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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Tomatron Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Kilwell snake skin rods
    Posted: 04 Nov 2011 at 7:48pm
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Hey all, I am looking at building a rod suitable for casting a skip bait or a popper at kings off the rocks. Looking at building a rod using a kilwell blank, has anyone had a look / fish with these? It looks as though from what is said about them that they are a stickbait rod as opposed to a popper, but thats all good. From what i gather the stickbait rods generally have a softer tip than a popper???


They look quite tidy indeed, and a two piece is what I am after, but I havn't seen them in shops to have a bend with. In particular, I am looking at the PE8. 

Cheers


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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote scuzzymoto Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Nov 2011 at 8:29pm
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Tomatron-- check out the fang rods
"It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled” Mark Twain
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Capt Asparagus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Nov 2011 at 11:56pm
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Short answer, yes.Not an expert stickbaiter though by any means, but they are indeed awesome rods. Equal to any in the world, better than most.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Nagged Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Nov 2011 at 7:05am
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Hi Thomas,
99.9% of the stickbait blanks/rods we make go overseas so there is not likely to be many people here that know much about them.
The lighter models wouldnt really be suitable here although there seems to be a few more people interested in flicking 20-50g lately.
The two mid range models which I thought would suitable here (pe8-pe10) have had mixed comments, from not enough power to they are a beast????
The main thing I've learnt from making the first pe8's with Kojak is Stickbait/Popper blank actions are a very personal thing.
My advice would be to go out with Mark, Lionel, Carl, or Phil and have a play with some of the gear they have. They probably dont have Kilwell gear on their boats but this form of fishing is not cheap.
To get the most out of stickbaits you need to match the rod with the lures you are going to use.
There are blanks that can cast a wide range of lure weights but that is a bit of a trap.  I doubt any of them can work that range effectively.
Spend some money on a charter trip with this style of fishing first Thomas. If your thinking of building rods, guide sizes and reel seat positions are critical to get the 70m out of a shorter rod if you go down that track.
 
Nev
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Nagged Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Nov 2011 at 7:38am
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Send a PM to JK, he had a custom PE8 1pc built for off the rocks.

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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Capt Asparagus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Nov 2011 at 12:01pm
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Wish I could have a nice Kilwell stickbait rod to play with, hint hint hint.
(hint-hint)

Hint.
:-)
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Tomatron Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Nov 2011 at 7:02pm
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Thanks for that info, they look nice and being a kilwel they are no doubt super rods. Caught up with JK and checked out his custom job a few months back and very much so liked the look of that Nagged, and I think it would be fine for what I would be using it for - skip baits / poppers off the rocks, and every now and then over a rise off the boat. How does that blank that JK has compare to the snake skin PE8 or PE10? I think that JKs one is about right, still some flex with power throughout the whole rod. PE8 = 15-24kg PE10 =24kg+ ?? Not sure how this PE thing works. 
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Nagged Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Nov 2011 at 8:28am
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Pe ratings, drag settings on rods are purely a guide.
When the blanks are tested to destruction you get a indication of what joins in various positions can handle, for example; Join at the top of the foregrip.
Pe8 = 17kg
Pe10 = 20kg
Pe12 = 25kg
From there you can alter the patterns to cast certain weighted lures.
With the materials available now you can design a blank that can handle 25kgs at the join regardless of whether it casts 70g or 300g with a second tip on the same butt.
 
I made casting blanks for Kojak that had one butt,3 tips and a joint that handled 17kg.
We do a similar thing for Synit that has a 25kg join for a different market but with the join at the reel seat which is stronger again.
 
If you asked most what main line they were using on their reels there would be few that cast with a true pe10-12 mainline.
 
Off the rocks its hard to leverage yourself against the fish with a high drag so it's going to come down to where you fish and what weight you are going to cast.
If you lock the drag on either the 8 or 10 you are going to lose some skin off your knees.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Nagged Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Nov 2011 at 9:15am
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Originally posted by Capt Asparagus Capt Asparagus wrote:

Wish I could have a nice Kilwell stickbait rod to play with, hint hint hint.
(hint-hint)

Hint.
:-)
What happened to the custom one we made for you, its not here??
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Capt Asparagus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Nov 2011 at 9:26am
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Yeah, but that is a POPPER rod, not a STICKBAIT one... :-)
I thought my popper rod was fine for sticks, seemed to do the job in the sollies this winter, but if there was a new toy going..... :-)
Well, ya gotta try....

Actually, how about something that is a one-handed spin stick that can handle 20-30lb braid, a 4000 size reel, 7ft long for chucking light poppers/lures around bommies. Somethnig that has really good grunt to lift fish and turn their heads away from the bottom, but has to still be a one-hand set?
I was using a dropshot 2-pce up there this last time, but to lay into the fish on hook-up, it was just a huge banana bendy thing. Do you do a grunty rod that'd suit this purpose?
.
...something akin to that rod?
I'm shooting over there this thursday to see GA anyhow, perhaps I should bang on the gateway to your lair out the back eh? :-)
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Nagged Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Nov 2011 at 11:27am
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7ft 2pc, 835mm butt,1370mm tip. reverse taper join. 
Theses were designed for the Aussie and US market.
The 6kg 2pc model lifts 9kg at a stretch and the bigger models (90g blank) lift 18kg
These are new for us, they are made on new mandrels to accommodate the joins but also to move away from the parabolic action the previous range had.
There is two options, one using intermediate cloth and the other High modulus cloth which gives the blank a lot more back bone and a nice crisp feel for casting and setting the hook.
Both also use off axis Nano material.
 
The bigger models are for casting small poppers to GT in Aussie and black fin in the States. No doubt people will find other uses for them. 
The range is big in that their is 10 x 1&2pc 5'9" models and close to 18 1&2pc models in the 7'0" range. It has taken probably 2-3 years with the final ones only being approved two weeks ago.
I have no idea what will happen here as most of the development has been for overseas customers.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Tomatron Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Nov 2011 at 4:34pm
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Sweet. How does JK's rod compare to the PE8 that you guys build? 
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Men In Black Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Nov 2011 at 7:26pm
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Originally posted by Nagged Nagged wrote:

7ft 2pc, 835mm butt,1370mm tip. reverse taper join. 
Theses were designed for the Aussie and US market.
The 6kg 2pc model lifts 9kg at a stretch and the bigger models (90g blank) lift 18kg
These are new for us, they are made on new mandrels to accommodate the joins but also to move away from the parabolic action the previous range had.
There is two options, one using intermediate cloth and the other High modulus cloth which gives the blank a lot more back bone and a nice crisp feel for casting and setting the hook.
Both also use off axis Nano material.
 
The bigger models are for casting small poppers to GT in Aussie and black fin in the States. No doubt people will find other uses for them. 
The range is big in that their is 10 x 1&2pc 5'9" models and close to 18 1&2pc models in the 7'0" range. It has taken probably 2-3 years with the final ones only being approved two weeks ago.
I have no idea what will happen here as most of the development has been for overseas customers.
Yep these are without doubt the best 2pc blank design by far, all the prototypes we have built so far fish like a 1pc with the reverse joint system. Just need our other samples when Shane gets back and I'll build you one to fish up north with LionelWink
www.synit.co.nz
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Tomatron Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Nov 2011 at 9:01pm
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Are these likely to be the new nano series that Wilsons have recently brought out?
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