Hi Everyone,

This is my first post on the board, although I've been soaking up all of the great information you all have to offer for a few months now. I'm fairly new to rod building, with 4 or 5 rods to my credit (mostly medium-sized bass rods). My next project is a 7"6" MH inshore rod that I'm building as a gift for a family member. I was wondering what an appropriate total length would be for handle assembly, without having the person test it (it's a surprise). He is of average size, and will mostly be fishing from a boat. I've tried using the search feature on the board, but I can't seem to find anything on the topic. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Matt

Matt,
For all of the 7'6" rods that I make, I use either 10 or 11 inch rear grip. Then the reel seat, and depending on the reel setup any where from no fore grip to one that is about 4 inches long.

Normally, with most rods, this gives nice balance to the rod and is still of a length that does not get in the way of the fisherman. But, if you happen to catch a bigger fish, there is enough length in the rear grip to use it as a lever.

On a rod of this length, I would never go less than 10 inches for the rear grip.

Be safe

Thanks, Roger! I'll give the 10" rear grip a shot and see how it feels.

roger wilson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Matt,
> For all of the 7'6" rods that I make, I use either
> 10 or 11 inch rear grip. Then the reel seat, and
> depending on the reel setup any where from no fore
> grip to one that is about 4 inches long.
>
> Normally, with most rods, this gives nice balance
> to the rod and is still of a length that does not
> get in the way of the fisherman. But, if you
> happen to catch a bigger fish, there is enough
> length in the rear grip to use it as a lever.
>
> On a rod of this length, I would never go less
> than 10 inches for the rear grip.
>
> Be safe

Matt,

I second what Roger recommends!

Don Campbell
don@sensorfishingrods.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/12/2014 11:50AM by Donald R Campbell.

Spinning rod or casting? The first rod I built was a 6'6" H live bait casting rod. I made the rear grip 10". I ended up wishing I had made it a little longer. Because I cast the rod with both hands below the reel, it would feel better if my hands could be farther apart. It worked fine, and easy to maneuver on my kayak (that's the reason for the short rear grip). My next rid like it will have a longer rear grip.

Spinning. I went with a 10" rear grip and it worked out great. Thanks for the responses everyone!