Hi Guys,

I have mostly built conventional boat rods but now am almost done with a 6'6" spinning rod for light tackle use. My question is with the reel I chose for the rod and grip length the rod is slightly tip heavy as most rods are.

Do any of you guys add weight to the butt end to balance the rod at the seat where you will be holding the rod? I feel this may make the rod have a better feel and am considering adding 3 to 4 oz inside the blank at the butt end. Better balance and adds overall weight to set up.

Thanks,
Jon

Light must be relative in this case, 3-4 oz is quite a bit of weight to add to a 6’6” rod.

If you do decide to use weight to balance the rod you are better off using a balance kit with weights hanging off the end of the blank instead of trying to add weight inside the blank. 4 ounces of lead with an OD ½ inch you would have to be over 3 inches long, and as you move the weight closer to the reel seat the leverage is reduced so it takes even more weight to get the same amount of balance correction.

Everybody has their own ideas on this sort of thing but unless I could balance the rod with a very small amount of weight I just don't do it. Adding 3 or 4 ounces to that rod might indeed put the balance point in a more favorable position but then you'll pay a different penalty for having to fish with a much, much heavier rod.

..................

Mike,

I probably won't be adding anything. Just wondering about the balance theory. You are correct about the diameter, length getting closer to the seat. If I do add anything it may just be an once at the extreme end. I just happened to hang a 4oz bucktail off the butt yesterday and it made it more balanced. It is only an 8.5" rear grip.

Every spinning rod I have I've made (or rebuilt) with a Fuji IPSM seat and contoured grip but reverse it as a foregrip (Michigan style grip). I can cast it in a normal manner and then slide my hand up to balance it or I've learned to hold a bit higher on the rod to balance it and can still cast well with it. It's sort of similar to a fly rod whereas your handhold is ahead of the reel.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/07/2008 03:21PM by Tim Collins.

double post



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/07/2008 03:37PM by Richard Hahn.

First find where you want your balancing point to be .......... some people like it right at the grip and some like it at the reel spool and some like it farther forward.

Then tape or rubber band a weight at the end of the but until you find the balance you want. I don't think it would be much over an oz if that ........ then you know how much to add at the end of the butt section.

If it does take 3-4 oz to balance then it may be better to just leave it because adding that much weight will make that rod very heavy feeling. I know I'd rather have an unbalanced rod I could cast all day then trying to cast a broomstick all day .............. I think extra 3-4 oz would be tiring by the end of the day ..........

just my opinion

i dablbed with the idea of incorperating the FUJI weighted butt cap into my light spin rods (2-8lb range) but felt after doing a lot of feilt testing with weighted and un weighted rods that the unweighted rod performed better...as the slightly tip heavy / weight forward feel was more comfortable while lureing all day...

have a look at the Fuji weighted cap, it may be an option. code EWBC

HOTRODS - Perrie Thomas Custom Rods
[www.perrieshotrods.com]

Jon,
Some folks add weight on the inside of the blank to achieve a balanced rod.
I personally feel that adding weight on the inside of the blank is a bad idea, because you end up with a bunch of useless lead too far up the blank to do much for your balance. If your lead has been pushed up into the blank so that it is close to the reel seat- you are adding weight withoiut achieving balance.

Years ago, I took a few factory rods and balanced them this way and effectively ruined the rods. I ended up with a bunch of lead that was way up the blank and ended up with a heavy rod that didn't work as well as the factory rod.

I do like to have a balanced rod, and I really do think that a balanced rod performs much much much better than a non balanced rod.

However, to balance the rod - I do the balancing on the bare blank, before adding any cork rings handle - etc. With experience, and with the given handle length, it is pretty easy to figure where the bare blank needs to be balanced.

I balance the blank, by adding adhesive backed lead tape on the OUTSIDE of the blank - on the last 1/2 inch of the blank.
By doing the balancing on the very last 1/2 inch of the blank, you can achieve the best balance, by adding the minimum amount of weight.
If I can't achieve perfect balance, by adding lead tape on the last 1/2 inch of the blank, by wrapping tape up to the diameter of slightly less than what the finished butt will be - I will still stop adding weight. I just conclude that this is the maximum weight that I am willing to add to a blank, that is either very long, or very tip heavy due to the construction of the blank.

If I find this to be the case - I will then typically modify my rod design by making the back grip a bit longer so that the reel seat moves forward and the lever action of the butt weight becomes more effective.

Take care
Roger

Any mention of balancing a rod usually opens almost as big a can of worms as mentioning the spine. Here is a very good thread on the subject (2 pages)http://www.rodbuilding.org/read.php?2,263050,page=1 Personally, I agree with Buddy Sanders! Highly over rated (my opinion, so don't jump too hard LOL!)

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!