I just received my first Bushido blanks to build for a new customer. These are impressive blanks! The customers biggest concern was balance. The majority of blanks I have built on have been MHX. On these I have saved the info on different models and know where to place the components to achieve a well balanced rod. By well balanced I build to a slightly heavy on the butt of the rod to avoid any chance of it being tip heavy. To myself this seems to make the rod more sensitive. My question is how do you start from scratch?, tape everything together and adjust? If you guys have any advice please give it up.

I would think a proper handle length for the specific task would be more appropriate than adjusting it to achieve balance. You can make the rod balance about anywhere you want if you adjust handle length, but then you may wind up with a rod that isn't comfortable or able to do what the customer needs it to do.

In most cases the best you can do is keep the guide weight as low as possible to keep weight off the tip. Even then if the rod is long enough that may not be enough and you'll have to go back and add weight to the butt, if you want a neutral or even butt balance.

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I hate -- HATE -- adding weight to the butt of a rod. I've read of some surf guys who add as much as 5 or 6 ounces of lead to the butt -- that, to me, is utter insanity.

Tom is right: everything in this game is a tradeoff, and achieving neutral balance usually comes at the expense of configuring the handle correctly. This is especially true with long surf rods: it's just about impossible to get an 11- or 12-foot rod to achieve neutral balance without adding weight to the butt, and this is a big no-no for me.

I'll add one thing: sometimes, a rod that is a little bit tip-heavy can be a good thing. If you have a rod that will be fished with the tip down, like a boat plugging rod where during retrieve the tip will be close to the water, tip-heaviness can actually be a good thing. It can allow the angler to get the rod into position with virtually no effort.

Chuck,
As Tom said, use common sense. If the blank is a long blank, make the handle longer so that the reel sits further up the blank. On a shorter blank, you can use a shorter handle. Use the appropriate sized guides for the application and go build the rod. As long as you use common sense and appropriate sized components the rod will come out very well.

I do suggest that you do NOT use any weight in an attempt to balance a rod. Rather, use the right components in the right location and you will have a great rod.

Be safe

I hope that's not what I said. Handle length should be figured on the caster's arm length, position needed for fish fighting and for casting. It shouldn't have anything to do with the length of the blank.

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Have added lead to the butt to achieve the desired balance point. Felt as if I needed a shower afterwards.

Tom,
I read and understand your words, but often, in the best interest of the clients needs, it is a better option to move the reel seat up the rod to achieve a better balanced rod, than to have a shorter handle, but with a very tip heavy rod.

It is up to the client.

I would always opt for whatever is the proper length handle for the task required.

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For me, it is not so much about balance as reducing weight at the tip end of the blank. Handle length can go a long way in doing this, as can the correct guides and placement. MicroWave guides are wonderful for reducing weight at the tip end of the blank, while not sacrificing rod characteristics. Airwave guides, or TidalWave Titanium guides are even better.

As Tom said, build the rod for the task at hand first and foremost, IMO blank length out ahead of your hand is giving you length used to improve casting distance and fishability, blank behind your hand is just a stick if all it's doing is balancing the rod.
Opinion compiled while fishing rods 8 to 10 1/2 ft. in length on a regular basis, you can't balance one of these unless you melt down an old Buick bumper. Still we seem to catch fish with them, and they taste better than bass do too. Time to catch another summer chinook with one of my extremely tip heavy rods.

Right - if you're having to move the reel seat up to obtain the balance you want, just stick with a shorter blank to begin with.

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Another thing that is done for some very long rods is to move the reel way back and have an extremely long fore grip.

That way, you get all of the length needed for casting, but you can move your hand to where ever you wish for actually working the rod when fishing in perfect balance.

[www.cabelas.com]

Chris Garrity Wrote:
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> I'll add one thing: sometimes, a rod that is a
> little bit tip-heavy can be a good thing.
> If you have a rod that will be fished with the tip
> down, like a boat plugging rod where during
> retrieve the tip will be close to the water,
> tip-heaviness can actually be a good thing. It can
> allow the angler to get the rod into position with
> virtually no effort.

Indeed. I've explored this both ways and found slightly tip heavy to be conducive to feeling light takes. Having to exert downward force, even if slight, takes away from sensitivity. Conversely, lifting a slight tip heavy rod or neutral balanced rod up to 10:00 has no negative effects to my hand/feel. Supporting a bit of rod weight out front increases feel nicely for me regardless of position. Too tip heavy? Not good.

Chuck, which blanks did you get and what are they going to be used for?
Norm

Bushido 7'3" MH, I shortened one to 7'. Customer wanted a 7' worm rod and a 7'3" MH just for general use. They will be used for bass fishing on Lake Fork.

Thanks, I am looking for one that can be used as a general speckled trout and red fish spin rod to throw 1/4 oz jigs with grubs and top water soft plastic jerk baits, with an occasional popping cork. This will be for a friend who lives in Charleston, SC. Thinking either the MB73 ML or SJ72ML.
Concerning your originall question, I have found that balance is not much of an issue when the tip is fished down. I have gotten away from the older and heavier traditional guide trains and have switch almost exclusively to the Fuji KR guides for both spinning and casting. However, for light rods have been using the minima M & F guide combinationn for spinning. Also use the microwave guides but only for spinning. With these lighter guide trains, balance has not been much of an issue. For me balance becomes more of an issue with rods that are 7'6" and longer.
Norm



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/05/2016 12:03PM by Norman Miller.