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Custom snapper rod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Ben Smith
Custom snapper rod
CATCHING a trophy fish is always something special but having caught it on a custom-built rod specifically designed for the job is even better.
In this article, I want to share with you the process from start to finish on how – with the help of the team at United Tackle Australia and some input from my experiences – we came up with the perfect overhead snapper fishing rod.
A rod that was fit for purpose yet still very durable were major factors.
The first couple of things to consider were what species I was going to be targeting, as well as where I was going to be fishing for them.
In this case, the target was going to be snapper and I was going to be boat fishing in water between 40-80m deep.
For this reason, I chose a rod blank that was going to be around 7’ long so it could be worked around the outboard motor and give me room to keep clear of other obstructions.
It also had to comfortably hold a small to medium-sized overhead reel.
We went through all the blanks that were available at the time but decided that we needed something a little different.
We wanted the right combination of graphite and fibreglass – so that we had the light weight and feel through the graphite yet still maintained the strength and flexibility that fibreglass provides.
The UTA team went to work and with the help of some brilliant computer modelling, they came up with the perfect solution.
They went about production of these blanks
Fishing Tips by BEN SMITH
continued P38 United Composites CE700L with the 5” cork foregrip for better control.
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Sea Guides Premium stainless-steel guides with the protective outer frame to stop the zirconia ring from being damaged.
Under and over-bound threadwork in black, silver and blue to match the reel.
Custom snapper rod
from P37 in three separate line classes and the one I chose for my build was the United Composites CE700L, which has a 15-30lb rating.
United Composite blanks are very highly regarded worldwide.
The tip of the blank has a nice soft rolling curve that’s so important when float-lining a bait down the in to the water column.
The midsection starts to stiffen up but still retains a good curve under load and helps take the pressure off the angler.
As you get into the butt section, you find that the rod really strengthens and the final third of the rod gets to that lockout point where it won’t go any further when fully loaded.
For me, this lockout point is very important because when you’re fighting a big snapper that is close to wire weed or structure, you need to be able to put the brakes on them quickly.
The guides on the rod were the next consideration, so we chose to use a specifically designed guide where the frame protects the zirconia ring from damage.
I wanted to use guides that were not overly obtrusive in size – to keep the slender appearance of the rod yet still be large enough for a 60lb leader and connecting knot to pass through without obstruction.
We chose Sea Guide Premium 316 stainless-steel and zirconia ring double-foot guides, which sit beautifully on the blank without changing its curve formation too much.
The grips on any rod are very important and, in this case, I chose to go with cork grips.
The fore-grip is a FCG5 5” long grip, which enables you to have a full hand on the grip without touching the blank.
This is crucial for those long fights on the lift and wind.
The rear is a SCB12LD 12” grip that spaces the rod far enough away from the butt, so that the butt section can be comfortably tucked under your arm.
That spacing also places the reel at the perfect distance away from your body when fighting a fish with the rod in front, so as to be able to wind the reel in a natural position.
Finally, the reel seat I chose was a Sea Guide CTS18 trigger-grip style seat, so that the angler can control the rod and reel perfectly.
It fits easily into one hand due to its slim design and you are able to thumb the spool of your reel to vary the speed of the outgoing line while still holding on securely.
The butt cap is one of the best features on this rod – it’s a soft gimbal, which means you can fight a fish without it digging into your hip yet still place it in the rod holder on your boat and have the ability to lock it in a particular position.
It’s a Sabre Rubber Gimbal SABRG22.
Good friend Sam assembled the rod for me and when doing so, added a couple of extra little bits of bling to dress it up.
Some blue and silver anodised rings and black, blue and silver thread allow it to match the colours of the reel perfectly on the black blank.
Mounted to it is a Daiwa Saltist Black LW20H-C overhead reel – a perfect match with a spool full of blue multi-coloured 30lb braid.
The rod has already done a terrific job on snapper up to the 6570cm mark, and I can’t wait to hook-up to one of those big knobby-headed monsters over the coming months.
I’ve listed all the parts for the build below, so chat to your local rod builder about putting one together for this season or check out the United Tackle Australia website. • Blank – United Composites CE700L • Grips – Sabre SCB12LD and FCG5 • Reel seat –- Sea Guide CTS18 • Butt – Sabre Rubber Gimbal SABRG22 • Tip – XL2T #8 3.2mm • Guides – XBZG 8mm x 4, 10mm x 2, 12mm, 16mm, 20mm • Guide spacing from tip – 80mm, 170mm, 265mm, 375mm, 495mm, 635mm, 800mm, 975mm and 1185mm.
