New Bfs Rod, Almost 2024
.ghoti. reply :
Almost got this danged thing finished. It has been a comedy of errors since day one.
The grip. A nice Winn grip, I got on sale. These grips trim very easily. They do not ream easily at all. You can see I stretched and distorted the skin while reaming.
.ghoti. reply :
the under wrap for a holo wrap in the hook keeper area. This is the third time I've done this. The first time a spider got into the epoxy, and made such a mess of it before he gave up the ghost, I had to cut it all off and start over. The second time, I just didn't like how it looked, so I cut it all of and started again. this is the base wrap of the third attempt.
.ghoti. reply :
stripper guide(Alconite size 5) and bumper guide(Recoil size 5)
.ghoti. reply :
Just noticed, I should have wiped off the dust. OOPS.
buzzed bait reply :
really digging those colors on the rod!
this is why i cannot do rod builds, i am not a perfectionist!!
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
On 9/14/2015 at 9:41 PM, .ghoti. said:the under wrap for a holo wrap in the hook keeper area. This is the third time I've done this. The first time a spider got into the epoxy, and made such a mess of it before he gave up the ghost, I had to cut it all off and start over. The second time, I just didn't like how it looked, so I cut it all of and started again. this is the base wrap of the third attempt.
The wrap looks nice and neat but it should be burnished into a random pattern to get the effect you want. I made the same mistake. Wrapped to tight and neat and didn't get and effect. Guide wraps look great.
Big Bait Fishing reply :
On 9/14/2015 at 9:42 PM, .ghoti. said:stripper guide(Alconite size 5) and bumper guide(Recoil size 5)
very clean and tight thread and epoxy work 
Big Bait Fishing reply :
On 9/14/2015 at 9:43 PM, .ghoti. said:Just noticed, I should have wiped off the dust. OOPS.
did you take the pic with a cell phone ? when i do real close up pics with my cell phone , it shows up any dust like that .
.ghoti. reply :
iPad pics. Didn't notice the dust until I cropped them and posted here. Another lesson learned.
Mike, that's the bottom wrap. Fuji thread; black and teal, wrapped left to right. They have been burnished to distort the pattern, just not a whole lot. I pushed it all to left, rotated the rod 90 degrees and pushed it all to the right, 90 degrees push left, 90 degrees push right. Went around the rod three times, pushing gently each time. I pushed them around a lot more on the previous attempt, and did not like how it came out. Tried to do a bit less this time. If I had taken the pic straight on, you would be able to see a wavy pattern. From this angle it doesn't show up. Sorry; I still need to learn how to get good pics, up close and personal.
I forgot to add the details. This is an Immortal blank. 7'2" ML-F walleye spinning blank, 1/8 - 3/8oz, 6-12lb. Trimmed down to 7'. Alconite stripper and tip, Recoil running guides. Trimmed ACS reel seat. Fuji thread, teal with #8 blue trim. Teal and black for the bottom holo wrap. I'll do the top holo wrap with the same #8 blue used for the trim bands.
Jrob78 reply :
Very interested to hear your thoughts on the blank as it applies to BFS, once you've finished it of course. It sounds like a good choice.
.ghoti. reply :
On 9/15/2015 at 1:08 AM, Jrob78 said:Very interested to hear your thoughts on the blank as it applies to BFS, once you've finished it of course. It sounds like a good choice.
I have three reels which don't have rods; an SS SV, a PX-R and an Alphas R. I've had the SS SV, spooled with #8 Supernatural mono, mounted on the rod and done some test casting. A 3/32oz Gopher mushroom jighead and a TRD bait loaded the rod enough to cast a usable distance. Same bait on a 1/16oz head, not so much. Doable, but not something I would want to do all day. Maybe it would be better with 6lb line, who knows. If I have to go down to 6lb line, I'm going to spinning gear.
I'm impressed with these Immortal blanks. Being a St Croix fan, I have several Avids, several LTBs and one Legend Extreme. In terms of sensitivity, I'd rank these Immortals right along with the LTBs. At about 2/3 the cost of an LTB, I'd call these things a bargain.
