So, what's on the bench?
 

Still working on a fluke rod re-wrap for a friend that I started 2 years ago. Having a hard time finding the motivation on it. Got a couple re-wraps for myslef if I feel the need this winter, a 1201M for a friend and a treat for myself this winter; an 11' St. Croix Legend. Still toying with what guides I am going to put on the Legend. Was thinking lowriders, but didn't have a reason other than the fact that I never used them before. Now kind of thinking about the K frames after talking at length with my rod building mentor, Seawolf.

Almost done a 1209, Good price on a Amtac blank from Mike at cape cod tackle years ago. Built conv for the canal been a long time for me and the reel on top but you never know, Rod is on the left just needs Butt wrap but it does look good plain.

1209 pic..

I'm doing a standup tuna acid wrap and a few lami 4 piece fly rods. I also have a lami 1084 two piece blank I have been sitting on for years now. I am thinking of doing that spinner but may decide to do it for something like a Calcutta 400.

Go with the K frames

Just finished building a super surf with a super sweet dec wrap and weave in a 9/11 theme. Currently working on a 13' and an 11' AFAW and a 10' Lami gsb. After that have a couple of older fiberglass blanks to re-build on

http://i73.servimg.com/u/f73/15/93/31/39/911_we15.jpg

http://i73.servimg.com/u/f73/15/93/31/39/911_we18.jpg

Flyrods are one thing I have yet to play around with.

I am leaning towards the K's now. The plan is to do a "cast off " of sorts with the different guide layouts, Both myself and SW are wrapping on the 11' legend, so we are going to a spend a day testing the different layouts against each other. We will then make our final guide choices based on our findings of the day. :buds:

Doing a 700H calstar, tuna spinning rod...trying knew things.

9.5 foot 4 wt for Euro Nymphin

1322 spinning and an all-star 1209 spinning for myself (cause really, I NEED another one :); all-star 1267 for a friend; re-wrap a 1201m, which is cut to 9 1/2; repair/1-piece my dad's gsb 136 2m that broke at the ferrel, but lami wouldn't replace. More blanks and re-wraps on the shelf, but they have to wait till next winter.

Stripping flyrod grips and hardware and redoing the cork.Turning the grips on a lathe in the shed.Converted a 10' 7wt singlehander to a 2hand switchrod for Hardy.Rehabbing spinning rods for a few friends.Now that March is around the corner the phone will start ringing right through May for all those that "need it now"[every year]:wall:.

Have an igfa 80 and a 50-80 standup to finish.

Planning on doing more beach fishing this year, so I just picked up a GSB1201L blank and will be tying up a nice spinner for myself soon. I also got the new style anti fouling alconite guides to try out too. Going to use a NGC layout with Numbskull's guide layout...40-25-16-10-8-8-8-8 and see how she does.

Reconsider, this build is the nutz if your reel spool isn't too big.
http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripert...lowriders.html

If you want I can bring it to TCTFN and you can give it a spin.

Looks like I just added another rod to this winter's list; a cod jigging rod for a trip in the end of April. Makes sense, buy a reel and wrap a rod for a trip I will take maybe once a year. :smash::jump1:

I built my 1205 similar to that and it is awesome. I got tldgbs, which are a single foot sold in japan and started with a 20 lc, but other than that... basically same set up. No issues at all with the single foot and had several 30 lb range fish on it in canal current with it w/out a shred of problems with the single foots. I agree with Numby that you should consider it, especially with a 1201l

Be careful, though. The first guide's size and location is reel spool size dependant. You'll need to test cast.

Hopefully picking up a R Arra 1322 for a conventional setup for myself next weekend. Then getting it on the bench and finished up by May 1.

Working on a GSB 1201M this weekend for a friend. Wrapping it BMNAG / NGC layout. Did the test casting and butt wrap yesterday, guides are going on today. I really like the way it is coming out and may have to wrap my spare 1201M "just in case" blank for myself now.

Scratch the 120L from my "to do" list. I got rid of the blank and am now building a CTS PJ1006 thanks to my attendance at the RISSA show.

Mike, what rating CTS blank is that? I checked them out in Jersey, but didn't like the 50/50 split. I was looking at the 11' 3 - 8 ounce (I think) but ended up getting the 11' St. Croix Legend for my heavy plugging duties. Just got word the blank arrived yesterday and I'll be picking that up in a few days. Can't wait to start that build!

Very good video from the Surfcaster's Journal on the concept guide layout. Lou's way of setting up the reduction guides is way easier than my method of laying the rod ont he floor and finding a straight edge long enough to work.

YouTube - Surf Fishing : Concept Guide Layout with Lou Caruso

Good God, what I mess I've made. Started thinking I'd wrap up a 1321M spinner and somehow that has lead to stripping the 1321L (to move the reel seat), tearing down a 120mh and 1205 to swap spinner to conventional and vice versa, and I'm still lusting after a medium weight 10 foot spinner, either a CTS, Century, or SSU1201m. Four more sets of titanium......and hell it is probably time for a rod lathe...... :err:...where does it end?

It is the PJ1006.....which stands for "Pajamas 10pm-6am"......and is designed for guys who sleep all night then want to drive around with cool looking equipment on their car. Good choice.

You caught me.

Figured with the two piece blank I'd hide it in the back seat and sneak around undetected. The signs of my impending demise as a surf man are all there though...not to mention I just bought a new boat...nice knowing you guys.

