thefunkychicken

looks like a cracker rod. good job mate.

Nice looking rod ya built there well done, should have some fun with that.

I'm pretty much going to echo what everyone else is saying...I've heard nothing but good news about the Stradic CI4 reels, I don't have one myself but one is on the wish list.For squid - whether it be from the land, jetty, boat or kayak - I'm of the opinion that success can be found using the same reel and line used for whiting, flathead, gar, etc. Those being in the 1000, 2000, 2500, 3000 size of reasonable quality with 6 to 15lb braid on it with a fluro leader in the order of 10 to 20lb.Brands of reels I can only really speak for are Daiwa Sol, Shimano Stradic & Exage & Baitrunner as they're what I own but there are plenty of other capable reels out there both for reasonable and unreasonble prices.I reckon with squid (just like all other fishing) it's pretty much all down to technique and patience. Let that squid get right good and caught up in that jig, resist the temptation to haul it in, if he/she keeps resisting then just relax and keep your pressure on the line and you'll soon be back to bringing line back in.Good luck with it. And remember... that squid is a loaded gun: don't ever point it at anything you dont want covered in sticky, slimy black ink.Cheers.

Gday.That youtube video is pretty spot on the money.Tip tops are usually glued on (hot melt glue or either a 2 part glue like Araldite), and then in some cases, partially bound over with thread then epoxied.If this is the case, you'll need to scrape off the epoxy and thread with a SHARP knife before applying mild heat then force to the offending broken tip top.These tip guides come in a huge range of materials, colours and sizes. The actual eyelet size should be around the size of the eyelet on the last actual guide. The other way they're measured is in the size of the "tube" that slides down over the blank - these are either mesured in mm and are sized in .2mm graduations or in thousands of an inch if you're drinking Budweiser and driving on the right side of the road.The best way to get a good fit of the tip top is to get the blank all cleaned up nicely then just slide a range of guides onto the blank until you find the correct one.And with regards to using this rod "upside down"... stick with it if you like it. Unless you're moving bags of potting mix around the backyard with the rod, it is extremely unlikely you'll do it any harm. The only ill effect of using a rod "upside down" is that you'll be fishing against the backbone of the blank and it MIGHT have a small tendancy to twist in your hand while under significant load. But really, without detracting too much from the rod you're using, it's highly likely that the rod might have never been properly backboned before it was built.Anyway, good luck with the repairs. I've sent you a PM with one more suggestion that might help you out.Cheers.

I dropped in to Ray & Anne's yesterday to find that they have no Tuff Tackle reels in stock and won't be getting any more in.Should I be taking this as a sign?Cheers.

I dropped in to Ray & Anne's yesterday to find that they have no Tuff Tackle reels in stock and won't be getting any more in.Should I be taking this as a sign?Cheers.

i have a mate that was only talking about them the other day F/C he was also looking at the snipers just read this on there site TuffTackle’s success is based on proven results, below is a typical and honest review by a professional.Tuff Tackle Diablo Sniper 10000 review. By John CahillSerious spin reels are so capable and versatile and are able to cast, jig, troll and bait fish with ease. It's really only the biggest fish in the sea that are too much of a test for egg beaters, mostly due to line capacity. Australian owned Tuff Tackle has entered the spin reel market with a quality offering at a very reasonable price. I received the XTA Diablo Sniper 10000 about six months ago and was immediately impressed with what I saw. Boasting a claim of 30kgs of maximum drag and suited to 37 to 59kg line class it makes some serious assertions straight away. The build quality is quite good with 11 carbon and stainless washers, alloy body, rotor, bail and side cover. Stainless main and pinion gears, nine bearings and fittings are featured throughout and the handle has a distinctive quality and solid feeling about it and sits nice in the palm of the hand. While a tad weighty at 950 grams the whole unit has a feeling of, well, toughness about it.Boasting such serious specs I was keen to test the claims of the super high drag capability and as a result spooled it up with 37 kilo braid and gave it a temporary home on a Shimano TCurve 37 kg jigstick. The whole outfit had a fairly serious look about it. Putting the reel through its paces it has been a joy to operate and I have used it on everything from kingfish, tuna and makos and it has performed faultlessly and was not really seriously challenged by any of them.A couple of days deep dropping and jigging off Port Macdonnell was probably its most serious test. Retrieving the 200 or so metres each time with 400 grams of lead was enough, but some serious hapuka, school sharks, gemfish and other ooglies added to the load and strain. The reel's biggest test thus far has been a 20 minute struggle in the deep with an unknown bottom dweller. It all unfolded with the rod jammed in the holder, maximum drag applied and me cranking away mercilessly gaining a few metres while the ‘unknown’ would regain line under serious pressure when it wanted. The groan of the reel seat with each turn of the handle proved what a harsh and agricultural test this was, but the outfit held up and asked for more. A straightened hook unfortunately sealed the deal.My overall feeling about this reel is that its more than capable of filling many offshore roles. If you are after value for your money, capability and toughness, look no further than the Diablo Sniper 10000. They come with a 15 year warranty and will throw in a couple of free services with each reel.Back to the Topcheers 4THA

