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To order from this page just make your
selections and click on the "Add to Cart" button
or the "Buy" link. If you run into
difficulties please make use of our toll-free
line and give us a call. Our phone numbers, fax
and email addresses are posted at the
bottom of this page.
Upon placing your order you'll receive an
immediate confirmation via email. You are not billed at that time. We process
orders manually, preferring to have a human
actually check things over and contact you
should there be questions. Within 24
hours of placing your order you will receive a
follow-up email confirmation and final invoice reflecting your total charges
(Monday-Friday). You are not billed until we actually send you your final invoice.
Orders shipped to CA addresses will have California Sales Taxes applied, out
of state orders are tax free. Orders over $100 are shipped
FREE!* Orders less than $100 are billed $8.50 for shipping. During the
ordering process you can select expedited
shipping if required.
(Within the USA we ship via UPS ground. International,
and oversize/weight items will be billed for
shipping and you will be sent an emailed invoice reflecting total charges
prior to actual billing. We will not ship
without you having had a chance to review the
invoice).
CharkBait
Rods
We are very pleased
to introduce you to some unique CharkBait exclusive rods which
represent the best in the business. We offer high quality travel
rods and some wonderful
Custom Built Rods. All rods featured on this page represent our
philosophy of how a rod should be built. Noting both borrowed wisdom
of things that work, and
specific gaps in what's presently offered by major manufacturers we
provide what we consider rods well worth owning.
Our first group of Custom Rods feature blanks made by United Composite
(formerly known as Graphite USA) and are built and designed in the
USA. We have added some other specialty rods, featuring blanks by
Seeker and Calstar. These rods have achieved a cult like status,
similar to the UC's, for folks targeting Wahoo (Calstar 875) and cow
size tuna (Seeker 2x4 and Calstar 770H, XH, XXH, and XXXH). And, we
also have a pretty amazing Custom series of boat rods featuring West
Coast action 197, 270, 870 and 670 rods.
CUSTOM
RODS
Our Custom Rods are being built by
someone well known on the West Coast, and beyond. Our builder has over 38
years experience building rods. Heck, he built Seeker's factory
here, had/has his own line of blanks and rods, and he's built rods
for other well known dealers over the years, too. His resume
includes years working at the old Fenwick plant, Seeker, his own
rods, and a few other stints with manufacturers in years past. Well, he's working
with us now on this project and hopefully many more projects in
years to come. I've shied away from custom rod building for many
years, after dabbling in the area soon after starting CharkBait, and
again later with GUSA. The reason for my reluctance to custom rods
was pretty simply, finding a reliable, high quality builder was
difficult. There are many who can build a rod, but few who can build
them correctly in my estimation, few that can build them to a
professional level beyond the hobbyist level (and I'll direct that
towards tackle shops who dabble in rod building and the larger
outfits that build to a least common denominator). To be done right
requires more than labor time, it requires knowledge of the rod,
it's action, components, the proper spacing of guides, the
proper materials and skill... The gentleman building our rods is one
such a knowledgeable individual of high integrity. I'd suggest, he's
the best in the business, and now I'm very proud to say that Wade
Cunningham is building our Custom Rods.
UNITED COMPOSITE
 Several years ago we offered
GUSA custom built rods, made by the factory. They were wonderful
sticks, and folks lucky enough to own one will attest to their
excellent fishing characteristics: strong, light, narrow diameter
which just seems to feel right in the hands and superb actions for a
wide variety of applications. When the old firm began having
problems we had to stop doing business with them. The old owner took
a great product and ran it into the ground through poor business
practices and even worse follow through in production. We missed
them. Our clients did too. So, we were very much excited when John
Baker told me that through his association with the Australian
distributor for his reels, they'd be bringing the old GUSA's back to
life and build them as they should be built. We committed on the
spot to support their efforts, both in terms of blanks and hopefully
with finished rods too. Things have come together!
