# Vist to Black Hole company in Korea



## ksong

I am in Korea. I arrived at Seoul at 5:00 am yesterday(01-22) and I spent time for getting some documents from local governments in the moring and visted N.S. company which makes Black Hole rods.
I have been helping them to develop jigging and popping rods called *Cape Cod Special* and I am glad I visited the company as there were some miscommuncations by exchanging ideas and information by e-mails and telephone. It took only two hours to understand each other. The chief rod designer understand exactly what I want and explain me cleary and precisely what they can do and whty they can not do. 
When I tested their prototype rods in Panama, I was pretty satisfied with the performance and action of their jigging rods, but I was wondering whether they can reinforce the backbone of popping rods while reducing the weight a little bit. 
When I checked the products there, I found they have been making lighter popping rods already, they just misunderstand my intention and sent me different prototype popping rods. Their 8'6"/8'3" popping rods in production weighs about 14 oz with proper bend which I wanted.
When I asked to make them a little stiffer for big tuna in 150 - 200 lbs range with similar light weight, the chief designer said he would. Finally my missing puzzle is solved. 
After completing discussion of jigging and popping rods, I showed the chief rod designer a Superseeker 2X4 blank explainging this blank is one of the most popular cow bait rods on the long range boats out of San Diego and they use it for the railing. 
He just shake his head with a smile. When I asked him whether it is possible to make blanks with similar action, half weight and more strength, he said he didn't see any problem. If they can introduce those blanks, it will be great as the Superseeker 2X4 weighs as heavy as 18 oz. [email protected]
When they showed me their sample room, I was in awe. It must be hundreds smaples of rods there !!! 
I learned many things while touring the company. I saw at least 30 differnt materials they use for making rods. Who said rod/blank making is easy and any rod company make any action of rods you want. They have to know exactly the strength and weakness of each material and their results of combination of those material. 
I heard no other rod making companies in the world use more Fuji guides than the company use. They said they are going to use newly introduced Fuji SIC guides for Black Hole popping rods.

I expected it takes at least 2 - 3 days to discuss with them, but our discusssion was needed only two hours. So I asked whether I could go codfishing on Sunday, but unfortunately all cod boats were booked completely. :x

rod sample room


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## TunaTango

Kil- Hope you bring some new blanks home for us to play with...


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## hog

TunaTango said:


> Kil- Hope you bring some new blanks home for us to play with...


x2


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## ksong

Those jigging and popping blanks/rods should be availble by the end of Feb.
they promised me to send prototype blanks similar to Superseeker soon.


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## ksong

I tried to visit Pusan, where I spent my childhood, whenever I visited Korea. Finally I had an opportunity to visit to Pusan just because I couldn't find a boat for cod jigging. 
As I expected all my houses Ilived were gone due to new developments, but surprisingly the private elementary shool was there in tact though the place is not a shool [email protected] Even the play ground I used to play was there even it was over 50 years ago. 
















The shopping streets are changed.


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## ksong

I even went to Sondo beach where I used to swim, but I rarely recognized it due to new developments.








Pusan has a famous fish market called 'Jagalchi' and I couldn't miss it.
The waterfront where the old 'Jagalchi' was replaced with modernized fish market in a big building


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## ksong

When I went to the waterfront, I am surprised to see a few fishermen to fish where I used to catch Aji with bamboo rods half centry ago. [email protected]








They sell many live fishes. Name the fish.


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## ksong

The fish caught my eyes were huge fluke (summer flounder). When I asked to the owner of the shop what was the heaviet fluke she ever sold, she said 12 kg and saw next store sold 15 kg fluke ! Those are huge fluke considering the world record fluke caught off Montauk, NY is about 22 - 23 lbs.


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## ksong

nice cod. There are lots of cod in Korea now due to successful stocking program.








































Funny thing is there were more crowd in old style fish market outside the mordern fish market building.


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## ksong

see size of fluke next to cod


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## ksong




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## ksong




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## hog

Unbelievable!!!!


Now THATS a fish market...!!!

Hog

PS: Its kinda neat going back home isnt it.... Done that myself...


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## Swells

Wow that's some fish, and tons of live fish too. It reminded me of Fulton's Fish Market in New York when I was a kid, except Fulton's was dirty, smelly, rough, ugly, and everything was iced or blast frozen, with hundreds of trucks and forklifts. But they had everything from sardines to giant swordfish. This fish market sure seems like more fun!


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## jdusek

Hey, I will be in Korea in two weeks on business. Is there a place I can go to look at the rods. Are they good deals compared to here?


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## jewfish

ksong,
thanks for sharing those market pics. Very impressive photos too


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## ksong

jdusek said:


> Hey, I will be in Korea in two weeks on business. Is there a place I can go to look at the rods. Are they good deals compared to here?


 If you are looking for freshwater bass rods, there are good selection of N.S rods. But the jigging and popping rods are not great.


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## TunaTango

Kil- Word is the new carbon black hole blanks arrived at your shop today. Is it true?


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## ROBOWADER

How much of that fish is tossed in the garbage due to going bad from sitting out?


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## ksong

TunaTango said:


> Kil- Word is the new carbon black hole blanks arrived at your shop today. Is it true?


Yes, I have 5'8" 250g, 350g and 450g in stock.


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## ksong

ROBOWADER said:


> How much of that fish is tossed in the garbage due to going bad from sitting out?


When they have so many fish stores in competition, they have to carry fresh ones.


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## The_Hook

great pics! Just visiting over here from the inshore fishing forums, glad I did!


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