Gday.I'm not a real fan of Spiderwire.I stick to Fireline for lighter stuff (12lb and under) and Power Pro for heavier stuff (20lb up to 50lb) and have nothing much to say except praise for these two lines, especially the Power Pro.Cheers.

Gday.The two varieties of rods you're talking about will be constucted differently and use different kinds of guides depending on whether it is designed for an overhead or spinning reel.Any blank (the long thin tube of rolled fiberglass or carbon graphite fabric that is the rod) has its own "backbone" - actually some can have two. The backbone is the natural strength (or weakness) or the blank to tend to want to bend one way more than the other. Without getting too far into it: a backbone will determine which way a blank naturally wants to bend and if it is made to bend another way than intended (ie- not along it's backbone), the rod will end up wanting to twist in your hands when under load.Finding a blank's backbone is one of the first steps when a rod is being built. I would be willing to put money on the fact that a lot of lower and mid range rods that are massed produced these days are assembled without even the slightest thought towards the blank's backbone. Higher end rods or those made by a good custom rodbuilder SHOULD always have had the backbone found and the rod built accordingly.An overhead or baitcaster rod will have it's guides aligned on the outside curve of it's natural backbone (obviously because the line is going to run along the "top" of the rod). A spinning rod is the opposite: guides along the inside curve of the backbone as the line is running "underneath" the rod.One other difference that's easily spotted is the kind of guides that are used. Spinning rods will have guides are "taller" or "higher" than batcaster guides. Often baitcaster guides will be of the "double foot" variety while spinning guides are often single footed on light rods but double footed on heavier rods.Confused? Excuse my ramblings - I can be a bit passionate about such topics. There's no smoke and mirror tricks: just go into any decent shop and tell them what kind of fishing you do, what kind of reel you use and they SHOULD sort you out with a good rod to suit your needs.Cheers.

Gday.The two varieties of rods you're talking about will be constucted differently and use different kinds of guides depending on whether it is designed for an overhead or spinning reel.Any blank (the long thin tube of rolled fiberglass or carbon graphite fabric that is the rod) has its own "backbone" - actually some can have two. The backbone is the natural strength (or weakness) or the blank to tend to want to bend one way more than the other. Without getting too far into it: a backbone will determine which way a blank naturally wants to bend and if it is made to bend another way than intended (ie- not along it's backbone), the rod will end up wanting to twist in your hands when under load.Finding a blank's backbone is one of the first steps when a rod is being built. I would be willing to put money on the fact that a lot of lower and mid range rods that are massed produced these days are assembled without even the slightest thought towards the blank's backbone. Higher end rods or those made by a good custom rodbuilder SHOULD always have had the backbone found and the rod built accordingly.An overhead or baitcaster rod will have it's guides aligned on the outside curve of it's natural backbone (obviously because the line is going to run along the "top" of the rod). A spinning rod is the opposite: guides along the inside curve of the backbone as the line is running "underneath" the rod.One other difference that's easily spotted is the kind of guides that are used. Spinning rods will have guides are "taller" or "higher" than batcaster guides. Often baitcaster guides will be of the "double foot" variety while spinning guides are often single footed on light rods but double footed on heavier rods.Confused? Excuse my ramblings - I can be a bit passionate about such topics. There's no smoke and mirror tricks: just go into any decent shop and tell them what kind of fishing you do, what kind of reel you use and they SHOULD sort you out with a good rod to suit your needs.Cheers.

Mate they look awesome. The difference between your first couple rods and these is unreal, really nice work. Should wack together a snapper sp stick...

said before but i`ll say it again (because you deserve it) NICE ! work man,:woohoo: have made a couple of my own,and i know roughly the time and effort you spend on somthing like this,there both fine works man you should be pround of those well done. :clap: am building one for my self at the moment i`ll try to get some pic`s up one day when i work out how,lol.wondering man, what epoxy do you use,?

Top Work!they look brilliant

Mate they look the goods. I always admire a craftmens work that i dont have the skill or patience to even get close to doing myself. How long did they take ya to do?

