hi i was wondering if anyone could recomend a blank. i cast and retreve live eels. it needs to handel 30 pound braid. thank you

Batson 1088

I like Dave's choice if your building a spinning stick but if your building a conventional stick I would recommend a blank with a more moderate bend to it. My conventional eeling stick is a Lamiglas SMB 1083 which is an S-Glass blank. I like this blank because you can really lay into the cast without the fear of casting the eel off the hook or backlashing the reel.

I also have the 1088 in spinning configuration.

I dont know where you live but if you would like to check out either of these rods you are more than welcome to contact me and we can make arrangements to meet up.

Another note. Both of the above blanks are 9' ers.
If you would prefer a 10' stick another great choice is the Lamiglas
GSB 120 1L . This blank is quite a bit more $$ though!

I just had an eeling stick built on the XRA 1205 and love it. The 1201L might be my second choice and I still might have a spinner done on that blank. Both are 10'...

From what I read...bang for the buck in 9' is the batson 1088 and many mentions of the glass 1083. In the 10 footers the 1201L and the xra 1024 are loved as is the 1205 for a bit more beef.

I think the deciding factors are where you fish and how much do you want to spend...

-spence

The Lami GSB1201L is a good choice and a versitile rod in general, 10ft one piece can be an issue to transport.

The Allstar 1145-2 or 1265-2 are great rods and are two piece for easier transport. They are 9.5 and 10.5 feet long respectively

thanks for all the help guys. this is a great site.

a lot more goes into recommending a rod than just "an eeling rod". what conditions do you fish under? do you fish beaches, rockpiles, jetties, etc.? Are you targeting larger bass or medium bass? are you throwing large eels, med eels, etc.? how long a rod are you used to throwing/handling? what would you prefer? do you want glass, graphite, or composite? what's your price range?

there were a couple nice recommendations, such as the gsb1201L. personally, the s/sb1083m is about useless in its stock size. you cannot even set a hook on the black. too soft. rainshadow and all star are quality blanks to look into as well. you best bet, go to a tackle shop and play with a few rods to see what you want and what feels right.