Custom Rod of the Month - Part 1

Cod Fish Rods - From Coxes Ledge to Georges Bank
By Al Goldberg
(read more from Al Goldberg)

Cod fishing is a long time favorite of mine, having fished Coxes Ledge off Rhode Island, Georges Bank and the numerous offshore banks of northern New England when they were prime fishing grounds. I have both built and seen numerous designs for codfish rods and debated the pros and cons of each. With the introduction of braided lines some years ago my thoughts have changed on the design of these rods.

Blank Selection:

Let me begin by first separating rod designs between private/charter boat rods from party boats rods, the main difference being length. I believe a charter boat rod should be no longer then 7 feet and a party boat rod from 7.5-8 feet. The additional length of the party boat rod will give you better underhand casting and line control on a crowded party boat.

The next differentiation is between bait rods and jigging rods. I believe bait rods should have a softer tip, while the jigging rods should be a little firmer for properly working that jig in deep water. Too soft a tip on a jigging rod will not impart much action to the jig and be very tiring to use.

The next point to consider is whether you will be fishing open bottom, banks and ledges versus wreck fishing. I prefer a shorter rod for wreck fishing in order to really put pressure on a big fish to move it off the wreck. A shorter rod will give you more leverage to move the fish. It is the same principle as with stand up tuna fishing.

I just have one caveat before recommending any blanks. I truly believe that if you plan on using braided line than do not use an all graphite blank. You are asking for trouble. All graphite rods and braided line do not go well together for this application - They Break!

Having described the different types of cod fishing rod applications, I will now list various blanks to consider for each application. These blanks have proven themselves, however, I am sure these are other blanks out there that can also do the job.

Charter Boat Cod Rods:

Bait Rods:

Lami BT857S, Lami CGBT841M, Seeker CJB670

Jig and Wreck Rods:

Lami CGBT841M, Seeker CJB65F, Loomis HB66H or 70H

Party Boat Cod Rods: Bait and Light Jigging Rods: (Sinker weights and jigs to 12 ounces and water depth to 200 feet)

Bait Rods:

Lami SB1213M trimmed from the butt, Lami C6909 trimmed from the butt, Shakespeare GBU120-6 trimmed to a #12 tip and then trimmed from the butt. Seeker CJB80H leave as is.

Jigging Rods:

Lami SB1213M trimmed from the tip to #16 and from the butt to 7.5 feet, Lami C6909 trimmed from the tip to #12 and from the butt to 7.5 feet. Loomis HB80H. Seeker CJB80H trimmed from the tip to #12-14 depending on the action you desire. GBU120-6 trimmed to a #14 tip and then trimmed from the butt.

Heavy Jigging Rods: (Georges Bank, Deepwater Stellwagon Bank and Northern New England with depths from 250-400 feet)

Lami SB1213M trim tip to #18 and then trim from the butt, Lami C6909 trim the tip to #14, Shakespeare GBU120-6 trimmed to a #16 tip, Seeker CJB80H trimmed to a #12 tip.

Loomis HB80H trimmed to a #12 tip. GBU120-6 trimmed to a #16 tip.

Note - The Shakespeare GBU120-6 is a surf blank that is inexpensive, very versatile and extremely durable. It is a real sleeper for this type of application. You can make three different codfish rods from this blank by trimming the tip back as follows:

Trimmed to a #12 tip and then from the butt to the desire length it makes a great bait and light jig rod.

Trimmed to a #14 tip you now have a medium Georges Bank jig stick for up to 16 ounces.

Trimmed to a #16 or #18 tip you a heavy jig stick for up to 24 ounces. A real "war club".

Other Component Selection:

The thought here is to select really durable guides, grips and reel seat since this rod will get a lot of heavy-duty stress. For the guides and reel seat I only use Fuji components. The choice of Hardaloy or SIC is a matter of budget and personal preference. However, I would use an SIC UST tip top.

For the lighter rods the HNSG or BHNLG guides will work fine and for the heavier rods the BULG or USG guides would be my choice. Here are the guide sizes:

HNSG or BHNLG: 20, 16, 12, 12, 12 10, 10, 10 plus tip

BULG or USG: 20, 16, 16, 12, 12, 12, 12, 12 plus tip

A Fuji reel seat should be first fitted to the intended reel to be used. Typically a #22 or #24 seat is used. The reel should be clamped to the seat for added security.

As far as grips, synthetic grips like EVA, Clemens Custom grip or heavy duty cork tape is recommended. Regular cork grips of good quality would be very expensive and not stand up to this heavy duty fishing. Butt grip length should be approximately 16 inches and the foregrip length 7-10 inches. Check the OD of the foregrip to make sure it comfortably fits your hand. A narrow foregrip will cause cramps and fatigue in the hand.

Basic Construction Steps

As stated earlier, these rods take a lot of stress and accordingly should be properly assembly with care. The following are the basic steps to follow for constructing this rod. Please refer to my rod building articles for a more detailed description of each step:

1.      Trim the blank to the desired length and action.

2.      Mark the spine of the blank.

3.      Fit and glue up the handle assembly, but do not glue on the butt cap until the rod is completely finished. Align the reel seat with the spine and let the handle assembly dry overnight.

4.      Grind and polish the guide feet. Apply black magic marker and two coats of color sealant to seal the bare metal exposed. Let the guides dry for 24 hours.

5.      Space out your guides. The stripper guide should be approximately 26-28 inches from the center of the reel seat. The first guide should be approximately 5 inches from the tip. Space the remaining guides out in increasing ½-3/4 inch intervals.

6.      Tape the guides in place and perform a stress distribution test. Adjust the guide spacing as required.

7.      Using a white marking pencil, mark the distance of the underwrap for each guide. I like ½ inch of under wrap beyond the end of the guide foot.

8.      Remove the guides and wrap on the underwrap. Carefully burnish away any thread gaps.

9.      Apply two coats of color sealant and one thin coat of finish to the underwraps. Let the wraps cure for 48 hours.

10.  Wrap on the guides. Carefully burnish each overwrap to remove any gaps.

11.  Align the guides and glue on the tip with 5-minute epoxy glue.

12.  Wrap the tip top.

13.  Apply color sealant, if required, and then wait a minimum of 48 hours for the sealant to cure.

14.  Apply two thin coats of finish and wait 24 hours between coats. Wait 48 hours for the finish to cure.

15.  Check for any lumps or fuzzies and carefully cut or sand away with 600 grit paper being careful not to damage the thread wraps.

16.  Clean the wraps with a lint free paper towel moistened with alcohol. A paper coffee filter works great.

17.  Apply two additional thin coats of finish waiting 24 hours between coats. Gently flame the wraps with an alcohol lamp to remove any fine bubbles in the finish.

18.  Let the rod rest for a week to allow the finish to fully cure.

19.  Apply two thin coats of liquid or paste car wax to the wraps and blank. This will add a layer of UV protection to prevent color fading and protect the finish from the salt spray.

YOU ARE ALL DONE - NOW GO GET MR. WHISKERS!
(read more from Al Goldberg)