MHX v TB

[jwetovick]

HI. Starting to build ice rods for fun and wanting some advice/opinions on the blanks offered by MHX. They have come out with a line up of rods and named them the same as TB blanks. I have ordered their quiverstick, panfish, and noodle. Seem like quality blanks. I really like the quiverstick. So, question is, did they build these MHX blanks based on the TB blanks specs? I ordered a TB perch sweetheart and its nice. I'm tempted to order the TB quiverstick blank just to have a hand in hand comparison to the MHX quiverstick. Half the price. suggestions? thanks!

[Yankee Troller]

I understand $ can be tight, but I tend to go with the company that put the R&D into the product. Sometimes competitors whip something up to get into the game as to grab a piece of the action. Mudhole is a sweet company, that offers some great products. I just think they should have come up with their own names. I'm sure both rods are great, but TB were the originators of those ice rods.

[jwetovick]

good point yankee. its not so much that I don't want to spend the money on a TB if someone in deed thinks they are worth twice the money? I generally put way too much thought into items I purchase trying to find the best VALUE. I'm not a fan of just throwing money away just to say its XX brand. That being said I know you get what you pay for, most times. I got ahold of TUCR but they are not selling thier ice blanks at this time unfortunately. Wanted to give one of thiers a try.

[Yankee Troller]

I have 7 TB rods, and really like them. So much so I'm ordering 4 more shortly. If you have a specific target TB can get you into a rod that's perfect for it, and that's why I said they've put the R&D into it. My buddy has a dozen TUC rods, and he seems to really like them, but as you said they aren't selling blanks.

[jwetovick]

Do you have recoil guides on all yours? The TB perch sweetheart i just got has recoils and syncork. The reason I ask is because the materials I'm buying to build some rods are not recoils, just basic fly guides. I've read many reviews and people claim to love the recoils, etc. On the flip side, I've read some rod builders say they are a waste of money on an "ice" rod. I've never broke a guide on an ice rod so that benefit of a recoil doesn't help me. Weight.....well maybe this is the biggest argument? However on a site fishing rod like a noodle, spring bobber setup, why would one waste the money on recoil guides? I'm not trying to put recoils down, just trying to get advice on if recoils are worth the money?? They claim less freezeups.....due to less surface area. Are recoils guides really that much smaller wire than that of a equil sized diameter steel fly guide? seems like a lot of hype to me at this point. 

[Yankee Troller]

They all have the REC guides. I did it mainly for weight reasons. The ice up isn't bad, but I fish in a trap 95% of the time.

[jwetovick]

Thanks Yankee. Ended up ordering a DH noodle rod, 2 solid glass rods from mudhole to try out, 2 mhx quiversticks, and 2 mhx panfish 36in rods. So, have some work/experimenting to do. Ended up going with black single foot fly guides in #6 size. They are a little bigger than i probably needed but oh well. These guides were like $.75 compared to $4.80 for REC. See how it goes.

[BaitBucket]

jwet, whats the size on those #6 eyes? I was going to go with #10 Hardloy fly eye for the first eye and #8 for the rest.

[stpaulslouch]

Does anyone here know what size Recoil guides TB, TUCR or DH use?  I'm honking of getting into this myself but noticed that the guides in my TUCR are slightly larger than my DH and TB rods.

[SINX53]

I also went the way of the fly guides instead of the recoil, I could buy almost a whole set of guides for my rod for the price of one recoil guide. The configuration I go with is a #12 spinning guide (Fuji Alconite) then (2) #5 Fly guides and (2) #3 fly guides on rods 30" or less. On Rods longer than 30" I go with a #12 & #10 spinning guide then a #5, #4 & #3 fly guide.

I.D. measurements for fly guides
#6 = 8.1 mm
#5 = 7.2 mm
#4 = 6.5 mm
#3 = 6.1 mm

[SINX53]

Does anyone here know what size Recoil guides TB, TUCR or DH use?  I'm honking of getting into this myself but noticed that the guides in my TUCR are slightly larger than my DH and TB rods.

I believe TUCR uses a #12 spinning guide, then (2) #5 Fly and (2) #3 Fly.

[BaitBucket]

I also went the way of the fly guides instead of the recoil, I could buy almost a whole set of guides for my rod for the price of one recoil guide. The configuration I go with is a #12 spinning guide (Fuji Alconite) then (2) #5 Fly guides and (2) #3 fly guides on rods 30" or less. On Rods longer than 30" I go with a #12 & #10 spinning guide then a #5, #4 & #3 fly guide.

I.D. measurements for fly guides
#6 = 7.92 mm
#5 = 7.11 mm
#4 = 6.60 mm
#3 = 6.35 mm

Sounds like the size of the fly guides doesnt vary a whole lot. Glad i went with the larger eyes for ice build up. For my 36" rod I went with a #10 Hardloy Fly, followed by 4x #8 Hardloy fly eyes.

