Can anyone help me figure out the brand of my fishing rod?
- Asked By: admin
- Category: Fishing Gear
I was given a fishing rod today with a penn senator 3/0 reel on it…. the rod is in great condition but i cant figure what brand it is and i dont know if its junk or not…
its 6’6, black with gold trim around the guides, the only mark i can find on it is an italic gold H under where the reel attaches to the rod.. theres no other lettering or markings on the rod that i can see..
any help is appreciated!
Peter_AZ
Posted 1 month ago
If it’s a factory-made rod in good shape, it would have some sort of label on it (even if very cheap). Most likely it was custom built, and the “H” is the initial of either whoever wrapped it or the original owner. If custom built, the thread color means nothing.
The fiberglass (or possibly graphite) blank could have come from any of a number of manufacturers. Both Calstar ( http://www.calstarrods.net/products.htm ) and Seeker ( http://www.seekerrods.com/rods.html ) have quality black blanks available appropriate for use with a 3/0 size reel (25-40 pound line), and I’m sure there are several others.
If it is a custom built rod, then most likely it’s pretty good quality (though you can’t really tell without looking at it). I’d worry mostly about whether the rod is chipped or cracked, whether the guides are good, and so on. If it’s matched to the reel, go fishing with it, and it’ll probably be fine.
enufofthisshit
Posted 1 month ago
there is no way any of us can tell what brand your rod is. if you were to post some pics, we may be able to help.
BUT…
for a minimally GENERAL idea of whether or not your rod is junk, inspect the hardware.
does it have a brass (chrome plated) reel seat? does it have the “VARMAC” logo on it?
are the guides triple or at least double wrapped with a smooth coating on them?
are the eyes on the guides cheap? tacked on to a light weight frame with a cheap spot weld?
is it a tubular glass or graphite rod or a heavy solid glass one??
a junk or cheap rod will in MOST cases, have the cheap guides wrapped with a single layer of thread, trimmed with gold tape or paint. a well built SW rod will generally have an underwrap below the guides then one or two wraps on the guides of a pleasing color combination.
varmac hardware is used by high quality manufacturers and PROFESSIONAL rod builders. no steel or aluminum reel seats or ferrules. at least for a SW rod.
heavy duty frame “FUJI” guides are a standard. additional bracing for the eye and feet. lighter for a lighter rod but you can still tell quality by comparing rods on a known quality. roller guides WILL say “AFTCO”.
you may not know one wrapping thread from another but l do. a good rod for SW use will usually be wrapped with “HOLLAND” NCP thread in size C then coated with “FLEX-COAT” or other long lasting finish. threads will be smooth, looking almost as if tape were used.
if nothing else, carry the rod in to your local tackle shop (NOT walmart) and ask the fellow behind the counter. if you see rods there in various stages of manufacture, so much the better.
Other Questions
I was given a fishing rod today with a penn senator 3/0 reel on it…. the rod is in great condition but i cant figure what brand it is and i dont know if its junk or not…
its 6’6, black with gold trim around the guides, the only mark i can find on it is an italic gold H under where the reel attaches to the rod.. theres no other lettering or markings on the rod that i can see..
any help is appreciated!
Peter_AZ
Posted 1 month ago
If it’s a factory-made rod in good shape, it would have some sort of label on it (even if very cheap). Most likely it was custom built, and the “H” is the initial of either whoever wrapped it or the original owner. If custom built, the thread color means nothing.
The fiberglass (or possibly graphite) blank could have come from any of a number of manufacturers. Both Calstar ( http://www.calstarrods.net/products.htm ) and Seeker ( http://www.seekerrods.com/rods.html ) have quality black blanks available appropriate for use with a 3/0 size reel (25-40 pound line), and I’m sure there are several others.
If it is a custom built rod, then most likely it’s pretty good quality (though you can’t really tell without looking at it). I’d worry mostly about whether the rod is chipped or cracked, whether the guides are good, and so on. If it’s matched to the reel, go fishing with it, and it’ll probably be fine.
enufofthisshit
Posted 1 month ago
there is no way any of us can tell what brand your rod is. if you were to post some pics, we may be able to help.
BUT…
for a minimally GENERAL idea of whether or not your rod is junk, inspect the hardware.
does it have a brass (chrome plated) reel seat? does it have the “VARMAC” logo on it?
are the guides triple or at least double wrapped with a smooth coating on them?
are the eyes on the guides cheap? tacked on to a light weight frame with a cheap spot weld?
is it a tubular glass or graphite rod or a heavy solid glass one??
a junk or cheap rod will in MOST cases, have the cheap guides wrapped with a single layer of thread, trimmed with gold tape or paint. a well built SW rod will generally have an underwrap below the guides then one or two wraps on the guides of a pleasing color combination.
varmac hardware is used by high quality manufacturers and PROFESSIONAL rod builders. no steel or aluminum reel seats or ferrules. at least for a SW rod.
heavy duty frame “FUJI” guides are a standard. additional bracing for the eye and feet. lighter for a lighter rod but you can still tell quality by comparing rods on a known quality. roller guides WILL say “AFTCO”.
you may not know one wrapping thread from another but l do. a good rod for SW use will usually be wrapped with “HOLLAND” NCP thread in size C then coated with “FLEX-COAT” or other long lasting finish. threads will be smooth, looking almost as if tape were used.
if nothing else, carry the rod in to your local tackle shop (NOT walmart) and ask the fellow behind the counter. if you see rods there in various stages of manufacture, so much the better.
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Grand Master Basser®
Posted 1 month ago
It could be a Harnell. But their signature wraps are red and white, I believe.