Building a custom spinner and plug rod

In last week’s column I mentioned rod building as an activity that Mat-Su anglers may want to participate in during the “off” season. While there are many rod choices available at several Mat-Su retailers like 3 Rivers Fly and Tackle, Sportsman’s Warehouse, Wal-Mart, of even Fred Meyer, someone with a keen interest in angling may be able to custom build a rod that much more specifically meets their needs. Consider a rod I built this year specifically for fishing spinners and small plugs on Little Susitna River for coho and chum salmon. I was able to pick a rod blank rated to handle the lures I most often fish, in a 7-foot length that provides effortless casting for extended periods of time, and with a moderate-fast action that facilitate casting accuracy. My color theme starts with the seafoam green blank combined with metallic purple/pink guide wraps, a black reel seat, and a lavender/black rear grip capped with a purple metal winding check to produce vibrant eye-candy appeal.

Since I intended to use this rod primarily with 20-30 lb. superbraid line with a 3000-size spinning reel(s), but also wanted the total package to feel light and sensitive in the hand, I selected a 9-guide Fuji KR guide kit and also purchased one additional 5mm Fuji KB guide and a Fuji Lg tiptop in ring size 5 / tube size 6. The Fuji KR guides are marketed as “tangle free,” and while perhaps not 100% so, I can attest that they greatly reduce line tangles and especially when fishing with extra limp superbraid lines. Anglers’ Resource provides a great online tutorial on KR guide sizes and spacing along a rod blank for specific build types and rod lengths — https://anglersresource.net/kr-guide-placement-software/

The reel seat is an ergonomic Alps nylon VTG in size 16 mm with a size 16 Fuji backstop lock nut and enclosed by Fuji 16/12 and 16/13 SK2 winding checks. The rear grip consists of a Batson butt cap, Northfork 3 .75 inch carbon grip, and a 13mm winding check. Total handle length from end of the butt cap to the front of the reel seat is 13.25 inches.

Finding all the right parts, determining the correct guide spacing and handle length for a specific length/ weight of rod blank and experimenting with different color patterns may require trial and error experimentation — which can get expensive. Fortunately for this specific custom rod I had already done most of the experimenting earlier when building / fishing other rods. Therefore, this is now one of my highly recommended rods. When time and again guests get in my guide boat and reach for this specific color scheme, I know it has wide-based appeal. After a season of watching guests detect light -biting fish and catch more than a hundred salmon with this rod package, I know it is both sensitive and durable. Rod balance / lightness in hand has also been observed — when guests fish on more of a continuous basis throughout entire 6-hour fishing trips, rather than stopping to take one or more “rest” brakes.

A one-piece 7-foot spinning rod may take care in transport / storage, but when fishing the guides are always aligned and the tip section never works loose / flies off while casting. One-piece rods are also considered to be more sensitive, lighter in weight, and stronger compared to a similar weight multi-piece rod.

There are a few businesses in Alaska that sell rod building components including 3 Rivers Fly and Tackle in Wasilla (which also offers rod building classes/instruction). There is, however, a seemingly endless number of rod blanks and components from which an angler may want to make a truly custom rod, and it is too expensive for local retailers to stock all the different options. So rod builders may need to special order a specific rod blank, grip, reel seat, guide set, or color of guide wrapping thread. This can be done through a company like 3 Rivers or through an online rod building component company like Get Bit Outdoors https://getbitoutdoors.com/ , Lure Parts Online https://www.lurepartsonline.com/ , or Mudhole Rod Building and Tackle Crafting https://mudhole.com/ . With supply shortages and shipping delays, it can take a while for all the parts to arrive, so it is never too early to start ordering components, especially if you would like to build a rod this winter. Inventory levels have been reasonable so far, but as winter progresses more supply shortages often develop.

I built my first custom rod during my 8th grade year, with a little instruction from my Dad and after reading (not enough). I used a quality rod blank, good cork, and high-end guides and the rod fished well, however, the guide wraps were a bit unwieldy, too much finish was applied / sagged / looked sloppy, so I definitely would have benefitted from more reading / instruction on how to build a better rod. Don’t get me wrong, I was very proud of my first custom built rod and even caught my first king salmon with it. The point is, if you only intend to build one rod (my intention, at that time) it may be money well spent to attend a rod building class or at least to get instruction from a friend who may have built several rods. Rod building can be an addictive cold-weather pastime, and it can enhance your fishing experience to catch fish on a rod that you specifically designed — handle material and length / rod length / blank action and power/ size and quality of guides, etc. Below are some of the choice I made in building the rod I mentioned in this column.

Parts List

SP845-SF Batson seafoam green RX6 graphite 7 foot blank (one-piece, moderate-fast, heavy); Fuji KL-H Guide Kit #209H. 20h - 10h - 5.5m - 5KB - 5KT - 5KT - 5KT - 5KT - 5KT; Additional Fuji_KB-guide - size 5 mm; Fuji_Lg-top — 5 ring / 6 tube; Batson_HKS small silver hook keeper; Pro Wrap MS-A-9600 Metalic Purple size A thread; Fuji_NP_502 Neon Pink size A thread; Alps VTG16-N reel seat; Fuji_LOGR16AN backstop lock nut; Fuji SK2 black nylon winding checks - 12/16 and 13/16; Purple metal winding check - 13mm inside diameter; NFCG010C01 Northfork 3.75” carbon grip / lavender; Batson SBC20B black plastic butt cap

General Supplies

Rod Bond 2-part epoxy paste; Next Level Rod Finish; Mixing cup and mixing stick; Finish brush; 1 inch masking tape; 3/4 inch masking tape; NEXTLVL-TIPTOP Ferrule Cement; Dental ligatures; Alcohol torch; Grip Reamer; Flex Coat hand Wrapper; Finish drying motor

Good Luck and Fish On!

Andy Couch is a member of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Fish and Wildlife Commission and the Matanuska Valley Fish and Game Advisory Committee, however comments expressed in this column are his own unless noted otherwise.