[1fish2fish]

Building a light jigging rod mainly for Texas Coast for Red Snapper, but also for whatever else I can manage on the rod. Blackfin, small yellowfin, cobia, tropical destinations, etc.
Blank is Black Hole Cape Cod Special Jigging 150 g 2 piece (not SPJ).
Decided for 2 piece for easier transport and might allow me to take on trips where I wouldn’t have taken otherwise.
Reel is a Seigler SG. Spooled up weighs about 15 oz.
Blank is right on spec at 3.7 oz., so this is going to be a very lightweight rod. 1.94 oz in butt section, 1.76 in tip section.
Butt: Fuji Rubber Gimbal
EVA Split Grip
Reel Seat: Fuji DPSD 20 mm
Guides: Acid Wrap planned. Fuji MN tip 10 then 10-10-10-12-12-20 (currently). 12-12-20 are the transition guides.
Mostly Polished Alconite, but due to limited availability had to get the 12 in SiC, which were also slightly different frame.
Currently have things laid out, but nothing glued up yet.
See this thread with some discussion on gluing of reel seat.
Biggest question is the guide spacing, especially the acid transition. Would really like some comments on it. I really do want to do an acid wrap, but not really sure about exactly how to optimize the transition. Since the reel seat isn’t glued, could really feel how stable it was when loaded up. When guides were on top, could feel it pulling rod over.
See pictures and video.

Notes: The first guide then not loaded is not in contact with the line.
The third guide from real seat isn’t really taking any load until the rod is loaded-up. Not sure if this is an issue. The weight in the video is 15 lbs, but I’m guessing I was only putting about 5 lbs on the rod in the video.
I guess I might need a picture of the whole rod and reel from the side?

Should I pull the transition guides closer to the reel?
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Hammer

 

[explorer]

The third guide from real seat isn’t really taking any load until the rod is loaded-up

Don’t really know much about it but I got 4 rods done by rod builder a year ago. This is a guide on 2 of them ~ line not touching till the rod load up.

 

[1fish2fish]

Don’t really know much about it but I got 4 rods done by rod builder a year ago. This is a guide on 2 of them ~ line not touching till the rod load up.

Thanks. Did you try to attach a picture?

 

[explorer]

Should have mentioned mine were modified from casting-> spiral wrap (blue)
Spiral left to spiral right (black)

 

[1fish2fish]

Really appreciate the pictures!

 

[explorer]

Here’s one without loading the rod. All stripper guides are offCentered to the left 5-7degree

2nd guide, line is not touching guide when not loaded

 

[explorer]

So @1fish2fish finished product pic?

 

[1fish2fish]

Still working on it, but finalized a few things. Started gluing grips last night and will glue reel seat tonight. See here for my plan: Jigging rod build questions

I’ve iterated the guides a bit, and load path is improving.

Thanks

 

[1fish2fish]

Finished guides last night. Will probably do a second coat, but other than that I’m done.
Ended up going with 10s for all the guides, except 20 stripper.
7.9 oz (4.2 oz over blank weight)
The two piece made fabrication and assembly of grips easier. To ream grips didn’t need a tapered mandrel, just used sharp drill bits by hand one size at a time. Also used a bit with tape as a mandrel to shape grips. I don’t know what others use, but the wood rasp I have is great. Coarse to rough shape quickly, then fine to remove the grooves from coarse, then a finer file and sand paper. Gimbal is Fuji, also turned on drill press to make matte finish.

 

[explorer]

Nice! Yeh, you what to do one for me

 

[1fish2fish]

Thanks. I’m sure we could work something out. Given how slow I am it’d probably only cost double of a real custom rod. And they would do a better job. Maybe I better keep my day job. 😀

 

[1fish2fish]

This is funny. For some reason one of the photos of the rasp got flagged as adult content. Yikes!

 

[explorer]

Stop browsing “those” sites things like that wouldn’t happen LOL