I've got in my hands, a Century Tornado Tip "Sport" 13 foot blank. The rod will be used primarily as an 8 and bait Heaver targeting Drum, Cobia and Stripers on the Outer Banks in a conventional setup.

The blank is also suitable for entry level tournament casting which I am interested in trying my hand at. To do so, though, I want to be able to mount the reel in the low hand position near the butt of the rod when I am not fishing.

My first thought - and preference - is to wrap a full length cork tape handle and just use coasters to mount the reel in the desired location. I am concerned though that the coasters may not be able to handle the stress of fighting a large fish.

Can anybody offer their opinions on this option? Any other options?

I've considered plate type seats and adjustable reel seats but discounted them for one reason or another.

Thanks for your input.

/Scott

The Fuji plate type seats are outstanding. You could mount two - one for distance casting (aft) and one for fishing (fore).

I haven't used the "coasters" so can't really say what they can withstand. Others do use them for holding a reel while fishing, however. If you're talking about good old hose clamps, they're obtrusive but provide plenty of holding power.

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

Scott , check out Mud Holes site for the adjustable seat they have . I just used one on a 10' AMTAC blank for a guy who wanted to be able to adjust the distance of the seat from the butt. I don't know if it is what you are looking for , but it's worth a look . They have them in a few different sizes and adjust for a range of 4mm of dia. difference . It looks like a common graphite seat jst twice the length (and weight roughly ), with collars on either end that tighten to a smaller dia. the farther down the collars are screwed in . MH is the only supplier that I've seen that sell them . I've actually had this seat for 3 or 4 years and haven't had the opportunity to use it , so I don't know how they hold up . This one I just slid down the blank onto the cork tape , and it is able to be locked into position with a range of about 10 in up or down the length of the cork tape grip . Hope this helps , if you need a pic , let me know , I'll post one on the photo page .
Have Fun , John Sorry for all that , I didn't see that you have seen the adjustable seat s .....

Got Fish ?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/04/2005 10:48PM by John Dow.

Scott
I have been using coasters (as have many people here in the UK) for many years on my surfcasting rods. I have been using the plastic breakaway type for more than ten years and never had a failure, either when casting (short and long range) or when playing/landing a fish – just keep an eye out for wear/fatigue and change when required – they are not at all expensive. The adjustable reel seats do not give me sufficient confidence however, especially when winding up a big cast.
I have not used the plate type reels seats but know those who have tried them - they are not generally popular.
Instead of cork tape, I use 3M Safety Walk tape which gives a secure footing for the reel under the coasters, provides a good grip with wet hands and also protects the blank.

John

Never used a coaster and was wondering if you got a place where I can take a look at these.

Bill

Should have added that they don't have any sharp edges like the metal ones and are much more comfortable, especially in the Winter.

You can find them on this page.

[www.veals.co.uk]

I have some spares - email me an address and I'll send them over!
John

John
I was just curous as to what they were. I have never herd of them before. Look kind of like an auto hose clamp ? Thanks for the offer though.
For that small a distance why not just use a trigger graphite seat ?
I was also thinking of several threaded sections of a seat glued onto a flex coat arbor then use two custioned nuts and hoods on it. Gives a lot of room to move the seat. Just make sure the " slot " is lined up

Bill
We like our surf rods, no frills and low maintenance :-)
John

Thanks gentlemen for the replies. I'm glad to hear that the coasters will work ok (John Becker) as that really is my preference due to it's simplicity. I looked at the breakaways but didn't like the long tag ends. Do you cut them after you've fastened the reel to the rod or just leave them? You believe they'll work ok with large fish? 50 lbs plus?

Since I would be moving the reel somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 inches no type of fixed seat will work out. I looked at the adjustable seat but they're largest (26mm) is a touch too small after the handle material has been applied. Man those things are ugly too! :) In the end I'll choose functionality over appearance but I'd rather have both if I can identify a viable option.

Mounting two plate seats would work out, but I'd develop a nervous twitch standing on the point in the Conga line wondering who's looking at my rod and laughing at its appearance. :-) I can imagine it now - "Damn Barney", I hear them say as it reverberates down the line...LOL

Thanks again for your replies. It's what makes this site so great!

/Scott

If you could get a good idea of where your reel will be sitting before you glue it all up, maybe you could use two graphite seats.

Let them laugh, you have the better performing rod.

BIll - don't be ridiculous. It's obvious having 2 reel seats would not giv teh best performing rod for a multitude of reasons. First and foremost, nobody give a crap who's laughing at who (in this case being laughed at with 2 reel seats would be 100000% warranted). Second - when he goes Distance casting teh first reel seat will be in the way - his hand would have nowhere to hold the grip since a silly reel seat will be there, even moreso. Third - hardcore surfcasters & distance casters destroy graphite reel seats. sand, salt, and etc get into teh threads and chew everything up in the seat. Fouth - after hardcore fisherman sticks his rod in a spike 1,000 times, or jams the butt into rocks - the corek tape gets chewed up to no end, and must be preplaced. No hardcore surfcaster would go through the hassle of replacing cork tape every year,with a silly graphite reel seat in teh way. Much easier and real life to cork tape or 3M tape everything, use the Coaster or plate seat held on with electrical or tommy tape - and replace teh cork tape yearly. Some do not even use a reel seat, they Tommy tape the reel in place.

So on no counts would they have a better performing reel....and everyone would be laughing at them to boot.