I still haven't pulled the trigger on anything. I was all set to build an ssu1201m and then I talked to a friend who snapped 2 ssu's casting last year. So for now thats off the list. Either I grab something at msba or I think I may just go with a gsb 120 1m, which I should have built about 10 years ago :smash:

Well I picked up 2 blanks today, a gsb 120 1M and a Century Stealth (10foot rated 2-4). Boy are the century rods nice. I'd have liked to have brought home 3 or 4 of those.

Thats how I've been doing it. I kinda figured it out on my own. I thought it was a good way but never talked to anyone if there was a better way. Now I feel that I'm in the ballpark. The part that's tuff though is buying a mess of guides for a rod. Once I did a few I keep a few intermediate guides high frames on hand besides the 12,16 20, 25, 30, 40 VLG's. He didn't mention the one point I do is after the guides are tape on in their locale. I do a bullseye site test. Thats when the guide fitting gets crazy swapping to find that look!! On the location of the stripper with the NCG set up, the guide is in the 26-32" locale from the spool face. This really puts the strength of the butt to good use. Not like the old 50MM @ 36" with all that rod w/o a load bearing guide.
Thsi year I built 2-Seeker 1008, 1201M & 1081M. Just finished the under wraps on the last Seeker. For me I built a 8' Allstar schoolie rod from a SW blank with the concept set up w/ single foots. Super light and responsive. Hope to get out and battle some schoolies soon with it.

Fumbling through the guide spacing on the lowriders for my 11' legend tonight. Finally have some measurements I like and will hit the field for some test casting after work tomorrow. :jump1::wall:

How many guides will you be using?

Looking at 7 right now. Transition looks good, flex test was nice. Forget how far out I put the collector, but I am kind of hoping I have to pull it back some as that was the only part of the flex test which I didn't like.
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I've got a couple out in the shop with lowriders on them. Emblem 5500 and one Sustain 8000. Both love the lowriders. SSU132 m and arra 1322. Doing a couple 7 different Centurys with the K frames. work nice once you get the spacing set.

The stripper guide being out further than what looks normal is tough to swallow. I also wonder about the lack of butt power when the stripper is out beyond 36".

don't worr about it with the lowriders. They work fine with the proper setup. Just be carefull with the concept spacing and reel size. It is very reel spacific. If you build the rod for a sustain 5000 and then put an Emblem 5500 on it your gonna have some problems. lots of people misunderstand the concept idea. its designed for a rod and reel mate. replacement reel should have a spool diameter that is as close as possible for the original set up.With many of the guides out there it's best to use a combination of ideas or theorys to get a good setup. Size ,spacing ,reversed guides,line type,reel size action ,line test and some flexability of use all need to be taken into consideration. It's a reare angler that can afford a bunch of rods that only take one size reel.

I believe the day of the lowriders is over. The new KW's are an all around better guide IMO. There is still a gap in application for some rod /reel combinations until the KW--L sizes appear but I see no logical reason to use LR's anymore.

Also if you read what I write in the rodboard on SOL , you know that I am also convinced the placement of the stripper should be made almost independently of the placement of the rest of the guides when using the NGC method to back up towards the reel from the choker to decide sizes and placement.

Anyway , I think you pay a huge penalty in weight and rod "splinting" to use the Low Riders. I never liked using them near the tip so switched to a different guide frame style for the smallest guide (usually switched to the MN) and now that the KW are available with the anti fouling frames , I see Fuji discontinuing the Low Riders soon enough.

Just one opinion though. many others may not agree

Switching to lighter guides near the tip sure does help maintain the true action of the rod. The only ones I'd be leary with doing it on are some of the heavier Canal sticks that are requested due to the weakness of the overall guide and the load put on them by heavy line a big fish and huge current. I've done a couple rebuilds over the yrs due to guide failure in extreme situation. A big fish in the canal sure fits that catagory.I'm still not sold on the idea of any one guide no longer having a use. The Japan fishing market has been using smaller guides for a very long time very effectively and the world distance casting market all seem to go for the smaller guides more than 50mm due to the way they control the line better. Some of them have been using smaller guides since the 70's.Look at J. Holdens book and see what's being used in Austalia,Britain,Germany and New Zealand.Loads of great ideas out there and we still have a lot to learn here.Before I put my ist guide to a Century I spent 3 weeks talking to builders in all those places via email. WOW talk about going back to school. It made me wonder about some of my own close mindednes of the last 40 yrs of rod building.Not all was bad but there are some things I sure missed the boat on.With the amount of mono left out there the big metal guides still have a few places left.Ron

I agree small guides are not out of fashion , in fact they are more in fashion every day. Small guides and Low Riders are not linked in any way IMO.

Yes , There are still many people who do it with 25 LB Ande pink mono and huge untapered spools with no upsweep that in fact may benefit form the old wire guides.

A real freak of a guide is the 50J KW. Not only is it obviously a 50 mm ring but its height is phenominal.

That thing reminds me of the old 40 an 50 HH that fuji made and that huge 75mm hialoy.

Just started on an 11' medium action SSU blank that will have full burl cork rear grips and fore grips. I have a Daiwa 5500 to put on it. Dont have the cork all on it as yet, but should tonight.

You should post pictures of the grips when done. Are you gluing cork rinks yourself or are the cork grip sections premade?

I just finished my first surf rod build. It is a rebuilt ugly stick. I got a lot of help from double runner.
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