# Custom ALX Rod Teaser Pics!!!!! UPDATED WITH PICS 9/3



## ilinimud (Aug 18, 2009)

Hey guys, 

I have been dying to tell you about this rod, but didnt want to jump the gun. But now it is done and i should have it Friday. Its is:

7'3" Heavy Power / Fast Action 
Worm and Jig Rod (but i will use it for way more than that) 
Spiral Wrapped
Micro Guides
Custom Split Reel Seat
Split Grip
Silver JDM Style Checks
Carbon Fiber Handle with Foam Rear Grip
Made by ALX Rods out of Aiken, SC (he's the man!)

More pics to come when i get it for sure, but i had to tease with these.


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## Jim (Aug 18, 2009)

Wow, looks really nice. Thanks for torturing us with just one picture. Let us know how you like the micro guides.


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## poolie (Aug 18, 2009)

Awesome looking! I'm with Jim, tell us how you like the micro guides.


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## russ010 (Aug 18, 2009)

Nice rod man!! I'm jealous


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## ilinimud (Aug 18, 2009)

Im sure the Micros will take some getting used to. I think he told me you can put 12 of them on a dime!! :shock:


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## russ010 (Aug 18, 2009)

has he got a website??


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## russ010 (Aug 18, 2009)

nevermind... found it - https://www.alxrods.com/index.html


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## ilinimud (Aug 18, 2009)

By the way, i will suggest Alex to any of you looking into custom rods. He is literally a perfectionist. He will not rest untill it meets his expectations 100%. 

Also, his communication is UNREAL. He always took the time to talk, he gets to know you, your fishing style, and want you want your rod to be. I let him have some free run with mine, i ddint want to limit his talents. Like i said, give him a call, he will answer ANY question you have for him. I wont get into specifics like the blanks he uses or anything, but he will let you know all that stuff.


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## redbug (Aug 18, 2009)

I looked at his site It looks like he does quality work and has a nice warranty. I also want to hear about the micro guides.
I have a couple of rods that i am thinking of replacing the guides on and if you like the micro I may go wit them
his prices are very reasonable for a custom rod.
Did he ask you what reel you were going to put on it ? and what type baits you would use?


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## Waterwings (Aug 18, 2009)

Nice ! 8)


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## FishingBuds (Aug 18, 2009)

Nice  

Yep give feed back on the micro guides and the carbon grip, how it feels and sensetivity?


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## ilinimud (Aug 18, 2009)

redbug said:


> I looked at his site It looks like he does quality work and has a nice warranty. I also want to hear about the micro guides.
> I have a couple of rods that i am thinking of replacing the guides on and if you like the micro I may go wit them
> his prices are very reasonable for a custom rod.
> Did he ask you what reel you were going to put on it ? and what type baits you would use?



It is silver and gold to match the best reel ever, LoL. Pflueger Patriarch! I will be using it for nothing under 1/4 ounce, and really probably not under 3/8 - 1/2. I dont like light weights on my worms, and my jigs are usually 3/8. Seriously though, we talked about everything imaginable before we starting building. He left NOTHING to be desired.

I think total weight was under 4oz for a 7'3 Heavy Rod!! :shock: I will have to check though.


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## ilinimud (Aug 21, 2009)

Well it should be in today! [-o< And i really hope it does come in because i am fishing my first Tourney Saturday, and it would really suck if i didnt have this rod for it....


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## russ010 (Aug 21, 2009)

good luck bud and post close up pics when you get it!


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## slim357 (Aug 21, 2009)

Good luck in your tourny, Id also like to know what you think of the carbon handle.


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## ilinimud (Aug 24, 2009)

Well the tourny sucked! A crazy August cold front came in, it was barely 60 degrees when we launched. Fishing was very tough and i only caught 1 dink. My partner caught 2 dinks and 1 keeper (lil over 15"). Big bass was a 5.8 pound hawg, the only fish the guy weighed. No one had more than 2 fish.

Now on to the rod. I cant post pics of it now, in respect of Alex(the builder) He had it packaged great on shipping, but i guess it got stuck in the truck in the heat for a while. The carbon handle had clear coat epoxy on it, and he had it bubble wrapped, i guess the heat softened the epoxy, and expanded the bubble wrap. It has dots formed all into it. I am going to send it back to him, and he is going to refinish it. One thing i have always thought is this: you never know anything about someones service untill a problem comes up. Anyone can be good to deal with when things are going good, but how do they handle something unexpected. Alex is a stand up guy, and i know he will handle this professionally. Other than that the rod it awesome!! Micro guides seem great, the spiral wrap was flawless. I see absolutely no reason why not to do both on a custom rod. This rod it SOOOO light it is unreal. You might not think the micros save much weight, but you are wrong. He does everything he can save weight and it shows. I will try to remember to ask him what the exact weight on the rod was.

Any questions just ask, i will try to post pics of the guides and spiral wrap, but not the carbon handle to respect his work. Im sure he doesnt want a pic of a "blemished" rod that was not his fault floating around the internet. But the first pic in here is a good one of the handle if you are interested.

