In my component catalogs, I've seen these gimbals that appear to be mounted into/onto the butt of a (saltwater) rod. But I can't find the mating component the gimbal notches rest in. I assume it's to let the rod butt rock within two axis when fighting a fish but rock in what exactly? Thanks.

Take a look at fighting belts. There is an insert on most fighting belts with small metal rod mounted horizontally. The gimbal rests across the bar.

There is a small bar - a gimbal "nock" that is fitted into the bottom of most rod holders, fighting belts, etc. This is the piece that the gimbal notch mates with.

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The better rod holders mounted in boat gunwales or rocket launchers also have CROSS-PINS to mate with the GIMBAL NOTCHES on the rod butt.

Some fighting belts (rod belts) have a cup, but no cross-pin, or a cross-pin that is removable (a bolt & nut). But those are more for spinning or some surf rods

Also, any serious fighting chair has a rod cup with a cross-pin in it for the rod gimbal. They allow movement in the vertical plane (up & down), but not laterally.

A gimbal will make it next to impossible for the reel & the rod blank to flip or roll over. BUT a gimbal in no way eliminates the forces on the rod blank's tip that may evolve from a fish running sideways. These are torsional forces that try to twist the rod blank, as you would twist or wring the water out of a washcloth. Neither a spiral wrap nor a spinning rod nor a conventional wrap rod can totally eliminate the lever arm on some guides. Nor can any guide wrapping method eliminate the potential torsional forces generated by a fish running sideways, toward the lateral horizons.

The ONLY two things that can totally eliminate that lever arm and torsional force is a SWIVEL-TOP ROLLER Guide ($40-50. Arc: 120 degrees). Or the habit of always placing the CURVATURE of the loaded rod in the SAME PLANE as the FISHING LINE, from REEL to FISH. In other words, always face the fish’s run. Which is especially difficult when a fish is running around or under the boat.

Fortunately, the length of this lever arm trying to wring the rod tip is usually very short and of little consequence. The rod tip glue can handle the torque, and the first few guides are relatively low-profile, also giving a short lever arm. Plus, the line is free to slide around the guide ring, and has no foothold to establish a firm point of contact for exerting this rotational force. Only in a grooved and fixed (non-swivel) head roller top is the worst-case geometry present to have this twisting force transferred to the rod blank. (Rod tip up high and fish running hard right or left, with line pushing against the guide frame. Or deep fish sky-rockets hard right or left.) Otherwise it is only when you have a huge fish or a high drag load on a small diameter or thin-walled rod tip that this wringing / twisting effect may be able to do some damage to the rod tip.

Using a gimbal with a matching rubber cap cover is worth the little bit of extra money. The uncovered gimbal when used without a rubber cover has given many an angler a bruise in their thigh or midriff, because they were into a heavy fish before they could finish fumbling around to get the rod belt on. If you want a gimbal, then any tackle over 30# should probably have a metal gimbal rather than a plastic one. Some plastic gimbals will crack if dropped onto a hard deck. But some private boat owners would rather replace a $5 plastic gimbal then have a $5 METAL gimbal gouge a divet into their fiberglass deck if dropped. Go Fuji Graphite Gimbal w/cover for a happy median.

... That's why we call it CUSTOM rod building, right? Package deal is what works best. - IMO, -Cliff Hall, Gainesville, FL-USA+++



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/31/2005 04:29PM by Cliff Hall.