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Posts: 4053
Location: Land of the Musky | Actually Chris I am checking with the guy in PA that sold the rod to another and then I sent the refund to. If I am mistaken and this is your buddy I do apologize but when you come onto a forum swinging and posting from a guest account and continue to bash my products and company name I usually take a defensive stance....
James
PS-For a great rod other than mine  I do plan on buying a 9'3" Okuma this year. Never heard anything bad about that rod. If money is still in the wallet I may buy a Hulbert rod too. |
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Posts: 90
| Kind of funny, I got my rod building education from Thorne Bros and they extend every handle by putting an extension on the inside of the rod. I will be sure to pass along that link so that they know that they have been building rods the wrong way for the past 25 years. Expert rod builders courtesy of google, the internet is a wonderful place.
Extensions in general really shouldn't be more then 6-9" past the original blank length. It really won't matter how much glue you use or type, how many arbors you add or how much fiberglass tape you add, the torque from casting mag dawgs/pounders will break it if the extension is too long. Usually the extension just pops out, but often it cracks the blank. It also isn't something that happens right away, but 2+ years down the road. Its just what happens. The rod builders at Thorne joke around that if you need to extend a rod further then 6", then you should have someone build you a new blank, its the only right way to get something to the desired length.
Comparing the durability of a telescoping rod to one that has an "extension" in a seperate place is irrelevant. Its apples to oranges.
A couple of logistical issues adding an extension to a muskie rod by going over the blank, instead of sticking a seperate piece of a rod inside the blank.
1. Finding a piece of a rod that is large enough to fit over the back end of a musky blank that is already pretty thick. You would probably have to go with either a heavy saltwater rod or glass rod which adds a lot of weight to the back end.
2. Say you find a piece of a blank that can do it, now you have to find cork rings (or premade cork handles) that can fit over your fatter extension and you really don't have a lot of extra cork left to lathe before you are at the blank, screw up and you start over I guess.
3. You find cork rings that fit (like the much more expensive cork rings that are used on the flare section of rods) and I hope you enjoy fishing with a handle that has about a four inch diameter.
4. If you ever need to repair the handle, replace the reel seat, gouge the cork etc, have fun tearing off all of the guides and existing cork so you can rebuild the entire rod and repeat steps 1-3. It is not fun getting all of the old cork/glue off of the old blank.
As for extending a rod in the middle of the handle: I liked the idea when Paul Thorne built those rods for Nature Vision last year, but it didn't work for him and he is one of the best rod builders out there. I don't see how having a piece of metal rubbing against graphite helps things, sure the extension might not break, but graphite does. It is also just my opinion and time will tell if I am right or wrong. I would have assumed that if metal was acceptable for extension material it would have been used a long time ago. If I remember right, Thorne buys their extension pieces from Gary Wick for something like $5 a piece and I would think an aluminum pole would be cheaper and more durable then that if it worked.
Best rod out there for mags/pounders is the 9' Predator XH. I have Legend tournaments, Loomis Steels and a Heavy Avid and the Predator is the best. Adding any $100 rod to that list is ridiculous, I don't care if my mom made it.
For me right now the best $100 rod out there for dawgs is the 8' XH Shimano Compre. This is the first year I have touched the Okumas and they seem nice and if things go well with people I personally talk to that use them, then it will probably change to those due to length. |
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Posts: 1184
Location: Iowa Great Lakes | I have broke, Tecna AV's, G-Loomis, St Croics all on a cast does this mean these rods are not good either? I currently have 2 favorites out of St Croixs, Loomis a couple Thorne Bros, Muskie Innovation, and a TI, those 2 are the H Predator built on a non extended 9' blank by St Croix and the Tackle Industries 9' XH. I have used the Okuma briefly for a few casts and used a Shimano Compre, the Compre does not come close the Okuma I didn't use enough to form a judgement. For the money I think James has about the best rod out there, in fact I put it up next to my Predator. As with any product some will fail, no matter if it's a Yugo or a Lexus someone will get a lemon. |
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Posts: 32955
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I'm using several telescoping Okuma Rods. Nice stick, tough as nails. Okuma builds a great rod at a great price and I can prove it through LOTS of use and abuse.
I have a couple Tooth Tamers. Nice sticks in a blank I need that Okuma doesn't make.
I've never fished a Black River. Saint is a good guy, and sorta anal about things being right, so I'm sure it's a good rod.
James has a great reputation for taking care of his customers and testing the products he produces. I'd bet a Burger and a Beer his rods are also very nice...reports from those who have them have been really positive. He is one of the most generous folks I know, and almost by himself provided for half the money needed to be raised to send a Vet fishing with OM at the swap in Milwaukee last weekend. I've fished a few of his products, and find them well built, and plenty durable enough. I fish his competitor's products too...why not?
There's one fellow posting here who needs to push his chair back and listen to himself for a minute, thinking about the folks who read this thread and what they might be thinking about his tirades. The last guy on the planet I'm buying a rod...or a leader or lure or anything...from, is a manufacturer who bashes the products others build out of obvious spite. Bad business, IMO.
There's plenty of room for all the builders out there and if they market their products well and the product holds up under the wear and tear we all offer, and the company stands behind any failures, they deserve a piece of the action. It's business, and it's global in nature. |
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