Hello all, I am new to this forum. I have built one rod and it turned out nicely, to my surprise. I live on the coast in St.Augustine Fla, and surf fishing and freshwater bass are my quarry. This topic involves surf fishing. I mainly fish for one species, the pompano. They are illusive, really fun to catch and learning where they are in the surf is a big challenge. We like to use rods at least 11-13 ft, made from tubular fiberglass, with a good medium heavy action (at most) with open cage baitcasters that hold 250-300 yds of line and will cast 2-6 oz to the breakers. For the real pompano surf fisherman, this is the set up to use. I know a few of them and they catch them, a lot of them. I am learning but my success is getting better and better. The problem I face is just finding a two piece fiberglass blank in that size, I have looked everywhere and the only thing I can come up with is the Gator Pomp rod which is 13ft and one piece. My other alternative is to buy a cheaper 12ft spinning rod and take it apart and then build it from there. I cannot even find a already built 12-113ft bait casting rod made of fiberglass, anywhere. Need a 12ft spinning fiberglass rod? They are everywhere! I did find a Beefstick 10ft in baitcasting with a MH action, but that was it. The 12 footer is a heavy. Not that I want to buy a Chinese rod and rebuild it, I don't but I am unsure of what to do and lugging a one piece 13ft rod around is not real feasible right now. If anyone has any ideas of where to find a 2 piece, tubular blank, or any other ideas, I'm all ears. I'm sorry if I was long winded for my first post. I read a lot of your post here and y'all seem to be a really nice bunch.

Okay, forget names like gator and beefsteak. They are garbage (trust me). While you can use fiberglass you don't need to and really don't want to.

I'd suggest graphite or composite (part graphite part fiberglass). Also there are different types of fiberglass and "S" glass is superior.

Concentrate on the "better" names in surf casting rods throughout the years. One such name is Lamiglas. You will pay a premium for the name but with good reason.

Pompano aren't very big so the rod strength is more about handling the amount of lead you need to cast. You will also find quality blanks will be stronger than the rating on cheaper blanks. So you might not need as strong a rod as you think.

In my area I'd be looking at something around 10 to 12 foot, rated for 2-4 ounces, and fishing 12-15 pound test. For conventional reels, something like an abu 6500 or a penn 525. Names like lamiglas, rainshadow, and MHX would be where I'd start depending on budget. But there are plenty of other names to consider as well. Post your budget range and maybe we can help more.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

I'm with Russell,
Why fiberglass - unless you want to be retro.
I live in FL also and I've seen the rods you describe being used in Vero Beach surf. With all due respect - they are crude tools.
Graphite besides being MUCH lighter will provide more fun because you will feel the fight better.
The CTS Vapor Trail has the action you will like - loads deeply - and you can get it in lengths of 10, 11, 12, 13 feet and lure (sinker) weights of 2-4 OZ, 2.5 - 5 OZ and 3-6 Oz.
In 2, 3, 4 pieces.
[ctsfishing.com]

Herb
U.S. Distrib CTS

Sorry for dupe post



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/28/2017 09:03PM by Herb Ladenheim.

I use a couple of Cabela's 13' 2-piece surf rods, one with a Fin-Nor Offshore spinning reel loaded with 30# braid, the other is the exact same blank but built as a conventional rod with a Daiwa Slosh -30 loaded with #20 mono. They cast a 4 ounce sputnik and a guppy rig just fine, and when the pompano go north these rods work well on spinners and blacktips in the surf.

Phil in Daytona

I use a couple of Cabela's 13' 2-piece surf rods, one with a Fin-Nor Offshore spinning reel loaded with 30# braid, the other is the exact same blank but built as a conventional rod with a Daiwa Slosh -30 loaded with #20 mono. They cast a 4 ounce sputnik and a guppy rig just fine, and when the pompano go north these rods work well on spinners and blacktips in the surf.

Phil in Daytona

Well, There are a few reasons I want to stick with fiberglass. One is that I know a couple of very good pompano fisherman and they both swear that the action of tubular fiberglass gives the forgiveness it needs when the pomps take the bait. I'm sure we could argue that graphite is way better but I am going on what I see and what I've experienced, first hand on the beach. I've watched these guys and have learned form them, they both have there commercial license and they don't just go out and catch 6, they fill the cooler. They are however, using Lamiglas rods, but they are the tubular fiberglass and they are not cheap by any means, not even close. I just wanted to start with something in the 100.00 range for a blank, the Lamies are going to have to wait. As far as being sensitive, I cast and put it in a rod holder, the circle hook and the action/power of the rod will do the rest. And yes, I admit it, I do like retro, I use Abu 7000's and Daiwa Millionaire's from the 70's and early 80's and I love them, love the whole idea of it all, I have them tuned to cast very well. So, I have one surf rod that is probably a little cheap, it's an 11'0 tubular fiberglass but I can get it out to the breakers pretty well. For the time being until I can afford something like a Lamiglas, I was looking for something a little less expensive. I don't mind building a cheaper rod to begin with, I know it may not be the best or cast the furthest but it will catch fish! Until this posting this, Ive never heard anything bad about Gator Rod blanks, please elaborate. Thanks so far for the replies.

