I have a spinning rod built with a very long cork butt section I was unhappy with the way it hits my side and how low I have to anchor it when fighting. I could see some fertility damage in the future! My plan was to remove the butt cap and then cut the cork and blank to the desired length sand the cork diameter down to fit the ID of the cap and re epoxy the cap on. Any one do this before? Am I on the right course here?

If you dont like the way it is now there is no reason
why you cant change it. Your plan is on the right course

Anyone concidering trimming a rod blank should see this
before doing any such modifications.

[www.rodbuilding.org]


Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/23/2006 05:34PM by Raymond_Adams.

I've run across this situation before too, not because I didn't like the end placement of the reel seat, but because the only blanks I could find were longer than I wanted them to be. Of course, being a newbie, I was too chicken to cut them down to the length I wanted, and left them as is.

Since I don't want to hijack this post, I'm going to create a new post. Cheers.

Jason,
I have shortened many factory spinning rods that had handles that I felt were too long for me. They were all more to my liking when done. I have just started to build my own rods and they will have short handles!

Raymond,
I looked at your link and don't understand how the rod action is going to be changed on a rod that the handle/reel seat is already glued in place??

Now on the other hand I am a little concerned with my attempts to build my own spinning rods with short handles. Does placing the reel seat 2 or 3 inches one way or the other on the rod blank have the same affect as shortening the rod?? Or I guess in my case where I like short handles am I lengthening the rod??

Thanks
George

Hi George,
No, the position on the blank might have an effect on feel and or balance but will
NOT have the same effect as trimming the blank from either end.

Rod action is determined by where the most bend occur es between the tip and butt
of the blank so where you put the reel seat does not matter or change the "action" of
the blank as a whole.

I'm at a loss for words as to how to best describe what I'm trying to say. I bet others
will chime in with the words that escape me at the moment.

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

I had the same thing happen this weekend. The pompano rod I built was a tad too long in the butt and would catch my shirt when I cast. I came home and took the butt cap off and cut about 1.5" off with a hacksaw. I then installed a butt plug. It still looks good and works great now.