Batson reply :
On 9/15/2015 at 1:55 AM, .ghoti. said:I have three reels which don't have rods; an SS SV, a PX-R and an Alphas R. I've had the SS SV, spooled with #8 Supernatural mono, mounted on the rod and done some test casting. A 3/32oz Gopher mushroom jighead and a TRD bait loaded the rod enough to cast a usable distance. Same bait on a 1/16oz head, not so much. Doable, but not something I would want to do all day. Maybe it would be better with 6lb line, who knows. If I have to go down to 6lb line, I'm going to spinning gear.
I'm impressed with these Immortal blanks. Being a St Croix fan, I have several Avids, several LTBs and one Legend Extreme. In terms of sensitivity, I'd rank these Immortals right along with the LTBs. At about 2/3 the cost of an LTB, I'd call these things a bargain.
Your build looks great! Congrats on the rod!
Well now you have done it! You gave everyone the secret 
Those RainShadow Immortal rod blanks have the same designer as your beloved ST Croix's! 
Mike Thorson really did a great move and the Immortals should be not only a great buy but performance as well!
Thank you for being loyal customer! PM me privately when you get a chance!
Jrob78 reply :
On 9/15/2015 at 1:55 AM, .ghoti. said:I have three reels which don't have rods; an SS SV, a PX-R and an Alphas R. I've had the SS SV, spooled with #8 Supernatural mono, mounted on the rod and done some test casting. A 3/32oz Gopher mushroom jighead and a TRD bait loaded the rod enough to cast a usable distance. Same bait on a 1/16oz head, not so much. Doable, but not something I would want to do all day. Maybe it would be better with 6lb line, who knows. If I have to go down to 6lb line, I'm going to spinning gear.
I'm impressed with these Immortal blanks. Being a St Croix fan, I have several Avids, several LTBs and one Legend Extreme. In terms of sensitivity, I'd rank these Immortals right along with the LTBs. At about 2/3 the cost of an LTB, I'd call these things a bargain.
Thanks, the info about the weight you casted was exactly the info I was looking for.
FishinDaddy reply :
Nice job on the locking wraps Gary. I can't get mine to look that good.
Senko lover reply :
On 9/14/2015 at 11:19 PM, buzzed bait said:really digging those colors on the rod!
this is why i cannot do rod builds, i am not a perfectionist!!
Yeah I could only do that in winter.....if I lived back in MN where I'm from. Here I just go fishing haha
georgeyew reply :
On 9/14/2015 at 9:42 PM, .ghoti. said:stripper guide(Alconite size 5) and bumper guide(Recoil size 5)
Looks awesome. I love that you wrapped and epoxyed past the guides. You don't find that very often on store bought rods.
kickerfish1 reply :
Nice work Gary!
Hogsticker reply :
That blank should be great for bfs. Get an SV spool for that Type R and you can cast anything you want. I don't like my SS for lighter stuff. My Alphas SV takes the cake for that.
.ghoti. reply :
On 9/15/2015 at 7:53 AM, FishinDaddy said:Nice job on the locking wraps Gary. I can't get mine to look that good.
Thanks Lee. All I can say is I screwed up enough of them trying to get one to look like I knew what I was doing. And I still screw up about a third of them, and have to unwind and find the correct starting point for the first locking wrap. It's a different spot for every different size and type guide.
.ghoti. reply :
On 9/15/2015 at 8:44 AM, georgeyew said:Looks awesome. I love that you wrapped and epoxyed past the guides. You don't find that very often on store bought rods.
That is my attempt to fix one of my problems. I could never seem to get the epoxy looking neat behind the guide. Adding the trim wrap on the back side extended it out far enough that a clean neat edge is something I can do. Without that extra few turns of thread, the back side of my guide wraps is fugly.
.ghoti. reply :
Here's the finished holo wrap. Not exactly what I was going for, but after three tries, this will do.
Dwight Hottle reply :
Nice job. Almost looks psychedelic.
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
Looks good. Ya a red and orange would look like a lava lamp. I've seen them in old pictures (clears throat). lol
.ghoti. reply :
On 9/17/2015 at 9:33 PM, .ghoti. said:Here's the finished holo wrap. Not exactly what I was going for, but after three tries, this will do.
I was shooting for something a bit more subtle. I ain't doing it a fourth time. Unless I get bored mid-winter, that is.
Lava lamp, Mike? You old enough to have had one? I am, and so is Dwight. LOL
Yeah, I had one.
