# What Blank to Choose



## choppercop (Aug 27, 2010)

I've just broken my second Shamino Cumulus rod (in a year) and am done with them. When I receive my replacement rod from Shamino, I'm going to sell it and use the proceeds to buy the parts for a new rod. I have a friend that has all the equipment to build a rod. He helped me build one a couple of years ago and is willing to help again.

I have no idea how to go about choosing a brand or type of blank. I normally fish for Reds with live bait under a popping cork. I know I want a 7 foot rod, that's about it. I plan on pairing the rod with a Core reel.

Any suggestions would be great.

Thanks,

ChopperCop


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## patfatdaddy (May 29, 2004)

If you like a rod that is somewhat stiff I would go with a Rainshadow SP 844 or 843. If you like a little action a Rainshadow CB 70 M would be a good choice. If I were you I would make a trip to Fishing Tackle Unlimited and check out their blanks. They have their FTU blanks that are really nice and St. Croix as well as Rainshadow blanks. Terry Jones can assist you in making a good selection.
Pat


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## BNETT (Feb 22, 2010)

Roscoes also carries those same blanks if you are in the clute area.


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## pg542 (Oct 9, 2006)

patfatdaddy said:


> If you like a rod that is somewhat stiff I would go with a Rainshadow SP 844 or 843. If you like a little action a Rainshadow CB 70 M would be a good choice. If I were you I would make a trip to Fishing Tackle Unlimited and check out their blanks. They have their FTU blanks that are really nice and St. Croix as well as Rainshadow blanks. Terry Jones can assist you in making a good selection.
> Pat


 The Batson/Rainshadow 843 or 844 are great blanks. Pretty hard to beat for the purposes you describe. I like an inshore blank that has just a little bit more beef. Either of these would serve you well, plus just a little reserve oomph when mr. jackfish comes calling. ..... Like Pat says,go by and see Terry at FTU. He can give you ideas/suggestions on all the right components you'll need without overselling you anything. He's a good guy...you'll see once you meet him.


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## patfatdaddy (May 29, 2004)

BNETT said:


> Roscoes also carries those same blanks if you are in the clute area.


 Rosscoes are good people. I haven't been in there since they have gotten their blanks in but I amsure they can fix you up.
Pat


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## choppercop (Aug 27, 2010)

Thanks for the info. I borrowed a lamiglass rod after I broke my Cumulus. It was a little soft for my liking. I'm thinking a medium heavy, fast action. Just not sure what all the different rod blank materials are....

Thanks again


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## fishin styx (Jun 30, 2009)

For popping corks and live bait, I prefer a popping or drop shot style blank. They tend cast easier and you don't throw nearly as many baits off that way. For a fast action medium heavy something along the lines of the MHX P844 in either the original series or their high mod. I've built a few of these and have been pretty happy with them.


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## Bill Stevens (Mar 8, 2008)

*Inshore Rod Blank For Trout and Redfish*

This is an opportunity for all of us to learn:

Task specific rods are matched to specific use requirements.

Live Bait and Popping rod blanks are a known specialty.

Blank must meet conditions based upon angler skill level and durability requirements.

Shooting from the hip can get you connected to the wrong blank quite easily.

Could you tell us how you broke the two rods you mention. Throwing, Setting Hooks, Fish Fighting, Putting Fish in boat - - - - etc?

You also mention too soft and fast action -

What size of fish do you target? School trout, mix of reds and trout, jetty reds.

Swampland maintains an extensive stock of Batson, Castaway, MHX, Private Label, Phenix and Seekeer blanks with models in stock for the rod you desire.

We build inshore rods for private labels using the brands listed.

Use the Contact Us link we can match you with the blank you need.


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## Bill Stevens (Mar 8, 2008)

*Important Stuff For Anglers and Builders*

Communication is important!

Swampland works with custom builders to assist. This is the starting place to insure that a customer gets the right rod and know what to expect.

*Attachment 1*​ ​ *Custom Fishing Rods*​ ​ *Owners Manual*​ 
*Introduction: *Fishing rods are the foundation of your tackle and should be treated with special care as they bear the burden of landing trophy fish. With improvements in technology, components and construction techniques the custom rods we fish with today can provide incredibly high performance. These rods can still be broken. While anglers will always place high demands on rods these tips can help you protect your investment for a lifetime of angling pleasure.

*Choosing the right rod:* Custom builders have a great saying "I could build a rod that you couldn't break, but then you probably wouldn't want to fish with it." This is true for many anglers who demand the highest level of feel and sensitivity from their rods, but also yearn for more durability. The first step to protecting your rod is to choose the right rod for the right application. You could fish one rod for many applications and species of fish, but in many cases, you would be seriously over or under equipped for the situation. This would result in either a poor fishing experience or in some instances a broken rod. Pay attention to the capabilities and specifications of each rod and choose a rod that will meet your requirements. Bear in mind that there is no miracle rod that can do it all.

