Hey everyone,

I'm getting ready to build a rod for my girlfriend. It's a RG C2MF66. 6'6" Spinning. Butt diameter is .503. I was planning on ordering now since the free shipping promotion runs out Saturday. The issue is the size 18 reel seats are backordered. She has fairly small hands. Can I get away with a size 17 reel seat on this build or should I opt for the size 20. I'd like to order it from RG with the blank so I can get over the minimum needed for free shipping and then she'll have the "Pretty" reel seat to match the "pretty" rod. Any recommendations?

The 17 will be fine. I have used 16 Aero seats on that blank in the past.

Chris Richer
Iroquois ON

Even with small hands she may prefer the size 20. Most seats are far too small for the average human hand as it is. Perhaps try letting her hold a couple wooden dowels in the approximate sizes and let her determine which one feels best to her.

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Thank you Chris and Tom. I'll try that out.

Anthony,
Actually for your friend, if she has typical hands, I would build the rod with a size 16 reel seat.

Be safe.

If you are talking about Aero seats you will get a different answer than if you are talking about regular straight seats. You looking at Aero seats?

I have very large hands and prefer smaller reel seats. Rarely go above a size 17 for my personal rods. I tend to use the smallest reel seat that will fit the blank, less bushing needed and thus more sensitive in my opinion. Different strokes for different folks. That's what makes a rod custom.
Norm

I have large hands and use size 17 on all my bass and pike rods. Size 16 on panfish rods.
DG

Unless your gf is an avid fisho I dont think it matters. If she isnt just let her use a size 16.

Give you an example. I let my gf try my twinpower and my sienna. She cant tell the difference. So she uses the sienna.

My wife has small hands and she absolutely does not want to work with a rod that has a reel seat larger than a size 16.
How many times has she told me this??

Just as an aside and something to consider - all of the bio-mechanical and ergonomics studies ever done, particularly those by the military during the late 1940's and into the 1950's, indicate that nearly all handles, for tools, etc., are much too small in diameter.

The smaller diameter the reel seat is, the more effort is required by the human hand to hold it or to apply or resist force through it. Sometimes it is helpful to not only have a person hold a reel seat, but have one on a rod that you can apply pressure while they're holding it.

Of course, not all reel seats are actually held in the hand. Depends on the type of rod and fishing that's being done.

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