Anyone make short glass UL casting rods?

How small is your rod and how light is your line? It's not about the size of your tackle, but how you work it. Come share your Ultralight and Bait Finesse System (BFS) fishing success here!
tincanary
Elite Angler
Elite Angler
Posts: 302
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2020 1:34 pm
Location: SE Michigan

Re: Anyone make short glass UL casting rods?

Post by tincanary » Fri Jun 11, 2021 9:27 am

poisonokie wrote:
Fri Jun 11, 2021 7:56 am
Not saying there's anything wrong with them, it just wouldn't be my thing for that. I have one of the black pro rocket 5501's all tricked out, but I just use it for catfishing with live bait at the river. If I fished deep cranks it would be great for that, too.

They'll have to bury my ASC with me.
I have a few of the Pro Rockets, very good reels. I can't say there's much wrong with Abu myself, but they are a shell of what they were in the 20th century. In the early 90s, they came out with the Black Max, Pro Max, and Silver Max round reels (yes round), that featured very lightweight spools, disengaging level wind, low reel foot, and a one piece machined aluminum frame. They were the spiritual successors of the 1500C, 2500C, and 3500C. They were fantastic reels, and their drag and free floating spool design carried over to the current iteration of the Ambassaduer. These reels were out a few years before Shimano came out with the Calcutta, and long before the current design of the Daiwa Luna/Millionaire reels. I own a few of the Black Max 1600 reels, and they will throw 1/8 ounce trouble free as long as you have a good thumb. The OG Black Max/Pro Max/Silver Max were a stop gap between the Ambassadeur and the Morrum, which would be released in the middle 90s. The new reels that bear the Black Max/Pro Max/SIlver Max name are nothing like the originals that hit the market 30 years ago.

Here's one of my OG Black Max 1600s, I have since swapped the handle and star wheel for the curved parts found on the newer C3 reels.

Image

poisonokie
Pro Angler
Pro Angler
Posts: 1948
Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2015 1:34 pm
Location: NW OKC OK USA

Re: Anyone make short glass UL casting rods?

Post by poisonokie » Fri Jun 11, 2021 2:07 pm

tincanary wrote:
Fri Jun 11, 2021 9:27 am

Here's one of my OG Black Max 1600s, I have since swapped the handle and star wheel for the curved parts found on the newer C3 reels.

Image
Sweet. That almost looks like a Morrum, which I was really tempted by but never got.
This is the way.

tincanary
Elite Angler
Elite Angler
Posts: 302
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2020 1:34 pm
Location: SE Michigan

Re: Anyone make short glass UL casting rods?

Post by tincanary » Fri Jul 30, 2021 4:27 am

Here we are 3 months post order and my Finetail Stream Glass has just shipped out. According to the store I purchased it from, production was pushed back from May to July. I'm not seeing it on any retailer's site at this moment, so I might be the one of the first to have this rod. I'll take it on the water next week and post up my impressions, pretty excited.

User avatar
jvelth74
Platinum Angler
Platinum Angler
Posts: 944
Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2018 7:03 am
Location: Finland
Contact:

Re: Anyone make short glass UL casting rods?

Post by jvelth74 » Fri Jul 30, 2021 6:07 am

I found a reasonably priced short solid glass blank (+ shipping) from Aliexpress, and ordered one:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002 ... a625d01a-0
Probably those are not as light / flexible as I wish, but price was good..

User avatar
jvelth74
Platinum Angler
Platinum Angler
Posts: 944
Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2018 7:03 am
Location: Finland
Contact:

Re: Anyone make short glass UL casting rods?

Post by jvelth74 » Tue Sep 07, 2021 3:25 am

Blank arrived: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002 ... 4c4dHXDwT1

Tip of it is softer than in Tsurinoya Ares but butt is stiff. Some kind of Bass BFS rod?

Heavy it is, but it's not tip heavy, so weight is OK..

Seems like it loads nicely in underhand pitching. Might be very good rod for those. Hoping that it will work ok with Rainbow Trouts.

User avatar
DarkShadow
Elite Angler
Elite Angler
Posts: 264
Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2007 2:48 pm
Location: Los Angeles, CA

Re: Anyone make short glass UL casting rods?

Post by DarkShadow » Fri Sep 10, 2021 1:24 pm

tincanary wrote:
Fri Jun 11, 2021 9:27 am
Here's one of my OG Black Max 1600s, I have since swapped the handle and star wheel for the curved parts found on the newer C3 reels.

Image
I got bad flashbacks looking at that reel.