[jwetovick]

Does anyone here know what size Recoil guides TB, TUCR or DH use?  I'm honking of getting into this myself but noticed that the guides in my TUCR are slightly larger than my DH and TB rods.

on my TB perch pounder they told me the first guide was a #10 and the rest of the REC were like a 5,4,3, 3 or something very similar to that. its actually hard to tell a huge difference from the 5 to the 3 in my opinion. Like i said though i went with #6 fly guides and they are a fair amount larger than the REC #5 that is on my perch pounder. Evidently the # of a REC and a regular fly are not the same, meaning a #5 REC is not the same as a #5 fly?? the fly guides i went with for the new builds are so darn light i cannot see how REC can be THAT much lighter to make much difference but what do i know, I'm a rookie at this.

[Yankee Troller]

Thanks Yankee. Ended up ordering a DH noodle rod, 2 solid glass rods from mudhole to try out, 2 mhx quiversticks, and 2 mhx panfish 36in rods. So, have some work/experimenting to do. Ended up going with black single foot fly guides in #6 size. They are a little bigger than i probably needed but oh well. These guides were like $.75 compared to $4.80 for REC. See how it goes.

NP...have fun building them. If I had patience I'd be building mine too!

[SINX53]

Bait Bucket check my post again the measurements that I first posted were for the recoil guides, I updated the post with the sizes of the fly guides. I had them written next to each other in my notebook, just looked at the wrong numbers. Not much difference between the two.

[scmelik]

I have a few rods with recoils and a few with regular fly guides and honestly I can't tell a different in them in anyway (guide wise).  Almost all of the rods I build get built with #6 wire fly guides which in my opinion after fishing them hard for two years now, are plenty big.

[jwetovick]

I have a few rods with recoils and a few with regular fly guides and honestly I can't tell a different in them in anyway (guide wise).  Almost all of the rods I build get built with #6 wire fly guides which in my opinion after fishing them hard for two years now, are plenty big.

Thanks scmelik. I agree the 6 are plenty big in my opinion. Wish i wouldnt have ordered enuff of them for 6 builds. I will go with 4 or 5 in future i think. Will see more when i actually get to fish the rods with 6. They may be just fine. Just seem larger than need be when looking at them now.

[fish-kabob]

Thanks scmelik. I agree the 6 are plenty big in my opinion. Wish i wouldnt have ordered enuff of them for 6 builds. I will go with 4 or 5 in future i think. Will see more when i actually get to fish the rods with 6. They may be just fine. Just seem larger than need be when looking at them now.

being large is a good thing in ice fishing for guides for the main reason you go and reel up that new fire line with a ice ball on it it fit threw the guides. with a smaller guide you reel it up and snap off the tip of a freshly built rod.  by the way these are single foot fly guides we are talking about right just regular or ultra light  wire? if it is ul wire  you should be fine on the lighter rods with the ultra light  wire... just a thought if you go for the heavier salt water guides like batson sells the ultra light fresh water and heavy salt water styles you may be to heavy on the tip of the rod? so pay attention to the wire used in the guides too...



by the way if you got time and want to try it all they use for those guides is stainless steel wire like that used for fishing lures like in mepps spinners. all you go to do is form it or bend it to shape and it holds.  they sell a lot of wire at janns net craft and cabelas for spinner baits etc. this may be how you want to do it is form it around a drill bit shank  with the forming pliers. and form it the same shape as the single foot guide your using. then just heat the end and with a propane torch and flatten them on a anvil with a ball peen hammer. then quench in water to cool quickly.

 but that is the difference between making your own guide for cheaper then you can buy them and buying them... then just grind them to shape to fit the blank.  i find the real fine wire works best for the guide making like 42 pound brake strength were the heaviest wire they sell is like 210 pound break or similar. use the smaller stuff for pan fish rods  this stuff works good for big guides on fine rods. but like it is? it up to you not me...      the only difference be tween the ones you buy preformed is chromed that the only difference.     


30 foot coil will last forever a 1/4 spool you will never run out at 12.99.. i think for the lighter rods i would use the .016 inch coils... and for walleye rod you can go bigger like 2 or 3 sizes up depedns on what you  like... 

30 foot coil:
 http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/ss-lure-making-wire/311665.aspx

1/4 pound spool:
 http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/ss-lure-making-wire/311666.aspx
   

[BaitBucket]

Thanks scmelik. I agree the 6 are plenty big in my opinion. Wish i wouldnt have ordered enuff of them for 6 builds. I will go with 4 or 5 in future i think. Will see more when i actually get to fish the rods with 6. They may be just fine. Just seem larger than need be when looking at them now.

