Custom Rod

Rod Repairs done by the captain at 3428 B West Shell Point Road Ruskin FL 33570 (by appointment 813-830-8890

Custom Built 8 1/2 Foot, 3 piece flats rods $195 -- price includes FL sales tax, shipping and insurance.

Cast net lessons by appointment at the Captain's home $25

One hour Seminar and slide show for your fishing club $100.
Three hour fishing school -- $250 per 10 anglers, $25 each additional angler. Course includes a copy of the captain's latest book -- Fish the Flats, an $18 value -- and an instructive slide show. Shorten the learning curve with personal instruction from one of Tampa Bay's most prolific fishing writers. Keep Fish the Flats for future reference.
Charters available for two anglers interested in sight fishing and fishing with artificial lures
Rod Building classes -- call for information

Mike Strickland puts Capt. Fred's Custom Flats Rod to a fiesty bonnethead. Note the graceful bend of the rod due to 9 strategically placed hardloy guides.

      The handle on Capt. Fred's Custom flats rod is an extremely short five inches. The thought behind this is ease in casting, but it's also most convenient for paddle fishermen. Why waste the strongest part of the rod as an arm rest? The short butt makes for long accurate casts, and uses the bulk of the rod blank for casting and playing fish. It's built on a handsome 3 piece American Tackle Matrix blank, which features a reinforced butt section for extra power. The broken down length measures 39 inches for ease of transport to wherever you fish, be it Belize, the Bahamas, the flats of Florida, or the Indian Ocean. The premium cork handle not only looks great, but provides maximum sensitivity. Built for snook and redfish on the flats of Tampa Bay, it's a great choice for permit and bonefish wherever you find them. The short butt makes this rod the perfect choice for paddle fishermen who often fish from the sitting position. The ultimate trout rod -- built to cast an array of artificials between 1/16 and 5/8 of an ounce. Best fished with 8 to 10 pound monofilament, or 15 pound braid.
      Long rods are hardly unbreakable, but neither are they fragile. Just watch your back cast, and never reel a fish closer than a rod's length of line. Car doors and big feet break more rods than fish do. This rod will throw a 7MR Mirrolure to the horizon, and is incredibly sensitive. It also likes an array of jigs between 1/16 and 1/2 ounce. And when it comes to live baits such as shrimp and sardines, you can get enough casting distance with the 8 1/2 foot rod without having to add a clunky float.
     Nine strategically placed guides give the rod a beautiful bend under pressure, and are properly sized to feed line off the reel for the longest possible cast. The hardloy guide rings and stainless steel frames will give you years of service by simply giving the rod a freshwater rinse after each use.
$195.00 includes Florida sales tax, shipping, handling and insurance. Shipped in a heavy duty PVC tube that can serve as a rod case. Order yours today at 813 830 8890

A battery of Capt. Fred's Custom Built Flats Rods.
Note the extra short butts fo ease of casting, and the measured gold wraps at 15, 18, and 27 inches.
The three piece rods transport easily, yet fish as well as one piece rods.

Shorten the learning curve! Catch fish! Buy these Books!

Shorten the learning curve to catch fish with either book, or better yet, both. Order signed copies of Capt. Fred's books direct from the author. Check, money order or paypal accepted. Snook book is 16.95 + $2.50 shipping. Flats book is $17.95 + $2.75 shipping. Send check to Capt. Fred Everson 3428 B West Shell Point Road, Ruskin FL 33570-3301.

Click here for Capt. Fred's Current Fishing Report For Tampa Bay

Things Remembered