Ok guys there seems to be alot of knowledge out here on rod making!
where do you draw the line on higher line rod blanks?
Is it on the application you are looking for?
In compitetive bass fishing having that edge on feel is so important,but if your $500 carbon fiber rod snapes in half what good is all that feel?
Is all this new tec stuff worth the price(St coix legend,carrotst.essoxcarrbon fiber ETC......
The way I look at it is how shock is going to be put on the blank on the hookset. If you're flipping grass mats with 1 1/2 oz weight you absolutely do NOT want to build on a high modulus blank. That's a lot of shock on the blank with the size of line, weight and amount of cover to move the fish through. There's a trade off with high modulus blanks. yes you get a lighter, more sensitive rod but you the way to get there is thinner wall, more brittle blank so it breaks much easier. I have a crankbait rod I built on a SC5 and I know it'll be just fine because of the application. Another thing you have to look at is the skill of the angler. The better angler understands that there are different hooksets for different techniques and if the angler thinks that no matter what you're fishing you have to pound the hook home, DON"T build them a high modulus rod! That's all I have to say about that.
Generally, the higher modulus graphite rods are more brittle and likely to break. It's not necessarily the graphite but the scrim used to bond it all together. It also varies from manufacturer. I have never had a problem with St. Croix's or Rainshadows but have seen problems with a few other ones both factory built and custom built. I agree with David, you have to evaluate the skill level and technique of who you are building it for.
In addition to the modulus and scrim the general design of the blank and action have a lot to do with rods being prone to break. It's been my experience, that super high moduls rods in x-fast action are the most likely to break, then fast action. A blank is manufactured so it flexes in a certain area and in x-fast and fast action blanks, that just happens to be in a very small area. A slower action or parabolic bends, shares the load across a broader portion of the blank.
The old Shikari SHX blanks, were extremely light and sensative, but were prone to breaking. That's why ATC changed the material and lay up to the SHV. They aren't nearly as light, but still sensative and very durable. They won't have a lot of those coming back for replacement. But I'm not a fan of those.
In my experience the lightest and most durable high-end blank is a St. Croix's Legend Elite. They are just as good as Loomis' GLX without the worries.
Here's my answers to you questions:
Where do you draw the line on higher line rod blanks? I won't use a high modulus blank for any reaction type baits. You just don't need that level of feel. I will however, and do use, Legend Elites, for flipping when the bite is finicky. Mostly in pads and grass. I built a 5C70HF for flipping pads and it also doubles as a swimbait rod. I found that it's sometimes nice, to be able to feel the bait ticking the grass. I wouldn't use it to throw frogs or rats on mats though. It would probably hold up, but that's a whole lot pressure even with a five pounder on.
Is it on the application you are looking for? Yes (above)
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