Hunting Washington Forum

Other Activities => Fishing => Topic started by: ML_Hunter on February 01, 2014, 02:07:01 AM

Title: Custom Rod Builder
Post by: ML_Hunter on February 01, 2014, 02:07:01 AM: Anyone recommend a rod builder in the northwest area? Looking to have a steelhead rod built.

Thanks in advance for any assistance!
Title: Re: Custom Rod Builder
Post by: 87Ford on February 01, 2014, 02:25:32 AM: 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.
Title: Re: Custom Rod Builder
Post by: kenbell27 on February 01, 2014, 03:41:11 AM: 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
Title: Re: Custom Rod Builder
Post by: mallard79 on February 01, 2014, 08:19:00 AM: 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. :dunno:

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. :twocents:
Title: Re: Custom Rod Builder
Post by: nwwanderer on February 01, 2014, 08:27:24 AM: Check out lordofthestreams.com
Title: Re: Custom Rod Builder
Post by: bullcanyon on February 01, 2014, 08:32:03 AM: Not hard at all. You could wrap your own and have an extra sense of pride with it.
Title: Re: Custom Rod Builder
Post by: Bullkllr on February 01, 2014, 10:39:14 AM: :yeah: 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.
Title: Re: Custom Rod Builder
Post by: ML_Hunter on February 01, 2014, 01:46:00 PM: 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!!
Title: Re: Custom Rod Builder
Post by: fishcrazy on February 01, 2014, 05:37:09 PM: 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
Title: Re: Custom Rod Builder
Post by: actionshooter on February 01, 2014, 05:51:21 PM: I have had George in Lacey do some in the past and even took a class from him years ago. He does awesome work!!
Title: Re: Custom Rod Builder
Post by: TheHunt on February 01, 2014, 06:46:14 PM: 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.
Title: Re: Custom Rod Builder
Post by: Bullkllr on February 01, 2014, 07:16:39 PM: :yeah:

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.
Title: Re: Custom Rod Builder
Post by: SuperFull on February 01, 2014, 07:44:21 PM: 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.
Title: Re: Custom Rod Builder
Post by: TheHunt on February 01, 2014, 07:57:10 PM: 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.
Title: Re: Custom Rod Builder
Post by: snowpack on February 01, 2014, 08:07:32 PM: 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.
Title: Re: Custom Rod Builder
Post by: bullcanyon on February 02, 2014, 06:30:10 AM: Gary's new company is Edge Rods. They are out of this world nice, but darn expensive.
Title: Re: Custom Rod Builder
Post by: TheHunt on February 02, 2014, 08:32:09 AM: Quote from: bullcanyon on February 02, 2014, 06:30:10 AM
Gary's new company is Edge Rods. They are out of this world nice, but darn expensive.

So North Fork Composites is dead or did he sell it?

I see lots of people that sell North Fork Composite rods as Gary's company. I am not sure Gary is a spokes person to sell more rods or if he is actually the owner of the rod company. Did you ask the question at the Edge Rod booth at the Sportsmen show?
Title: Re: Custom Rod Builder
Post by: Button Nubbs on February 02, 2014, 09:31:09 AM: Quote from: SuperFull on February 01, 2014, 07:44:21 PM
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.

I wad witness to this! Hahahaha. Ill never forget that.
Title: Re: Custom Rod Builder
Post by: fishcrazy on February 02, 2014, 10:02:47 AM: out of at least 20 rods I own, all but 5 are Rainshadow. The other 5 are Rogue.

Can't say enough about Rainshadow rods but I do prefer my Rogue plug rods over my rainshadow plug rods.

I've been kicking around buying my dad everything to get started building rods. Maybe for his birthday someday. I'm needing a couple dozen more rods built.

Kris
Title: Re: Custom Rod Builder
Post by: ML_Hunter on February 02, 2014, 10:51:20 AM: Quote from: TheHunt on February 02, 2014, 08:32:09 AM
Quote from: bullcanyon on February 02, 2014, 06:30:10 AM
Gary's new company is Edge Rods. They are out of this world nice, but darn expensive.

So North Fork Composites is dead or did he sell it?

I see lots of people that sell North Fork Composite rods as Gary's company. I am not sure Gary is a spokes person to sell more rods or if he is actually the owner of the rod company. Did you ask the question at the Edge Rod booth at the Sportsmen show?

All Edge Rods are made from North Fork Composites blanks. They are the same company, but more so different divisions under the same umbrella, both of which owned by Loomis.
http://northforkcomposites.com/ (http://northforkcomposites.com/)
http://www.edgerods.com/catalog/rods/salmonsteelhead (http://www.edgerods.com/catalog/rods/salmonsteelhead)