With the help of many here I have narrowed down my search for my Light Surf Rod build. This rod will be primarily used for shore fishing freshwater lakes that only allow for shore shore fishing. However it may also see some use in the salt when on vacation, etc.

For a blank i went with the 9' Lami SSU108-2ML. Rated for 3/8-2oz.
I will be using 3000-4000 sized reel with 20-30lb braid. (most likely shimano stradic)

I will be using the KR Concept guide layout. Using the various tools out there, the guide layout suggested was 20H Stripper, 10H, 5.5M, runners.
So i plan to go with that layout, i did however order the next size up 25H stripper and 12H just in case, as was suggested here. It will depend on which works better.

So my guide layout will look like this: 20H(or 25) > 10H(or 12) > 5.5M > 8x KB5.5 runners to a F5.5 tip top.

For the reel seat i went with the Ergonomic Fuji DNPSM 18. The reason for the ergonomic grip is because I dont plan to use a rear/fore grip as the rod blank is about the size of most of the ones i see on freshwater rods anyway. I will just use the grippy shrink tubing over the blank form the butt to the seat and a few inched above the seat.

I havent decided on where to place the reel seat yet. Cant decide if I should go 14-16" like a salmon rod or a little higher like a surf rod. Any suggestions?

Please let me know what you guys think, any suggestions or comments are welcomed.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/04/2016 09:06AM by Will Cooper.

I would consider the 25 > 12 > 5.5M. Above 20# braid and with a 4000 reel AT THE SPEED YOU WILL GENERATE in the lure with a 9' blank - I think you might be happier with the 25. Just thinking out loud.

Yah i will tape both on and try them out for sure.

Wouldn't hurt to know where you are fishing and what fish you are after. Also lure or bait used. Rather hard to comment otherwise.

I size spinning reel seats to fit the hand, not the blank. I would want a bigger one.

Probably a defect in my builds but I tend to like an extra reduction guide (or two). But then I'm more concerned with fish fighting ability than casting ability.

Grips are important to me for two reasons. One, my rods spend time in rod holders. Two, I'm looking to catch hard fighting fish on lightish tackle and often place my hand well above the reel seat when applying max pressure on a fish.

Guide sizes (for me) would mostly be about knots thru guide train. Don't know if a shock leader is in the plans, etc.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

Fuji does suggest that one can use a four guide reduction train for rods 9' or longer or moderate action rods. For example, a micro KR rod (size 5.5 to size 4 runners) using 20-30lb braid you could use KL20H, KL10H, KL7M, and KL5.5L. For a more conventional KR rod (size 6-5 runners) using 20lb braid can use KL20H, KL10H, KL7M, and KL6L. For conventional rod 30-50lb braid can use KL25H, KL12H, KL7M, and KL6L, or KL25H, Kl12H, KL8M, and KL7L. I think either of your 3 guide reduction trains should work well, but these are some other options you could use. All of these options are listed in the Angler's Resource catalog. The KR concept does give the builder a lot of options to optimize rod performance. I have only built one 9' KR micro rod with a four guide reduction train and it did work very well. I have built more 81/2 -91/2' salmon rods using a three guide reduction train, they also performed very well. I used size 5 runners on all of these longer rods. Hope this does not confuse you too much.
Norm

I'm still new to rod building, with the longest rod I've built being 7'3", so this isn't a critique at all, it's just me thinking outloud. But I'm thinking a 9' rod is going to have quite a few running guides. The original post metioned 8, but depending on what static loading tells you, it could end up being more.

While a 5.5 guide certainly isn't huge, it's not what I would consider small, either. That kind of weight is going to effect the recovery speed of the rod. The KB guides with their wider foot are going to weigh (albeit not much) even more. Unless as Russ mentioned earlier, knots passing through guides is a potential issue, I'd consider even smaller guides as the runners.

20 - 30 braid isn't large diameter, and once braid breaks in, it is very supple. I don't see how going to maybe a size 4.5 or even a size 4 for your runners would hurt you. And the lighter weight of the guide train is definitely going to allow the blank to recover more quickly.

But ...... I don't have enough experience to really say if it would work.

Just thinking out loud.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/05/2016 02:36AM by David Baylor.