Have any of you ever fished with bamboo rods in saltwater? Such as in the bays and so forth?

I know that there is nothing like the feel of a bamboo rod. I build rods but have not attempted building a bamboo rod. Just graphite rods. And my uncle who has built rods for a while had gotten started into building bamboo rods years ago but told me it's very labor intensive and physically and emotionally draining as it can take 60-80 hours of labor just on one bamboo rod alone, therefore the high cost which can be in the thousands of dollars for one custom made bamboo rod. It involves cutting, planing, sanding, and tapering the pieces of bamboo and heating, bonding and gluing the bamboo pieces together as well varnishing it and all that. Lots of work and skill involved, a real art. Anyways these are bamboo fly rods that are made from high quality tonkin cane bamboo.

But there is a company based out of where I live not too far from me that makes bamboo rods but they are not cut and bonded tonkin cane like the labor intensive bamboo fly rods.

These are made from a single piece of bamboo that is specially grown and then later treated to make a bamboo fishing rod. And they have conventional handles, guides, and reel seats just like any graphite rod you would buy and use today. Only instead of a graphite rod blank it's made of bamboo. They make spinning and baitcast rods. People use them for fishing for reds on the coast too.

Bamboo is a very strong, flexible, and powerful material. It's supposed to have a tensile strength stronger than mild steel and has a higher weight-to-strength ratio to that of graphite. So there is no real fear of breakage or lack of strength in the rod.

Just wondering if any of you have every tried fishing with a bamboo rod for say trout or reds on the coast? Or would consider giving it a try?

Seems fun to try. They make baitcasting and spinning rods from 6' to 6' 6". Average about $50 to $55 for one rod.

Just wondering if anybody has used them or would try this?

I know back then in the old days bamboo was used for fishing rods but then fiberglass and now graphite has replaced bamboo, calcutta, etc.

And my uncle has told me there is nothing like the feel of a bamboo rod but he is talking about bamboo fly rods. But seems kinda neat to use a bamboo baitcast or spinning rod to use on the coast for reds and trout or whatever species you are after. And these rods are strong too.

'Around here, dem thangs are called "cane poles"..

Seriously, I'd like to try one sometime.

I had a chance to use one of the bamboo fly rods for smaller fish in a creek(sorry but not in the salt water) and that was a long time ago(a member of the fly fishing society I used to belong makes those bamboo fly rods). I remember I had a hard time casting with it because the rod flexed kind of differently from any other graphite rods, thus messed up with my hauls. Then I kind of lost interest because it was nothing I could handle and cast very well and you know how important casting is in fly fishing.

Still, a spinning rod made of bamboo is another story, it seems. And the price sounds very fascinating too. If you could pass on any further information(web sites, etc) about those guys who build bamboo spinning rods, I might be more than glad to give it a try.

Thank you AJ Perez, for sharing this interesting info.

Thanks. The name of the company is called Real Rods. They are based here out of Austin, TX. The guy that started the company lives out here on Lake Travis which is the same lake that I live on. But I know very little about the company or him. Just what is on the website.

I know they take orders on their website. They make a 6' 6" bamboo spinning rod. Weighs 5.5 oz. and it's a medium action, 6-20 lb. test line rod from their specs. And it costs only $54.95

And they make a 6' baitcast rod that weighs 6 oz. and is a medium action, 6-20 lb. test rod for $49.95.

Seems this would be a nice rod for reds, trout, etc. on the coast. To cast spoons or jigs.

But yeah I love building fly rods and fly fishing but have never fished with a bamboo fly rod or any bamboo rod for that matter. Just graphite fly rods. As far as fly casting I am okay at casting with a fly rod but no expert, but can get a fly where I need it to be. But my unlce tells me there is nothing like a bamboo rod. The way it casts with ease and the way it feels. I know the same is true for baitcast and spinning bamboo rods. They are supposed to be very comfortable to fish with and cast with less effort than a traditional graphite rod since the bamboo material flexes better and does most of the work when casting. But I don't know all of the details since I don't know a lot about bamboo.

The only thing with bamboo is that when you set the hook you have to use a gentle gradual sweeping hook set to allow the entire rod to absorb the force of the hookset. Not like these extreme hooksets that some bass fisherman use with so much instantaneous force that end up breaking even graphite rods. And as far as fighting a fish, a bamboo rod is supposed to bend very well and flex well when fighting a fish and stronger and more powerful that graphite.

I know there are some rod builders out there that build bamboo baitcast and spinning rods. The ones that are split tonkin cane rods. Basically 6 pieces of tonkin bamboo that are planed and tapered and glued together, etc.

