# Best high end casting inshore blank



## [email protected]

I want to make a no holds barred amazing casting bay rod. I want it to be super light, super sensitive to make the best rod I have ever used. I'm guessing I'll need a high modulus blank. I'll use it for trout and redfish and would like it to be used for small topwaters, soft plastics and corkys. If I had my choice it would be under 7 ft if possible. I can spend up to 100 bucks on the blank give or take. I think medium light with a fast tip will work best for what I will use it for. It's not going to be used on oversized redfish so I'm thinking medium light power will work but what do you think. I got a castaway xp3 blank in medium power with fast tip and I think it's a little too much rod for using lures, will make a great popping cork rod but I think I can go medium light and that be enough but what are yalls opinions. I've looked at St Croix, G loomis, MHX high modulus, Batson, just want yalls opinions on which rod maker makes the best rod for around a 100 bucks. I want it to be super light and sensitive but not break if I hook into a nice slot red although I mostly fish for trophy trout during the winter in tournaments and want this to be my go to rod. Instead of paying 300 bucks from a high end rod builder I can now make a high end rod for half that money which is awesome, I just need to find the right blank.


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## casewilliams

St.croix sc3 hands down for under 100 bucks, I've used the others you mentioned and they can not compare in any way.


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## casewilliams

7' ml sc3, Fuji sk2 reel seat, 5.5 stripper, size 4 micros close to 3oz complete!


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## [email protected]

I can get an SC5 st croix for around a hundred bucks right now on sale. I'm guessing the SC5 is better than the sc3. You think medium light will be ok


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## jaycook

I may not know what I'm talking about but, the $100.00 SCV might not be the latest and greatest SCV.


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## fishin styx

You're looking for the MHX High Modulus P843. That's the best blank, regardless of cost, that myself or my customers have used for what you're looking to accomplish.
Pair that with American Tackle Nanolite micro guides and you've got yourself a rod anyone would be proud to own.

http://www.mudhole.com/Shop-Our-Catalog/MHX-High-Mod-Rod-Blanks


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## Swampland

James I would recommend the Batson RX8 XSB802.75..It's a med extra fast blank rated for 6-15# test and 3/16 - 5/6 oz lure wt and only weighs 1.5 ounces. My cost is 85.00. Retail price is 116.00. The blank is a beautiful titanium gray in color.


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## pg542

St. Croix is pretty good stuff. Still made in the USA by some really nice folks in Park Falls Wisconsin. Batson is good stuff too. Give Lance a call at Swampland. Tell him exactly what your'e looking for and he will get hooked up with the right blank. The man knows his stuff! oops, I guess he already chimed in.lol...


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## Swampland

Good morning Jim and thanks but I'm not so sure about that. James if you're set on a St Croix which by the way I own several rods I built using the SC4 and SC5 blanks let me know and I can put you in touch with a distributor of St Croix blanks that will go out of her way to help you out.


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## RosscosOutdoor

We like the St.Croix blanks sc3, 4 or 5 Fuji Seat and Fuji Micro Guides makes for a sweet rod.


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## spook jr

Batson xsb822.5 tc 6'10" is what use for just about everything but super spooks. I still use it with spooks but it's not the best for it but i love it for fatboys and tails this time of year. Mine is all blacked out with the good EVA that Lance has(not the soft ****). Then I take a castaway reel seat and cut it and sand it to make my own homemade skeleton(it's lighter than a pack bay). I then start with a size 12 double foot black pearl REC then a double foot 10 and then a 8 the rest are single foot 7s. It's not the lightest but it's light 3.03oz not bad for a 6'10" team that up with 50mg and it's a good light balanced rod. O yeah go with a 8 1/2 to 9 inch handle.


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## casewilliams

Ive had good luck with the batson ISP rx7, but not so good luck with the rx8 802.75 broke a few, the setting the hook on small flounder, of course they were under warranty, but still a pain. Since the I went to St. Croix and they are superior in all aspects, in my opion!


