Well, the wife and I both got COVID and survived, thank God.
Went stir-crazy during the quarantine period which ended last week and while stuck at home decided to catch up on my rod building.
Wound up with 9 rods built during the 10 day quarantine period, including two rebuilds (strip and rewrap with fresh guides):
1) 9' "float" rod for salmon
2) 9' "bead" rod for NW salmon
3) 9 1/2' surf rod for plastics in the East Coast surf (Blues and Spanish)
4) 10' conventional mooching type rod
5) 6' pogie rod for kingfish slow trolling (East Coast)
6) 6' light spinner for right here in GA - Chattahoochee river stuff,
7) 7' 2pc spinner 4-10lb line all purpose (but New England smallmouth in my mind, specifically Connecticut river basin)
8) 6 1/2' ultra light spinner, actually a smidge up from ultralight, 4-6 lb range. Smallmouth again. Think Cardinal 3/Penn 430ss.
9) 9' 5 pc for 8wt (think Pink Salmon and silvers)
Quarantine is over but momentum is till there for a few more, as I usually do my rod building during the winter anyway:
1) Heaver type 12' conventional rod ( 8-10 and bait).
2) 12' surf spinner on a seeker blank. Prefer conventional over spinners (way better casting) so this one may wind up as conventional.
3) 6 1/2' light wreck rod for snappers
4) 8' light spinner for Florida pier (croakers, mojarra, etc.)
5) 6 1/2 beach shark rod ("Land Based") this for a 12/0 or 14/0 Penn and 100-130 lb mono,
6) 9' 4 pc 5 weight, with grayling and trout in mind.
7) 5 1/2' Diawa boat rod rebuild (brutish fights with bridge goliath Grouper are the target)
8) 5' Panga rod for 60-80 lb class. Could double as Alaska Halibut rod with 80-130 lb braid. Fenwick eGlass blank never wrapped from the 70's and stainless guides/carbide tip. Might go all retro on that one and use a Varmac Reel Seat.
9) 10 1/2' surf spinner for tarpon. Might try the K concept on these. Sorta modern, although I'm not sold yet. This too may wind up conventional.
10) 10 for 4 wt. Stealth Lake brookies in Northern New England
Lots of Pacific NW and FL stuff, but if you cant be there in the moment you can live your dreams by getting ready, right?
