Tip trimming GF700H

[Taz575]

Well, I waited the alloted time for Fed Ex to request to see my busted Calstar GF800H, so I trimmed 12" off the butt and it seems to be in good shape w/o extra cracks in it. Time to make it into a Tuna jigging rod!!! I am guessing I will be using from 7 to 11oz jigs in the NE Canyons for Tuna, any recommendations as to how much I should trim off of the tip??

[paul708]

you may be ok with the tip the way it is.
or if you want a stiffer rod..try a10 then 12

[Taz575]

Thanks!! I tied on some jugs and was bouncing them today, hard to tell what type of action I am looking for! I think I will go down to a 10 TT size.

[ElMar2530]

Sounds like a great Project!!!

Post some pics of the build.

Since you are so close, We got to hook up and do some jigging.

[Taz575]

They are all great projects!!! I Figured I have this blank here, I may as well use it! I was going to use a 700H or XH for Tuna jigging anyway! Thank you Fed Ex !!!

Prob gonna use a Pac Bay Graphite Channel lock with aluminum hoods reel seat, Fuji SiC guides, EVA fore and rear grips, alum ball gimbal. I want to try out some different brands and styles of components with this rod.

We gotta go do some Fishing Dorymate!!!! My goal this year is to beat the heck outta my Prototype rods and get some more Offshore fishing experience under my belt! I also have the St Croix XXXH cut to 7' and the 7'3" Calstar 800H trimmed from the tip to play with for Tuna as well!

[Taz575]

A little update! Got it all done! Went with the Fuji PSS reel seat, and a Perfection Red Ball Gimbal. It passed it's test today by deadlifting a 33# dumbell! Flexed thru the foregrip and I think I still had some clearance on the foregrip with the line!

[John from Madison CT]

Hot damn Taz. I like what I see.

[Billy 40]

Real men don't use Gimbals. lol.

FWIW, any time you trim a blank from the tip, especially one with a limp tip for 8-12oz jigs like the 700H, the rod will always turn parabolic. You basically cut the "designed" fast action out of the blank. Cutting from the butt, especially when you take a significant amount off teh butt, reduces the power of the rod. Not earth shattering info, I know.

[Taz575]

I tried the belt and gimbal. Didn't work too well, leverage was WAY against me! 14" rear grip, 3" long gimbal. Way too long!!! So I tucked the butt under the arm, much easier that way! I was pretty suprised at how much easier it was with the butt tucked under the arm. But there is no way in Heck I'm gonna fish this with that much drag! I was beat after the 1 lift, let along fighting a tuna!! The gimbal is more for storing in a rod holder running in and out. I was going to use a graphite one, but figured that since the underwraps were red, a matching Gimbal would be nice I have some red EVA on order to make a cap to slide over the gimbal. Also, since this is the Fed Ex OOPS rod, I wanted the aluminum gimbal with a tight fiberglass mesh tape shim to give more strength to the butt end in case there were cracks in there.

Billy, thanks for the info! I am trying to figure out what weight jigs this will work nicely! 8-12oz is usually what people use up here! I tried a 5oz lure, didn't bend the blank much when bouncing it and the 14oz seemed a tad too heavy. This one I kept the tip stock since I wanted to be able to lob smaller lures 2 to 3oz crippled herring, deadly dicks, etc for Mahi and stuff. This is a 800H Grafighter trimmed down to 6'6", all from the butt end. It is still plenty powerful, I could feel the foregrip start to flex a little around 25# of drag, and flex thru it at around 35# of drag when pulling on a stationary object and at during the 33# lift. Whole things weights 16oz, and my Saltiga 40 arrived yesterday! Now I just gotta wait on the CarbonTex drags and bearings to arrive and spool it up with 80# Daiwa Boat braid.