I am building a Shikari MU703 for my dad. He is going to be throwing bucktails, spinners and pike baits on his once a year trip to Canada, and he wants to be able to use it for swimbaits while bass fishing. I have the grips done but I havent mounted anything because we can't decide on what reelseat to use. The only other Musky rod I have done I used a TCSD. So, all you musky guys, what would you use and why?

Thanks,

If possible...the ECSM. I like the feel a little better and I feel that palming the reel is a bit easier. That's if the blank is of a size that an ECS will fit on it.


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Better to have and not need than to need and not have.

The Shikari only had a butt diameter of around .6 inches so finding a ECSM or the new Fuji ACS reelseat shouldn't be a problem. That's the way I'd go.

I build about 20 musky rods a year, and over 150 in my life; my standard seat is a TDPSD-20. I'd recommend a 20mm seat, or at the very least, an 18mm. However, it depends on the reel to be used on the rod. Typically, musky fishermen larger, round, Shimano Calcutta 400/ Daiwa Luna300/ ABU Garcia 6500 type reels. If this is the case, I would strongly recommend a 20mm seat. If a smaller low-profile reel is to be used, you could get away with an18mm seat. At any case, I think that putting the smallest seat that will fit is not the best idea.

Many musky fishermen, myself included, do not palm the reel, but rather hold the rod by the foregrip. This allows for a long day of casting with much less hand/wrist fatigue, as well as a better grip and hookset power when a large fish hits at boatside, or anywhere, for that matter. Keep in mind that many musky lures, especially the double-bladed bucktails (spinners) that are all the rage now, create lots of resistance when retrieved. Palming a reel while using one of these lures is a recipe for a very sore wrist.