fiber composite but they are not cheap and the shipping will kill you.

I know some serious cliff anglers around here that fish for perch and nearshore rockfish with these rigs because the can bounce a fair sized fish into the safety zone without having to do any climbing.

If you are cheap as advertised...Join the club partner.....I made a cheap but very effective 5 peice rod with guides and grips out of a 15' solid fiberglass ORV safety flag whip, some guides, 2 layers of bicycle tape for a grip, some metal ferrules, and some electrical tape to attach the reel.

It is as ugly as a bulldog walking backwards, a little heavy, but boy does this sucker work

ANYTHING is possible if I can make that mess work.

Derek

A traditional English coarse fishing rod has solid glass "nibble tip" which sometimes screws into the tip runner; you can try resurrecting a rod with broken tip if you could find a heavy enough nibble tip. My own rod is an early graphite fly rod with the reel seat removed, a Fuji NPS added above the cork grip with one inch foregrip.
Regards Charles

Well then it looks like I'm gonna try it. I had some 12x12x0.25 cork tile things, so I'm gonna make the handle too. I cut 80 rings with a hole saw in a drill (this particular hole saw has a drill bit in the center, so they'll even have a hole dead center to start with). It'll be 16" long. I figure 16" because my 8ft ultralight has a 14" tennesee style handle. I'll tape or maybe even wrap the reel onto the handle. I cut the rings with a saw that comes to 1.4 inches, but it cuts rough so I'll hafta take them down to 1.1" or so to just smooth them. My 8ft ulralight has a .9" handle, smallest of any of my rods, and I like it the best too, so I think I'll take it down to 1" even or .9"

But I still need to order the eyes! Hows the cheap ones from Cabelas? They are about $6-7 for a set of 8. Cheapest I've seen so far. Will I need more than 8?