Scott - you might get more of a response from teh non-Rodbuilding crowd on stripersonline.com (tehre is a distance casting forum there), or the Florida Sportsman board.

Thanks Billy, I lurk over there regularly and had not even considered posting.

I found some reference online this morning where some guys on the west coast are fishing with the reel in the low position. That would certainly address my concerns and wouldn't be quite as "unsightly" as using multiple reel seats. The reel would definitely be in a more comfortable position, but I'm not sure about how easy it would be to lay the line back on with a CT framed reel. I suspect it'd be pretty tough. Gonna try it though when I test cast.

/Scott

Then again maybe you should build two rods.

And don't yell at me any more Billy LOL

Tennessee handle with the rings ?? Just a thought



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/05/2005 10:11AM by bill boettcher.

John Becker - Regarding Metal COASTERS and Break-Away COASTERS: Thanks for including the Link to Veal's on-line catalog so we here in the USA can see what you are talking about. That's a very interesting device. 'Learn something new every day. ... Like TK said, what we in the USA call "HOSE CLAMPS" was the first thing that came to my mind. And after looking at your Break-Away Coasters, something called "Zip Ties" or Nylon or Plastic Ties, which are very similar, come to mind. And MUCH MUCH CHEAPER. You could probably buy a DOZEN or more of these, SHIPPED to you overseas, for what you pay for one pair from Veal's.

These Zip Ties have a much smaller locking mechanism: it is just a tiny little box with a flexed flap of very stout plastic inside, sort of like a one-way door, that acts like an anti-reverse pawl. The lock box is fixed at one end of the zip-tie. The zip-tie band has over its entire length, on one side, many notches or grooves, at right angles to the long axis, (like a rail road track), about 1 millimeter apart, into which the pawl can catch . The zip-tie is strapped around the subject, and the free end is passed inside the terminal lock box. You pull the zip tie as tight as you like ("zip" sound), and you're done. The pawl flap digs it's heels into the notches on the band, and there is no way that that band will slip or come lose without cutting it or setting it on fire. Cut off the excess length of the strapping band, and you're ready to go.

I don't know if any of our RBO Sponsors sell these Zip Ties. But from a GOOGLE.com Search = "PLASTIC ZIP TIES FASTENERS" you can hunt these down for yourself. And the same with the HOSE CLAMPS. The band in this case has a series of notches, pitched like the threads on the inside of a bolt or nut; and the lock-box has a simple screw fixed inside it as the pawl. The screw axis and the long band axis are in-line, like an adjustable wrench. These hose clamps are reversible once adjusted, and can be tightened with a screw driver or coin. Our hose clamps are only ~ USA-$1.00 each, and can be purchased each or by the dozen at any automobile parts stores, on-line.

Best Wishes, -Cliff Hall, Gainesville, FL-USA+++

PlanetCableTies.com
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Manufacturer of Nylon Cable Ties Plus Wraps, Zip & Wire Ties

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Aklesis has the quality and pricing that you expect

Scott
Yes - I trim the straps - in fact I cut them in half - they are just about long enough to give a spare set of straps to use when the first set show some wear.
Please note that zip ties are not as substantial, and for any kind of distance casting, never mind fighting a large fish, are not up to the job IMO.

Cliff
We have zip ties in little old England, along with electricity, motor cars and all kinds of other new fangled ideas :-D

To be serious, I have known people to try them and it can actually be dangerous. if a reel comes away from the rod whilst the blank is under compression or being compressed during a cast, then the caster loses all control of the lead, which could be fatal for anyone standing in the way. Please do not use zip ties - the mechanism is not 100% sure, whereas the breakaway mechanism is a non slip screw down fixing.

John Becker - Thanks for letting me know that for your applications, you find that zip-ties are not up to the task. (At that price, more than one on each side of the reel foot is not out of the question.) I'll spare others the recommendation.





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/05/2005 07:26PM by Moderator.

Unless the reel does not come equipped with a rod clamp,I find no need to overly complicate it. I have used cork tape for years and never had a problem. A double layer of cork tape can add a cushion to the handle and help prevent crushing of blanks underneath the clamp. I have also used the rubberized/plasticized 3M tape but i typically use it below where the reel will be mounted. I often use hypalon foregrips. The new rodgrip stuff might even be more comfortable and workable to use than the 3M tape or hypalon/EVA.
If you don't think this arrangement can stand up to big fish, try a search for skip-jigging yellowfin tuna at the Allcoast board. There should be some info there under the rodbuilding and tackle forums. www.sport-fish-info.com
There is an old saying that if it isn't broken,don't fix it. You may find that applicable to your dilema or not. And like frequent poster Raymond Adams in Sacramento says, "Don't let what you can't do get in the way of what you can."
KISS...keep it simple surfers

I hope everone has a safe and fun holiday today.
Chuck

I was just out casting with my neighbor who is pretty heavy into tournament casting. In fact, he uses the breakaway coasters on all of his rods. He also let me know that nearly the exact same thing can be purchased at an RV supply store (for attaching septic hoses to the RVs septic system.) The only difference is that they have a larger knob on them.

This is the route I'm going to take. I'm certainly not trying to reinvent anything here...what I am trying to do is "discover" the most appropriate existing method for accomplishing what I'm trying to do. Lacking the first hand experience, the best thing to do is make a post and ask the experts. I sure appreciate everybody's input. It certainly has given me plenty of ideas to choose from.

Now it's time to get busy!

THanks again,
/Scott