After many years of building mostly casting rods of all types, I am now building more spinning rods for my family and friends. At one time here on our part of the Gulf Coast, to be seen using a spinning rod was considered unmanly, sort of like wearing a pink shirt. Things are changing rapidly. More fishermen are using light lures such as jerk baits with nothing but a hook for weight; hence the need for spinning rods. The few spinning rods that I have built in the past were built using size 18 Fuji reel seats. This week I started on a spinning rod for a nephew. The only reel seats that I have on hand are 16's that I use on fly rods. I guess my question should be: Is a 16 ok for someone that does not have large hands like I do? It is a subject that I never gave much thought to; I just built the rods using 18's. I have finished the handle, the reel fits fine, and it doesn't feel awkward like I thought it would.

I normally use a size 17 reel seat and find it real comfortable to use. A size 16 is also ok but if you have a larger size hand you may find a 16 a little uncomfortable. I have hardly ever used a size 18 because the bushings needed to be larger and more weight was added. I build mostly popping rods in the 6'6'' - 7' range and a size 17 is a good compromise between the two. Use a split grip setup with a Flex coat arbor and you have a really light setup that's a pleasure to fish with.

Thanks Lance. This rod is a 6'6" with a 6 inch rear grip and 2 inch foregrip. I did use the FC arbor. The blank is one that I got from Andy. It is super light and will make a good rod for walleye. This rod is going to my nephew in Chicago as a gift. I am going to order a couple more for myself. This year I want to catch a redfish on a Senko worm just to prove a point that redfish will hit anything a bass will take.

Ellis,
If you are building mostly light weight rods, bass rods, a size 16 should be large enough for the vast majority of spinning reels. I use a 16 even on some Steelhead rods.

With salmon and Steelhead rods here in the Northwest for years there has been an attitude simular to the one you expressed about spinning reels. Very few fishermen used spinning gear and the people using spinning gear were thought of as beginners or amateurs. That has changed a little the last couple of years with what is called Bobber and Jig fishiing but a lot of hard core Salmon and Steelhead fishermen still have that attitude.

What is curious to me, and maybe you can answer this for me, is the large percentage of spinning gear that seems to be used in the east for surf fishing where they are not casting light weight. What is the advantage of the spinning gear? Here in the Northwest almost all surf fishing is done with conventional bait casting reels.

Hey Emory,
The same situation exists here on surf fishing. Most is done with conventional tackle. I have tried spinning tackle and liked to tear my index finger off. However, if you look at the photos from the east coast, those guys have spinning down to a science. When you mentioned steelhead fishing I thought about Gary Loomis. He came down one year for a fishing show and showed us a thing or two about fishing. He had one of the smallest casting reels (Shimano) that I had ever seen on the lightest rod that I had felt up to that time. It seemed that overnight we went from using Garcias to using Shimanos. And to this day, if you are a real "plugger" you will own several Curados or Chronarchs. He did quite a sales job and we all benefited from it...better and lighter tackle.

All that I build are walleye rods predominantly. I've used size 16 seats; I know that a 17 fits my hand better, but I've fished size 16's for many years and have no comfort problems. I just do it for the weight of the whole rod.

Putter
Williston, ND

Hey Ellis;
A size 16 should work great for your nephew's rod. You said his hands are not that big, right? A smaller reel seat is going to fit him better than a larger one would. If you look at the way you should hold a spinning rod. (I say should because of the mechanics involved with proper casting, controlling the action of your lure, feeling the sensitivity of the rod, and detecting the lightest of strikes.) You really only hold the rod by gripping it with your thumb and first two fingers, while cupping your other two figures loosely, but just keeping them in contact with the rod. So to sum it all up; Yes size does matter. It is all about comfort. Larger reel seats my not work well in small hands, or in larger hands either for that matter.
I use a lot of size 16's and 17's on spinning rod for plug rods. Plug rods hear in the East Coast area (the Carolina's and Virginia) are 6' to 7' Med/Lt to Med action rods used to through Gotcha Plugs and small spoons and jigs for Spanish and Blues off of the piers. I also use these same rods and reel seats for freshwater fish.
I hope this helps.
Oh, and if I hold my rod different from you, please don't be upset about my advise on my methods of madness.

Tight Lines and Clean Living.
Paully



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/02/2005 09:18AM by Paul Williams (Paully).

Ellis

I always seem to be swimming against the current. Personally and I only have small hands and short fingers I like quite large reel seats on my spinning rods. Why becuase I don't get pins and needles or cramped hands and tennis like elbow symptombs in my forearm muscles from overgripping small diameter seats. Now it does depend on the length of rod and power as well. Also of course you have to take into account the hand size of the end user. Ok for me at any rate I use between 18 and size 20. The size 20 tends to be for 9 to 11 foot spinning rods and the 18 for anything less. My other rule of thumb is slightly too big is infinataly more comfertable than slightly too small. Most of us can accomodate and adapt to a larger grip.

I find that most factory rods favour 18 for general spinning rods over 8 feet, One reason could be cost. The larger seat can help balance especially as, if you use cork the diameter tends to be bigger to blend better with the larger seat ends,


Regards

Mike O.

Thanks fellas,
Paul, the only thing that bothers me right now is the price of gas. I just upgraded my aluminum boat to a size 50 hp motor. I blew the head on a 40 and the price was right on the 50. Even if I can't afford to go fishing, I can at least sit in the garage and stare at my new motor.

Hi Ellis,

I build mostly walleye and some bass rods and I use 16's on probably 90% of them.

Mike