By the way, the shape of the handle was awesome!! You can tell in the pic on page 1 that it has a tapered shape. It fits the hand so well. Every cast it slips into that tapered part like a glove. The smooth carbon is a little slick, but not too bad. He also does a textured carbon. You can see pics on his website. He also does the shaped handle in cork, EVA foam, and a flocked core. I cant say too many good things about his work, or him as a person. =D>


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## Jim (Aug 24, 2009)

Bummer about the rod and the Tournament. Keep us updated on it.


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## russ010 (Aug 24, 2009)

Sorry about your rod - but us Carolina boys stand behind our products - our word is golden.

Sorry bout your tournament, if you would have messaged me I would have given you some tips for summertime cold fronts.. it shut us down here too a little. SLOW, SLOW, SLOW is key - and put your lure right into the cover, rocks, humps, ledges... jigs and worms in timber and brush, spoons out on the humps. Just remember to let it sit - that's where a lot of people mess up. If you pitch at all, count how many times you hit the same spot before you get a bite - that will be your first step in figuring out a pattern. You might pitch to the same spot 10 times.. but time 11 may be the fish of a lifetime!


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## ilinimud (Aug 24, 2009)

I was a non-boater in this, and i thought my boater fished way too fast. He did ink out 1 keeper on a weightless senko. Oh well, it was fun.

Found out the rod weighed 4.4oz. Here is the mind blowing part. The carbon handle weighed about 10 grams. I could have had a 7'3 Heavy rod weighing 3.4oz!! :shock: Kinda wish i would have went with the cork, or foam handle now, but the carbon does look sweet, and it is VERY comfortable.


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## ilinimud (Sep 3, 2009)

Here are some pics i finally had a chance to take. Sorry they look horrible, but my camera isnt too good inside.

The gold and silver he did match the Patriarch so well! I couldnt get the spiral wrap pictured very good, but you get the drift. I couldnt get a pic of the Micro guides at all, LOL, they are toooo small!


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## dyeguy1212 (Sep 3, 2009)

that thing is nuts! I really like those micro guides.. they really put the rod in a class of its own.. then again, so does the rest of the rod!


I hope I become a good enough angler one day to justify buying a rod like that :lol:


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## ilinimud (Sep 4, 2009)

Well i assure you im no pro!! LoL. 

Here is the way i look at it. I wanted a top of the line rod for my plastics because i was struggling pretty bad with them. Not feeling bites, second guessing hook sets, etc. Now, when a fish is biting there is no doubt aboout it. It seriously feels like something it exploding on the other end of the line with this rod. 

I was going to go with a Cumara, Daiwa Zillion, Phenix Ultra MBX, or another high end rod. They are all over 200 bucks. So i thought heck if i am going to spend that kind of money, it might as well be what i want. I pretty much designed this rod on my own, and he built it. I could not have enjoyed it more. Alex made this an awesome experience. Now i just have to fight the urge to buy more!


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## russ010 (Sep 4, 2009)

That rod is just plain out SICK!!!!

Let me know how you like it in a few months... I like the looks of those micro guides. I saw an article on tackletour.com a few years ago that had the guides that spiraled around the rod - but they weren't micro.

I will tell you this - when you get into crankbaits - don't spend more than $100 - that Skeet Reese Tessera rod is legit. Honestly, those are probably going to be the only rods I buy from now on.. not going to waste my money on any more "high end" stuff - that cranking rod I have is 10 times better than the custom GLoomis blank I had made for cranking...


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## FishinsMyLife (Sep 5, 2009)

russ010 said:


> I will tell you this - when you get into crankbaits - don't spend more than $100


I agree..You don't need to spend a lot of money on a crankbait rod unless you're really a high roller and are looking for ways to spend money


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## RStewart (Sep 6, 2009)

ilinimud said:


> Well i assure you im no pro!! LoL.
> 
> Here is the way i look at it. I wanted a top of the line rod for my plastics because i was struggling pretty bad with them. Not feeling bites, second guessing hook sets, etc. Now, when a fish is biting there is no doubt aboout it. It seriously feels like something it exploding on the other end of the line with this rod.
> 
> I was going to go with a Cumara, Daiwa Zillion, Phenix Ultra MBX, or another high end rod. They are all over 200 bucks. So i thought heck if i am going to spend that kind of money, it might as well be what i want. I pretty much designed this rod on my own, and he built it. I could not have enjoyed it more. Alex made this an awesome experience. Now i just have to fight the urge to buy more!



nice rod. what kind of blank did you use?


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## ilinimud (Sep 7, 2009)

Rogue. The carbon is made in California and rolled into blanks in Oregon. They dont advertise at all. There are only 5 people employed total. I am very happy with this blank! Mine is one that was specially made for him, but he let me use it!


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## ilinimud (Sep 8, 2009)

Well here are some pretty cool pics of the micro guides. These things still blow my mind!

Also, Alex did a write up on UltimateBass on them here is a link to that: https://www.ultimatebass.com/content/view/1371/220/

Now the pics:


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