MAArcher
Rear Admiral
So not really knowing what I was doing at the beginning of the year I jumped on what I thought was a deal on a pair of rods/reels to get me started on sharks and bluefin. A pair of old unbranded rods with AFTCO roller guides and 130/#6 sized straight buts with Penn Senator 12/0's. My boat has 0 degree swivel rod holders. I figured I'd buy a pair of used bent butts and I'd be good to go. Unfortunately, the rods are too old, the threads on the rod collet are to course and they won't work with any of the available bent butts. I've been searching all year and have never seen old AFTCO "big game" bent butts that would work with the real seats come up for sale on eBay or FB marketplace. The link to Johnny's Pond is old, they don't actually have them.
I know I should probably just buy a pair of 130 class rods and reels. But I got both these two set ups for $500. So rather than sell them and then pony up a couple thousand for a pair of used 130's, I'm thinking there still might be a way to make what I have work, which could be to use an "outrodder" like this: EZ Outrodder ; however, I'm doubtful they would be strong enough and I might need custom fixed angle ones fabricated. An alternative to custom outrodders would be to make an angled cut in the butts of my rods, flip the two pieces 180 from each other, and weld them back together, essentially turning my straight butts into angled butts. If I made the cuts, I think I know someone who would weld them back together for next to nothing, so this is the cheapest option. But if the welds aren't strong enough, I just destroyed two rods because I can't find old style replacement butts and who wants 130 class stand up rods anyway?
As far as the reels go, they are in great shape and it seems if I do an upgrade kit to the drags, I'll get about 40lbs of drag out of them. Not sure of line capacity but I think about 8-900 yards of 130lb mono. Sufficient to catch a tuna?
If I cut my straight butts, does anyone have any advice as to the optimum angle I would want?
Another option might be to cut the collet and ferrule off the rod and replace with a new one that will work with a pair of Pac Bay bent butts that I bought (which is how I learned my threads are to course). Does anyone know what kind of task that would be? If you can get old ferrules off without destroying the rods, then it would cost me about $60 for a pair of new ferrules and collet nuts, and I'd be left with nice Varmac real seats and old AFTCO straight butts that are probably junk because there's no rods out there with that course threaded collet nut to match up.
I know I should probably just buy a pair of 130 class rods and reels. But I got both these two set ups for $500. So rather than sell them and then pony up a couple thousand for a pair of used 130's, I'm thinking there still might be a way to make what I have work, which could be to use an "outrodder" like this: EZ Outrodder ; however, I'm doubtful they would be strong enough and I might need custom fixed angle ones fabricated. An alternative to custom outrodders would be to make an angled cut in the butts of my rods, flip the two pieces 180 from each other, and weld them back together, essentially turning my straight butts into angled butts. If I made the cuts, I think I know someone who would weld them back together for next to nothing, so this is the cheapest option. But if the welds aren't strong enough, I just destroyed two rods because I can't find old style replacement butts and who wants 130 class stand up rods anyway?
As far as the reels go, they are in great shape and it seems if I do an upgrade kit to the drags, I'll get about 40lbs of drag out of them. Not sure of line capacity but I think about 8-900 yards of 130lb mono. Sufficient to catch a tuna?
If I cut my straight butts, does anyone have any advice as to the optimum angle I would want?
Another option might be to cut the collet and ferrule off the rod and replace with a new one that will work with a pair of Pac Bay bent butts that I bought (which is how I learned my threads are to course). Does anyone know what kind of task that would be? If you can get old ferrules off without destroying the rods, then it would cost me about $60 for a pair of new ferrules and collet nuts, and I'd be left with nice Varmac real seats and old AFTCO straight butts that are probably junk because there's no rods out there with that course threaded collet nut to match up.
- then if you ever want to upgrade rod tops you can. Maybe put up a post here - I guarantee people have them.
