# 7ft 7wt??



## Lee Singleton (Jul 3, 2018)

Sounds like a crazy idea but it's honestly what I think I need.

This may turn out to be a rod building thread...

I fish eastern NC for redfish, most of the shots I get are less than 30ft and about 30% of those shots are less than 15ft... 
not sure why my shots are always so close, sometimes it's water clarity but even on the calm clear days I still find these sneaky reds swimming up too close for comfort.

I can go on and on about why catching a red 10ft away with a 9ft rod is a pain in the ass. To start off with, after leader and shooting head it's takes about 20ft to just lay it out straight, any cast closer requires angling the rod away from the line/fish making the hookset options trout setting or stripping the leader into the rod. While the cast is close which reduces difficulty, it's not very pretty and doesn't feel much like fly fishing. The biggest challenge of all is speed, getting the fly in front of the fish before he sees the boat. 

My hope is that a shorter rod will make closer casts and hooksets more comfortable and will also allow me to load and cast the rod faster. 

I have a 6'6" TFO Professional (spinning rod) that I have strapped a fly reel to and thrown in the yard, It honestly feels great (surprisingly has a lot of punch, but is very double haul dependent) I just want something a tad slower and longer. I'm going to end up trying a lot of conventional blanks wit 7-8wt line to see how I like them. from there I will try to hunt down the closest blank to that rod, build one, and fish it. 

Here are my questions:
Has anyone done this before?
Do I sound Crazy?
Should I just switch to a bait-caster  ?


----------



## Pro wader (Mar 26, 2018)

Try building one out of a P-841 or 842 popping rod blank. I have thought about this several times, just never pulled the trigger.


----------



## Jdee (10 mo ago)

The Echo Bad Ass Glass is 8' probably great for in close. Don't know about 10' close though


----------



## Jdee (10 mo ago)

Jdee said:


> The Echo Bad Ass Glass is 8' probably great for in close. Don't know about 10' close though


and will fit that "Tad slower"


----------



## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

My first thought is that 12 inches as compared to maybe an Echo BAG rod isn't going to make any difference. Are these fish sleeping fish?, moving? singles? If they are moving, then resist casting to them, stay stealthy and take a shot when the logistics get a little better.


----------



## richarde206 (Sep 9, 2021)

Get the Redington, TFO, Echo, et al 7'10" rods. A little more rod than you want, but still a manageable size! The 7'10" rods are light and quick...


----------



## Lee Singleton (Jul 3, 2018)

Sublime said:


> My first thought is that 12 inches as compared to maybe an Echo BAG rod isn't going to make any difference. Are these fish sleeping fish?, moving? singles? If they are moving, then resist casting to them, stay stealthy and take a shot when the logistics get a little better.


they’re normally singles swimming directly towards the boat 🤣. I guess the ones swimming away from me I never catch up too. Honestly not having issues catching fish, but it just feels more like cane pole fish rather then fly fishing.


----------



## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

Lee Singleton said:


> they’re normally singles swimming directly towards the boat 🤣. I guess the ones swimming away from me I never catch up too. Honestly not having issues catching fish, but it just feels more like cane pole fish rather then fly fishing.


Yeah, we've all been there. Roll that bug on his nose and hope for the best. Luckily, if you're seeing one fish, there are likely others.


----------



## mfdevin (Jun 18, 2020)

I call that the “eat this” slap, and in my experience it’s best presented with a shorter fiberglass rod. There’s a lot of inaudible noise made from people about why fiberglass sucks, and why it doesn’t suck. I pretty much didn’t touch anything that wasn’t glass for about 3 months straight, warm water and saltwater, i fish atleast an hour a day, 3x a week, and I can say that I will always keep 1-2 glass rods in the quiver, there are a lot of situations they are really beneficial, and short quick casts are one that I believe they really excel at. I like to line my glass rods with a true to weight line, line tapers depend on what I’m trying to throw. But in general no wind or light wind, sub 30 ft shots, it’s all about glass for me. I’ll sacrifice some line speed and wait on my back cast if I can accurately place the fly without causing a ruckus.


