Hello all. I am trying to build myself a micro panfish rod. I found a 20" UL blank and now I'm just trying to get it all together. I know I can buy premade ice rod handles, but I want to checkerboard the cork so I'm looking to save some room on the reel seat. The local shop where I usually buy components doesn't really have what I need so I thought I would ask here where I'm sure some ice rods have been built before. It never snows in socal lol.

So having said that, do any of you know of any tiny reel seats to match this tiny rod?

Also, do you guys think I should use a stripper and snake guides/wire guides or should I use micro guides?

Thanks

A straight cork grip with a pair of anodized sliding aluminum rings is the lightest reel seat around, not counting adhesive tape.

You should check with Janns Netcraft, they carry some really nice smaller handle kits. Buy the kit and throw the cork away otherwise, you'll have to build up arbors to accomplish a good fit to the 16mm seats.

If you're looking for light, I just use castrating bands from a local farm supply store and slide them up onto a solid cork handle.

Keep in mind that your hand is the same size regardless of the rod size. There is a lot to be said for sizing the reel seat to your hand, not the rod.

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Hidden Boot Comfort Seat Design, Make it the length you want, [www.youtube.com]

Tom makes a lot of sense, use a Fuji 18, or 20 mm DNPS reel seat mounted threads forward and it's going to be comfortable and long enough that you don't need any cork grips, just something to plug the ends.

I forgot to comment on your guide selection.

This will depend greatly on your reel type. Are you looking for a spinning or casting? If you are going spinning, I prefer the Pac Bay Minima M as they are a good light weight guide, can handle abuse well, and do not take away from the action of the blank. Personally I do not like the fly guides as I seem to have issues with the reduction on a rod that length. When you get a fish on, the smaller fly guides seem to give a lot of "uneven/chunking" in the retrieve.

These are just my thoughts anyways, good luck with the build.

Tom, I understand where you're coming from and I have to remember that this will not be used in the COLD weather, it's hard to forget the cold weather when thinking small panfish rods. One thing I have been doing lately with all my rods, musky casting thru small panfish rods is going to a 1.5" diameter cork handle. I use decoy cork, high density compressed cork, that I can get TONS of rods out for low cost, but these are all personal rods so I'm not worried about how pretty they are.

You might try a pipe seat such as the Forecast BPSTGV216. It's a size 16 seat but feels smaller due to the absence of a fixed front hood. It's a classic seat that's been around quite a while. Ours comes with a soft texture finish that's nice in cold weather.

The Batson Team
www.batsonenterprises.com