I did a search and wasn't able to come across much, so hopefully this isn't a topic that's been beat to death. I'm building my dad a flipping rod as a gift and am looking for some recommendations. He's mentioned wanting a good flipping stick for a long time and I'd really like to build one that suits what he wants.
He likes them as long as possible, so that'll be 7'11" for the trails he fishes. Needs to have some tip (no broomsticks), and would ideally handle a pretty wide range of weights. Say 1/4 to 1 oz or so. Very little grass where he fishes, but he likes to flip "trash" that accumulates in the backs of coves. I'm thinking this rod could also pull double duty as a Carolina Rig rod and even for long casts with a frog so it's not a one trick pony.
My biggest issue has been deciphering what tip actions I can expect from different blanks across different manufacturers. It seems so many companies are just calling everything "fast" nowadays that you can never tell the difference between what will end up being a broomstick and what won't have any backbone (exaggerating, obviously). I'd say I'd try to look for something in a mod-fast action to get that softer tip, but I'm worried I'd end up pigeonholed with heavy composite blanks that wouldn't make the best flipping rods.
Any suggestions?