----------



## mightyrime (Jul 18, 2016)

cabelas cgr 7/8 its a fun little glass rod i use for LMB


----------



## mfdevin (Jun 18, 2020)

i really like the original orvis SFG 8wt with a “7wt” grand slam mastery line


----------



## WC53 (Dec 2, 2015)

Someone posted on here using an NFC glass all purpose blank for a flyrod. I don’t think I saw any followup. All there blanks are 7’


----------



## Hank (Jan 14, 2019)

Cane pole Is the answer.


----------



## fatman (Nov 23, 2012)

Hank said:


> Cane pole Is the answer.


TENKARA!!


----------



## BM_Barrelcooker (May 4, 2011)

fatman said:


> TENKARA!!


Beat me to it Kev.


----------



## PaytonWP (Sep 17, 2020)

MHX 7'0" Med-Light Crankbait Rod Blank - CB841-Blend


The CB841 is an excellent rod blank with a mod/fast action and medium-light power for the perfect deep flex that keeps treble hooks pinned to catch more fish. Whether fishing crankbaits, rattle traps, or twitch baits, the 7'0" CB841 Crankbait blank brings the ultimate performance for you! MHX...




mudhole.com






I would think a crankbait rod would be a slower action. They are currently sold out though.


----------



## MatthewAbbott (Feb 25, 2017)

Sounds like me when Im in my kayak/SKANU. A lot of my shots at reds and sheepies are within 20’ with a fair amount within 10’. No room to strip set when only 1 or 2 feet of flyline is out past the tip. What I do is light trout set to get the hook started and let the fish run. Once it’s away from the boat I’ll strip set to burry the hook. I haven’t lost any reds with this method because of the hook set.


----------



## MatthewAbbott (Feb 25, 2017)

Dble post


----------



## Surffshr (Dec 28, 2017)

I’ve been enjoying glass rods for that very close stuff. Here it Is usually tails at dusk while wading, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t be ideal for what your describing. You may consider moving to a 6 wt as many of those rods are shorter and suited for <30’ even in decent wind.


----------



## citadelmarineservices (Jan 22, 2021)

Glass is the way to go for those close shots, idk why everyone rides those echo rods though they are garbage. 

Look at McFarland blanks or livingston rod Co. They have what you seek.


----------



## SISW (Apr 21, 2011)

richarde206 said:


> Get the Redington, TFO, Echo, et al 7'10" rods. A little more rod than you want, but still a manageable size! The 7'10" rods are light and quick...


I am a big fan of shorter length rods. They allow for faster delivery. Where I fish, the shots are fast and often lass than 50', so a short rod has advantages. I have 2 Redington Predator rods and 3 rods under 7' in my collection. All good in the right situation.


----------



## Lee Singleton (Jul 3, 2018)

Just ordered a P841 blank.... wish me luck. After casting flies in my yard yesterday on a handful of spinning rods I feel like that's what I want. Honestly feel like ill be able to set the hook with the rod (trout-set) on super close fish. 









Appreciate all of the suggestions on glass, but for know I wanted something a tad faster, and this gives me excuse to build a rod that hasn't been built before (so far as I know).


----------



## snookmaster69 (Mar 24, 2015)

Lee Singleton said:


> Sounds like a crazy idea but it's honestly what I think I need.
> 
> This may turn out to be a rod building thread...
> 
> ...


----------



## bryson (Jun 22, 2015)

Lee Singleton said:


> Just ordered a P841 blank.... wish me luck. After casting flies in my yard yesterday on a handful of spinning rods I feel like that's what I want. Honestly feel like ill be able to set the hook with the rod (trout-set) on super close fish.
> View attachment 205299
> 
> 
> Appreciate all of the suggestions on glass, but for know I wanted something a tad faster, and this gives me excuse to build a rod that hasn't been built before (so far as I know).