Sweet job.... when ya taking orders ...

Nice job there FC, always nice to see other peoples work they sure look a treat. Don't think the fish will discriminate though. Well done :clap: :woohoo:

Very nice.You know Im a FAN of your work.

Gday.I'm just putting the finishing touches on a couple rods I've done up for two mates of mine.One is a die hard Crows fan and wanted old style binding done in Adelaide Crows colours - as much as I tried, I could not talk him out of this.The other one wanted something a bit more "different" - ie: he wanted something a bit brighter, even getting towards the gaudy stage. "Well, if that's what you want..." I said and chose bright green, purple, silver and white for his wraps.Personally, I prefer the non-Crows one. Not because of my affection towards Port Adelaide, I just reckon it looks pretty nice.The blanks are two piece, 6'6" (1.98m), 8-15lb (4-7kg) MHX graphite with fast action and medium power. The guides are Pacific Bay, the real seat is Fuji and the grips are St Croix cork.I hope my two bozo mates are happy with them and that they find them some ok fish.Cheers.

G'day.I'm far from being on the pulse in local tackle matters but I do know that nearly all tackle merchants are getting their merchandise at a grossly inflated price thanks to one (1) gentleman (read: unscrupulous bastard) over east - namely somewhere on the mid-north coast of NSW.Me, personally, I'm far from perfect. I am blessed with the ability to buy some (a lot) of my fishing gear overseas in person. There is no way, as long as my tailpipe points towards the earth, that I would be spend $380 on a reel - I was able to get said reel in my hand offshore for about 60% of that price.I WILL NOT, I repeat WILL NOT buy something here for $150 more than I can get it elsewhere... I work hard for my wages just like everyone else.I will, however, go to my local shop to purchase leader, bait, sinkers, crab pots, etc. I do this because my local tackle seller provides a service that is "close to home"... ie: there's yellowfin here, there are flathead there.Buying gear from the Internet (offshore shops or eBay) is a good way to save $$$, whether you should feel bad about not spending those $$$ (and more) to get the same gear from an SA seller is up to you. But rest assured that YOU are not the reason for these places going out of business (if, and when they might), it is the Australian importer of all the products we buy that's raping the populous.Rant over. My head is clear above the sandbags... fire away.Cheers.

G'day.1: After many hours of trolling in the relentless WA heat many years ago, finally hearing that magic zz, zzz, zzzzzz, zzzzziiiiing, strike the thing, fight it, 40 min later... 50 something lb Spanish Mackerel in my hands. (I'll take this argument anywhere: they fight like a gut-shot pig, I've caught the magical Southern Bluefin Tuna and they fight nothing like an angry mackerel).2: Years of diving on hookah on the big drop-off in Shark Bay, WA. Young & full of invincibility I used to hookah over a ledge that went from 8 to 45m without a care in the world. The payoffs were 3kg crays and 20lb Dhuies, Bluebone, Coral Trout, Red Emperor and the occasional Cobia. Ask me to do the same thing today and I'll tell you to go forth and multiply.3: Getting my nice sized Snapper off metro Adelaide in 12' of water on my 3rd home-built rod thinking it was a dirty ray as it struck and continuing to eat my cold green chicken curry for breakfast. When that leader came up near the kayak and I saw a flash of fish... well... you understand.Cheers.And 4: seeing/hearing all the great reports/stories by our members of the fish that have been caught around this magical land of ours.

I've used Daiwa TD braid (the orange stuff) on a few reels and was pretty pleased with it. I think it might be different to your stuff though, but that's a bummer of a time you've had with it.I wouldn't suggest for a second that it's your fault but just make sure that the braid is spooled up onto the reel properly, ie: it's not being twisted against itself. Another trick is to throw the spool into a bucket of hot water and wind it on from there (this apparently does something magic to the braid and makes it lay onto the spool nicely).Regarding Power Pro, if it's the Shimano Power Pro you're referring to then that's really surprising that you don't like it. It's the only braid I buy these days and am very pleased with it. Anyway, horses for courses.Cheers. Tight lines. (no wind knots, tangles or birds' nests)

HOW SWEET IS THAT ROD... LOVELY PIECE OF WORK MATE.... IM LIKING IT

Thanks for the kind words of encouragement there chaps.I must say that I absolutely love building up a rod. An hour or two, here and there with some good tunes or movie in the background and I can just twist away.Stand by for #7, it's a fairly "gaudy" one, but that's what my mate wanted when he asked me to do it.Thanks for the interest and the comments.Tight lines.

great looking bindings there mate! awesome to see it got christened first use!congrats