I built a casting rod 2 weeks ago - first time completely from scratch - and only from info I gleaned over the web (no classes, books, vids, or dvds.) It's got some issues but I learned alot ;) So this week, I decided to put together a spinning rod. In the course of fitting a reel to it, I notice that my store-bought rod has the reel seat just the opposite of the way I mounted mine. Looking at some commercial rods on the web, it seems like 99% of them have the seat such that the tensioner moves up from the butt. I put mine on with the tensioner toward the tip (like a casting rod.)

Is there some reason to have the tensioner on the butt side?

And then I see a couple rods where they have "cut-away" handles that partially cover the back side of the reel seat. Presumably, for a more comfortable grip.

Also, I used a "factory 2nd" graphite blank. It's an inch short of 7' and 11/16th" at the base tapering to 3/16" at the tip. I am wondering if that is really a "spinning rod" blank. The casting rod blank I built was 6' 6" and much thinner at the base and about the same at the tip.

I fish Northern Wisconsin for musky, walleye, and bass.

Any info would be appreciated.

My Boat --> [www.onlinedesign.us]

Newbie, here's the good news as I see it on your spinning seat. You get to build your rod any way you like. It will probably perform just fine the way you did it. Do you like the way it looks? If so, remember that you get to do anything you want in your shop with your components. As for the factory second blank. I would not use one if possible. There are a lot of inexpensive blanks out there you can use. You can't buy factory second guides, reel seats, tips, or handles. You wouldn't use factory second thread for wraps. Using a blemished blank is not that good of a deal. Good luck with the rod!

Nothing inherently wrong with a "down-locking" reel seat. Some build them that way, most don't. I hold a spinning rod up near the foregrip when fishing, I dont want the threads of the reel seat there where my fingers will contact them, so I use an "up-locking" construction..

A blank doesn't know whether it's a casting or spinning blank until its built, so no real problem there. More important is to determine the power and action of your rods. The diameters of the blanks at butt and tip have something to do with this, but there are many other factors also. Without your reading up on this aspect, for now you will find out when you fish the rods and compare them with others.

Greetings James,

And welcome to the rod building hobby.

I also fish in northwestern Wisconsin, mostly on the Chippewa Flowage. Walleye and crappie are my usual targets but it is not unusual to catch a few smallies and northerns along the way.

I use first quality St Croix blanks and I think they are good blanks.

I find that a MLF (Medium-Light, Fast) action in a 6' length works good for this application but my best (and most sensitive) walleye rods are built on St Croix's 6 foot light fast SC-V graphite blank. The blanks are pricy but the castability and sensitivity cannot be beat. I conbine the rod with 6# fire line (zero stretch) and use 1/8 ounce jigs almost exclusively and you can really feel even the most finicky walleye bite.

Like the others who replied have stated, you can install the reel seat in either direction but I prefer the same setup as Tom, with the threaded portion of the reel seat towards the butt end of the rod.

The most important consideration in buiding one of these finesse rods it to keep things light and to use quality components.

From the set of dimensions you furnished for the spinning rod, I would say it sounds like more of a Musky sized blank than a light walleye rod.

Skip

Thanks for the replys, guys.

I looked at some charts on St Croix web site. The diameters compare to med-heavy rods and the more I look at it the more sense that makes. Guess I will just have to try it out and see what works best. It may well turn out to be a casting rod without a trigger grip ;)

As for these factory 2nd blanks - never again. Masking tape lifts pieces of the finish off the rod - sheesh. But I consider these to be learning experiences and unless they break on the lake - they should be workable rods. One of my other rods is a $20 graphite rod from Cabela's with a broken tip that I trimmed back to the first guide - lol.

Quality is not Cheap! On that seat, I put the threads going to the tip only because it is more comfortable to hold.

The seat thread direction depends on how the fisherman holds the rod.I personally grip a spinning rod with my fingers (index and middle) around the reel putting my hand behind the reel.Threads at this location would becme irrating.Some people grip above the reel.The chioce is yours.It is truely a custom rod if you built it to your prefrence and not as the factory does.

Freddwhy (Rapt-Ryte)

Fred is right on; the reel seat should be placed so that the fisherman's hand isn't holding the threaded portion of the barrel. Build 'em one at a time, for the individual--custom...