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| Great points... in everything new there will always be an over-reaction. The XXXHF is a great example. Long rods are another. When I started musky fishing I bought a couple of 7' MH rods. Everyone else was using 5'6" to 6'0", maybe 6'6" was a "long" one. Everyone told me my rods were too long. Now I use 8'0" - 8'6" and some people tell me my rods are too short. |
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| This has been a very entertaining and educational thread. Lots of opinions , almost like a Ford/Chevy debate. I still believe experience is the best teacher. 2009 will be my 34 th season chasing muskies. I have tried/used/played with lots of different rods over the years and have been using custom muskie rods since the early 80's. Muskie anglers are catching up to the bass and walleye guys very quickly in that we are now using TECHNIQUE SPECIFIC rods. Many rods are versatile, but we're all looking for the perfect tool. I get multiple e-mails and pm's weekly asking my opinions on rods for certain applications. I love talking about rods and my preferences and experiences. I've learned a ton over the years from working in the industry and asking lots of questions. My friend Pat Smith from Thorne Bros. has forgotten more about rods than most will ever know. I learned a great deal from him while I worked there and have "wasted" a lot of money over the years. In my opinion, a muskie rod has 3 distinct purposes. First , casting the bait. The "correct" action will eliminate much of the stress/fatigue associated with casting heavy baits for any length of time, as will proper mechanics of casting itself. Second, the rod has to be able to work the bait you're casting. You can't work a jerkbait(and set the hook) with a MH bucktail rod. Makes sense.Third, and perhaps the most often overlooked , is fighting the fish. Rods with the right action will "forgive" mistakes made by the angler and help keep fish pinned. If the rod is too stiff, the fish can create slack(just a little is all it takes) to throw the bait. So , where do we go from here? Gather as much info you can before making a purchase. Talk to reputable people who KNOW rods. People who use them on a daily basis or close to it. Talk to as many different people as possible and for Gods sake, don't take everything you read on the internet as gospel. Do your due diligence. And then call Frankie. Hahahahahaha. 'Sconnie Steve |
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Posts: 375
| with all the great videos that i have watched here on this site i think some interesting ones would be to see "proper" snap casting techniques vs. lobbing of baits using various types / brands of rods and their actions. this may give folks out there a better insight as to what certain rods can "handle" when properly designed and used while making the "buying-blind" process much less stressful especially with the big bucks some of the rods are bringing these days! |
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Posts: 1937
Location: Black Creek, WI | Jonesi sums it up perfectly. THANKS STEVE for finally speaking up.
I think #3... fighting the fish.... should be the highest priority of the three rod selection criteria... not the lowest. Especially when a Technique Specific rod is targeting the largest fish you might catch in a given season. Thus, I'd rather compromise my back muscles than lose the fish of a lifetime.
Obviously we seek the perfect balance of all 3 elements Jonesi mentions..... however when it comes to these big, clumsy lures getting so popular... its quite obvious tom me that the PERFECT balance hasn't been achieved.... yet. Well... perhaps its safer to say that there isn't agreement amongst the masses yet (heh heh heh). Thus, its still up to the angler to choose what aspect they want to compromise.... which is what makes purchasing a new rod both fun and frustrating.
I learned a lot about what options are out there to consider. Hopefull others did to. |
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Posts: 231
| Chas - 1/13/2009 3:07 PM
Steve Jonesi could probably better explain this. I know he's experimented with every blank/manufacturer under the sun. LOL
Chas
I was wondering what took you so long, Steve. LOL! YES..... This has been a imformative & entertaning thread. Ahh, the the days of fishing for panfish with a beetlespin, so much easier. LOL
Chas
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| is the calstar a heavy action :-) |
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Posts: 4266
| Steve, I just got a correspondence from St Croix telling me that the engineers and the company of course, just got some real state of the art design equipment, and that we can expect even more great things from St Croix in the very near future.
As far as the listing of priorities in a rod design, it seems that every year we are getting closer and closer to the ultimate in fishing rods. I own every rod in the TL muskie line, and I must say that they are not just designed for castability, though that is what struck me the first time that I used every one, they all are designed for fighting fish also. I wish that I could say that I had the pleasure to fight four foot fish on every rod in the line, but I only had them for the end of the season. All I can say is that they are the best rods that I have ever hand in my hands..........boy did that come out wrong 
Beav |
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Posts: 76
Location: Bartlett IL | Guest
The Calstar blanks that I have used for muskie rods are a heavy power/fast action blank.
I know there has been a great deal of discussion about the different blanks and their characteristics but Lamiglas has done a good job explaining the different terminology.
(action and power explained.jpg)
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 action and power explained.jpg (155KB - 158 downloads)
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Posts: 1937
Location: Black Creek, WI | Thanks for the image, Frank! That is exactly what I was seeking.... only from St. Croix to help compare their line-up. |
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| how much for a custon made calstar rod 9' |
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Posts: 2089
| Depends who makes it, but I THINK Frank is around $350 with Fuji Hardloy guides. Of course there are upgrades as well. Steve |
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Posts: 1906
Location: Oconto Falls, WI | J, I am assuming you have used the 9' Lami and didn't care for it? I'm interested in knowing as I thought the rod was pretty good for throwing the pounder. Then again I haven't used anything else really. |
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Posts: 1937
Location: Black Creek, WI | Travis,
Yes, I have the 9' Lamiglas Ricky Stick (see the photo I posted above showing how it loads up). I like the rod and love the tip action for fighting fish, however its only rated 1-4 oz..... so I'm not comfortable lobbing 14 oz. lures with it for fear of stressing the rod. I use it for lighter Mag Dawgs, traditional bucktails and such, but not for Pounders.
If the rod was was rated higher... perhaps I'd already have what I'm looking for? Should I ignore the rating and creaking line guides when I cast heavy lures... or continue looking for something else? Thus, why I started this thread. |
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| how willthis rod handle mag dawgs, is it to stiff
how does the calstar handle big cranks and magdawgsof mackay |
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