Being somewhat of a beginner I have a stupid question:
Is there a better orientation for the reel seat on a spinning rod? One store-bought rod I have has the screw adjust toward the tip of the rod the other has it toward the butt. The last spinning rod I built I put the nut and moving portion of the reel seat toward the tip since it seemed like it would be less likely to peel the reel out ot the fixed portion of the reel seat.

The easy answer is, whatever feels best to you.

Temporarily mount the seat in both directions, attach the reel, and whatever feels best to you or the user is the correct position.

Thanks, Craig!

If you use braid and decide that you need to use a casting aid, such as a Breakaway Cannon, you will want the reel seat mounted up locking. With the threads toward the butt end, the Breakaway Cannon or other casting aid can easily be mounted on/above the reel's seat and not interfere with installing or removing the reel from the reel seat.

Don Becker

Most of my spinning rod customers prefer to have the seat mounted in the uplocking position, with the threads at the butt end of the rod. This way they don't feel the threads when casting or retrieving.

Terry

I like down locking so my hand is not resting on the threads

Try it both ways to see how YOU like it

Bill - willierods.com

Brent, If I am building a fresh water spinning rod, I prefer the Am Tac Aero seat w/ split grip. I cut off the threads even with the nut and do not have a fore grip. The seat is modified to fit the intended reel. And your fore finger can touch the rod for better sensitivity. This way there are no threads exposed and the whole rod is lighter.
Like Craig said, it is custom--your decision.
Have fun, cause like is too short.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/12/2013 10:08AM by William (Bill) Jones.

I build them both ways when I use an American Tackle Co Aero seat or any fuji seat I almost always use a kdps as they fit pretty much all seats. The trick I found is to cut the kdps tube in the centre and then use a fuji SK hood just a couple of wraps ofmasking tape and your good to go. You also need to remove three threads off the seat on ips and vss seats because it will bottom out and stop the hood from screwing all the way to the end and if the customer really cranks the hood up tightly it will either split or pop the hood eva or cork off the kdps, no need to cut any threads off the aero and the sk hood curve suits it really nicley.

If the customer has the budget the Matagi hood eva and corks work well with the kdps as well, Matagi also has a nice collection of hood like chrome, gold and carbon.

I think rods look and feel much better when the threads are covered

Cheers

Mark Newcombe
Old Bar NSW
Australia
markscustomfishing.com
American Tackle Pro-Staff

Bill,
I used to shorten the threads on reel seats, until I found that when I wanted to try a new reel on my favorite rod, the reel seat was too short.

It is fine to have a rod fit a particular reel.

But many times a rod will last for years and years, but often the fisherman wants to try out a new reel that has just came out and feels better than the former reel.

When that happens, and you can not fit the new reel into the reel seat of the favorite rod that you want to use, then one gets upset.

The cutting of a few threads make next to no difference in weight and virtually no difference in rod handling.

But, do what ever works best for you.

Everyone to their own tastes, but there is a rod design that is very comfortable and gets your thumb and forefinger onto what amounts to an extension of the blank. For most hands a size 17 pipe style seat is a good size, mounted up locking, and if you leave 3/16 inch extra when cutting the threads when a size 2500 reel is mounted it is very unlikely you will find an appropriate reel that won't fit. The next feature is very important, turn a "ramp" so that it runs off the front of the seat at the same diameter as the seat O.D. You can make a matching but smaller ramp off the back just for looks if you want. This is the most comfortable all around configuration that I've found, but you won't see many of them. Most make the ramp either smaller than the seat or use cork foregrips that are larger than the seat. If you want details, email me.

As said The Areo is great for comfort
Buy a straight tube spinning and a aero
I will bet you go for the Aero Seat 0.05

Tape them on the blank and go out and play cast

Bill - willierods.com

THANKS everyone for the great suggestions. I ended up mounting the threads toward the butt end as that felt the best during mockup.
Epoxy is curing now so I'll be able to hold it in my hand tomorrow.

This website is a fantastic resource for information! A huge THANKS to Tom also!

Bill, If you haven't tried the suggestion in my post above, you don't know how it compares with the aero.

Check out the two photos on the subject: [www.rodbuilding.org]

[www.rodbuilding.org]

One thing I don't like about the aero is that it is downlocking which gets me into contact with the treads-the design above yields no contact with the threads or locking nut. Maybe when jigging I move my hands around the front of the grip more than some do.