Hello all,
I am a real newbie (only 3 rods built) and have made a major mistake but i believe it may be for the best. I used the Aero Split Grip kit from Mudhole on all three of my spinning rods. Like most men i didn't follow directions or look at the catalog photos and installed the Aero seat backwards (according to catalog picture) on all three rods. The seat fits very comfortable in my hand and i had no idea i put it on backwards until i looked at some photos on the forum and then at the catalog. I understand that finesse fishing would require the ability to touch the rod blank in front of the seat to feel a bite, but i fish Redfish and Snook and the cork forgrip under my thumb & fingers instead of the threads and nut seem much more comfortable to me. All of my other rods have the lock nut to the rear of the reel seat also.

Just looking for oppinions and to see if anyone else has done the same thing.

BTW love the website and forum, very very informative.

[www.rodbuilding.org]
[www.rodbuilding.org]

Thanks
Jim Scott
Englewood, Florida



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/25/2011 07:39PM by Jim Scott.

This is custom rodbuilding. If you like the way it is built and it works for you it must not be wrong.

There is not right or wrong way to mount the reelseat. If the way you have it feels comfortable in your hands, leave it.

I think the reason they were built the way they were is to have the hump part in the palm of the hand for the comfort

Try building another and put it on as was recommended and see which way you like it

Bill - willierods.com

If you like the way the seat fits your hand, then leave it like that.
Rod building is like building ships in a bottle, if it looks like a wreck, just tell people you meant it to be that way.

I did the very same thing on my first spinning rod. I cover the nut with a foam grip and I love it. Threads and my finger can rest on the rod blank. I build a second like it for a friend and he says it the most comfortable rod he has.

Thank you for all of the comments.
I just added a couple picture links to the original post. You can see what i mean about fingers and thumb on the forgrip. Perhaps its the cracker way i hold my stick. At least i don't hold the reel on top like a lot of the tourists down here do.

J Scott

Looks like an Aero version of the comfortable spinning seat setup Loomis has used for some time. Good job.

Thanks for the pics. I was considering doing my next build the same. I have a friend who likes hanging onto the foregrip when jiggin for walleyes. I think this setup would work well.

Steve

That is the way I perfer to use the reel seat also. To me it's more comfortable, I even leave out the foregrip. I've built a bunch for customers and haven't had any complaints. [www.rodbuilding.org]
As said before this is custom rodbuilding.

Good luck.

Think about this: when do you ever grip the area immediately behind a spinning reel with a full hand grip? Either one or two fingers will be behind the reel stem. And when fighting a large fish with a spinning reel you would tend to grip up the rod away from the reel stem.

Finally like others said, if it feels comfortable to you, then it's correct.