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Why did people get away from using Pistol grips? I thought they were extremely populer in the early 90's, but I dont' hear anythign about them anymore?

Things come and go. From the 70's to the late 80's or early 90's, they were all the rage. Then guys started to favor rods with straight handles for two-handed casting. I remember when the first Lew's Laser rods came out in the mid 80's and they had straight and longer handles for two-handed casting and better leverage when fighting fish. Within a year it seems like everybody had them and pistol grips were on the way out.

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I think back then the thought was long rods for flipping and short rods for casting. Now it's the longer the rod the further you can cast with less effort to reach your target. Some guys I talk to say they their wrist would start hurting after a while as well. I think they a great for close quarters and times when accuracy is important.

I've been meaning to make a split grip handle using a pistol grip cork piece. I think it's going to be a really nice deal once I get one of 'em done. Just sounds like too good of a deal to me and should be much more comfortable (less pressure on the wrist) than a plain pistol grip.

Putter
Williston, ND

Putter I have made many handles like the one you are talking about. All of my customers love them too.

Neal Cissel
Neal's Fishing Products

I did a pair similar to that for a guy also. Worked out pretty good! Wish you could get them in Burl! Gonna flock the next one!!

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

The pistol grip has lost popularity over the past few decades, Jimmy huston and Hank Parker are about the only Pros that once had signature production rod deals that offered the pistol grip style. Its alot easier to underhand roll cast a spinnerbait, where the spinnerbait circles (clockwise) over the tip and is released as it comes under with a forward motion below the tip, producing a very low to the water presentation with little entry splash.

This can be murder in the wrist because one hand casts like this are all wrist, but are eaiest to learn when you lay the reel handle over to one side when casting using your wrist then, with its greatest range of motion. (thumb up hitch hiking bad offset to the inside good) Thats why ppl tend to cast baitcasters side arm; they are using their wrist correctly, Which you really can't do when You two hand cast. (You can't put three men in the boat who all casting side are either) Furthemore, it you do overhead cast with your reel handel to the side you can shift the conglomerated spline 60 degrees to the right and make the blank cast more accurately as it is oriented better for the power stroke of the cast, the trade off is you won't have a much. power when fighting a fish.

Huston can produce great casts with a very minor flick of the wrist. Long trigger rear grips get in the way of this quick wrist fliping motion, But where the long trigger handle is nice is for working under water walk-the -dog stick baits where you slap the long rear grip against your forearm, and then the rod recoils back forward (you reel in the slack line then) putting you in position to start again with another slap

A customer with tennis elbow wants a pistol grip 6'6" crank bait rod. I think the only solution is to balance the rod to lessen the strian I guess I'll counter bore the end of the grip and fill it with lead...Or in the worst case overbore the grip and wind the blank with lead. I've got a feeling pistol grips are coming back.

I sure hope they come back with the flared end that St Croix used to sell in their CG-10 handle kit. I have a customer that has 6 rods all with pistol grips that have had 1" removed making them 3.5" long

Any one have any of the flared end grips laying around?

Rolly

I had a bass fisherman order a 5 foot casting rod, with a pistol grip. He uses it with 20# line for spinnerbaits. I built a pistol grip that looked and worked pretty good, with a Fuji seat and about 4 inches of cork (blank through). I didn't have the skill to make it flared like the St. Croix, but put a rubberized cork piece on the butt and left it bigger in diameter than the cork. I actually worked really well.
If i ever get ahead in time, I am gonna make myself about a 5 1/2 footer with a pistol grip. Great for short accurate casts.
Steve Broadwell

if by pistol grip I`m reading you right in thinking a small finger trigger...
it alows you to put pressure on with ya pinkey alowing for a greater distance i used them when i first started tournement casting but came away from them as i grew in confidence
dunno maybe it a physcological thing too

allen

Richard,
I don't think adding weight to the butt of that crankbait rod is necessary. You can comfortably fish a crankbait rod that is tip heavy because the rod is fished tip down and the natural tension of the crankbait swimming through the water lightens the tip as you reel it in. I think the rod must balance somwhat in the presentation position, not on your finger in the horizontal position unless that's the way you're going to fish it.