Was the first baitcaster that I bought back in the day, and the reel fell apart a few months later. My favorite was reeling in quickly and stopping the retrieve and having a loud 'clicking noise' occur as the spool continued to spin forward.

I then purchsaed the Pro Max, which was the 'silver' version of this, and it too experienced issues a few months in.

Last Abu Garcia reels that I purchased. I was just shocked to see one in such good condition without mechanical problems.

tincanary
Elite Angler
Elite Angler
Posts: 302
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2020 1:34 pm
Location: SE Michigan

Re: Anyone make short glass UL casting rods?

Post by tincanary » Sun Sep 12, 2021 6:41 am

DarkShadow wrote:
Fri Sep 10, 2021 1:24 pm
tincanary wrote:
Fri Jun 11, 2021 9:27 am
Here's one of my OG Black Max 1600s, I have since swapped the handle and star wheel for the curved parts found on the newer C3 reels.

Image
I got bad flashbacks looking at that reel.

Was the first baitcaster that I bought back in the day, and the reel fell apart a few months later. My favorite was reeling in quickly and stopping the retrieve and having a loud 'clicking noise' occur as the spool continued to spin forward.

I then purchsaed the Pro Max, which was the 'silver' version of this, and it too experienced issues a few months in.

Last Abu Garcia reels that I purchased. I was just shocked to see one in such good condition without mechanical problems.
I have 14 of them, a mix of the 1600 and 3600 sizes. Never had any issues. I got every one of them on eBay really cheap, but now people are starting to notice them and then prices have shot up pretty good.

Shadowcaster1969
Senior Angler
Senior Angler
Posts: 134
Joined: Sun May 09, 2021 2:50 am

Re: Anyone make short glass UL casting rods?

Post by Shadowcaster1969 » Sun Sep 26, 2021 6:06 am

I was surprised by teh quality of this AliExpress purchase. The rod tip was nimble and loadable down to the mid and upper butt section even on 2g to 3g lures.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002 ... 4c4dNhQcRh

Image

Image

Knotty
Elite Angler
Elite Angler
Posts: 261
Joined: Wed Aug 29, 2018 9:06 am
Location: Northern NJ

Re: Anyone make short glass UL casting rods?

Post by Knotty » Sat Oct 09, 2021 4:15 pm

Shadowcaster1969 wrote:
Sun Sep 26, 2021 6:06 am
I was surprised by teh quality of this AliExpress purchase. The rod tip was nimble and loadable down to the mid and upper butt section even on 2g to 3g lures.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002 ... 4c4dNhQcRh

Image

Image
Been considering that rod for quite a while.

Shadowcaster1969
Senior Angler
Senior Angler
Posts: 134
Joined: Sun May 09, 2021 2:50 am

Re: Anyone make short glass UL casting rods?

Post by Shadowcaster1969 » Mon Oct 11, 2021 1:33 am

To be honest my expectation was not very high before I received it, but I was pleasantly surprised. :)

User avatar
jvelth74
Platinum Angler
Platinum Angler
Posts: 944
Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2018 7:03 am
Location: Finland
Contact:

Re: Anyone make short glass UL casting rods?

Post by jvelth74 » Thu Feb 10, 2022 7:09 am

I have managed to lost that short 1-piece blank I bought ](*,)

But actually I don't need that much. I think it might be too similar to short Tsurinoya rods I have.

But I compared my Lamiglass FL904 AFTM4 glassfiber fly blank. It's stiff! :shock: Much stiffer than my UL baitcasting rods! Only Tsurinoya Trout Master is close to that, but still that fly blank is stiffer.

Obviously AFTM 1-3 are something what I'm looking for...

Seems like Ali has some cheap #3's:
Transparent white fiberglass fly rod blank. Transparent white color Fly Fishing Rod Blanks € 45,13

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I found that solid glassfiber blank! I was stored it to super secure place, in a Tsurinoya Trout Master tube :D

That blank is really soft tip (and also backbone). It is softer tip than Kuying Teton ttc-510s, which means it's really soft. And also a little slow comparing to Teton.

I looked my 5 piece stiff travel rod blank, I think I manage to take it for 3 butt-joint. Obviously good purchase for my projects.
https://ibb.co/sWR5Wmy
Tsurinoya Ares is in a picture for just a reference.
There is 2 pieces of 5 piece travel rod blank. Red line shows from where I'm planning to cut carbon blank and green line shows where I'm planning to cut glassfiber blank. Carbon is a little stiffer than glassfiber in that area. Also excess of carbon fiber blank bottom is going to be cut, because then I can use it for another butt-joint rod project.

