# Seeker Hercules GTS70H Build



## jlentz (Sep 11, 2005)

This is a build I did at the beginning of summer for a friend of mine. These pictures were taken yesterday after the rod had been used a few times.
It is the Seeker Hercules GTS70H blank with Fuji CLCSG Guides, Aftco reel seat and gimbal, Matagi winding checks and inlay EVA grips. He wanted something a little different but similiar to a previous build I had done.


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## Hudak (Sep 10, 2007)

NICE looking. I am about to play with that wrap I think. It has stuck out to me for some reason.


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## Billy 40 (Jan 11, 2010)

AWESOME!!! How did you do the Pyramid inlays? How does he like the rod? What is he fishing for with it?


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## REKER (Jun 23, 2010)

Thats nice work! Btw, for an ignorant wanna-be rod builder, what are the specs of this rod, and also which Quantum reel is that?


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## ASK4Fish (May 4, 2005)

REKER said:


> Thats nice work! Btw, for an ignorant wanna-be rod builder, what are the specs of this rod, and also which Quantum reel is that?


thats no quantum....its a Pro Gear Oceanus...


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## jlentz (Sep 11, 2005)

thekingfeeder said:


> NICE looking. I am about to play with that wrap I think. It has stuck out to me for some reason.


Thanks, I do like that wrap. it is an easy wrap and gives a nice 3D look as do the pyramid grip inlays. almost like they were meant for each other.



Billy 40 said:


> AWESOME!!! How did you do the Pyramid inlays? How does he like the rod? What is he fishing for with it?


Thanks, you are the last person who needs to ask anyone how to do EVA inlays, I copied the idea directly from your work, you do an awesome job on them. I use thin EVA strips and cut them the width that I will need to make the small triangles using a razor blade and a straight edge metal ruler. The width being calculated by how many pyramids I want to go around the grip. After I cut the strip I than use a set of cheap plastic calipers as a cutting guide with the jaws set at the same width as the strip and I cut the strip into squares with a very sharp razor blade. I than use a razor blade to cut each square from corner to corner giving me very even sized triangles. I will do this for each color I need and than I will glue them together. First I glue 2 colors together forming a larger triangle and than another 2 colors together forming another large triangle. Than I glue these two larger triangles together to form squares. If needed I will trim the triangles and squares to make sure the edges are even. I usually start out with more than I will need so that I can discard the ones that are not even or not the correct size. After I have the squares made up of the smaller triangles I will check to make sure they will be the correct size to wrap around a piece of EVA (smaller diameter than the grip)making sure they match up evenly and that they give me the correct diameter I need to match the grip. I end up with a strip of the pyramids that I will than glue onto a cylinder of EVA that when combined gives close to the same diameter as the grip. Once set I sand the grip and hope everything turns out OK. 

He was very happy with the rod and will be using it to jig for school bluefin tuna and also for deep dropping the canyons.



REKER said:


> Thats nice work! Btw, for an ignorant wanna-be rod builder, what are the specs of this rod, and also which Quantum reel is that?


The rod is rated for 40-80lb line and lure/jig weight 4-16oz. Ask4Fish is correct the reel is a Progear Oceanus 30 reel. A us made reel that is unfortunately not made anymore. 

Thanks,
John


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## skunk king (Mar 25, 2008)

very nice!


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## Billy 40 (Jan 11, 2010)

Impressive, great description on how you did the inlays. That is a LOT of work with all those triangles and gluing small pieces together. Unless you've done grip inlays like this before, you cannot appreciate how tedious it is, and how good a job was done on this rod. Thumbs up again.


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## Billy 40 (Jan 11, 2010)

Specs on the rod - it's an ideal 60# jigging rod, designed to be fished with 22#'s of drag, but will handle up to 30#'s. Blank weight is 7.2oz, tip is a size 9, it's a Super Seeker constructed with graphite & S glass. I know fish up to 160#'s have been caught on the GTS 70H. 

Built as a Spinning rod for Popping, it casts 1-4oz really, really well, for deep jigging conventional 4-16oz, and for dragging bait you can get it to handle 20oz by cutting 1-2" off the tip. If anyone is interetd in this blank let me know, I've got them in stock in Blue, GRey, and REddish Brown + components (Fuji MNSG HNSG Amtak Titan Vitus Heavy, grips, seat, gimbal) [email protected] - if you dont' know I designed the Hercules series of blanks with Seeker


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## Hudak (Sep 10, 2007)

jlentz said:


> Thanks, I do like that wrap. it is an easy wrap and gives a nice 3D look as do the pyramid grip inlays. almost like they were meant for each other./


Ya, the first time I saw it in Billy's book it jumped off the page at me. I THINK I have the blank I am going to put it on. I was waiting on the right blank. Now I may have to work on some small eva squares....MAYBE! I don't know if I am ready to dedicate all that time and precision just yet. Once agian, great work.


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## skunk king (Mar 25, 2008)

how do you like that blank? I've been eying one for pin fishing.


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## Ryan Y (Dec 1, 2005)

Nice reel too. A workhorse.


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## jrjcrf150f (Oct 21, 2010)

that looks awesome. whats it cost to do something like that


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## Ryan Y (Dec 1, 2005)

*Cost*



jrjcrf150f said:


> that looks awesome. whats it cost to do something like that


Reel? Rod? or both?


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## jrjcrf150f (Oct 21, 2010)

rod.


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