So I've got this idea in my head to build a 9' - 9'6 distance rod using the kr-concept for launching mirrolures and gulps for specks as well as tins and albie snax for albie from the shore / jetties. I'm looking at 3 salmon/steelhead blanks and wanted to get everyone's thoughts on the blanks I'm considering as well as if this is even a good idea/concept. The blanks are St. Croix SCIII (3SC96MF2), Rainshadow RX8 (XST1143F-TC) and North Forks Composites (HS 761-2(IM). The St Croix and Rainshadow are 9'6" • fast action • med power • lure wt - SCIII - 1/4-3/4 oz. RX8 - 3/8-3/4. The NFC is the same but 9' with extra fast action. My main concern is that being salmon/steelhead blanks these will be too soft. Any thoughts / recommendations would be most welcome.

Thanks,
Dutch

They should all work well for what you want to do. I have four salmon / steelhead rods that I use for distance casting for inshore saltwater and freshwater spillway fishing all with Fuji KR concept guides. If you want a little more backbone try the RX8 XST1085F, makes up into a very nice rod.
Norm

Perfect blanks for your choices. No issue with the rod tips.

Good luck

I looked up one of the blanks and it was rated up to 3/4 ounce lure. For your proposed application - distance casting - this is too light. For example, I use the tins for this application starting at 1oz, but if I want serious distance I start at 1 1/2 oz and go up to about 2 1/2. A rod rated for 3/4 oz max will cast the lure but it will flop into the water unsatisfactorily close to your feet. Ideally you will have a blank rated well above your max lure size as you will be putting the wood to it on the cast and need the backbone for optimum performance. I have put together a bunch of rods for this application, and have learned these lessons on the beach and pier. In my experience, the max distance I can get out of, say a 1 1/2 tin, is from an 11 ft rod rated to 3 oz, with a well tuned abu 6500c and 12 lb line.- is about 100 yards. So...think backbone.

I agree with Philip. The most often used lure weight should fall about middle on the rod lure ratings. Will cast better and if you decide to put a little more weight on it will handle that as well. The albie snax soft plastics work but you should check out hogy epoxy jigs. They work awesome for albies and have a wide lure weight range. Good luck.

distance casting is a pretty broad description of what you want to accomplish
you could be better helped if you state the type of reel a level wind bait cast or an open bail spinning reel
because they both have different abilities to toss a lure in the weights you will be using.
a bait caster will require a blank with more power back bone to whip the lure a good distance.
a spinning reel doesn't need the backbone as it works best with lure weights the blank is designated for.
my comments are from my own personal experience building and using both type for fishing coho and Chinook salmon using lures from 3/8- 1 1/2 ounce with spinning reel blank description 3/8 - 3/4 ounce 9-6 ft 2 piece
and with a bait cast reel blank description 1/2 -1 ounce 9 foot 2 piece

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

Google Menpachi rods, used to throw smaller presentations off reefs in the south pacific. CTS probably makes some as does Talon here in the US.

My bad. You're right Mathew, I should have mentioned the reel. So I'm building this off of a Penn Clash 3000 with 10 - 15lb Suffix 832. The KR reduction train is going to be - KLH 16H, 8H, 6M, 5.5L followed by 2 x KB5s and then KT5s to the top.

Lures are primarily 3" Gulps with 3/8oz jig head, Mirrolures (1/2 - 3/4 oz) for the specks and Deadly Dicks/Hogy/Daddy Macs, (3/8 - 7/8 oz) and Albie Snax (1/2 oz) for the albie/bonito. Basically nothing heavier than 7/8 oz but primarily in the 3/8 - 3/4 oz range.

The main blanks I'm now considering are the
SCIII (3SC96MF2) 9'6" • fast action • med power • lure wt - 1/4 - 3/4 oz
and
SCIII (3SC96MHF2) 9'6" • fast action • MH power • lure wt - 3/8 - 1 oz

I may move up to the SCV versions of one of these if they feel like they have a faster action. (5SC96MF2-G or 5SC96MHF2-G).

Like I said, my main concern is that these being salmon/steelhead blanks they will be too soft. I have a few 7 and 7'6" fast action / ML / M Lamiglas rods I use for specks and albie which are great and I can feel the slightest pick up of gulps. I just want to build something that will give me a bit more distance casting small lures without losing too much sensitivity. Thanks y'all.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/31/2017 02:12PM by Dutch Siersema.

I would move up to the MH blank. This will give you a little more versatility, since it will not only cast your lighter lures quite well but also allow you to cast something a little heavier. For a 3000 Penn reel you might think about changing your reduction guides to either KL20H, 10H, 5.5M, or KL20H, 10H, 7M, 5.5L. In my option the larger stripper give you more versatility and better performance on longer M to MH rods I have tried both the three guide and four guide reduction train on 9' salmon rods and I prefer the three guide train with a fast action blank. A moderate to moderate fast action blank will do well with the four guide train.
Norm

Strongly urge you to move to size 20 stripper. 20H, 10H, 6M. You will generate some pretty good lure speed with a longer rod and it looks like a recipe for line over running your stripper. The 16 as a great ultralight solution, but I would suggest no less than a 20 and I might even test cast the 25.

Thanks Norman and Jim. I'm definitely adjusting and will test 2 setups (A) - 20H, 10H, 6M and (B) - 25H, 12H, 7M. If I do end up feeling I need a fourth guide in the reduction train I'll use a 5.5L.

as for the guide set up I would do a combination of the Kr concept and the old cof that will give you the least amount of problems

1 strip 25, down to a 16 to a 10 and 8 for runners for mono
2 strip 20 down to a 16 to a 12 and 6 for runners for braid

I say this because mono & fl carbon doesn't flow like braid does and will actually can slow down the lure in a cast because of the memory that mono & fl carbon has.
the weight difference between the 2 set ups is minuscule
The last salmon rod I built to use with mono was set up with the #1 set up and works well I toss a 1/4 lead head with a 4 inch minnow plastic it goes about 75-80 feet easily that is with 12 lb no frills mono the old xl

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