Custom Made Tackle...
By: Capt. Hap Farrell
I have been operating a charter service out of Rock Harbor which is in the town of Orleans on Cape Cod, Ma..
I've been in this business for thirty years and gone through a number of transitions in styles of fishing. I've ended up concentrating on the use of lighter tackle. Most anglers would immediately think of spinning tackle as light gear. It is, but I mean light trolling gear.
A number of years ago I decided to work some lighter action trolling into the gear that I offer my clients. I started off with some 16 pound test tackle but then quickly move to 6 pound test line. It wasn't long before I had a 2 pound test tournament grade set up aboard the boat. Last season I found I'd expanded the amount of tackle to 38 boat rods set up with a number on different types of light line and for different method of trolling for these hard fighting bass and bluefish.
Every time I come up with a different concept of light gear I get two rods set up specifically to accomplish that style of fishing. Such as using lead core line. I can supply my anglers with 36 lb. test gear, then to 18 lb. test line and finally to 12 lb. test lead core with rods designed for different weight lines. When you consider that I also carry rods with mono and wire you can see how things can get out of control.
I'm consolidating gear by having one set of custom made light tackle mono rods built for handling 12 lb. test line to replace six of the rods I have now. Tom, who does the rod and reel repair at the Goose Hummock (www.goose.com), put them together after we decided what kind of action I was looking for. These rods are truly custom built. Tom and I chose the type of butt, reel seat, for-grips, as well as the guides used. The wrapping's are a simple, black rapping over a royal blue base on a very dark brown Fenwick blank. I wanted a limber tip with some strength in the butt or bottom third of the rod. The rods are designed to handle 10 to 12 lb. test mono with the guides being able to take any braided line I may wish to use in the future.
These rods will replace the two sets of 12 pound test rods, and a set of 10 lb. test rods I have for both trolling and for using live bait. I have a set of St. Croix rods I have 6 lb. test mono on and I really like the action of these rods. The action of these two new rods are very similar. They are absolutely perfect. I've watched my clients take striped bass up to twenty pound bass and numerous bluefish with the St. Croix rods. I can't wait watch these new rods work on these fish. The other reason for this gear is that younger and less seasoned anglers can enjoy using light tackle without the fear of breaking off like with the lighter 6 lb. test tackle.
In the two photos you'll see the rod under construction and a young woman with a bluefish on while using one of the St. Croix rods. Can't wait until next season.
www.capecodbaycharters.com
stunmai@copper.net
508-240-8267