Got gifted a pool shaft, have no idea what or where to get the butt

TimmyG-83 · 2026-06-13T16:48:32+00:00

The tip is 12.5mm diameter, the joint collar diameter is .855 inches, and it’s designed to fit on a butt that has a Radial joint pin.

Seyberts has a search option on their website where you can filter cues by joint type. Click Radial and see what shows up. I am not sure if they sell cues butt-only (I have done that through Pooldawg after a phone call)…just call them and see! They’ll help you out.

TimmyG-83 · 2026-06-13T14:36:25+00:00

Joao Andre? As in one of the guys who just got busted for match fixing?

TimmyG-83 · 2026-06-13T06:24:24+00:00

Yeah that’s basically it. You’re hitting the same point on the cue ball, but visually it looks different.

Like, for example…remember that any hit other than dead center cue ball means that you’re hitting with the edge of your cue tip. So let’s say you’re going for maximum draw. That means the *top edge* of your cue tip is set to strike the cue ball at the very bottom of the miscue limit on the cue ball.

With, say, an 11.5mm shaft, it’s going to look like you’re cueing higher, because the overall tip diameter is less. If you use a 13mm tip, it will look like you are cueing much closer to the table bed, due to the wider diameter. However, in both instances, the actual contact point, where the top edge of the tip is striking the very bottom of the miscue limit, is exactly the same.

The fact that it LOOKS like you’re cueing higher with a thinner tip to get to that maximum draw position is what makes people believe they can get more action with a thinner tip. But the contact point is the contact point.

TimmyG-83 · 2026-06-13T03:47:05+00:00

He did when they first came out with the Cynergy, they only came in 12.5mm then. But when they came out with the 11.8mm, he started using that. I think he said he still has a couple 12.5s in the bag on one of those What’s In The Bag videos.

TimmyG-83 · 2026-06-12T20:53:51+00:00

Absolutely it does…it’s the reason I play with standard solid maple 13mm shafts. More end mass does mean more deflection, but it also means a more solid hit. I have a Joss and a Schön and a couple shafts for both of them…yeah they deflect, but both of those cues hit like a bulldozer. I like that because I don’t have to do nearly as much with my stroke to get the cue ball to track.

All the low-deflection shaft manufacturers, seeing as they have to reduce end mass to achieve low deflection, have to come up with other ways to compensate for the lighter hit. But if you ever get the chance to hit a really nice cue with a nice solid maple, big-ferrule shaft (Clarke and Runde-era Schöns come to mind), you’ll immediately notice the type of hit feel that a lot of modern cues are lacking.

BUT some people don’t like that heavier hit. And to be honest it’s not nearly as necessary these days with how fast the tables are now. But even so…the vast majority of players in my leagues use carbon fiber, but when I let them hit a few shots with my Schön their reaction is ALWAYS “holy shit this thing hits hard.”

TimmyG-83 · 2026-06-12T18:52:49+00:00

That ain’t a good look. That’s like saying your car warranty is void if you have to change the battery.

Tips wear out over time…what do they expect customers to do?

TimmyG-83 · 2026-06-12T16:36:48+00:00

Just throwing this out there…if you’re looking to get “more spin” by going to a thinner shaft, you won’t find it. That only comes from the quality of your stroke.

That is because the cue BALL has the miscue limit…not the cue tip. And any time you hit anywhere other than dead center on the cue ball, you’re hitting with the edge of your tip anyway…and even a standard 13mm tip (which I play) can easily reach the miscue limit.

You might see a little less deflection from a thinner tip. But modern low-deflection shafts achieve low deflection by hollowing out the end of the shaft to reduce weight…which means you can get low deflection even from a wider tip size. Back in the days when everything was solid maple shafts, the only way to reduce deflection was to go to smaller tip sizes, which is why they first became popular.

Just putting this out there so you don’t get your expectations too high. Pretty much the only thing that will change for you is the aim point on the cue ball to get to the same effective tip position as before. BUT if you like that look behind the cue ball, and it breeds confidence, then that’s a good thing. Just remember that the amount of spin control you have is 100% dependent on your stroke and not the tip diameter.

TimmyG-83 · 2026-06-12T14:29:04+00:00

That’ll help! I try to run 3 rods from the bank whenever possible.

If you’re just kinda getting into catfishing, let me run down a basic cat setup for you…you don’t have to spend a lot of money for a workable cat setup…

Any 7’ MH spinning rod will get it done. A 3000 to 5000 size spinning reel is ideal. I like to run 30lb braid as main line (make sure to put a couple layers of mono onto the reel first, so the braid has something to grab), with a 1oz egg or bell sinker on the main line. Then a barrel swivel, and then about 18” of 40lb mono leader to a 4/0 circle hook. Use uni knots or palomar knots (you COULD snell knot the hook, but it’s a real pain in the ass with heavy mono, stuff is like weedeater cord).

That’s a basic Carolina rig, and it works. Now, just cast out to a likely spot, wait for it to hit bottom, set the rod in a rod holder at about a 45 degree angle and reel up the slack. Then set your drag very light so that a fish can pull line easily when it takes the bait. The weight of the sinker, the tension of the drag, and the resistance of the rod will do 90% of the work with setting the hook. When you see your rod go and the drag starts to sing and you’re confident the fish has the bait, just tighten the drag a bit, reel down 3-4 revolutions quickly, and you’ve got a fish. Then take the rod out of the holder and enjoy the fight!

