Hello all,

I am interested in all of your opinions on this subject. I want to build another bad boy shark rod for my penn 12/0 but I am not sure what blank to pick. I wanted to make the rod 4'10" max with an aftco short bent butt. The two blanks I am looking into are a Calstar Baja Boomer rated or a Seeker long range stand-up tuna blank Mod: STS59XXXH, length: 5'9", line rating: 80-130, Butt: 1.050 & Tip: 14. I do not have the money to go out and buy a status blank right now so I figured I would just try with one of these blanks. I want a rod that when finished has a tip that loads nice and is working for me while fighting a big fish instead of a real stiff rod where I have to do all the work. which blank would you guys pick. I plan to fish straight 80lb. mono but may go as high a 100lb test line. Oh and do any of you know whether a penn 12/0 will fit in the reel seat of the aftco short bent butt if it doesn't I may to go with the Alutecnos butt.

Jimmy

Hi Jimmy-

You really need to pull on either blank first- while taking measurements (for blank cutting) to determine if a particular blank will suit your application and physical limitations.

First make a mark where the blank has an O.D. of .875" at the butt. That mark will let you know the furthest point from the tip where cutting is possible without sacrificing blank wall thickness. If you build with a #2 Unibutt, .875" is a standard reference point. It also represents the furthest point where the blank is inserted into the ferrule. Then make another mark toward the butt to represent what would be the actual length with a Unibutt installed.

Once you have made your marks, you are ready to start pulling. You get to hold the rod as if you were fighting a fish. Have a friend grab the tip and pull down firmly. Then have your friend shift to a another point further from the tip, and try again and again until you find that you can't balance against the load. When you find that point, put a piece of tape on the tip to mark it. When it's time to install the tiptop, knowing where NOT to cut is crucial.

Although you could use either blank for your intended application (either one could be modified- I have used the TS59 for this but not the Baja Boomer), I would go with the Seeker CTSF 55XXXH.

Here's why: 1)the CTSF 55XXXH has the beef you need in this type of rod. Construction is graphite/glass for a little more lifting power when the blank is loaded.

Butt diameter is about .920 (Unibutt #2 ferrule is .875) as opposed to 1.050 or 1.175 for the other blanks. This will give you more flexibility when it comes time to determine where to cut the blank at the butt end for the Unibutt ferrule.

In terms of the reel, your 12/0 will fit, but you will have to unscrew the ferrule in order to be able to get the locking rings and sliding hood open wide enough to accept it. I don't have any "80-class" reels that fit a UB2 without this hassle.

Jimmy- although my link on the left is not active yet, I do have everything you need to build this type of tackle- I have the CTSF 55 XXXH, the Wind-On's, Aftco butts, etc. Feel free to e-mail if you need any help with component selection or construction technique.

Tom Kohl
Petrochemical Rods