Billy’s Blog: A Visit to the Rod Forge Factory & Testing New Blanks

We want to congratulate the winners of our first-ever Rod Forge Custom Rod Building Contest! We received some incredible submissions, and ALL of them looked amazing. We had a team of five judges grade all the entries based on overall aesthetic (color/component combinations), creativity, difficulty, technical execution (design alignment, etc.),...

Late summer fishing for panfish and bass with light tackle and finesse techniques can be challenging and rewarding. Using ultralight rods and reels with thin, sensitive lines allows for precise presentations and a more natural lure action. Finesse-style tackle, such as small soft plastics, jigs, and drop shots, can entice...

I love so many aspects of building custom rods. While I focus heavily on decorative arts, I greatly emphasize functional arts, such as building rods that solve problems. Whether it be rod handle construction, guide layouts, or being intimately familiar with a particular fishing application and finding the correct blank...