have you considered this blank it is with in your price range
Rodgeeks> Surf Rod Series - SRF110MM2 @135.00

11' | Mono. Line Wgt: 12 - 25 lb. | Lure Weight: 2 - 6 oz. | Moderate Action, Medium Power

A flat rate of $18.95 is charged for most blank shipments within the U.S.,


* All dimensions and weights are nominal - actual blanks may vary slightly
** Moderate action blanks are a carbon fiber / S-glass composite

The best day to be alive is always tomorrow !!
Think out side the box when all else fails !!!
Wi.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/28/2017 10:31PM by Matthew Paul.

Here is the RodGeeks link, RodGeek blanks are very nice, and are a great deal for the price. The surf rods are a composite containing S glass in the tip section. Should fit your needs as Matthew suggests.
[rodgeeks.com]
Norm

I thank you for the suggestions by I'm pretty dead set on a fiberglass rod. I know some may think its crazy but fiberglass is needed in the type of fish I am after. It may not cast as well as graphite, but that is not the reason for using one on pompano. I need the slowest action, noodle like with the least resistance possible when the fish are taking the bait, that can still cast 3-4 oz's of lead. We also set our drags loose, not because they will break us off but because they are a fast fish and they can pull the hook out quickly if you don't let them run, and a the more limp the rod, the better. The reason of me needing a two piece is I have no where to store a 13 ft rod unless I take it into the house. So, if anyone knows of any suppliers, I would be happy to hear about it!

I use circle hooks exclusively for pompano. So do commercial fishermen. The rod holder sets the hook, and does so better than the best rod blank in the hands of the best fisherman.

Phil Ewanicki Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I use circle hooks exclusively for pompano. So do
> commercial fishermen. The rod holder sets the
> hook, and does so better than the best rod blank
> in the hands of the best fisherman.


Agreed!

Fred, your budget has restriced your choices too much IMHO. I beg you to consider how many years a good rod will last and how much money is spent per fishing trip. IMHO better to spend an extra hundred now to have a good rod for the next decade+ rather than "any" rod for right now.

Now I don't wish to seem unkind but I'll echo a bit of what Herb said about "crude tools". I find the guys in Florida real stuck in the mud. They have old timers who are successful and married to the tackle they have always used. If it works why should they change? In its day their stuff wasn't the cheapest. Today it might be. Why it works for them is because they put in the time, not because it is the best tool offered today. In short it isn't what somebody would want to start with today, but others see their success and attribute to the gear and not the experience. Just like there were many great cars from the 60's and 70's many of todays cars will smoke them and do it with better handleing, gas milage, maintenance, etc. Still the old pro in his old car will beat the new guy in his high end euro car.

You come to forum of custom rod builders and ask advice. Yet you want us to advise something we would have built 30 years ago. Just isn't going to happen as we know you can catch the fish you want, in the way you want, with a different "tool" no matter what the guys you are listening say. Chances are if you asked them, "If you were a young guy starting out today what rod/reel would you pick" the answer wouldn't be what they currently own/use.

It isn't so much that we are bent on changing your mind as much as we would like to see you happy over the long haul. $100 won't buy you much worth the time and effort, $200 can, $300 certainly will. Remember, you won't save money building your own rod but you can easily build a better "tool". Think about how many times that rod will get used. What is an extra buck per trip for a great rod that loads the cooler vs. a crappy rod that you can't catch a cold with?

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

X2 Russ. Take the advise of the builders that responded and build different rod. You never know, you might catch more fish than them. Maybe they will ask you to build them custom rods.

