Frequently Asked Questions

1) What type of rods do you build? I specialize in spinning and casting rods for river smallmouth bass. Growing up in central Pennsylvania I have been fishing for smallmouth in flowing waters for as long as I can remember. I have lived along and fished the smallmouth rich Susquehanna and Juniata rivers for the past 20 years. Your new C.P.R. Custom Rod (Catch. Photo. Release.) will be the product of my years of experience chasing this "gamest of fish". I recently started to do more work with fly rods. Please contact me for special rates for fly rod builds.

2) What brand materials do you use? I use materials and components from many manufacturers. I only use products that I trust and have proven to be of the highest quality. If I won't use them for my personal fishing rods then they aren't going on your rod either.

3) What type of thread do you use? I prefer to use Gudebrod thread because of it's quality, however, sometimes I will use another quality brand such as Rodsmith by Pacific Bay to get a specific color that Gudebrod doesn't offer.

4) What type of thread finish do you use? I exclusively use Threadmaster finish by Lamar Mfg. It is by far the best thread finish on the market. I have used Flex-Coat, LS Supreme and Pacific Bay thread finish and none compare to Threadmaster in clarity and leveling.

5) Do you build on the Spine? Yes, if I can. A graphite blank is manufactured by wrapping a sheet of graphite "paper" around a steel mandrel and then apply a coat of adhesive. This wrapping process creates one side of the blank that is stiffer than the other giving it a "spine" or one direction bend. There is a vast debate if building on this stiffer side actually benefits the overall performance of the rod but many believe doing so will aide in casting power and accuracy. Advanced blank building techniques have all but eliminated this issue but if I can find the spine on your blank I will take it into consideration. If the spine cannot be located I place the guides on the straightest axis of the blank.

6) What style of thread wraps do you use on the guides? I use both traditional "simple" wraps and the Forhan Locking wrap. The simple wrap is what you see on almost all factory wrapped rods. The thread is wrapped to the guide legs and tied off. These wraps are more than secure and the vast majority of anglers will never need anything more. The Forhan Locking wrap goes beyond the guide legs and actually wraps around the legs "locking" the guide in place to the blank. I use these wraps for anglers who are traditionally tuff on they're equipment or for those rods used to pursuing large fish. I now use the forhan lock is used on all of my bass and steelhead rods.

7) What if you build me a rod and I don't like it? I require a $50.00 non-refundable deposit upon the commission of a custom rod. The balance is then due prior to delivery. If upon, delivery of your rod, you are not completely satisfied, I will refund your money minus the $50.00 deposit. You must notify me within three days of delivery, you are responsible for return shipping, and the rod must be in the exact condition as when I delivered it to you. (Commissioned rods that have a total cost of less then $100.00 require only a $25.00 deposit).

8) Can you provide references? Yes, upon request, I will provide you with email addresses of those you have purchased C.P.R. Custom rods in the past.

9) What's the price of a custom rod? Since every rod is different the price will depend on the design and components used to build your rod. I adhere to a pricing forumula that works for me and is fair to you. You can roughly calculate the price of your rod using this formula : $25.00 base price + retail costs of blank and components less 10% + $8 for each guide wrap. Extra thread work or custom cork hanldes are additional and will be calculated on an individual basis. There may also be extra shipping charges applied if a special order component is requested. So for example, a 6'6" medium action spinning rod with a retail components cost of $120.00 and basic cork and thread work would price out as follows:

The formula isn't exact due to all the modifications and accessories that can added to your rod, but it's pretty close.

10) How long until my rod will be completed and delivered? The standard is one week to gather all the components and one week to build, however it may be slightly more or less than that two week window depending on the availability of the components and my work load. I will be able to give you a fairly accurate time line upon confirming your order.

Please feel free to contact me with questions of your own.

rodtrader@gmail.com

HOME