TackleTour

I'm wondering if anyone here has gotten into building their own rods, and if so is it worth it? I always see the adds for mudhole mhx rods, just not sure about the initial investment in all the supplies. Thanks for any input, not thinking of buying right now because season is just starting, but might do it this winter.

this is MY take on rodbuilding: there is a learning curve. steep at times, many things can go wrong. it's demanding, deatil(see how that went wrong?) wise. fun to do. you can make whatever you want, however you want it.
options are practically endless. stealth to sublime and all in between. i'd start doing it again in a heartbeat. you do not HAVE to spend a lot to get started. box with slits. heavy book for thread tension, cup to hold thread, knife and you're on your way. lots of help online.
I personally think one great advantage of building your own is the ability to pick everything your self. i've got more blanks that i've got time to build. lots of works in progress from bamboo flyrods to squarebill rods and all in between. go for it!

The reason I build most of my Fly and spinning rods is to get the satisfaction of fishing with what I have built . I do not think I save much if any thing . I am retired and build on days when my health or the weather keeps me from fishing or hunting . I have been building rod for many - many years . I find it relaxing . As I get older it is some times frustrating that I have a hard time getting things just as I would like them . Good building and fishing to all .

A few years back I purchased 2 mhx blanks and components from matagi to attempt 2 custom rods
I ended up building most of the rods myself.I paid an experienced builder to wrap the guides for me.
So technically I only did a partial build.
All in all it was a great experience and the rods are still used today.
Would I do it again....no
The cost of a good off the shelf rod has decreased significantly over the last few years.
Blanks and decent components all add up big time
So for me been there done that (or most of that )

I was hooked after I built my first rod. Rod building is just another aspect of the sport or hobby, like fly tying or lure making.

In general I like creating and making things, so rod building was a natural fit. I can customize the rod build to what I want. It's satisfying catching a fish with a rod I built on a fly I tied. I won't save money building a low or mid end rod. However I can build a high end fly rod cheaper than the manufacturer.

If you get the urge to build a rod, start with a cheap kit.

Is it cost effective? Probably not. Is it fun? Yes.

I work at a sporting goods store and get a good discount on rods, but even without that it is hard to build a quality rod for what you can buy one for. What you can do is build a rod that you can not buy, or buy easily. I have built several unltra light and light power casting rods off spinning rod blanks. These would be hard to find from major brands. If you like full grips you can have full grips, which can be hard to locate. Want a particular color combination, build it.

The ability to make just what you want is why I build rods. No plans to stop. Four NFC blanks in the closet right now.

If you like a lot of the production rods and aren't super picky... go with production rods. There are tons of great options for very reasonable prices these days.

If you are picky like I am and like a certain style and size of guide and a certain handle style and certain reel seats, then building your own can be very rewarding.

My most recent example is an OG 13 Fishing Omen Black 7'3" MH F. I always liked the balance, sensitivity, and tip on the rod, but didn't care for the short handle, split grip, or guides. So I cut all the guides off, cut off the foam grips, and ordered replacements. When I'm done, I will never look at the rod again and wish I could change something about it. It will be just like I wanted it.

The mudhole starter kits are all you need to get started. Don't bother with a power wrapper. Any cheap rod dryer will work. Get some thread, some fast drying epoxy, and some thread epoxy and some stir sticks and cheap brushes and you are ready to go.

DaveJ