Very cool -- interested to hear about how it turns out, what line you like on it, how heavy of a fly you can swing, etc.


----------



## Padre (Jul 29, 2016)

It's not as short as your talking about but I have caught redfish on my GLoomis Shorestalker 5wt. It is only 8' but it is a blast to catch slot reds on. And quick casts under 35' is this rod's specialty.


----------



## Lee Singleton (Jul 3, 2018)

Padre said:


> It's not as short as your talking about but I have caught redfish on my GLoomis Shorestalker 5wt. It is only 8' but it is a blast to catch slot reds on. And quick casts under 35' is this rod's specialty.


alot of these fish are 28-30” that’s too nice of a rod to risk breaking and I love these fish too much to put them through a such a long fight.


----------



## Padre (Jul 29, 2016)

Lee Singleton said:


> alot of these fish are 28-30” that’s too nice of a rod to risk breaking and I love these fish too much to put them through a such a long fight.


They make the shorestalker in 7wt as well. I am actually wanting to get one but it is 8'6"


----------



## fatman (Nov 23, 2012)

St Croix makes their Mojo Bass in a 7'11" 7weight. I've got an 8wt that I like for pounding banks with. If you can find an old SA "Serge" line, it's a money combo. At $170 it's a good buy.


----------



## birdyshooter (Sep 17, 2019)

I’m a NC boy like you. Been in your situation almost every time I’m on the water. Feels like some days I could just chop them up in the trolling motor. I’ve recently just swapped out my “fast” rods for TFO Mangrove’s with SA Grand Slam lines. It’s been the best move I’ve made so far. I still keep a “fast” rod on board for those windy days though. See if you can find a Mangrove 6wt or 8wt. You’ll be happy when you do. Good luck!!


----------



## karstopo (Nov 28, 2019)

I primarily fish 7’6” flyrods for redfish, both the 7/8 weight G.Loomis Short Stix and the 7/8 weight Cabelas CGR. I get a lot of short range shots also. The CGR tends to be the calmer day rod and the Short Stix the windy day one. About the only time I’m using a nine foot rod is if I’m out wading a little deeper. I like the shorter fly rods and use them standing from boat decks looking for fish or standing in my kayak. I’ll even wade the surf with either rod. Most of the time in the surf, I’m making 40-50 foot casts and either rod will be fine at that distance. I never thought 9’ fly rods had some sort of magic length that was good everywhere for everything. Shorter rods have a lot less overall hassle factor.


----------



## Flies&StripesForever (10 mo ago)

WC53 said:


> Someone posted on here using an NFC glass all purpose blank for a flyrod. I don’t think I saw any followup. All there blanks are 7’


I built that rod and it casts beautifully with an 8 wt. Orvis clear tip line (225 grains at 30 ft, head length is 37.5’) or a 7 wt Airflo beach line. I caught a 20 lb striper on my first cast with the rod and handled it fine.


----------



## Finn Maccumhail (Apr 9, 2010)

I don't think G. Loomis is making the Shorestalker line of rods any more, are they? They're not on their website that I can see and other online stores show them as "out of stock."


----------



## birdyshooter (Sep 17, 2019)

Dang y’all. Between this and the Bamboo thread, I’m finding new ways to get a divorce!! 🤣😂🤣


----------



## CayoTom (Jul 29, 2021)

Padre said:


> They make the shorestalker in 7wt as well. I am actually wanting to get one but it is 8'6"


I have a Shorestalker 7 wt. easy and fast throwing it in the mangroves. I am headed up near Lk Superior in a week. We’ll see how it does on some bass and pike. Try Flymasters of Indianapolis. Great guys and very helpful Derrick helped with Finding me one. Shore Stalkers are discontinued but they may have one.


----------



## Earle Waters (5 mo ago)

Lee Singleton said:


> Sounds like a crazy idea but it's honestly what I think I need.
> 
> This may turn out to be a rod building thread...
> 
> ...


