New Rods

I've started working on the rod blanks I purchased at the ICRBE so thought I'd share some pictures. The pic quality is not good - sorry. One is a Heavy Flipping Stick 7', with Fuji Alconite Concept guides. The Blue/Silver one is a Med. Hvy. 6'10" Castaway Blank, split grip with the same Fuji Alconite Concept guides. I'm now working on 7'6" Med. Hvy. Rainshadow, split-grip casting rod and of course, Fuji Alconites guides. I install all the guides on casting rods in Spiral wrap style. On a spiral wrap (often called Acid wrap) the guides start out on top like a conventional casting rod, then spiral around the blank like a spinning guide wrap. This eliminates rod-torque when fighting fish.

While at the Expo, I met Denny Kaneoka of Seeker Rods - Seeker builds mostly high end S-Glass rods for salt-water but makes about 3-fresh water cranking rods - in fact, KVD won the 2010 Classic using the Seeker Blank - long story short, he is sending me two (one for me, one for Isaac) of those same rod blanks. He gave Isaac and me cool caps too. Turns out he has kids in Franklin, TN and travels here from Southern California 4-times a year - so I offered to take him fishing next time he's here. Free is Sweet!