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## [email protected]

I have a rod that is extra fast tip and I don't like it one bit so Fast is as stiff as I'll go. Am I correct that the St. Croix SC5 is a better blank than the SC3? Thanks for the suggestions, this is gonna be a tough decision. Two more questions: Will I be ok going with a Medium Light blank instead of a medium? After messing with a few blanks at the local tackle it seems like some rod makers medium rating is quite a bit stiffer than another rod makers medium, my kistler medium is a lot less stiffer than the xp3 castaway medium I bought. I don't want to do too light and not have enough rod, but I can't stand a rod that's too powerful, it's a pet peave of mine. Last question, I am seriously considering doing a spiral guide set up for my high end blank. Is it better to go 0, 90, 180 with the guides or will it cast better with a more gradual spiral. Also does anyone have any links to articles or websites that explain guide placement and spacing on a spiral rod? I have heard that spirals use more guides but have not found any info about spirals on my own searches.


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## casewilliams

I can't say if the sc5 is that much better than a sc3,cost wise I would say there is not a 50% improvement in performance. For spiral wrapping I do 0,60,120,180.


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## [email protected]

Case, on a spiral do you use a different guide spacing system than you would on a regular rod? 0, 60, 120, and 180 is what I think I'll use, sounds like the line will flow better than just going 0, 90, 180. For a regular bay fishing rod, say 7 ft long how many inches from the reel do you put your stripper guide? I will be using regular sized titanium guides, not ready for micros yet.


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## Skiff

James,

The one I built at 0, 90, 180 casts really well. How do you find the 60 and 120 or are you just sighting it in?


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## flatsmaster14

Look on acid rods website they have a chart you can print out


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## Goags

Skiff said:


> James,
> 
> How do you find the 60 and 120 or are you just sighting it in?


I spiral to the right, and once I have my stripper on, I sight down the rod and rotate the next one until It's L side is just outside the R side of the stripper, and do the same for the next...that'll get you close to 60/120 w/ alittle tweeking. I've tried the simple, but prefer this. Generally my stripper is ~18" from front of reelseat on baitcast/7'troutrod. Everyone does it alittle different.


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## [email protected]

How many guides do you use on a 7 foot rod that you spiral?


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## casewilliams

Generally I use 1 more guide when I do a spiral wrap than you would a conventional wrap.From the end of the threads on the barrel to the stripper is 17",22 1/4",27 3/8",32 3/8", the rest are 180 deg.These measurements are what I use, a 5.5 stripper and 4 micros.I use a degree wheel made out of cardboard.When you lay out your 8" or so circle for the degree wheel remember the radius of the circle is the same as the chord length for a 6 hole bolt circle, all will be 60 deg. Apart. Hope I explained it well.


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## [email protected]

yeah man that's great info thanks a lot


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## [email protected]

Ok, I'm planning to do a spiral wrapped rod with Recoil guides, do yall generally use the recoil tip top or do yall use another regular tip top?


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## Gig Flatty

I just finished 2 Batson XSB822.5's spiral wrapped with recoils. Sweet rods. Batson's are great blanks, but the St Croix's are great also. No wrong choice, but I build mostly Batson because I like the ti chrome color. These set ups used a 6df, 2-5's and 6 4's


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## rippalipp

no doubt for under 100$ St.Croix SC3 the best!!!!


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## xxxxxQTRODS

*imp 843 lamiglass*

This blank is like the st Croix blank it is made in America. Now if u want to build what u are talking about this blank is the one. If u want to through light top water with it this blank has the tip to be able catapult the light baits of the end of the rod and do not restrict the guides down, with top water u have to use mono line (it floats). The guides I would use are American tackle no smaller than #6 titanium frame sic ring fly guides. These are light and will give free flowing with the sic ring for the mono to go thru. With titanium frames u will have the lightness of micro and corrosion free in saltwater. Spiral wrap I do this, I just bend the blank 180 degrees no more, then imagine the line flowing alone the rod. Then space accordingly so the line flow with the blank. When u get to straight part of the blank toward the but then just even space about 4" apart.


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## capt. baldy

James i have a Sc5 7' ML, spiral wrapped and I love it. I mostly fish tails. It was made by Terry at FTU.