I think I will use this carbon tube and palming-grip reel seat for this project:
https://ibb.co/Qf7Mc4C

Probably I use Microwave guides for this project and do spiral wrapping.

Blank finish is not nice. I think I will coat it fully. I tried to find real mother-of-pearl powder for mixing to coat, but didn't managed to find. In my opinion opaque blank with clear coat with pearl might look cool.

ultralight
Platinum Angler
Platinum Angler
Posts: 1336
Joined: Tue Jun 15, 2004 2:32 pm

Re: Anyone make short glass UL casting rods?

Post by ultralight » Fri Feb 11, 2022 2:00 pm

jveith74,

Thanks for your post.

1. What is a 'palming grip seat'?

2. Is that a 4' 7" Ares? What lure weight range have you used with it and how do you like it overall? I had a 5' 6" and sold it without ever using it. I regret that sale....:)

Thanks for an insight.

User avatar
jvelth74
Platinum Angler
Platinum Angler
Posts: 944
Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2018 7:03 am
Location: Finland
Contact:

Re: Anyone make short glass UL casting rods?

Post by jvelth74 » Fri Feb 11, 2022 2:52 pm

Thanks for reply!
ultralight wrote:
Fri Feb 11, 2022 2:00 pm
1. What is a 'palming grip seat'?
https://www.fujitackle.eu/se/fuji_pmtsm ... _reel_seat
Fuji Palming Grip seat ... It's those blanc exposed from down, pretty flat reel seat, giving comfortable grip for fingers. I think trigger can be also bigger than in this link.
ultralight wrote:
Fri Feb 11, 2022 2:00 pm
2. Is that a 4' 7" Ares? What lure weight range have you used with it and how do you like it overall? I had a 5' 6" and sold it without ever using it. I regret that sale....:)
Yes, it is Tsurinoya Ares C472UL in a picture. I like Tsurinoya Ares very much and I love Tsurinoya Trout Master :) Rating for Tsurinoya Ares C472UL is 1-6 g, which is correct in my opinion. Sweet spot is in my opinion 4 g:

User avatar
Hobie-Wan Kenobi
Pro Angler
Pro Angler
Posts: 3014
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2014 1:25 pm
Location: Michigan (U.P)
Contact:

Re: Anyone make short glass UL casting rods?

Post by Hobie-Wan Kenobi » Fri Feb 11, 2022 5:20 pm

jvelth74 wrote:
Fri Feb 11, 2022 2:52 pm
Thanks for reply!
ultralight wrote:
Fri Feb 11, 2022 2:00 pm
1. What is a 'palming grip seat'?
https://www.fujitackle.eu/se/fuji_pmtsm ... _reel_seat
Fuji Palming Grip seat ... It's those blanc exposed from down, pretty flat reel seat, giving comfortable grip for fingers. I think trigger can be also bigger than in this link.
ultralight wrote:
Fri Feb 11, 2022 2:00 pm
2. Is that a 4' 7" Ares? What lure weight range have you used with it and how do you like it overall? I had a 5' 6" and sold it without ever using it. I regret that sale....:)
Yes, it is Tsurinoya Ares C472UL in a picture. I like Tsurinoya Ares very much and I love Tsurinoya Trout Master :) Rating for Tsurinoya Ares C472UL is 1-6 g, which is correct in my opinion. Sweet spot is in my opinion 4 g:
I have many seasons with the Ares and multiple reels/lures, as well as like types. I found that the Ares upper limit is around 4gr (using Creep AIM 46s). Spearhead Ryuki 50s (4.5gr) makes the rod less responsive during the cast.

It is an overall great finesse BFS rod for trout and lighter panfish. The rod does get maxed out like I said. I like it for trout 12 and under. Anything over that, the rod is maxed. Not afraid of it breaking, as it is solid carbon. The rod doesn't absorb any more force after enough force and increases risk of fish escaping or, it limits the control of the fish.
IG @hobie_wan_kenobi_fishing

ultralight
Platinum Angler
Platinum Angler
Posts: 1336
Joined: Tue Jun 15, 2004 2:32 pm

Re: Anyone make short glass UL casting rods?

Post by ultralight » Sat Feb 12, 2022 10:35 am

Jvelth & Hobie, a million thanks.

4 grams on the slim little 472? Wow for me. It feels so light and svelte. Because it is so short and light, it really fells like a precise light saber in hand...:)

Thanks for all the replies and inight.

Final Q on this I think: Have either of you compared the Ares with the Teton 522SUL that gets a lot of praise?

(A Youtuber compared that 522 against the 6'3" UL with 1/16th and got the same casting distance which surprised me.)

Post Reply