S Hovanec reply :
Never gave much thought to the label, but I guess you could say I have a BFS build slated for myself when I find some free time! It is an old SCIV Inshore 4SW70MLF from before they were discontinued and reintroduced a couple years ago. Want it for weightless plastics and Slender Pointers.
Weld's Largemouth reply :
What does bfs mean? I have always seen people call reels and rods bfs but I have no clue what it means.
S Hovanec reply :
On 9/18/2015 at 4:51 AM, Weld said:What does bfs mean? I have always seen people call reels and rods bfs but I have no clue what it means.
Baitcast Finesse System.
I didn't know what it meant til about a month ago. In my mind, I was just going to build a ML baitcaster! Now there's a label for it.
.ghoti. reply :
On 9/18/2015 at 4:56 AM, S Hovanec said:Baitcast Finesse System.
I didn't know what it meant til about a month ago. In my mind, I was just going to build a ML baitcaster! Now there's a label for it.
The curse of the information age. We have to pigeonhole everything. If it doesn't have a label, it doesn't matter. Right.
Not all that long ago I'd have called it a wimpy arsed bait caster.
.ghoti. reply :
Got a story about BFS. My first setup was a 6'9" ML-XF LTB, with an Alphas. Had 6lb fluoro line on it. I had that Alphas tuned to perfection. Was out with a buddy one day, and asked him if he wanted to try a BFS setup. He took it and backlashed it about 6 times in a row. After he handed it back to me he asked, what the *&%% is BFS anyway? I replied, "in your hands it means Backlash For Sure".
Big Bait Fishing reply :
On 9/18/2015 at 5:43 AM, .ghoti. said:Got a story about BFS. My first setup was a 6'9" ML-XF LTB, with an Alphas. Had 6lb fluoro line on it. I had that Alphas tuned to perfection. Was out with a buddy one day, and asked him if he wanted to try a BFS setup. He took it and backlashed it about 6 times in a row. After he handed it back to me he asked, what the *&%% is BFS anyway? I replied, "in your hands it means Backlash For Sure".
.ghoti. reply :
Well, I thought I was almost done with this rod. That's what I get for thoughtin. I left it for a couple of days to cure out before trying an inscription. Been practicing with extra fine nib, Bombay ink, and some acrylic inks. I'll never be a calligrapher, but I've started to get some almost acceptable results.
Went back this morning to give it a shot, if the finish was cured hard enough. It was hard enough. It was also very hazy. Almost hazy enough to block the holo effect. (expletives deleted) if you look at the last pic I posted, you'll see that coat of finish, looking pretty decent. That was Wednesday evening. Sometime between then and this morning, it went fugly.
Stripped it down and started over. Again. (more expletives deleted)
Starting to think this project is cursed.
S Hovanec reply :
I understand cursed rods. Had a few of them myself.
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
Yup some builds just make you think you've been sent for.
.ghoti. reply :
Well, %£€¥%#¥£. My fourth attempt at this holo wrap is a bust as well. The rod is now standing in the corner until it learns how to behave. Got one to build for my brother, and one to fix. Maybe by the time I get those two done, my bfs rod will have learned its lesson.
FishinDaddy reply :
On 9/27/2015 at 3:55 AM, .ghoti. said:Well, %£€¥%#¥£. My fourth attempt at this holo wrap is a bust as well. The rod is now standing in the corner until it learns how to behave. Got one to build for my brother, and one to fix. Maybe by the time I get those two done, my bfs rod will have learned its lesson.
You really should watch your language sir, this is a family oriented establishment.
.ghoti. reply :
On 9/27/2015 at 7:04 AM, FishinDaddy said:You really should watch your language sir, this is a family oriented establishment.
Hey Lee, some times you just gotta let the dogs out. Don't even try to tell me you've never "talked " to one of your builds.
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
It's when they start talking back that you need to be concerned. Ex: "Really Honey, I wanted to eat dinner with you but The Rod told me I had to finish wrapping first"
S Hovanec reply :
On 9/29/2015 at 12:14 AM, Delaware Valley Tackle said:It's when they start talking back that you need to be concerned. Ex: "Really Honey, I wanted to eat dinner with you but The Rod told me I had to finish wrapping first"
I have had to be paged multiple times ,when dinner was ready, on more than one occasion. I guess when I finished one guide, I'd forget to go up and I would start another!
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