Rodbuilders, are Batson Rainshadow rod blanks in Mag Bass adequate for Flipping Sticks?

Question

From what info I have found these are the blanks used by Kistler in some of their rods. One of the rod designers at Batson worked at All-Star as a designer and as one might expect some of the benefits of the All-Star will likely find their way into these blanks. I never had any problems with Kistler or All-Star rods and thought these new RX-7 blanks might be a great deal for the price and have a lifetime warranty which is hard to beat.

Upon further investigation a very reliable source has let it be known that Batson will be releasing new designs and blanks in July '08. Guess I'll stay tuned for the unveiling.
Good grief, unless catastrophe occurs I have enough rods to last several lifetimes....but the tackle monkey always needs more! I think I better do what the monkey wants before it becomes a gorilla.

Thanks guys.

Answer 1

OK here is my chime in on this question. Good question by the way, had to do some research on it. I agree with Pheasant that "adequate" would the best description for the blank in question for the stated purpose. A Flipping Stick is a rod usually with a very specific purpose and the word "Stick" kind of sums it up. The blanks are stiff, a bit longer, and designed for pulling power and not for casting, so a good tip action is not needed. The people I have made them for are usually fishing in heavy structure or tight areas, and will pitch or use an underhand cast or flip to get the bait near the weeds. The heavier tip is to enable you to turn the fish quickly and avoid getting hung up in the brush. If what I have described is what you want the rod to do, then I don't think that the Mag Bass series would do a good job for you in this case.

I went to Batson's web site and they do offer Flipping blanks. Most are 7'6" and some are 1+, which is a telescopic blank. The rod slides into the handle for storage on a bass boat. This is the most common configuration that I have used. You would get a better result going this way. The Rainshadow rod blanks are good, and I have used them in the past, but not since Batson left my area and went to Wash. They did tend to be a bit on the soft side when compared to other makers. I understand that they have made several changes, and your additional information kind of confirms that. Several rod companies use them.

If a dedicated Flipping Stick is what you are after look at the St. Croix web site, and their model 2C76HF. I mention this because I have built and used this rod and know that it will do the job more than adequately. The price on both companies upper end blanks are very competitive.

Hope this helps, and as always e-mail with any further questions and I will get back to you.

Update. I Just picked up a Rainshadow RX7 SW967 blank and kit to build for one of the tackle stores that I do work for. They called yesterday, talk about timing. This rod is rated 15-25, and for 3/4-4oz. What I said about being soft does not come close to describing this rod. No way would it be adequate for the makers rating. Before I saw the label I guessed that it was 10-20 with 12-15 being optimal, and no more than 2 oz. The owner of the shop had the same opinion. Just confirms my earlier ideas.

Answer 2

Adequate......yes, reccomended.......no.

The techinque you desribe requires feel and sensitivity
which is why I would suggest getting a higher modulus graphite blank such as a Loomis IMX or a Shikari SHX.
Both mfgs make specific blanks for flipping.

I made a flipping stick from a Shikari SHX blank for a customer and all he does is rave about it (of course, they are not cheap, but I am a firm believer in you get what you pay for).


Ok...a great deal for the price. I can put it this way, if someone
asked for a 9' 5wt I could make them a Tiger- Eye for about $175 or a Dan Craft for about $275 - Any experienced flycaster would take the Dan Craft wand in a heartbeat.
Do they both work ? Yes, they do.
Does one outprform the other ? Yes, it does.
Is it worth the price difference ? Ahhh, now that's for you to
decide.

Perhaps Bob would like to chime in.

BTW - Shikari offers a lifetime warranty on their blanks

I am in complete agreement w/ Bob about the Batson blanks being a little "soft". Their fly blanks (RX-7) are advertised
as "medium-fast" - yet they seem much more medium-slow.

Answer 3

Rainshadow Blanks

Answer 4

Rainshadow Rods