The Custom built rods featured below represent our
philosophy with respect to building a rod off a blank like the
United Composites. We are using state of the art components,
excellent wraps, perfectly spaced guides and have shaved no corners
in trying to produce the finest rod we can possibly build. You'll
note that where appropriate the rods have aluminum ALPS reel seats,
Spectra safe guides, gimbals... They're built the way I'd like my
rods built, by someone who arguably knows more about rod building
than anyone else on the West Coast.
Guides are all triple wrapped, with attention to detail. All
Grips are hand sanded. Each rod represents many, many hours
of labor in it's completion. |
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Alps center lock reel seats on most rods. |
All rods feature a gimbal where approriate in terms of test
application. |
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Bent Butt, "Slick Butt" and Straight Stand-up butts. |
Durable Spectra Safe Guides from Alps |
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US 80 and 85
Turk's Head |
Most rods have a fish logo. |
Sanded Cork Grips on the 79XFm 79 Mag, 711H, 85XF and 85 Mag |
Challenger Platinum (CP) series rods utilize Dual Helix
Graphite technology and transition to Fiberglass composite
through the tip section. (Rods in this series were only
available in Australia in the past, now we've got 'em,
too! For the heavier action rods, this design provides
greater strength, lift, and forgiveness.) |
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Challenger Platinum (CP) Series - note the woven graphite
(click on the images for a better view) |
Seeker and Calstar
Custom Sticks
In the world of long range
fishing Seeker established a rather unique new tool for folks
targeting tuna, larger grade cow size tuna, their 2 x 4. The
concept behind this rod was to build a rod capable of casting a
bait further to lure a fish that might be out of range using more
traditional means. The rod had a relatively light tip, but
followed that up with serious strength in the butt section.
Calstar echoed that design, and expanded upon it very successfully
with a lighter range of offerings and lighter weight.
For our custom versions of
these new factory rods, we also had a concept to fulfill. The cow
rods ultimately wind up on the rail of the big long range boats.
That's part of their design. But, the Seeker and Calstar do not
build them with that in mind. Our cow rods feature a rail pad, so
you won't beat up your rod when you try to leverage a big tuna at
the rail. Further, we felt we could build the Seeker with a better
guide set, and add a roller tip. The Fuji guides we use feature a
rolled lip, securing the spectra safe insert, verses a stamped
guide with glued on spectra insert. Ours is arguably better. The
roller tip we use is a Winthrup, a big meaty tip top with enough
room to fit a pencil through the thing. So, there's no issue with
line and knot diameter and better dissipation of heat and less
friction. We make excellent use of some great blanks with our
custom designed rods, built right and better than the original. We
also make the Rail Rods with AFTCO ring/roller tiptops. These are
a bit lighter in weight than the larger Winthrups, have plenty of
clearance for casting, and represent another option on the custom
rods that go beyond the factory's offering.
Another rod in this series
we're quite proud to have in the line is Calstar's 875 wahoo
specialty rod. Again, it's better built, though Calstar does
indeed build a great rod, we found a few things to improve upon
the design and of course ours are prettier and arguably better
built!
View Your Shopping Cart
CharkBait
Custom Boat Rods
Custom rods do not have to be
expensive, we have a high value custom built series of rods
available in the most used line classes for nearshore and offshore
duty. All are triple wrapped with Spectra safe guides using
Rainshadow composite blanks. There are four rods in the series. a
196, 270, 870 and 670 for use with lines of 12# through 50#
applications. We initially had these rods made to match our Newell
Blue and Pink reels, but folks have requested the rods for use with
other reels as well. So, we're offering them as an independent item,
too.
View
Your Shopping Cart
CharkBait
Rod Socks
Our Chark-Sleeves are
a bit different than the one's above. They are
available in three sizes. The base of the
sleeve folds up onto the butt section of the
rod and then can be tied off. So, one size can
fit shorter rods with no problem. They are
made of 89% polyester and 11% lycra (like OJ's
gloves if you remember...). The material is
versatile, durable and quick drying. It's
super stretchy, and the micro polyester fabric
wicks away moisture - like those $60 golf
shirts. Nice product, nice price! These will
stretch up to one foot longer in length. So, a
5' will indeed fit a 6' rod, the 7 will
stretch to a tight 8.
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