Fishing rods for the common man - Used rod rebuilding

I have the rebuild bug again. 

I am collecting old and broken fishing rods of all sorts to strip down and rebuild from scratch.  For most rod builders this may seem like a fool's errand, but for me it's a way to encourage folks with smaller incomes to purchase a custom built rod for less.

So how much is less?  Well, it depends on the quality of the rebuild.  Some older rods have exceptional blanks, but the workmanship to put the rod together is lacking.   For some, the reel seats aren't mounted well, the cork may disintegrate quickly, or it may be that the guides are simply not on the spine.  Older rods often have guides missing or the tip top may be broken off.   Any of these things will cause many fisherman to dump the rod for "better" options at their local Walmart. Most fisherman don't realize that having that rod rebuilt could turn it into a much better rod than anything they could find at Wally World.  And generally rebuilding a rod costs less than $30 in parts which means I can add $40-60 in labor and still make a few bucks without making people break the bank.

Many fiberglass rods from the 70's and 80's had wonderful actions.  In fact my all time favorite ultralight rod is a fiberglass rod.  Most people dove into the graphite revolution and so graphite has become a very popular product.  But if glass were such a horrible option, why do the best rod companies still make fiberglass rods?   Because there are some fisherman who say that graphite doesn't have the exact properties they are looking for in a rod. Fiberglass just has a slightly different feel from graphite.  In many ways even the fastest action fiberglass rods still have a softness about them that makes graphite seem harsh and unforgiving.

And so, I offer rebuilt fiberglass rods.  I look for all kinds of rods.  I'll even rebuild the old "slow action" rods that most people hate now.  However, what most people don't realize is that fast action rods are not all they are cracked up to be.  Fly fisherman often prefer a slow action rod because that slow action allows them to fight a fish with light line.  What many bass fisherman don't know is that this holds true for spinning and casting as well.  If you want to fish 4# line for largemouth bass, you can - with a 9ft spinning rod with a slow action.  That slow action helps absorb the stress that would normally be present on a rod with a stiffer action and stress which normally breaks the line because the rod can't bend to "point" at the fish.  When the rod bends over like that and fish bucks around, the rod absorbs the tension and keeps constant pressure on the fish which tires them out quicker.  But I digress...

None the less, rebuilt graphite rods are an excellent opportunity for someone to get a high performing rod for under $100 that they can pass on to their grandchildren.  I get all excited when I find an IM6 or IM7 graphite rod with broken guides or dog chewed cork.  I know that I can rebuilt the rod back to premium condition and most likely sell it to someone who can't afford to spend $250 on a premium rod.

On top of that, when good ol' boy Billy Bob brings me his "old" graphite rod to rebuild thinking it will be a good patch job and comes back to find what appears to be a brand new rod, there's nothing that makes me happier than to see the look on his face.  Yeeehaaaaaw!

So I love making the "common" among us happy.  I like helping people find joy in the little things in life and if that means rebuilding your precious rod from grandpappy... 

Bring it on!

Mike
Hill Country Fishing Rods