Fishing

Hey guys Im trying to build a very specialized surf rod for fishing smallies from the shores of lake michigan. Im throwing things as light as 1/8 oz and want to get them out as far as possible. So that means i probably wont be able to use a regular surf blank. It seems like a steelhead blank is my best option. Anyone have any experience with this idea? thanks

I lived in northern California for quite a few years and built several rods for specialized conditions. There are quite a few "steelhead" rods in the 8-9 foot range on the market. They will work for casting small jigs long distances...as long as you have good 6# line and a properly filled reel with a distance casting spool. But the ones I have used are a bit heavier than I like.

I probably have gotten the most use out of some 9' spinning rods I built on flyrod blanks. 6 weight is about the smallest and up to 9 or 10 weight for bigger lures. The key is to get a fast tip rather than a slow action. A lot better for snapping small jigs a long distance without dislocating your shoulder. A 10 or 12 inch rear grip on the rod is adequate for leverage casting and fighting fish on the long rod.

I also use these rods as "bubble-chuckers", for fishing water-filled bubbles far out on lakes when the fish are not near shore. In case you haven't tried it, that is a good way to present a big bushy streamer or bugger to smallies too...especially when they want a slow presentation. Just chuck it out, count it down or wait for it to settle on the bottom. Then use a variety of retrieves until you find what works.

Oh yeah, that works great for long distance presentations of small weightless plastics and Gulp minnows too. Be sure to rig "Carolina rig" style with the bubble...with the bubble sliding freely on the line ahead of a swivel and leader. If you keep a tight line you will easily feel even a light tick.