Curious if anyone has any experience with the EVA / Composite Two-tone grips from from Mudhole. I'm mapping out a Rainshadow Immortal, drop shot build and I really like the looks of these grips. Just wondering about quality and sensitivity. Thanks!

If you can't feel what you need from that blank, the grips weren't the issue, there are lighter options out there, but 90% of building is what you want, what makes you want to pick up that stick and use it.

Anything you add to a rod blank reduces sensitivity. EVA is fairly heavy compared to other grip and handle materials so it will reduce sensitivity even more than products such as cork, urethane foam, etc.

You cannot make a rod more sensitive by adding a handle to it, but a handle or grip is something you need so consider using the lightest and most rigid handle material. Doing so will reduce sensitivity by the least amount possible.


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

I'll offer a different train of thought that applies to me, but I am fairly certain that it applies to the majority of others as well. When you're holding and fishing a spinning rod, or a casting rod for that matter, are you holding the handle? Or are you holding the reel seat?

If you're like me and many others I have fished with or seen fishing, you are holding the reel seat when using a spinning rod. And the reel seat and the reel, when using a casting rod. The butt of your rod hand may be resting on the rear grip, but really not that much of it. You'll feel a bite in your hand through the reel seat, before you'll feel it in the butt of your hand, so why worry about the sensitivity of handle material?

As far as the weight of EVA versus other materials goes. Yes, adding weight to a rod reduces its' sensitivity. But where the weight is located on the rod plays a big role in much the rod's sensitivity will be affected. Weight ahead of the reel seat has a much greater affect on sensitivity than weight at or behind the reel seat. Then you have the whole thing about how weight behind the reel seat can be beneficial as it may help the rod and reel combination achieve a more user friendly balance point;

A neutrally balanced, or even better IMO, a rod that is tip light, is a huge plus when fishing a drop shot. Especially if you are fishing it vertically. You get a lot of pressure bites when fishing a drop shot, and having a rod and reel that is balanced tip light makes feeling those pressure bites much easier.

Anyhow .... I don't worry about how well my rear grip material transmits vibrations. I don't find it to be much of a factor. I also don't worry about how much my rear grip weighs, because for me, weight behind the reel seat is beneficial in most instances. I choose my rear grips based on how I want the rod to look.

Any weight you add to the rod reduces sensitivity even if your hand is not on that particular item or part. A rear grip reduces some of what you can feel while holding the seat. This is why split grip rear handles are preferred by those interested in maximum sensitivity.

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Bruce,
I have used the two-tone grips on several occasions and find them to be comfortable and attractive. It’s a bit heavier than straight cork but it seems sturdier as well.

Thank you for all the great responses. This is just my second build but I find the craft, the technical aspects and the creative outlet incredibly addictive. I'm sure I will have many more questions and I really appreciate having a resource like this to go to.
Now, on to guides. I've been researching the Fuji K concept and have found a deal of information but still feel I have allot to figure out.

Thanks again to all.
-Bruce

Thank you for all the great responses. This is just my second build but I find the craft, the technical aspects and the creative outlet incredibly addictive. I'm sure I will have many more questions and I really appreciate having a resource like this to go to.
Now, on to guides. I've been researching the Fuji K concept and have found a deal of information but still feel I have allot to figure out.

Thanks again to all.
-Bruce

The grips you want to use will work just fine. The only way you will know if you like them is to try them. I assume, you are building the immoral drop shot blank as a spinning rod. If so a KR concept guide train will work extremely well. If you are using a 3000 or smaller reel with light braid or mono/fc, then a reduction train consisting of a KL16H, KL8H, and KL5.5M will work quite well. If your reel is a size 3000 or larger than a reduction train consisting of KL20H, KL10H, and KL5.5M will also work very well. For running guides, I mostly use KB/KT guides in a size of 4.5 or 5 but you could also use size 5,5 or 4, just depends on your preference. The KR GPS at Anglers Resource will give you a very good starting point for the guide layout. However, I will usually use one or two more running guides than the GPS recommends. If you need help with the guide train layout let us know,
[anglersresource.net]
Norm

Once again thank you for the detailed help. That was exactly the conclusion I was coming to...and I would love some help with the guide train layout.
It is in fact a spinning rod build on a Rainshadow Immortal 6' 10" Medium XF blank, 2000 series Carbon X reel, 10 lb. braid with 8 lb. fluorocarbon leader.

Thanks again!
-Bruce

What’s the distance from the butt to front of reel, or distance from front of spool to tip top?

I haven't mounted the reel seat / handle yet but I'd say roughly: Rod butt to spool 11" and spool to tip 69".

Norman and Bruce,
Well I am certainly glad to learn Bruce is building on an Immortal blank rather than Norman’s reference to an “immoral” blank, whew! lol . Jesting aside, Bruce, listen to Norman = he may very well know more about the KR Concept than even the engineers at Fuji in Japan!!!

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

Hey Bruce check out anglers resource and read the page demystifying the KR concept. You'll learn all you need to know in no time. Jim ising sent me there and it cleared up all my questions and gave me the confidence to put that guide train to use. I'm blown away by how well it fishes.

Ok, I made the butt to spool length at 12” which splits the distance of the two numbers you gave. With this number, here is a tentative guide layout I would start with. Measurements are from the tip top in centimeters.
10 - KT (4.5 or 5)
21 - KT (4.5 or 5)
33 - KT (4.5 or 5)
46 - KT (4.5 or 5)
60 - KB (4.5 or 5)
75 - KB (4.5 or 5) - choke guide.
91 - KL5.5M
109. - KL8H
129.5 - KL16H butt guide.
This gives a nice progressive guide layout using nine guides total, two more than recommended by the KR GPS. The butt guide is about 19” in front of the reel spool and the choke guide about 21.5” in front of the butt guide. This layout should give you a good static test and should cast very well. A static test is done to fine tune the guide spacing. I normally use two KB guides following the reduction train. You will use an LG tip top having the same ring size as the running guides. I measure everything using the metric system because it is so much easier than dealing with fractions of an inch. Hope this helps.
Norm

Thank you so much Norman. I really appreciate you taking the time to share so much information. I was following the KR concept on anglers resource but I was questioning the number of guides and the spacing. Can’t wait to get my components to start laying out this build.

Thanks again!