Thank you guys, I really like the way you word things nicely, some of the other forums will just tell me I know not what I'm talking about and go elsewhere if i don't want to take their advise. With that said, I hear what all of you are saying about new rod tech and how fiberglass is "old" and "retro" and "crude". My first thought when I read these replies is all i asked was where can I find a 12ft, 2 pc tubular fiberglass rod blank, instead getting what I wanted to know, I got what you wanted me to hear. OK, fair enough. Let me tell you how pompano fishing works. Unless you fish for them out of the surf on a regular basis, chase them up and down the coast, I am going to assume you don't know what you are talking about. Just like me, having built only one rod, as far as building a rod, that I don't know what I am talking about. When pompano hit sandfleas in the surf, they normally take the bait a couple of times before they commit and eat it. Any resistance and they will drop it and move on. When they do take the bait and get hooked, they are very fast and they quickly dart from side to side or in circles. This is the reason that you need A. A long rod to reach the breakers, pompano may be right in front of you or they may be out on the first sandbar. B. A parabolic bend with a medium action is best, this offers the least resistance. Resistance is the key to catching them. We let them run, we take out time reeling them in, and then let them run some more. IF not done that way, they can and do pull out and say good-bye. Join all of that with a good reel with a very smooth drag that is set very lightly and that is the ideal set-up. Now whether that is graphite or Fiberglass makes no difference to me, but so far, none of you have shown me a rod that is like that I described. I know from experience (and I do own at least one very nice graphite rod for bass fishing) that graphite rods are mainly Mod-fast action rods and they seem to snap back much faster than fiberglass rods, all of which will loose you fish after fish when catching pompano. And yes, the old timers do it that way, and the person I fish with (which is in his 30's) does it that way. The fish is dictating what set-up we should be using. Have i caught pomps with a graphite rod? Yes I have. but I can tell you that I have lost much much more than I have caught due to a bad set up. They just either don't get hooked or when they do, they don't stay on. What I want you to show me before I chunk out 200-300 just for the blank, is a rod that will do everything that I just described AND be tough enough to be beat up, dropped, get caught in the surf cart or back of the wagon and not break. It has to be 12-13 ft.,have a good parabolic bend and it has to have a medium action to catch the most fish. Please don't get me wrong, I WANT a light agile LONG casting graphite rod. But, I also know what I need and that is the right tool for the job.

Also, we are not talking about 300+ for a rod here, I use 4 rods in my set up (including my wife spinning rod, who will now want one!) so what ever the price for one, times that by 4. It can be really expensive so I have to balance it out.

Since two piece fiberglass surf rod blanks are almost impossible to find, and you are not open to using graphite or composite surf rod blanks, then one of your original options is still open. Buy a Two piece fiberglass spinning surf rod, strip it down, and rebuild it as a casting rod to your specs. These rods are inexpensive, and it is not that difficult to strip down and refurbish using the components of your choice. If you have questions concerning the refurbishing of a rod just ask, and we will be happy to help.
Norm

Norman Miller Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Since two piece fiberglass surf rod blanks are
> almost impossible to find, and you are not open to
> using graphite or composite surf rod blanks, then
> one of your original options is still open. Buy a
> Two piece fiberglass spinning surf rod, strip it
> down, and rebuild it as a casting rod to your
> specs. These rods are inexpensive, and it is not
> that difficult to strip down and refurbish using
> the components of your choice. If you have
> questions concerning the refurbishing of a rod
> just ask, and we will be happy to help.
> Norm

Thank you Norm, I really appreciate the help. And I appreciate every ones help for that matter. That seems to be my only option right now. However, If someone could show me a Blank that is graphite/composite that has the specifications I need, I am open to that also. I don't want to seem closed to any options and i don't want to be old school, just to be old school. Sometimes I fish by myself I take a backpack that holds ice and my tackle and I hoof it, carrying two poles and two 5ft. PVC rod holders. Shaving off a couple of pounds off that would make it a lot easier.

Here is a direction that I think will take you where you want to be. Graphite rod blanks typically labeled "IM6" are very flexible in the range of a similar fiberglass rod with a couple of notable differences;1) they are lighter 2) the tube wall is thinner. They are usually the least expensive of the graphite type blanks. They also use a fiberglass scrim in most cases and it really helps with the strength of the blank. I was in the market for a fiberglass fly rod and I had a chance to talk to a company rep with Sage. He showed me a graphite blank that really had the flexibility of fiberglass and changed my mind of what I was looking for or it could of been just a good marketing ploy.LOL

Fred, here is the deal. There are no 13' fiberglass surf blanks in the hundred buck range. Reckon you have already found that out.

So you have a few choices.

A) Buy a shorter blank of a different material. The RodGeek mentioned above is an example. PacBay and American tackle have something near that price range but I would wager RodGeeks is the better blank.

B) Try to find a vintage blank (or completed rod). Shipping can run a lot so look locally. Thrift stores, flea markets, estate sales, Craig's list, etc. They are out there and many times folks don't know what they have so great deals are possible. Helps if you can spot things at a distance. Certain brands used to use distinctive colors....Fenwick a brown...Lamiglas a honey yellow.

C) Buy a current production rod. Ugly Stick is much like the gator glass and might be about what you are looking for. You can always strip it down and rebuild it.

If you can do with a shorter rod you have a lot more options. Strange as it may sound a faster action rod, by virtue of having a much softer tip, might work better for you. Some of the salmon/steelhead blanks for example. Even a fly rod blank for casting lighter weights and jigs. There are a lot of ways to catch a Pompano and they don't all involve tossing a sand flea a country mile:) Personally I'm not a good enough caster (or probably big enough) to take advantage of a 13 foot rod. Do you find it adds all that much distance for you? That 13 foot requirement is the deal killer:( Puts you into a very special niche.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.