I fish a 7 foot rod but it’s an 8 wt one piece but I use a 6 or seven wt line as my reds are often Sensitive to the laying of the line in what is very clear shallow water😳😎🇺🇸


----------



## Lee Singleton (Jul 3, 2018)




----------



## Lee Singleton (Jul 3, 2018)

The rod is complete! But it’s more of an 8wt (I’m using 8 wt cortland weight forward taper)

I added a few blurry photos I screenshot from a video of me casting to show how it loads.

I took it on a solo wade fishing trip last weekend and landed 4 reds.

initial thoughts: it handles short distances well, I’ve casted it in the yard next to my 9ft rods doing target practice. It outperformed them (with me casting) on every shot within 40ft it was competitive at ~55 ft and while it’s possible to hit 70+, it takes shooting and can’t carry a lot of line. It turned out to be a short fast action rod that you can trout set reds with.
Most importantly it catches fish within 10ft with ease.

the guy that built the rod for me put the reel seat upside down, he said he does it on all his rods and it somehow prevents if from unscrewing 🤷‍♂️. Other than that I’m more that happy with how it turned out.
Im sure there is room for improvement, but I’m going to fish this rod for a long time before I try for a second build.


----------



## The Fin (Sep 28, 2021)

MatthewAbbott said:


> Dble post


I thought it was just an echo!😉


----------



## Bmgfish32 (Apr 25, 2020)

Lee Singleton said:


> View attachment 214072
> 
> 
> The rod is complete! But it’s more of an 8wt (I’m using 8 wt cortland weight forward taper)
> ...



What blank did you go with?


----------



## Lee Singleton (Jul 3, 2018)

Bmgfish32 said:


> What blank did you go with?


----------



## bryson (Jun 22, 2015)

@Lee Singleton thanks for following up! I was thinking about building an 8wt that lives on the skiff. I was originally holding out for a good deal on the NFC blanks, but now I'm thinking about a 7'6" spin rod blank. I just built a 7'6" CRB medium power rod, maybe I'll throw a few different fly reels on it and see if it will actually cast any of them.


----------



## WC53 (Dec 2, 2015)

I was wiggling a few popping blanks after reading this again. Maybe the Rainshadow SP842(ML) (doubtful) The Matrix P7814(M) definitely feels too stout. Might have to order one those NFC all purpose glass with my next order to try.
Edit just saw he used the SP841, so definitely the 842 is too heavy also.


----------



## bryson (Jun 22, 2015)

How did you decide on a popping blank vs any others? I'm assuming certain types of blanks will have different tapers, are certain ones better suited to fly rods?


----------



## WC53 (Dec 2, 2015)

From my perspective, I just got a few in and hadn’t wrapped them yet.


----------



## Lee Singleton (Jul 3, 2018)

bryson said:


> How did you decide on a popping blank vs any others? I'm assuming certain types of blanks will have different tapers, are certain ones better suited to fly rods?


I picked a popping blank since it was recommended by @Pro wader on this thread.

throwing a spinning rod with fly line felt like the only option, but it's feels more stiff since the reel is farther up the rod and the grip is different. In a perfect world you would go to a blank factory and duct tape eyes and a reel to multiple blanks and test them out. I did not have those resources.


----------



## bryson (Jun 22, 2015)

Lee Singleton said:


> I picked a popping blank since it was recommended by @Pro wader on this thread.
> 
> throwing a spinning rod with fly line felt like the only option, but it's feels more stiff since the reel is farther up the rod and the grip is different. In a perfect world you would go to a blank factory and duct tape eyes and a reel to multiple blanks and test them out. I did not have those resources.


Yeah, I thought about using cable ties or something to hold the reel in the correct place. I'm sure the extra weight of the spinning rod guides will affect the action too.

