Custom Fishing Rods

Your Personal Fishing Rod  

If you want your own personal rod,  there are many ways to go about getting one. You can personalize your fishing rod. Once you have decided on the components of the rod, you can then start working.  

The first step in constructing your fishing rod is to find the hardest side of the rod blank. This will be the outside curve of your rod and is known as the spine. If you build to this curve, it will give the rod the normal skill to bend when you are pulling in a fish. If you don’t find the spine, the rod will have the inclination to turn decreasing the life of the rod. 

When trying to find the spine, place the end on a soft area and hold the rod blank in one hand. While you are doing this, press the tip of the rod down with the palm of your other hand. You will find the spine on the outside of this curve. To make sure you don’t forget which side is, mark it with a white china marker and do not remove this mark until you are done.   

When making a handle, there are three frequent parts utilized to do this. Most rods regularly have a handle, a reel seat and a fore grip, but it depends on the type of rod being constructed. Sometimes a winding check is place on the front of the fore grip after the handle is placed together.  

Next, you need to measure the length of the handle parts. Follow this by marking the space on the end of the rod blank. Once this is done, use a medium sandpaper to toughen up that spot on the rod blank. Make sure you do not sand all of the length. 

Then take a razor wand or round file to make the hole in the middle of the handle. That way it will fit the rod taper at the location it will be fixed to at the blank. The fit should be tight but adjustable. That way it can be moved to the accurate place before the epoxy cures.  

You will need to cover your rod handle parts in plastic and secure them with strong tape. You don’t want to get epoxy on the thread of the reel seat because it can be a catastrophe due to the everlasting outcome of epoxy.   

Once you have the handle reamed to the accurate size, you can mix the two part epoxy. You should mix about an ounce of the epoxy; then smear the epoxy on the rod where the handle will be attached. Next, slide the handle down over the top of the rod and into position.   

Then put a bit of epoxy where the reel seat will be and then slip that over the tip of the rod into position. You will add more epoxy on the outside of the arbor. You will then place the reel seat over the tip of the rod and slip that into position.  

The last thing is to place some epoxy on the rod where the fore grip will be placed. Then place the fore grip on the rod in the same method as the other pieces. Now, make the reel seat straight with the spine according to the type of rod being built.  

If you are making a spinning rod, spinning reels are place on the bottom of the spine. If you are making a casting rod, place it on top of the spine. You should then clamp the rod together with a cork clamp. This will keep the handle from moving as it dries in a safe place. It is ideal to let the epoxy sit for about 24 hours.