# Help with batson blank.



## JuiceGoose (Oct 4, 2006)

I just went by FTU down on 45 yesterday to pickup a blank for my father in law. The guys there are awesome This is only my second rod so I am still learning. Rod will have the microwave guide system and tour star full handle with areo seat and no foregrip. Young guy I spoke with was awesome to work with and after telling him my needs he gave me a Batson rainshadow IP845 7'-0". Once I got home and really started thinking about the blank I think I might have gone a little to heavy on the needs. Hopefully some of you old hands could help me out.

So we fish exclusively out of a boat and almost exclusively live bait under a popping cork. Occasionally he'll throw some artificial but his finesse fishing isn't really finesse. Typically when we fish we are catching trout, small to midsized redfish with the occasional 10-12 lb'r and flounder. Nothing overly heavy really. The key here is that although we try to net our fish he does tend to try to pick it out of the water before a net gets to it. I had relayed this info into to the younger guy which drove the IP845 blank suggestion. 

Feeling the blank more I just can't help but feel like it is built for heavier fish then I need. The blank is heavier and has a larger butt then i'm thinking now that i really want to use. Would I be better suited to using something like the ip843?

Another blank he let me look at was a phenix blank. Not sure the model but it was around 90 bucks and nano resin tech. 6'9". Man that was a sweet rod but he thought it might need to be babied more then the batson. 

Basically what batson blank(value blank I'm not advanced enough for high end blanks yet) would be best for our typical texas, louisiana inshore waters.

Thanks guys.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Nov 4, 2011)

842 or 843


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## ellisredfish (Jul 5, 2005)

If he were throwing jigs or top waters I would go with an 843. For spoons I would build an 842. But for popping cork fishing I like the 845 blanks. I have two rods that I built using XP845 blanks. Batson has changed the name on those blanks I believe. Anyhow they are the high-end models. I fish around oyster reefs a lot so I want a rod that I can horse a red away from the reef and the 845 will do it. An 843 is a good all around blank though. Why not build two, an 843 and an 845.


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## JuiceGoose (Oct 4, 2006)

ellisredfish said:


> If he were throwing jigs or top waters I would go with an 843. For spoons I would build an 842. But for popping cork fishing I like the 845 blanks. I have two rods that I built using XP845 blanks. Batson has changed the name on those blanks I believe. Anyhow they are the high-end models. I fish around oyster reefs a lot so I want a rod that I can horse a red away from the reef and the 845 will do it. An 843 is a good all around blank though. Why not build two, an 843 and an 845.


Heheheh don't tempt me.


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## Swampland (Mar 25, 2008)

Down here in LA. I build and sell a lot of rods using the IP844 for any type of fishing that will be using a cork. The IP 843 is great for jig head and tail baits along with small to med topwaters. The IP 844 is also good for throwing your larger topwaters.


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## Batson-Brands (Jan 22, 2015)

First off, welcome and thank you for considering a RainShadow blank!!! 
The RX7 IP series is wonderful. We sell quite a bit. 
http://www.rainshadowrodblanks.com/product-line/rx7-inshoreredfishtrout-popping/
Everyone here so far is right on!

Now for the goods! The old RX8 Popping: XP84* has now been renamed to the RainShadow Immortal Popping
http://www.rainshadowrodblanks.com/product-line/immortal-inshoreredfishtrout-popping/
This has been getting excellent reviews across the board and has been proven to be a great replacement model for the discontinued RX8 XP84* series.

Please feel free to ask us any questions.


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## Fishsurfer (Dec 14, 2014)

If you really don't like it take it back and exchange it or keep it and make two. Blanks these days are typically faster (more stiff) than what we fished with 15 years ago. I like the 842 for everything but corks and live bait then I would go up to say a an 843. You can also trim 2-3" off the butt and soften it up a bit. If you are using heavy line 15# + mono and heavy weights and large corks then you are in the ball park for the blank. This would also be a good, fun, light off shore blank for something like kingfish or ling (anything that hits near surface).


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## JuiceGoose (Oct 4, 2006)

Thanks for the replies guys. I think I'll exchange it out for the 843 or 844.


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## Hawglife (Mar 9, 2014)

JuiceGoose said:


> Thanks for the replies guys. I think I'll exchange it out for the 843 or 844.


You will be happy with the 844, they seem a bit stiffer at first anyways, by the time I built my 842 (thought it was nice and stiff for corkies, and tops, but is a perfect tails rod) I realized I wanted the 843 for my purpose.
I am assuming the guides will help to soften up the blank a bit by adding a tiny bit of wait on the blank, especially towards the top, I think that is what happened in my case, but I am by no means knowledgeable enough in rod building, but suspect that is the case with building rods, as it makes sense in the physics aspect of things.
I am going to build an 843 for tops, tails, and corkies, and an 844 for popping, and live bait fishing. That is if I can ever get back to the building!
And btw I love my IP842, it is an awesome rod, and I have picked up some good fish to get them into the boat, have had it to the point I thought it was gonna break several times, just to test it, since it was a relatively cheap build, and I wanted to see how the quality of the blank I chose is, I am definitely not disappointed in it one bit!


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## JuiceGoose (Oct 4, 2006)

Hawglife said:


> You will be happy with the 844, they seem a bit stiffer at first anyways, by the time I built my 842 (thought it was nice and stiff for corkies, and tops, but is a perfect tails rod) I realized I wanted the 843 for my purpose.
> I am assuming the guides will help to soften up the blank a bit by adding a tiny bit of wait on the blank, especially towards the top, I think that is what happened in my case, but I am by no means knowledgeable enough in rod building, but suspect that is the case with building rods, as it makes sense in the physics aspect of things.
> I am going to build an 843 for tops, tails, and corkies, and an 844 for popping, and live bait fishing. That is if I can ever get back to the building!


My first build was like that. The FTU blank felt good and stiff in the store but by the time I built out the rod it softened up almost to much for my liking.


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## JuiceGoose (Oct 4, 2006)

I went ahead and bought the IMMP70M. Excited to get started the blank feels awesome.


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## rolwhit (Feb 7, 2014)

Gotta pick your battles Goose. If he's gonna "crane" larger fish into the boat you may want to stay with the 845. For the type of fishing you described, however, I think the 843 would be a better choice. And if you're gonna be using Tour Star/Winn split grips you might as well use a split reel seat as well. Why not get some Micro-Wave guides too. The cost difference is only about 15$ compared to a similar conventional guide set. One more thing, MAKE HIM USE THE NET. Good luck.


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## Goags (May 28, 2004)

Goose, have you checked the fit of the TourStar grip in the Aero seat? I don't think it will fit the #16 Aero, but maybe the #17. I have full and split sets of the Winns, and they don't fit the #16 Aero.


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## JuiceGoose (Oct 4, 2006)

The tour stars fit the 16 aero like a glove. I did have to build up the blank some for the grip. 

I do plan on using microwaves. I love them.


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