@Pro wader do you have a reason for suggesting a "popping" blank vs a jigging blank or something? I'm considering the IS761L for a "cheap" experiment. It's the CRB Color Series. I've built a few basic spin rods on those blanks and liked them fine.


----------



## WC53 (Dec 2, 2015)

Some of it will be how the blank bends. I thought popping and crankbait because of the action. I went out and tried a moderate ML saltwater trout rod. Felt like a 9  definitely need to try a L or UL. Any big progressive taper L’s? My lighter stuff has micro guides so I couldn’t test them. Anyone got a L Ugly stick, lol


----------



## Pro wader (Mar 26, 2018)

I figured the med action of a light popping blank would load up better. it may require a heavier wt line.
Like I said, I haven't tried it. This was just a thought i had in my head... or were those voices?


----------



## Bmgfish32 (Apr 25, 2020)

Pro wader said:


> I figured the med action of a light popping blank would load up better. it may require a heavier wt line.
> Like I said, I haven't tried it. This was just a thought i had in my head... or were those voices?


Make one and ill bring beer and different weight lines......


----------



## bryson (Jun 22, 2015)

Tried my 9wt SA Redfish line on the CRB IS761M (medium 7'6"), and it was way too light. It wasn't bad once I got 30+ ft of line out, though. Might work with a 10 or 11 wt line, but it started raining so I didn't get to try.

I had to take the leader off to string the fly line through the eyelets, but it didn't shoot too badly even with #5.5 spin rod guides. I was throwing a gurgler with the hook broken off since my regular practice fly was in my truck.

Really tempting to just roll the dice on the light 7'6" - just build it then find a line that works.


----------



## Captgw (5 mo ago)

Lee Singleton said:


> Sounds like a crazy idea but it's honestly what I think I need.
> 
> This may turn out to be a rod building thread...
> 
> ...


I built a 5’6” one piece spinning rod blank into an 8/9wt for snook and redfish in. Was one of the best rods I ever used. Find a WF fly line with a short front taper and short belly and it’ll load quick enough for those close shots.


----------



## bryson (Jun 22, 2015)

Captgw said:


> I built a 5’6” one piece spinning rod blank into an 8/9wt for snook and redfish in. Was one of the best rods I ever used. Find a WF fly line with a short front taper and short belly and it’ll load quick enough for those close shots.


Dang, I think I'd have a few new piercings if I tried to throw a 5'6" 8/9 weight!


----------



## Captgw (5 mo ago)

bryson said:


> Dang, I think I'd have a few new piercings if I tried to throw a 5'6" 8/9 weight!


Gotta side arm it a bit but it sure makes it easier in the tight areas. Also short casts so you’re not carrying much line in the air. Teeny used to make a “Flip Pallot” line that was a very short front taper and belly with a long rear taper for fishing around the mangroves. It was what I used but any short front taper, short belly will be easier w those short rods


----------



## Jason M (Aug 13, 2017)

I have a 7'6" St Croix 6wt. I usually use it to practice cast and freshwater and I love it.


----------



## WC53 (Dec 2, 2015)

Barclay 777 or just saw graywolf was rolling some shorter 7/8 weights.


----------



## Sagebass (5 mo ago)

I know Chris Barclay well and I have fished his 7'7" 7wt "Jackpot" and his 7'0" 6wt. "Lil Stiffy" for smallies. They are both great rods and excellent for tight quarters. They load well and shoot line nicely even with little room for back casts. The shorter rods have less swing weight when you are blind casting for longer periods.


----------



## timogleason (Jul 27, 2013)

I love my 7'10" Redington Predator 8 weights but not sure you can buy blank only. I fish them around dock lights and mangroves. The swing weight is so much less than a 9' rod. Surprised more people don't have a short rod or two in their arsenal. Highly recommended.


----------



## Sagebass (5 mo ago)

I have been primarily using the Orvis 8’5” 8wt blackout rod.


----------



## Sagebass (5 mo ago)




----------