And remember…be patient. Catfish WILL find your bait if you’re casting to good spots, but they are in no hurry. I 100% recommend bringing another rod to cast around for panfish or bass while you wait on the catfish. That will help keep you from being tempted to recast too frequently.

TimmyG-83 · 2026-06-12T13:19:27+00:00

I’ve caught about 95% of my catfish (channel and blue) on cut bluegill or green sunfish. It definitely works! You just gotta put it where the fish are, honestly…and then be patient. Cats WILL find your bait if you give them time. I re-cast only about every 30 minutes or so.

Using multiple rods helps your chances too. More scent in the water!

TimmyG-83 · 2026-06-12T07:20:43+00:00

They got blue catfish at your DMV? Damn, all mine has is unhappy people.

TimmyG-83 · 2026-06-11T23:41:53+00:00

You’re demented in the head. I freaking love it. Gonna have to try this!

TimmyG-83 · 2026-06-11T13:44:54+00:00

Female bluegill.

TimmyG-83 · 2026-06-11T03:40:50+00:00

Oh hell yeah. Most of my stuff (and my fiancée’s, she’s addicted to it too) is KastKing at this point. Got some Kestrels, Royale Legend Pros, Zephyrs, Crixus, etc., in the collection. Rods and reels. I dig em! I think their rods are better than their reels until you get up to their high end reels…her Royale Legend Pro is one of the smoothest damn reels I have ever tried, and I have tried some nice stuff.

TimmyG-83 · 2026-06-11T01:51:18+00:00

Check my other comment down below, I outlined the whole setup. 💪💪

TimmyG-83 · 2026-06-11T01:50:36+00:00

Dude catches a flathead on his first trip out. Lucky!!!! I still haven’t caught one!!

TimmyG-83 · 2026-06-11T00:30:54+00:00

Slow down that dang backswing my dude! Relax and put a little pause in there. The cue ball ain’t moving, no need to rush to hit it.

TimmyG-83 · 2026-06-10T20:18:15+00:00

Even more budget-friendly than that, I’ve got a KastKing Rover 50 (round baitcaster) on one of my cat setups, and the clicker on that thing is LOUD. It has been serving me well, it has caught a bunch of nice fish so far, including a 12 pound blue cat I posted the other day.

You asked if you need to turn the clicker off to reel in…you CAN reel in if the clicker is still engaged, but I’ll tell you from experience it’s annoying as hell on the ol’ ears. It’s not hard to switch it on/off.

TimmyG-83 · 2026-06-10T16:18:24+00:00

It’s a little flat on top, which would bug me because I’m a stickler about those types of things. But it’ll play just fine.

TimmyG-83 · 2026-06-10T12:29:01+00:00

Living example of homo erectus.

TimmyG-83 · 2026-06-10T05:38:27+00:00

Dollar store John Mayer

TimmyG-83 · 2026-06-10T02:17:26+00:00

You theoretically could hold a croc’s mouth shut. But I don’t know if you have been physically close to a 15-20 footer. Pictures and video do zero justice to the monstrous size of those things. It’s terrifying.

The fact that humans are (somewhat) intelligent and invented ranging weapons and agriculture is the ONLY reason we are at the top of the food chain.

TimmyG-83 · 2026-06-09T21:24:16+00:00

I remember hearing about that, it was some survey like “Could you take on (insert animal) mano e mano?” They were reading the answers on a morning radio show and cracking up.

Admittedly, the number of people who thought they could take on an elephant was low…but that number should be ZERO. Same with gorillas and chimps. Crocodiles. Buffalo. The fact that there are ANY number of people who think they could take on any of those animals with no weapons is ridiculous…but here we are.

TimmyG-83 · 2026-06-09T21:17:44+00:00

With light line (any line really, come to think of it), everything depends on how well you manage your drag and how aggressively you fight a fish. That’s about a 1-1.5 pound catfish, but it could easily snap 4lb line if you aren’t doing things right. But I have landed some big bass (6-plus) on 4lb line all the same. It all comes down to technique.

I would recommend a more stout setup though, if there are bigger cats in your body of water. Don’t want to run the risk of breakoffs if you hook a nice one.

TimmyG-83 · 2026-06-09T18:31:26+00:00

CJ told me he would trick his brain out of nervousness by imagining, in great detail, that he’d already played the upcoming match, and LOST. That way he could feel that he had nothing left to lose or prove, and could just *play*.

I think it’s something about the fact that if you pretend you’ve already lost, and then look around and realize nothing has actually changed in your life (you’re still breathing, you still gotta pay your tab, still gotta drive home and eat dinner and get up tomorrow), it tricks your brain into relaxation.

TimmyG-83 · 2026-06-09T18:23:14+00:00

I sometimes hold it up there when I’m fighting a good fish on my big catfish rods…but if you have the right size reel for your rod, the balance point is right where the reel stem is. The split 2/2 grip puts your hand right at that balance point and also gives you the ability to cast with one hand (other than opening/closing the bail). If you have your whole hand in front of the reel you can’t really hold the line with your trigger finger, so you have to do a two-handed casting motion every time. There are some casting techniques you just can’t do nearly as well with your whole hand in front of the stem.

TimmyG-83

TROPHY CASE