I see, you guys use the all metal eyes. I got the eyes with the Hardloy inserts. Not sure if that affects the I.D at all. Ill find out tomorrow when they come in.

[SINX53]

I see, you guys use the all metal eyes. I got the eyes with the Hardloy inserts. Not sure if that affects the I.D at all. Ill find out tomorrow when they come in.

This is what I deciphered from the Fuji guide sizing chart. The number of the guide, let's say #12 would have an OD close to 12mm and #10 close to 10mm.
If you have an insert that reduces the ID, on the chart the #12 has an ID of around 9 mm for the alconite and a little over 8 mm for the hardloy and aluminum oxide guides. If you go with a guide like the Minima, the ID increases by about 1.5 mm per guide. Not much if you think about it but if you compare side by side looks like a big difference.

[jwetovick]

Received the MHX and the solid glass rods today. I am really excited about the noodle (glass) rods. They seem like a great crappie blank. At 31in they will be just fine for what I plan to use for. Now just waiting on the DH noodle blank to come in. Can't wait to compare the two. For $8.50 a blank on the glass ones i will sure be ordering more. They are a little heavier in weight than a carbon blank but the sensitivity of the tip is no comparison imo. did i mention rod building is addicting??? ha

[fish-kabob]

did i mention rod building is addicting??? ha

no you have not yet! but wait to tell the wife till when there stacked like cord wood in the basement

[scmelik]

Received the MHX and the solid glass rods today. I am really excited about the noodle (glass) rods. They seem like a great crappie blank. At 31in they will be just fine for what I plan to use for. Now just waiting on the DH noodle blank to come in. Can't wait to compare the two. For $8.50 a blank on the glass ones i will sure be ordering more. They are a little heavier in weight than a carbon blank but the sensitivity of the tip is no comparison imo. did i mention rod building is addicting??? ha

how did you get one 31"?  I was told I couldn't get any length different from what they offer.

[stpaulslouch]

Just picked up a wrapper tonight.  I got a good deal ($100!!) on a like new power wrapper/dryer combo and they guy threw in a bunch of metallic thread and other goodies to help me get going. 

I plan to head over and see the guys at the DH shop tomorrow to buy a blank or 2 and some other supplies.  I am pumped to get started!

[jwetovick]

how did you get one 31"?  I was told I couldn't get any length different from what they offer.

I got the crb 31in glass blank. Not mhx glass. Was thinkn they were 8.50 but they are 6.35. Will get the 36in next time and cut down to 32 as i like 32. Can a guy cut a glass blank just like a carbon? I used my shop grinder to cut a carbon and worked but wondering about the glass blanks.

[jwetovick]

Built another rod over the weekend. Used the MHX panfish rod cut at 32in. Its a ML action. Painted the rod white and then splattered with red. Long story short I was able to use the #6 fly guides for the first time and originally I thought they would be too big but they are perfect for my liking. Love the black guides too. Very hard to see many visual differences between the reg fly guides and the REC recoil on my TB. I will be using reg fly guides from here on out unless someone requests the recoils.

[BaitBucket]

Built myself 3 of these. 36" total length. Will be used for Bass, Walleye, and Pike. Spiral wrapped Hardloy Fuji Fly Guides. First eye is a #10, the other 5 are #8.

[Stinkybaits]

Here's a great website that custom rod builders goto alot. Huge amount of info. Most of the Mud Hole Calendar contest winners belong to the site.  Just throwing it up here as it may be of interest to some of you. They go by NERBS
http://www.northeastrodbuilders.com

[fish-kabob]

here talking to every one got me back in to some thing i have not done in about 2-3 years "build a rod" reason being i just ordered a rod building kit form this place for 39.99 got the blank it showed up but waiting on the handle the guides and all the small parts just thought i would throw this link up here for those summer time fisher men that build there own rods.  they got fairly great prices and a build it kit  rod for 39.99+ s&h that is one heck of a deal...  if you ask me maybe if you order from them leave a comment to them about your order "would love to see ice rods carried by you" or some think along those lines. mite be a good thing mite be a bad thing  guy seems descent so far so i thought i would throw his link up here..any how will be doing one from one of my friends daughters it is her birth day end of sept so hope to get it done by then lol's.. will post some pictures when done.

 http://www.getbitoutdoors.com/

[jwetovick]

started building on the CRB solid glass noodle rod and man is that tip guide tough to put on! I quit after about 30min of trying. Darn tip is so soft its hard to get the guide tied on. I'm not giving up yet as I don't like the idea/looks of a tip top guide so don't want to have to settle for using one. really need to find some of those dental rubber bands and maybe that will help keep the guide tight.