Playing with a custom popper rod

[Rohit Saqa Lal]

G'day guys
After seeing Andrews post on a custom popper rod, I thought I'd share my results so far as to trying my efforts so far with similar.

I think many rod builders face the same lack of blank availability issues. I start out with the lamiglas range of offset and equal 2pc heavy popping blanks but had some durability issues. I then contacted an OS blank designer and after some correspondence into specs I received a sample prototype blank. I have gone the 1pc route in this case as a 1pc 7'8" was a cheaper development option and I wanted to market the rod at a price point that folks targeting Kings and GTs locally would find attractive.

The blank is very parabolic in action and the various folks who have loaded it up can easily hang on to 10kg of drag with 14kg well withing the capabilities of the blank if the angler is up to it. The built rod weighs in at a 400g with a gumball and 390 without. The tip is very stiff and works the poppers I have tried so far very well. Due to lack of time I have only tried one test session of casting and working the popper but I think it goes very well. I took some small vids of the rod casting and popping. One thing about the blank, it is extremely durable and absorbs severe high sticking very well

Next step will be some proper load tests as well as another one built with a Fuji ferruled seat and load tested

I am looking for someone who can give the rod a good workout in the near future and put it through its paces

A small casting vid



Another



Working the lure



Some pics

[Brandon Khoo]

that's a nice looking stick too!

[Luke Wyrsta]

Finish looks great 

[Nathan Cefai]

Nice job mate,them grip look like the grips on a shimano tiralejo rods!!

[Travis Heaps]

Really nice looking rod there, the grips look great and am guessing pretty functional as well if it's some sort of grippy material.  A matching silver ferrule at the top of the fore grip would have matched everything nicely.

[Rohit Saqa Lal]

Thanks guys, the EVA grips are covered with heat shrink Xflock material. Its a tough material that keeps the original grips in great shape and has a really nice feel

Travis
I tried the metal ferrule on a recent light HSS stick for metals. I will be giving it a go once I recieve a few more samples of the popper blank. I dont know if the ferrules have the strength to cope with the demands of the rod though, testing will tell wether the metal ferrule or the Fuji ferruled seat works better. The Fuji seats system will be the winner corrosion wise though.

[John Westcott]

Looks great, you have done an awesome job with the finish, Congrats!
Ready for a test run?

[Rohit Saqa Lal]

Thanks for the kind comments fellas. This is just an initial build on a prototype blank to see if it can perform the casting and chugging job. I am looking at building 2 or 3 more of the same to do load tests at 45 and 90 degress as well as high sticked load/destruction test to gather some more data. One of the test sticks will be with a Fuji ferruled seat and destruction tested to get some data on that as well