I just though I'd do a post with my initial impressions of the North Fork Composites blanks I received this past week. Hopefully it will be helpful to anyone considering building on these two blanks in the future. Both blanks are from the IM series.

I received the blanks this past week. They were in perfect condition, and as I expected, they are beautiful blanks. The natural raw finish on the blanks have a shimmer to them that is quite pleasing to the eye. Both blanks were almost perfectly straight, with no visual imperfections. They look and feel like the high quality blanks I was expecting them to be.

I do have what may be a slight problem to most people, but is a little more than slight problem to me, in that the decal that came with the IM MB709 does not match the advertised specs of the blank iIn North Fork's on line catalog. Nor does it match any of the other listings I have seen on various websites. In the literature the action of the blank is listed as "moderate fast". The decal supplied with the blank lists the action as "fast".

Like I mentioned, probably a non issue with some, but I'm more than a little troubled by it. I have yet to put a decal on any of the rods I've built, but I was planning on putting them on the rods I am building on these blanks. I don't want to have to explain that the decal may be wrong. I say "may be" because until I do a CCS measurement for AA, (which I will be doing) I have no idea if it's wrong or not. I know it's not a scientific measurement but when I receive a new blank I flex it deeply as a check for a defect or damage in the blank, and the 709 blank flexes like other rods I have that are listed as having moderate fast actions. But none of those rods have the power that the 709 blank has, so I need to check it.

Other than that, the blank has the power I was looking for. My initial impressions of its sensitivity compared to the Immortal blanks from Rainshadow are that the IM series from North Fork are very close to the Immortal. Without fishing the rods side by side as of yet, I'd give a slight nod to the Immortal. But that most likely stems from my love of the Immortal blanks I've built on. Either way, that North Fork blanks feels very sensitive, with a very nice crisp action.

As far as the DS 61007 blank is concerned. As mentioned earlier, it is a beautiful blank, with the same beautiful finish and straightness of the MB709 blank. I haven't built a rod on any of the Immortal series spinning blanks, so I can't give an honest comparison as to sensitivity of the different blanks. I will say that the IM North Fork blank feels very sensitive. Exactly what I am looking for in a drop shot rod. I say drop shot and not drop shot / shaky head rod because I have some questions as to whether or not this DS61007 blank has the power to fish a shaky head jig effectively. At least not the way I fish a shaky head the majority of the time.

I do a lot of long casts and dragging with a shaky head. Usually on rock and gravel flats. As such I fish the hook point Texas rigged. My initial impressions of the DS 61007 blank are that it just doesn't have the power to fish a shaky head in that manner. The blank is listed as having an extra fast action, and it definitely has that. But the tip (about 20" of the blank) is very soft compared to what I am used to. I understand that the lure weight rating for the blank is only 1/8 - 3/8 oz, but when compared to the Pac Bay QLSJ 782 blanks with the same power ratings as the 6107, the Quickline 782 blank has the feel of more power. I know the 782 is 4" shorter and that will make a difference in how powerful the blanks feel .... the 6107 is just softer than I'd hoped.

In fairness, the 6107 blank is listed as a drop shot blank, and for that I think it will excel. The soft tip is going to pay big dividends for fishing a drop shot. It should make those pressure bites easier to feel. It's definitely, at least IMO, a blank meant for limited casting distances with light wire, open hooks, Of course I could be completely wrong about that. Only fishing the rod I build on it will tell.

So there it is ........ the NFC IM blanks are extremely nice blanks. And with a name like Gary Loomis behind them, I didn't expect them not to be. I am really looking forward to building and fishing the rods I will be building on them. The IM MB709 is a blank that will definitely get fish, even big fish, out of heavy cover and into the boat with no problem at all. It doesn't feel like a blank that needs to be babied, yet it has superb sensitivity. The IM DS6107 blank ..... at least my initial impressions of it, are that is is a very technique specific blank. And that it will perform that technique exceptionally well. And it will be a blank that is great at protecting light line with a big fish attached to the end of it. Especially for fish that like to jump a lot. I can't wait to set the hook on a 3 lb + smallie ........ it's going to feel like I hooked a train!

Now I'm just waiting on the components to build the rods to get here. With the fall draw downs we experience here I won't be able to put the rod I build on the MB709 blank to a true test, but I will for sure be able to put the drop shot rod I build to the test.

And finally ...... If anyone else has different impressions of the mentioned blanks, or rods you've built on them, please feel free to share them. I'm always interested in differing opinions, and I'm sure they would prove helpful to me or anyone considering building on the two blanks in the future.

I just finished a pair of their st1302-im blanks. I would say they're spot on calling it a moderate blank. I wouldn't personally consider it a 6-10 lb. rod, but we all know how opinions seem to differ from one manufacturer to the next. One blank was pretty straight, the second one took a lot of eyeballing to get an acceptable looking rod. Not my favorite finish job if you're doing elaborate wrap jobs, but it did look decent when wrapped to have a "stealthy" look. I did use the factory labels on these, and I think they're the best ones I've ever used.

David, I had the same problem with labels matching specs but only with Point Blank. It is the reason I won’t use their blanks. Yes they are nice but not worth it to ME. It may seem foolish to some not to use a product over a label but that is what I choose and am completely happy with that choice.

Although I never use the label that comes with a blank, I just looked at the labels that came with the last 5 Point Blanks and the last 4 NFC blanks that I built and the labels matched the specs given by the respective manufacturers. To pass on an outstanding rod blank because of a label does seem foolish to me, but that’s your choice.
Norm

Norm I am glad you like them and they work for you. My biggest problem was the blank I wanted was advertised but not available. I’ve moved on and am completely satisfied with my choice. Some love ford or Chevy and yet others love Dodge it’s all personal choice to the user. I just chose another brand.

Take care and good fishing



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/23/2017 03:47PM by Thomas Kaufmann.

In the absence of objective data I suspect different anglers would consider the same, UN-labeled blank to possess a different action: everything from "medium-slow" to "fast". After all, subjective opinions as to what is a "fast" car or a "slow" car differ wildly, especially when you ignore objective information, like speed in miles per hour.