Custom Rod Builder

[ML_Hunter]

Anyone recommend a rod builder in the northwest area? Looking to have a steelhead rod built.

Thanks in advance for any assistance!

[87Ford]

I like to recommend Greg's Custom Rods in Lake Stevens.  He's wrapped four or five Rainshadow blanks for me the last couple years and does really nice work.

[kenbell27]

I have had George make me a couple of custom rods and he does a excellent job.

George's Rod & Reel Repair
3928 21st Avenue SE # 61
Lacey, WA 98503 - View Map
Phone: (360) 491-8398

[mallard79]

Greg's is a good place to have one done.

If you have a little down time you could do it yourself. It's not super dificult and you will be way more satisfied catching fish on a rod you built.   

Also for the same or less money that you would pay someone to build one you can get yourself all the tools to continue building your own rods later. 

[nwwanderer]

Check out lordofthestreams.com 

[bullcanyon]

Not hard at all.  You could wrap your own and have an extra sense of pride with it.

[Bullkllr]

  The custom guys are certainly good at what they do. But you have to expect to pay for it. Only reason I could see doing it is if you want something really special that just isn't commercially available as a finished rod. It will cost more than a factory-made comparable.

[ML_Hunter]

I'll check out George and Greg's, Its for a special occasion...otherwise I may do one myself. I would actually like to try building one, sounds like a fun hobby. Any other suggestions?

Thanks guys!!

[fishcrazy]

I own about 20 custom rods.  I spent about 50% of what a factory comparable  rod would cost for each one. The biggest reason I got started with custom rods was to save money and have a better finished product.
My guy has been retired for a few years so dad and I have been kicking around doing our own and maybe starting a little hobby business.


Kris

[actionshooter]

I have had George in Lacey do some in the past and even took a class from him years ago. He does awesome work!!

[TheHunt]

Do it yourself.  I built on and used my son's Lego's to build my first rod holder to spin it.  It is really easy.  Lots of YouTube videos, you buy your handle, guides, glue, color of thread and the blank.

Second one I used my son's Knex toy to build the rod rack and to spin the rod. 

[Bullkllr]

 

I've built probly a couple dozen rods. It's fun, and you generally can get the rod you want for less cash outlay.
That said, I feel I need to get a good deal on the components- especially the blank- to make it worth it. 20-30 years ago you could get Lami and Loomis blanks and build a top quality rod for probly 1/2 what they were going for as finished rods. It seems the retail price of blanks has escalated more recently (as have rods, of course). You can get a blank from the top end manufacturers, but it seems harder to price it all together for what I consider to be a reasonable price. Course I've never been a $500 rod kinda fisherman. And that's the kind of blank Lami and Loomis want to sell you. That's why I'm always on the hunt for deals on blanks. And I feel I can get an entirely adequate rod without spending an arm and a leg.

Cabelas has nice blanks for between 50-100$ that I really like. But they quit making my favorite 9 ft medium action.

[SuperFull]

The best rod I own is a casting rod for steel/salmon custom made by my brother.  (mallard79) Absolutely beautiful rod, forest green with deep blue wraps.  Strongly suggest Rainshadow blanks.  I hooked into a 20# class silver on the OP years ago that immediately took off up river and slammed the rod against a 90 angle cement bridge pillar, bent completely around it until I gained control of the fish pulled it off and landed it (barely a scratch in the rod).  That was just one of the countless fish that I landed before and since on that rod.

Personally I have had great experience with Rainshadow and heard really nothing bad about their blanks.  So wether you dicide to make one yourself or have another do it for you, I would definitely take a look at Rainshadow.

[TheHunt]

Rainshadow is one of the best from the research I did last year.  I think that new Gary Loomis company, I think it is called North Fork Composites is another good blank rod to investigate.

[snowpack]

Rainshadows are nice.  I think you can get a kit that has the blanks and all the parts so you can build rods.  There is a guy on the peninsula that does rods (I think he still does) called Dream Catcher (?).  Think he mostly builds off rainshadows.