I would like to build something like this. About a 6 1/2 foot to 8 foot bamboo spinning rod. I just need a blank. Not a single piece of bamboo but a crafted tonkin cane blank that has been planed and tapered and glued and sanded and varnished. The way bamboo fly rods are made only I would just use the blank and make a spinning rod instead of a fly rod. Or even a baitcast rod.

But this company Real Rods they make them out of single piece of bamboo that are grown specifically for rod making and they are dried to remove about 90% of the moisture and then they are treated and so forth.

They say it takes several months for the remaining moisture to be removed over time as it dries. The more moisture it has the less rigid it is and as the moisture leaves the rod it goes back to the original shape easier such as after catching a fish. And then you have to apply a conditioner/preserver to the rod to keep it in good shape and so forth but other than that it is supposed to be a very durable and strong rod.

Pretty neat. I mean it's not going to replace your graphite rods but just something cool and different to try out and the rods are not bad at about $49.95 for a baitcast rod and $54.95 for a spinning rod.

But yeah Oldfrog, I had a cane pole when I was young. First rod I ever had. I got it for my birthday when I turned 4 years old which would be 1981. I got a bucket, net, stringer and that cane pole for my birthday. I vaguely remember it but I know it was a bamboo pole with line tied to the end of it and I would catch small perch and croaker with it in Galveston Bay somewhere where my dad would take me. I just remember using a weighted popping cork and these gold colored Eagle Claw hooks and dead shrimp. And that's where it all started and I got addicted to fishing after that and of course I eventually got better gear as time progressed.

Here is a sample of those bamboo Real Rods in action. It's fishing here on Lake Travis but they have pics of people using these rods and catching redfish on the coast. Sheephead, speckled trout, etc.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBIVOOWZE3s

I got one of those 'tonkin' fly rods my husband bought before he died that I'll never use. Comes with 2 tips in a metal case. Being that I never used that one in fresh or salt, I can't help you with your question.

I had a bamboo baitcast rod with a JC Higgins reel and dacron line that I used to fish with when I was a youngster. I wish I knew what happened to that rig.

I have several split bamboo fly rods, and they are much different in action from the graphite rods. The action is verrrry slow (the entire rod flexes), and the casting stroke is very different from the technique used for a graphite rod.

Fiberglass and steel rods also have much different actions.

Was about to get excited about Real Rods until they announced on the first page of their site that their rods are now made in China. But then, we aren't talking split cane or anything - we're talking cane poles -- which is pretty cool in my opinion! I have some antique (or old) cane rods hanging in my outdoor bar.

Yeah, it says they make the rods in China now for various reasons to benefit the consumer, but they are inspected and distributed here in Austin before they are shipped out for sale.

But yeah these are just a single piece of bamboo, not the split tonkin cane bamboo rods. Basically a solid piece of bamboo with convention reel seats and guides and cork handles.

I wouldn't mind building a nice 7, 8 or 9 weight bamboo fly rod for fishing on the coast. If I could only get a hold of a split cane blank. But I have never attempted building a bamboo rod before, I just build graphite rods. Fly rods and spinning rods mostly as well as baitcast rods as well. But I wouldn't mind building a nice split cane bamboo spinning rod too.

There is a man in Korea named Mr. Lee that makes very beautiful bamboo rods and does some really exceptional work. The guy is a master and builds some super nice bamboo rods.

Here is a video of him and the process of making one of his rods:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHFYho3k-Bw

i remember the old cane poles that people used when i was a child. daddy said they were the best thing for catching flounder

The guy who owned this company hired me to create his idea. I went out their after i read a posting about a PT job for building fishing rods.

I get there and he hands me a bamboo stick with guides and reel taped on. He says "What do you think?" I say does it fish? He says yes. I worked with him for about a year building the rods from the ground up. Rods took up to 10 hrs to build after curing the bamboo. I developed the idea for a ultralite after breaking a spinning rod. The ultralite is great for white bass, trout, panfish. I was in Arkansas this fall using a ultralite with a liight spoon to catch rainbows.

Anyway, after finding out what it takes to build a rod american, i understand why he went to china. It made the rods a lot more affordable before(80-$90) after 65 bucks. Try one out.

Go to eBay and do a search for "bamboo" and "rod" for a real education on what's available in bamboo, modern to antique. Read through the ads and you can get a real sense of the history.

I love the old big game offshore bamboo rods. Probably what Ernest Hemingway used.

There are many people in China currently making split bamboo fly rods and I have bought a lot of samples over the years. Only one or two that I have found are making a rod fit for the high end market. They also offer bamboo blanks for anyone wanting to make their own rod. The vast majority of the labor is in the split bamboo blanks anyway.

It's not a business I'm actively pursuing, but PM me if anyone's interested in blanks or rods from China. I'd personally recommend the blanks.