10 foot, 2-piece blank suggestions?

[Lymphocyte]

Hi all,

Have a customer who is chasing a 10 foot blank to match to his Stella 8000 for casting and high-speed spinning of 1-4 oz metals (and some hardbodies) off the shore. Ideally this would mean a faster action blank in comparison to the traditionally moderate action surf blanks. And it needs to be 2-piece. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

[Stuart]

Snyder FSU-54120.

[grave41]

Gusa do a nice 10ft 2piece.It breaks apart at the handle but i cant remember the model number.
Graham

[metaloid]

Lamiglas XRA 120 Signature series. Very fast and a powerful casting blank but imo seems to amplify heads shakes rather than absorb them!

Gusa do a nice 10ft 2piece.It breaks apart at the handle but i cant remember the model number.
Graham

I was going to be a smart ass and say that Gusa "used to" do nice blanks, but surprise surprise they seem to be back in business... http://www.unitedcomposites-usa.com/index.html

I sacrificed my xfast Gusa bream blank to the gods of snags and stupidity, and couldn't quite find a replacement, so I wonder if anyone's got any feedback about their new blanks?

[Lymphocyte]

Thanks for your help lads.

Metaloid, I've been looking at the XRA (Ron Arra) series but there appears to be one too many reports about tips breaking. Have you heard about this, or have any comments about their potential fragility?

I'm aware that high-end graphite rods have a greater tendency to break after misuse (i.e. high-sticking), but that is one hell of an expensive mistake to make with these rods.

[markos]

I've got a PacComp FSU 4120G, but there has to be better blanks out there now, looking at overseas forums it appears we are 3rd World when it comes to beach/rock rods. I wouldn't mind building something light to throw 35-50g metals off the beach.Which Blank? Lamiglass XRA, St croix SV4, Century, Jack Hatteras, United composites. Any body built on these blanks before? I was holidaying in Cairns last year and was speaking to an Italian bloke who used to be a sponsored distance caster in Europe and he told me he couldn't believe that for a country with great beach fishing we use really crap beach rods. Would be great to hear peoples experiences with these rods

[metaloid]

Thanks for your help lads.

Metaloid, I've been looking at the XRA (Ron Arra) series but there appears to be one too many reports about tips breaking. Have you heard about this, or have any comments about their potential fragility?

I'm aware that high-end graphite rods have a greater tendency to break after misuse (i.e. high-sticking), but that is one hell of an expensive mistake to make with these rods.

Yeah, I have to admit that even-though I've dead-lifted plenty of decent size tailors and trevors of rock walls with the Lamiglas, I've always been verrry careful not to knock the blank, whereas I give hell to my snyder rods without thinking twice about it... I don't know how to explain it rationally, some sort of gut feel!

[grave41]

I wouldn't mind building up a lamiglas xra but i can buy the thing already built cheaper.Purglas make a nice blank too.Anyone tried the new ones at mudhole {Tommy Farmer}?
Graham

[Lymphocyte]

Have to agree with you there Markos, there's a big green field of blank options over the fence (i.e. overseas).

Another idea that has come across my desk is a CTS baycaster, which comes in a 10ft model (albeit not listed in their catalogue). Anyone had any experience with these?

[lrrrrr]

Have to agree with you there Markos, there's a big green field of blank options over the fence (i.e. overseas).

Another idea that has come across my desk is a CTS baycaster, which comes in a 10ft model (albeit not listed in their catalogue). Anyone had any experience with these?

The CTS baycasters are awesome HSS rod blanks. Unbelievably light but with good power. A comparable baycaster is a little over half the weight of it's Pac Composites counterpart (or is it excel composites now?).

The rod loads up really well with the heavier metals, just be sure to check the ratings for your particular blank, doesn't load up well with lighter stuff so if you're into chucking things like the smaller hardbodies, not so good (due to a stiffish tip). But with the metals, you can feel the rod loading and it just slings them off with very little effort on your part - it has a VERY fast recovery rate. I have a 6-8kg version that will easily throw 60g. I don't go over that simply because the braid cuts my fingers realy bad on a cold morning.

[Lymphocyte]

Thanks for the info lads, very helpful!

[Stuart]

It frustrates me that we have only one blank manufacturer in Australia now, not that two was much better. They are motivated by one thing, trends. When fly-fishing was the craze, they produced new blanks with flash names. Then it was bass and this blank or that blank was better then the rest then came the bream fad and, well you get the idea. Every few years we see or hear about a new blank or company and unfortunately, most of what you read or hear is marketing crap. Most blanks are copies of copies with no real push forward in blank development. Nearly every blank facility is owned/run by people that now next to nothing about fishing, and that’s the truth. People in general put way to much faith in these companies thinking they are actually highly experienced in fishing. More often that not they purchase blanks from other companies and then put there own twist on it. These companies could be doing so much more with the equipment they have on hand, yet we see more of the same old crap with a different sticker on it. How can they come up with efficant blanks when the people pulling the strings don’t know anything about fishing, bloody crazy.