New Thorne Bros Rod?

[FishingIdiot]

I picked up a new custom T-Bros rod today and when I got home, upon closer inspection, I noticed poor epoxy coverage overt the guide foot on most of them and the end guide has bare blank sticking out past the last guide with no epoxy coverage.

Is this a big deal? What would you do with it?

[Borch]

Bring the rod back in and they'll take care of you. If that's an issue just give them a call. They have great customer service.

[FishingIdiot]

Yes, I hope they live up to their reputation. I was expecting more attention to detail out of a custom rod.

I wish I would have caught it before I left. Most likely, 2 more trips, now

[blueroof]

FishingId - when you mention the bare blank sticking through, I'm thinking you got a rod setup with outside guides. Generally the outside rod tip has a bit of the graphite blank protruding a hair past the tip eyelet wrap. This is more noticeable on a perch or walleye, on a panfish you can hardly notice. For the outside models, the tip is tied on, the insides have a guide that caps the blank.

I'm pretty sure the've been making lots of ice rods the last few weeks, I can imagine a few slip through... They will set ya right.

LB

[FishingIdiot]

Hey, thanks. Yes, it does have outside guides. Are you saying that this is normal like this? It doesn't hurt to have that bare part protruding?

I would think that even though it protrudes past, it should be well covered with epoxy, no?

[blueroof]

All of my outsides have a teeny bit of the blank past the guide wrap with no epoxy on it. You can get away with it because you are not casting with them. Every great once in awhile you might get a tangle that gets wedged up into the nub, never had an issue fighting a fish. Years ago, I purchased my first outside rod not knowing there was difference in guides. I was using it side by side with an inside and thought I had a defective rod for a little bit myself. I prefer having the tip with the colored wrap, gives better contrast in low light to see the tip action.

LB

[FishingIdiot]

Thanks, Blue

[DinkADunk]

Quote:

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Hey, thanks. Yes, it does have outside guides. Are you saying that this is normal like this? It doesn't hurt to have that bare part protruding?

I would think that even though it protrudes past, it should be well covered with epoxy, no?

---

There are two ways you can terminate the tip of a rod. One is to use a proper rod tip (like all of your open water rods), the other is to use a small single foot guide, wrap it, and then apply epoxy. If you have a graphite ice rod geared towards panfish, pearch, and walleye, that is geared towards outdoor use (larger guides) the diameter of the tip is very small and the component manufacturers do not make tip tops that small with a decent size ring. If you special order some Fuji components from Japan you can get very small tip tops but they have very small rings which just won't work outside (take a look at some of the short panfish rods TB makes). It is perfectly acceptable to use a single foot guide as the tip top for a rod. The dab of epoxy used to cover the thread wrap will provide enough protection to the graphite blank at the tip. Don't mess with that small protrusion as you can damage the graphite fibers and may cause a running crack that will weaken the rod tip. You need to make very clean cuts when working with graphite blanks.

BTW, you generally don't have this problem with glass blanks as they are larger in diameter than graphite blanks with similar characteristic.

[bigbritt]

Quote:

---

Hey, thanks. Yes, it does have outside guides. Are you saying that this is normal like this? It doesn't hurt to have that bare part protruding?

I would think that even though it protrudes past, it should be well covered with epoxy, no?

---

that is exactly the way an outside sweetheart should be!!! you wont have a problem with that.

[slipperybob]

With any new rod you buy:

-Check the guides to see if it's in line by eyeing it; sometimes it's the rod blank that might be a little warped.

-Check the center balance on round tennessee handles to see if the center drill is truly centered by spinning/rolling between fingers while holding rod blank

-Check the cork for any cracks or big ugly pit

-Check the rod tip load action, smooth uniform bend, check the spline by rotating it

Thorne bros are top action,

mine's a little warped towards the tip, but I couldn't detect any affect on the rod action.

[FishingIdiot]

That is very good common sense advice!

Thanks

[slipperybob]

I go through the same checks when buying regular fishing rods too. Even G-loomis and St. Croix's are susceptible to irregularities. If paying $300 for a fishing rod, you'd better check it out.

[Matt Johnson]

Yes, the outside line of rods does not have a standard tip-top guide. Instead they are wrapped on like the rest of the guides. This is because those particular guides do not have an enclosed tip-top. In order to have the same guide set you have to do it that way... it's the only way to have a complete alconite set to help with freeze-up and to keep things consistent... you will not loose any sensitivity or action with the rod...

[FishingIdiot]

Thanks, Matt.