Is this just a personal opinion or is there a "right" way?
Typically I just put the real seat threads to where I feel the rod balances the best.
What do you all do?

Put your reel in the seat in both directions and bring it down over the blank to where you might fish with it, see which you like best. There's no wrong way. Research the type hood and nut you like as that might limit your choice of direction.

I tend to put the threads to the front.

...............

Depends on the rod for me but typically threads toward the butt. Bass rods with triggers you wont have a choice, light rods fishing under 10# of drag doesn't seem to matter either. Anything heavier, I typically have the threads toward the butt whenever possible. Fishing heavy line / drag, it pulls the reel forward. If the threads are in the front and the reel seat loosens, its really hard to tighten the hood against the pull of the drag. If the hood loosens with the threads at the back, its much easier to tighten the hood right back up since theres no downward force against it; the drag is pulling the reel up against the fixed hood. It is totally preference, but thats how I came to choose mine.

Best of luck,
Nick



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/02/2020 12:21AM by Nick Lam.

I personally dislike uplocking reel seats on spinning rods. In my experience, they seem more prone to loosening during use. Because of this I mount my spinning reel seats in the down locking position, in other words with the threads forward. Also by putting the threads forward you gain a few inches of rod length in front of the spinning reel spool.
Norm

on spinning rods I tend not to use reel seats

I build my spin rods with up-locking seats for one reason only- it allows me to have a smooth transition from the seat (the fixed hood, which is smooth) onto a short ramp to the blank thus facilitating getting the fingers onto the blank/ramp without feeling the threads. I've had one tend to loosen with very many rods built this way. That's easy to fix.

I have been using Fuji's locking collar nut on all my spinning reel seats for the last few years , they work great . I prefer downlocking seats .

Wes,
I suppose it really boils down to personal preference as there are benefits to both up-locking and down-locking reel seats and hence not really a right or wrong way. Hopefully, other will chime in with reasoning of their preferred direction. Before I started building rods, I had never given it any thought as all the rods I had purchased were up-locking. You have received good replies stating preferences for both.
For spinning rods, I agree with Tom and Norman = down-locking. In addition to their comments, the threads can be hidden under the nut/foregrip which is very appealing to me. However, for saltwater rods with a conventional reel, I build up-locking for reasons Nick explained.
And then there is Steve’s comment,”On spinning rods, I tend to not use reel seats”. Perhaps he has discovered, as I have, that a Tennessee handle on light rods is superior to any threaded seat; it is lighter, the reel position can be adjusted to accommodate different circumstances, a spin or fly reel can be used, and an overlooked attribute is that it produces the most comfortable transition between the grip and reel of anything else = as if the grip was molded around the reel feet. I fabricate my own tapered slip rings from woven CF/ Kevlar sleeving which never slip or loosen and afford the comfort described above. All of my personal trout rods will utilize the benefits of a Tennessee handle from now on.
Whatever you decide, you will be correct.

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

I also use the Fuji LOGR backstop lock nut. I find myself building most spin rods uplocking. I don't like foregrips. For instance with a size 16 Fuji TVS seat, standard metal hood, LOGR nut. I then trim excess threads and install it uplocking. A size 17WCS check is used to terminate the seat where the foregrip would have been. Nice compact package. Whole deal measures a pinch over 4.5". I cut my threads pretty close. Closer than some would advise. The LOGR lock nut is the shortest I see offered.

Mark Talmo comment- "an overlooked attribute is that it produces the most comfortable transition between the grip and reel of anything else "

precisely one of the 2 reasons I don't use seats on spinning rods

the other being sensitivity

One thing Mark does that I do not, is to move reel around in different locations.
I only use graphite tubing and once the reel's location is determined
I permanently wrap the reel to the seat the same way your wrap a guide to the blank



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/02/2020 08:30PM by Steve Gardner.

Very interesting and intriguing, Steve, and certainly unique and custom. If I understand your description correctly, the reel is permanently affixed to the CF handle via wrapping thread and finish epoxy. That would produce an even thinner mount for the reel than my .025in thick composite slip rings. The only question I have is regarding transportation and storage of the rod with the reel attached or when servicing the reel is required; what do you do? Sorry to step on your post, Wes.

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

Do whatever is more comfortable to fish with the type of seat you are using. I will go either way depending on the seat. Typically you want more grip in front of the seat on spinning rods. To me the most important aspect is comfort when casting and fishing.

I think this is a very good example of what makes a custom rod custom. It all about doing what you like, not what someone else likes. Little things like a reel seats and grips can make a difference.
Norm

As usual, you are right-on-point, Norman!

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

I mount the reel seat down locking, (assuming spinning rod) and my reason is strictly for comfort. I don't like the heel of my hand resting on the exposed threads. I've seen people use a hidden thread fore grip as their rear grip with an up locking reel seat. Of course with that set up, they are using a split rear grip. That's an option I haven't tried, but may sometime in the future.

As far as the threaded barrel extending forward and obstructing contact with the rod blank. I started cutting my thread barrels short. Leaving them only long enough to have one full thread exposed past the hood nut, when the reel is installed in the seat. I use a little 3/8" thick nub that I make out of EVA to seal the end of the thread barrel. That nubs OD matches the OD of the thread barrel. When I take the reel off or put it on the nut will start to pass over the EVA nub and almost come completely off the threaded barrel when putting the reel foot in. I actually have to slide it in one end of the seat before it clears the back half enough to fit in place.

Not a good idea if you are building a rod that may see different makes or different sizes of reels, but I only build for myself, and I only use one brand and one size reel on all of my spinning rods, so it works for me.

I cut all my threads short also. I have a basket full of spinning reels at a wide range of ages, of the size we typically use, (bass type) and all the feet measure the same. If foot length increases in the future, I have a grinder.

Mark
I don't remove reels for storage, and just service them attached to the blank.
If a reel wears out, (has happened twice in the last 30 years) just replace like you would a broken guide.

On the one occasion I had a reel break in a tournament I removed it and put another on temporally with electrical tape then mounted it permanent when I got back in town
when a rod breaks, relocate the reel to another

Here is link to picture and article I wrote several years back
So you can see how it looks
[www.rodmakermagazine.com]

Thanks for your input.
Its a light spinning rod so its getting down locking threads because it just "seems better."

Steve,
Thanks for the picture; it is what I envisioned from your description and very nice. Thread wrapping the reel feet must be a bit of a PITA considering the rotor and butt of the reel extend past the ends of the feet = in the way of the thread each revolution. What do you do, use a hand-held thread bobbin?

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.