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## goodwood

good thread. had an xp3 and still have my kistlers. and now im trying to decide on a blank.


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## [email protected]

I just got my new St. Croix SC5 medium fast 6'6" blank delivered today and holy cow what a blank. It weighs 1.4 oz and it is so light, barely feels like anything is there and I must say it was worth every penny. I got 55 dollars off on it and I'm glad I went with this blank. It is so great to be able to make a 300 dollar custom rod for around half of that doing it yourself. I have found a lamiglass blank that is extremely light as well that I'm only waiting on someone asking me to build them a high end rod and I'm going to try that blank since the lamiglass blanks are the same weight as the SC5 blanks but are less than a hundred bucks. I am waiting for my guides and winding checks to get here and then I'm starting on my rod and couldn't be more excited. I think I have decided to try a spiral wrap with recoil guides. It's a rod I've always wanted and I think after research that spiral wrapping brings the rod into a whole other level of performance and can't wait until it's finished.


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## dbuswell

http://www.phenixrods.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=23

K2 casting Either 6'8 or 7'1 ML


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## Robert W

Very interesting thread, but what is a spiral wrap anyway?


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## gordoleo

dbuswell said:


> http://www.phenixrods.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=23
> 
> K2 casting Either 6'8 or 7'1 ML


I would like more of your opinions on these blanks. Especially how you think these blanks would work as an all around wadefishing rod. These blanks are one of the reasons I am anticipating the show. I am wondering the kind of actions these blanks have.
Thanks,
Leo


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## CoastalBent

gordoleo said:


> I would like more of your opinions on these blanks. Especially how you think these blanks would work as an all around wadefishing rod. These blanks are one of the reasons I am anticipating the show. I am wondering the kind of actions these blanks have.
> Thanks,
> Leo


They're awesome. Expensive, but awesome. I've only held them, not fished with them, but my next personal rods will be a 7'6" TX-763M-S K2 spinner and a 7'3" TX-736H K2 flipping stick. I hate when I spend all my rod building profits on blanks for myself, but these are gonna be worth it.:biggrin:


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## dc1502

From there site they have a good line up. For me ,I know the big water blanks they are building have good reviews ,but I am at a loss for their lite tackle products. I will have more info later this week. Looks good, the products def. have my interest .


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## gordoleo

It looks like I will be trying one of these for my next rod. I will definitely fish it hard, and give a review. Thanks all for your information.


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## Swampland

Give us a call if you'd like more information on the Phenix T46 blanks. We are a distributor of their blanks and keep a fair amount in stock at all times. I've built 9 of them so far and have 3 more to get started on this week. Everyone that I've built one for said that it was the lightest rod they've put in their hands.

I have a 6'8 that I'm building for myself right now and it weighs in at 2.6oz and sold one just like it to another fisherman after he held it in his hands.

Besides being light as a feather they seem to be very durable and tough. The blank I built it on is model no. TX-683ML and weighs in at 1.23 ounces.I've also built a couple of 7'6'' models in a med lt action and that blank weighs in at 1.43 ounces.

If I can answer any questions about these blanks or any others that I stock please don't hesitate to call.


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## Bill Stevens

*Less Is More*

Strange Strange - Completely Different Sales Technique

A long time ago the statement was made on rodbuildint forums "Less Is More" - in this case it has proven to be the case.

Some things simply sell themselves.

Customers walk in - Visually appealing finished rods built on the Phenix t46 blanks are in a well lighted position in a rack - if you have seen the t46 up close in person you are aware of the beautiful surface appearance of the blank - The finished rods are black stealth with silver accent rings - Black Composite Black Herringbone Split Grips - the simplicity of the builds is eye catching!

Fisherman: Wassat?

Say absolutely nothing!

Hand it to them -

Fisherman: I want this one! How much?

I will give you a special deal on that one for $ _ _ _.99.

I actually think some of the High Rollers would let me add a comma and one more _.

Fisherman: I will take it - When can I get some more?

Done Deal!

Contact Swampland today for details.

Inquire about DPR and RPD builds.


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