Many references are made to "rod balance," and weight kits are marketed to improve the "balance" of a rod.
Is rod balance an objective measurement or is it a subjective matter of feel or preference? If it's an objective thing what are the measurements? If it's a subjective thing how can a custom rodmaker take "balance" into account BEFORE assembling the rod?

The way you can improve “balance” before assembly is to do everything possible to reduce weight in front of the reel. Every gram that you add will reduce performance of the rod in many ways not just balance.

To me balance is a subjective thing, that is why the kits that I sell are adjustable, how much weight to add if any is dependent on the rod, reel, technique, and personal preferences.

I won’t try to convince anyone to add weight to their rods for no reason, I only use the balance kits on some of my own rods for certain techniques. But if you do decide to add weights I provide what I believe is best way to do it.

For me, a more balanced rod has the center of balance closest to the center of the reel. I reference the center of the reel because I palm the reel when fishing, so that's my fulcrum. If you put your hand in front or behind the reel, your optimum balance point will be different. The closer you can get to this spot, the more neutral a rod/ reel combo will feel in you hand. I notice this most when I am pitching and flipping and not so much any other time, even when using a high tip like Texas rig and jig fishing.

As I've started building rods again, I am focusing on making them as light as possible and in doing so, may not have them as balanced as they could be. I haven't transitioned to the micro guides yet, but I've built a few rods with all singles except the first guide and this has made a difference. I build only split grips and for the most part, only 7' plus rods, so they're all tip heavy to start.

My goal is to build a 7'6" pitching stick that weighs 4 ozs or so and to pair it with a 50 mg or Revo Premier for a 10 oz combo with great power for bass fishing. For this rod, I'll really work on making it as balanced as possible, not to the point of adding weight, but maybe to the point of trying the micro guides. Thankfully, there are a bunch of examples on here I can follow.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/05/2008 12:07PM by Robert Russell.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

Steve G.:

Thanks for the link. I caught up on this informative web. I am chiefly concerned with fly rods, where sensitivity to the pick-up of the bait is not a top priority. Nonetheless, the "balance" of a fly rod, exclusive of reel weight or line weight, continues to be a frequent concern among many anglers and custom built rod customers. I would appreciate suggestions of how to relieve anxiety over "balance" before building a custom fly rod.

Phil,

The balance you are referring to is (correct me if I am wrong) the idea that the fly rod should balance on your hand at a certain point on the grip, either at the index finger or some other position. The general term used for this "balance" is "fulcrum point".
It is my position that this is entirely irrelevant to the proper functioning of a fly rod.

Here is how I explain my position on this issue:
I come from the "lighter is better" camp. Let's just consider basic physics. Let's say you balance your rod perfectly with the reel and line of your choice so that the so-called fulcrum point is right where you like it (front of the grip, middle, whatever). Now what happens to that fulcrum point as soon as you take 30 or more feet of the line OFF of the reel and put it out in front of the tip of the rod? Where is the fulcrum point now?

I believe that the less weight your arm has to lift and throw all day the better, and this is much more significant than where the "fulcrum" point is in a non-fishing, static mode.

Hope that helps,

Walt

Phil.

I would think relieving the anxiety of balance prior to the build would be a little difficult. If you static test your build and tape the guides in place and then take it out to the front lawn with line and reel in hand, you can get a pretty good feel for balance. Naturally you have to be gentle with your casts so as not to rip the guides off. The problem here is that the wraps and epoxy have not been added yet, so some complenstion must be taken after the build is complete if you really wanted to get the rod truly balanced. I basically just go by feel just infront of the reel and at the end of the cork. More or less where my little finger would grasp the cork. To me that would be the fulcrum. You may be able to add a tiny bit of weight into the reel seat prior to installing your butt cap if you really wanted to get a true balance. I don't know how many people would really notice a gram or two added in the reel seat though.

Harold

I think the balance is different for every rod...I like my crankin rods to be tip heavy and I like for my jig/worm rods to be butt heavy.


I use tungsten powder mixed with epoxy to weight my rods

I have not made any adjustments for balance on the fly rods I've built. The larger and heavier the rod the larger and heavier the reel (and line) needed...and this seems to balance things well enough for me.

The point about using the smallest and lightest components for the job, as mentioned above, is crucial! Irregardless of balancing factors, keeping weight off the rod (especially the tip section) will make it a better fishing tool in my opinion.

Excellent point about the fulcrum point changing with line out or in.

In Costa Rica I used a 12 wt. rod to cast to sailfish with about a 350 gram sinking line (to counteract the wind and get a bulky topwater popper out there). Not the best balance in the world to say the least...but when a 110# sail takes the fly and runs off with it, the rod feels just perfect to me for some reason! :)

My two cents is to keep as much weight off the rod as is practical...and that will be all the balance you need.

Good luck! Les