About Us and Our Rod Components

JB Custom Rods, located in North Carolina, is the realization of a lifelong dream of a devoted fisherman. It is our opinion that a custom fishing rod will outperform any factory or offshore built rod.

Since the start of this business, my mission has been to make the finest quality custom fishing rods affordable to all levels of the dedicated fishing public.

Our experienced staff consists of several tournament fishermen, guides, and product development individuals that are dedicated to serve our customers.

It is not the aim of this site to sell custom rods over the internet. Instead, we hope to introduce the serious fisherman to a small sample of our product line and encourage communication, by way of phone or email, concerning the exact details you desire for your very own custom built and designed fishing rod.

We use only the finest components in all of our rods. 

JB Custom Rods are made to the exact specifications of the customer. From a noodle rod to a high power flipping stick or any number of more sensitive rods in between, John can build a rod to fit your needs. 

The spiral wrapped rod

The concept of the spiral wrapped rod was invented around 1920. The spiral wrap takes the guides of the rod around to the bottom of the rod to give you better control, more casting distance, less stress on the rod, better hook setting power and faster response. It involves taking the guides from the top of the rod and "wrapping" them around to the bottom in a spiral motion.

Guides

JB Custom Rods uses match grade guides in any style you choose. Whether you want the standard guide or color titanium nitride, we can customize to your specifications. Your custom rod will have the appropriate number of guides according to rod length. 

Hardloy guides were introduced where the ceramic compound is bonded directly to the frame, thus eliminating that plastic "shock ring" of the original ceramic oxide guides. They are very good, long-lasting guides for all monofiliment lines. They are not recommended for wire, braided lines, or multistrand (fused) lines. They are not hard enough. These are the most cost-effective guides on the market, incorporating the best features of the higher priced guides at a reduced cost. No braided lines! 

Nitride guides are made for heavy, constant use with all types of lines, including wire. They are expensive, but comparatively less so than the more traditional roller guides used for wire line trolling. Since there are no moving parts, maintenance is minimal. All guides in this class are made of high quality chrome over brass or steel.

Grips

We have a large selection of available grips to make your rod the most sensitive and comfortable rod you have ever handled. Be sure to check out the wooden foregrip rods, shown below, for the ultimate in sensitivity.

Wood Reel Seats

Wood reel seats used by JB Custom Rods are resin impregnated so as to never crack, fade, miscolor or otherwise be damaged by the elements. Resin impregnated wood is very hard, therefore transmitting vibrations from the blank better than graphite. This maximizes the sensitivity of the rod blank.

Blanks - Each blank has its own spine. A JB Custom Rod is always built on that spine. All fishing rod blanks have a side that has a predominantly stiffer side than all the others. The result of the process of applying matting material to a mandrel, coating the blank with resin and curing it causes this to happen. At 180 degrees opposite to the stiffest side is the "second stiffest" segment of the rod blank. It's easy to find the "spline" by placing the tip of the rod blank in the palm of your hand, applying pressure farther down the rod blank and flexing the blank while rotating it across a smooth surface. You can also do this to a ready-made blank or if you are designing a new rod from scratch the procedure is the same. In any case, when selecting a rod off-the-shelf you should check that the guides are at least placed on either the same side or the opposite side of the stiffest longitudinal surface of the blank. Off-sets from that will cause disappointing performance of your rod. Casting will be poor (shooting left or right of center) and bringing a large fish to the boat will be much more tiring, especially on your forearms and wrists. Threadwork - From simple to elaborate, our threadwork can be as intricate as you wish- You pick the colors. All JB Custom Rods are hand wrapped with attention to detail. Custom colored rod wrapping sets the custom rod apart from the store-bought rods on the market today. They reflect the care and craftsmanship of the rod builder and represent an additional investment of time putting the finishing touches on what is already a superior product to a manufactured rod. 

Customization - All rods are custom built to your exact specifications. Call for options and pricing.

JB's Warranty 

In the event that an ESP Rod or a Stealth Traditional rod is damaged within the first 90 days of purchase, the rod will be replaced at no cost. Between 90 days and ONE year from the original purchase date, a damaged rod will be replaced/repaired for a $50.00 deductible (plus freight). The damaged rod must be returned with a copy of the original sales receipt. This warranty is not intended to cover any damage that occurred due to abuse or neglect. It is our desire to maintain a satisfied customer. Up to this point, we have replaced a lot of rods that were probably not true warranty issues. We just cannot afford to keep replacing rods that have been abused or neglected. Just call us or email us and we will discuss!