*Guide and Tip Protection: *Never hang your hooks on your guides, as the barbs of the hooks can scratch the surface of your guides. Use the hook keeper on your rod. Try not to reel the lure, weight or connector all the way to the tip of your rod as the impact can sometimes damage or knock loose the tip ring. When you are fishing look where you step - no guide frame will withstand an ill-placed foot. Protect your guides and your rod will cast perfectly for years

*Never High stick*: Anglers know that keeping your rod tip high maintains pressure on the fish, but in the excitement of the fight many anglers become overzealous when it comes to bringing that fish in. The term "high stick" refers to over angling the rod, which in turn creates too much pressure on the rod tip, and can result in a snapped rod. When the fish is close to the boat try not to lift your rod any higher than 90 degrees. keeping the rod taught, but not over arched, will be sufficient for maintaining pressure on the fish, and reducing stress on your tip

*Transport: * More then 80% of rod damage doesn't occur during the fishing. More rods are lost to truck beds, trunks, and car-doors and by stepped on in the bottom of a boat. There simply isn't anything that can put a damper on a good trip then accidentally snapping your rod in an accident. In fact, many rods that are actually broken during fishing are actually caused by damage to the rod's graphite during transportation. There are many special new rod tools and storage devices that can help you stow your rod safely and protect them from the elements. The best thing to do is just be careful where you put your rod. Do your best to make sure that it is out of the way of any heavy objects that can cause damage. Watch out for impact damage to blank surfaces due to Carolina Rig sinkers banging on blanks during transport while attached to hook keepers.


*Clean: *While more applicable to saltwater anglers, it is always a good idea to wash down your rods, with clean fresh water, after each trip. This helps keep harmful contaminates or corrosives that might be decreasing the effective life of vital components. Keeping your rod clean ensures that you will minimize potential problems and keep your rod in top condition. 

*Conclusion:* While there is a lot that can be done to protect your rod investments, unfortunately, the occasional broken rod will happen! With the quest for larger fish pitted against the more sensitive higher modulus rods the equation sometimes just adds up to a broken rod now and then. Please follow these simple steps and treat your rod well. A high quality fishing rod when well treated will return the favor by treating you to a lifetime of quality angling pleasure.


*Courtesy Swampland*

*Attach To All Private Label Packages 
*
*Warranty Attachment II*
*Task Specific Brochure Attachment III
*


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## choppercop (Aug 27, 2010)

Bill Stevens said:


> This is an opportunity for all of us to learn:
> 
> Task specific rods are matched to specific use requirements.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the input Bill. The first rod I broke was more or less my fault. I had the rod leaning on the gunnel and turned to put a fish in the box. I think I must have pushed against the rod when I turned. I didn't feel much, but I must have snapped the rod. What every I did, I don't feel like the rod should have broken.

With the second rod, it snapped at the 4th guide on hook set. Sadly, the fish was only about an 8 inch gafftop.

As far as my fishing, its almost all done out of Sergeant, TX fishing from a boat, up in the east end. We drift the shallow reefs, throwing live shrimp under a popping cork with about 1/2 to 1 ounce weight (depending on the wind) looking for slot reds.

For the "too soft" it felt like the borrowed rod didn't have enough backbone. It caught fish, but I didn't care for the action.

ChopperCop


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## Gig Flatty (May 21, 2008)

Batson XP 843 for throwing popping corks.


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## Bill Stevens (Mar 8, 2008)

*Communication!*

Batson XP 843 lure wt ratings do not meet requirements listed by user. His lure wt was identified as one ounce!

When all the information matches the correct blank can be identified. Then everybody will end up happy.

A guide at Rockport had problems with blank breakage of a live bait blank a few years ago. All he wanted to do was throw a live croaker on a blank - he posted all he was throwing was a hook! He forgot to weight the bait fish!


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## Bill Stevens (Mar 8, 2008)

*Pieces to the puzzle -*

The second break -

How do you rig your popping cork?

A weighted cork or a bell sinker under the cork?

How fast is your boat? Do you run in rough water? Do you leave the popping cork rig attached while transporting on road?

Where is the rod stowed while running on water or trailoring boat - in vertical rod holders?

ONE of many of the "root causes" of fishing rod breakage as you describe is "impact damage".

Things banging on rods ain't good for thin wall high modulus blanks.

Tungsten Carolina Rig weights banging on rods during transport in bass boat rod lockers have been identified as a root cause of failure.

Sometime it is not the blank - Be sure to cover all bases to insure you end up with the optimum rod.


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## xxxxxQTRODS (Nov 17, 2009)

*st croiix*

go to ftu get u a st croix these rod or actually better than any loomis. im sure that terry can fix u up with an 844 or a 904 blank. im building a series iv 904 that is a super feeling rod. this rod is american made. they have there on blanks that are good to they are china blanks. i have built alot of there blanks and have not had any complants the im6 or im10s.


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## choppercop (Aug 27, 2010)

Bill Stevens said:


> The second break -
> 
> How do you rig your popping cork?
> 
> ...


The boat isn't fast. Its a Triton with a 50 horse on the back, runs about 30.

We use non weighted popping corks with torpedo weights, then leader and hook.

In boat transport, the rods are vertical, three wraps of the cork around the rod then tuck the cork under the line, between the eyes to prevent banging (most the time). If we are setting up for a second drift of the same area, just let the weight dangle.

Transporting to the bay, the rod is in a rod sock (the plastic mesh kind) inside a PVC rod tube.


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