Inshore Blackfish Rod (Toggin' Stick)

This stick has become a favorite of mine for inshore tog fishing or in water up to 100 feet with not much tide. The stick will easily handle 8-10 ounces and has been well tested on 17 Fathoms and on the Northstar out of Ocean City, New Jersey. It is also excellent for eeling and chunking for bass, deepwater sea bass and ocean fluking.

The blank is a Seeker composite CLB708. The blank is seven feet long and can be left as is. If you are fishing for a small boat or prefer a shorter rod then trim six inches off the butt. The blank has a #8 tip.

I like to put eight guides on the rod since I use the rod a lot for chunking bass. I feel it loads better, however you can use seven guides if you prefer. My preferred guides for this rod are Fuji SIC HNLG or Hardaloy BHNLG in the following sizes: 20, 16, 12, 12, 12, 10, 10, 10 plus the UST SIC tip. The choice of SIC or Hardaloy is your decision based on your budget. Both guides will handle spectra line well.

Reel seat is a Fuji #20 standard or trigger seat. A lot of my friends like the trigger seat.

To complete the handle assembly you will need a Fuji BRC19 butt cap, 14-inch EVA butt and a 6-7 inch EVA or cork fore grip. I prefer the cork for added sensitivity and comfort. The total cost of components will run approximately $125-$175 depending on the guides and grips chosen.

I am not going into the actual construction details since you can refer to my complete series of articles on rod building here, Building the Perfect Custom. However, I will give you the general guide spacing. You will still need to do a stress distribution test to fine-tune the guide placement. Another suggestion is that this rod is a perfect candidate for spiral guide placement that will significantly enhance the rod's performance. If anyone is interested in the method, please contact me and I will show you how to set it up.

Use the following guide spacing as a starting point. Place the #20 stripper guide 22-inches from the center of the reel seat. Place the first #10 guide 4 inches from the tip measured from ring to ring. Working from tip to butt, use the following spacing in inches: 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.75, 6.25, 7.25, 8.0, and 9.0.