D.J.'s Fishing Rods

Fishing Rods
Custom built fishing rods are the ultimate in fishing gear. Used by professional fishermen and serious anglers alike, they provide unmatched performance. If you have never fished with a custom built rod, take our word for it...there really is a difference! Rods are individually designed for individual needs, preferences, and circumstances. The initial step in the process is a consultation with the purchaser either in person or over the telephone to determine exactly what options and alternatives need to be considered. The rod is then designed to accommodate those personal requirements. We believe that D.J.'s Custom Rods should look distinctive as well as provide exceptional performance; therefore, all components are carefully coordinated.

You can select the Weight, Length and Speed of your new custom rod. You can specifically design exactly how you want you're new custom fishing rod to look, feel and work.

  • Designed to YOUR likings, YOUR specifications.
  • Everything is up to YOU and what YOU want!
  • We use components purchased from Pacific Bay and Fuji.
  • 80% of rods used are St. Croix, G-Loomis, Cedar and American Tackle blanks.
  • All rods are personally built and hand signed.
  • You may have your name, nickname, etc. put on the rod.
  • We also repair just about any and all rods either custom built or store bought.


Fishing Rod Action
The action of the rod depends on what you are using it for. For example, you wouldn't want a 76 inch fly rod for bass fishing. In thick cover, as your flipping the rod, you don't want the backbone in the fly rod to set the hook and the power in the blank to lift the fish out of the water.

8 ft. graphite blanks come in 4 basic actions:

  • Extra fast action - has a flex in the upper 1/4 on the tip of the rod
  • Fast action - has a flex in the upper 1/3 on the tip of the rod
  • Medium action - has a flex in the upper 1/2 on the tip of the rod
  • Slow action - has a flex through the entire rod blank. Slow action rods work very well with the use of light line. For example, using a 10 ft. 6 in. rod with 4 lb. leader line for steelhead... the rod takes a lot of stress out of the line.



Fishing Spline
There is basically only one correct way to align a spline and that is the DJ way. An improper splined rod can cause a number of problems:

  • A dead rod
  • Twist in the rod
  • Performance
  • Casting ability and distance
  • A broken rod... which will take time to either return or send back to the manufacturer.



Fishing Rod Guides
Most guides are of personal preference. It's all up to the customer on how much you want to spend. $25 - $35 per set on a 7 ft. rod. Or $100 + on Fuji Sic Gold Sermit Guides.


Fuji offers a titanium guide which is very expensive, but very good. Pac Bay has a little different design, is a little less expensive. Although, Pac Bay also has some very expensive guides like metal and smoke guides.


Fuji has developed a new design which is the concept system. They only make a few guides that can be used for this. The concept system was devised to improve the distance of casting the angler.


An advantage of a custom rod builder is by adding more guides to a rod. Putting 10 guides on a 7 ft. rod and still having the proper distance between the reel seat and the first guide. This can only be done by a custom builder.


Guides used: Fuji. Pac Bay. American Tackle



Fishing Rod Reals

  • There are many to choose on the market. Pac Bay, Fuji and American Tackle all carry a large number to choose from.
  • Some customers choose a fly rod reel seat for spinning rods. Reason... the foot on the reel varies from manufacturer to manufacturer.
  • Casting seats: there are many to choose... open finger, standard, up locking, down locking, soft touch, trigger seats, graphite seats. Also some wood seats for the expensive angler.



Fishing Rod Header Cork

  • Cork on a rod can vary from style and cost.
  • A piece of cork price depends on the quality.
  • Cork with a lot of pits costs less.
  • Cork with little pits cost more and lasts longer.
  • There's anything from 1/4 inch up to 24 inches, depending on what the customer likes.
  • Eva foam is also available for rod handles.
  • It's a softer material.


Fishing Rod Header Blank
There are many to choose from manufacturers like St. Croix, G. Loomis, American Tackle and Cedar blanks. I use these rods from a few reasons:

  • Cedar is a local blank and my wholesaler has them in stock if one breaks.
  • St Croix is the first rod I built. They design a nice rod.
  • G. Loomis has one of the very lightest and most sensitive blank on the market. After fishing these blanks, I am a firm believer that you get what you pay for.



Fishing Rod Header Wraps
Varies from very simple to extremely complex. I use nylon thread and silk. Also use metallic threads.

Wraps can be done with just a plain thread like red on a black blank. Color preserver is used to hold the true color. But I prefer not to use preserver because it tends to stop the epoxy from getting to the blank.


Different colors of thread can be used. Accent colors can be used on a diamond wrap on the butt section. It's a very nice look.