Just A Few Newbie Questions

[sprtsracer]

I plan on purchasing a Penn 525 Mag soon...probably an upgrade from HO. I used to use Ambassador reels for baitcasting for bass in Texas more years ago than I care to admit, and this was before the "Mag" era. Had the thumbing down pretty well then, but I am totally rusty now, and the bass reels of old are no comparison to the technology of the new saltwater reels. I would like to build my own rod, simply because it would (I THINK) be cheaper (in the long run, assuming I'd build several more) than buying a custom rod or possibly even a good grade "store bought" rod. It's the reel seats that have me confused, and then, I started reading a few articles concerning "coasters". This may sound like a stupid question, but is it possible to purchase a blank, and wrap the bottom portion with no reel seat (kinda like a "straight through" sorta rod) and then attach the reel using the "coasters" like used in England, etc. It appears this would give much more flexibility than using a regular fuji reel seat, etc, be less labor intensive, and give a better "feel". I guess the only thing I could compare it to would be a "full tang" knife versus a cheap knife with only a partial tang. Am I barking up the wrong tree here, or do you feel what I'm thinking may have some merit? Also, if this makes sense, then what blank should I purchase to mate with the 525? I don't want to spend a ton on the most expensive blank out there, so budget is DEFINITELY a consideration, but I don't want an el-cheapo either. I guess I just want some of you experienced rod builders to steer me in the right direction. All help would be appreciated!

[Sandcrab]

Surf fishing? What type fish?

[narfpoit]

I dont have much experience with the coasters but that is what they are intended for. Typically I think the rod would have some shrink tube for the handle to keep the coasters from scrathing the blank. This enables the blank to remain very thin and allows one to switch from a high reel position to a low position. I have heard however, that some dont like the feel of the coasters. I think they would feel like having a trigger grip though. The only draw back I see is that if you found a position that you liked and wanted to go with a fixed reel seat then you would have to strip the butt down. Hope that helps a little. Oh yeah and check out mudhole.com the have all kinds of blanks through out the price range I am sure you can find what you need in there.

[sprtsracer]

Surf fishing? What type fish?

Thanks for the responses guys. Surf fishing, yes. Would be fishing mostly for red drum, pompano, and, depending on time of year, cobia, snook, etc. Of course, the occasional shark would hook himself as well.

[blue bird]

Look up a gentleman on this board that goes by "Heaver". He makes custom rods and is a good person to ask these questions. Just PM him.

[Don B]

Hi Sprtsracer,

I hope to ship Jerry Valentine 30 rods around October 1. Jerry lives in Crystal Beach and did have to evacuate his home due to hurricane Rita. At one point the track was directly toward his home. Jerry is an avid fisherman, national casting champion and experienced rod builder.

I believe the Makoi 405 will meet your needs.
The blank sells for $249 in Hawaii, so add about 5 or 10 dollars to get it to the mainland.

You can find the specs and Jerry's phone number at:

http://www.donstacklehawaii.com

Since Jerry needs to recover from Rita, you should probably wait about 10 days before contacting him.

Don