I built a 'shooter' type casting rod for pitching laydowns in close quarters with bank brush. I discovered that I made a poor choice for locating my hook keeper (on the 180-degree axis near the front of the reel seat) for this build because my braided line often caught that keeper (a single foot fly guide). A picture of a rod in a sponsor's catalogue showed a casting rod with the hook keeper on the 0-degree axis. I wondered if that placement was less foul-prone than other locations. Guess I could tape one on and try it.

That got me thinking about hook keepers in general, and the variety of types, where they are located, and whether or not they are even necessary in some cases. Not all my builds have keepers.

What are your preferences?

I see that Mark T. did a thread on this topic about a year ago. I better read that, too.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/21/2022 11:35AM by Leslie Cline.

My personal preference is to not have a keeper unless it is a fly rod or a drop shot rod. I only put keepers on by request otherwise. This is just my personal preference.

Casting rods I hook to the reel.

Spinning I hook to the butt guide.

Spin cast I hook to butt guide.

The best place to put a keeper is on the same side of the blank as the reel and close enough to the reel face that any line rotation or potential slap will not contact the keeper. Putting it on the opposite side and out farther will result in you line hooking it, especially on windy days with braid.

On one of the rods I built, I put it on the side, ie, 90 degrees to the reel. I regretted it. I often caught the line on it. It's best on the same side as the reel as Arron states.

I like keepers on everything except salt water fly rods. On those I leave enough line off the reel to keep the fly on the frame of one of the first two guides after wrapping the leader behind the reel and then forward. Things happen so fast in salt that I don't want anything on the rod that might catch the line.

On spin and cast I put it about an inch in front of the forward most grip/seat/ramp at 180 and have never had a lilne tangling problem. BUT I seldom pitch, so if I did that I might encounter a problem.

90 degrees to the right on spin proved a disaster with an open drop shot keeper. Both my son and I found this not a good place for an open keeper.

I don't like them on the butt behind the grip on split grip rods because my hands get into that area a lot and I don't like to feel them. It also puts the hands too close to the hooks when moving rods in and out of rod lockers.

If one uses one of the guides on cast/spin and uses vertical rod holders to hold them while not being used it puts the hooks too high and risks getting hooks caught on peoples clothing. Better to have them lower for this situation.

I like single foot wire fly guides for keepers, very unobtrusive, they work well, and corrosion resistance is better than that for the keepers which are called stainless but the grade is never specified. I have had them corrode. Never had a top quality wire fly guide corrode.

I cast right-handed and crank left-handed with spinning and baitcasting.
The hook keeper is at 225 (top being zero).
I find that all I have to do is a slight hand twist and the keeper is fully exposed.

I like using a hook keeper and find them useful, but some people will not use them for various reasons. I put the hook keeper 180 degrees from the reel, ie for casting on the bottom, for spinning on top. I also place the keeper as close to the reel as possible when mounting in front of the reel. I have also mounted the keepers behind the reel when using a split grip, but prefer it in front of the reel. I make my own open end hook keepers from titanium welding wire, and the design of my hook keeper is less prone to grabbing line than a commercial drop shot keeper design. if interested I published how to make these keepers a few years ago in RodMaker magazine ( volume 21 - issue 1 - page 14) and also posted on how to make them here on rod board.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

[www.rodbuilding.org]

[www.rodbuilding.org]
[www.rodbuilding.org]

Norm



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/21/2022 04:13PM by Norman Miller.

I put keepers on all of the rods I build, and I always put them on the bottom of the rod. The 180 degree position I guess?

The only rods I use drop shot keepers on, are rods that I will be using a snap lock to connect to the bait. So crankbait, and topwater rods. It's easy to hook the tail hook of the bait into them, and when you don't have a bait on, the loop of the snap lock goes right over the end of the keeper.

All other rods I use the small size double footed loop keepers. I tried a drop shot keeper on a drop shot rod, and hated it. So I bought some of the 1" wide velcro strapping that will hook to itself when wrapped around something. I put about a 2" piece and just wrapped it around the weight and the blank to hold it in place when storing the rod (s).

The only rod or rods I don't have keepers on are the two Shimano Speed Master Fighting rods I still have. The pistol grip one is a dedicated spinnerbait rod. No need for one on it. And the other one I use for spinnerbaits or when walking a frog. Really no need for a keeper on it either. Otherwise, I like hook keepers.

The position question is interesting to me. I have zero problems with having them on the bottom of the rod, even with spinning reels. But I am building a spinning rod for a friend and fellow tournament competitor, and he wants it on the side of the blank. After reading some of the comments, I am going to talk to him again and ask him if he is absolutely sure.

Wow! Thanks, Norm! Your design looks sweet! Any research or experience updates to the data you posted (I noticed it was 2017)?

Still Grade 2 TIG welding rods? Diameter between 0.025 and 0.040 inches?

Something that has worked well for us is a "drop-shot" style hook-keeper mounted up-stream from the first guide
Simply incorporate it into the wrap holding the butt guide on.
It is out of the way, nothing will grab the line because the butt guide has already captured it.
All the set ups that mount near the grips have had complaints thru the years.
Try it, you might like it.

Best wishes,
Ron Schneider
Schneider's Rod Shop
Mountain Home, Arkansas
[www.schneidersrods.com]
mtnron40@yahoo.com
870-424-3381

Leslie - If you want to try one of my hook keepers email me and I will send you a couple.
Norm

I build only fly rods and only one of my customers wants a hook keeper. As mentioned above, in fly fishing it is best to keep all the knots outside the guides! To do this most fly fishermen I know pull out the leader and some line, then loop it around the reel and hook the fly on a guide somewhere up the rod. Thus you just, unhook the fly and you have enough outside the tip to start casting.

I've been making my own as per Norm since the article appeared in Rodmaker. Each rod honors him in a small way, and he deserves it.

Most of my builds are casting rods for using here on the Tx coast and I incorporate several of the good ideas already posted. I, like some, mount the hook keeper on the 180 deg side of the rod. Like Rob mentioned I mount it upstream, from the fore grip but not as far. On one side of the keeper’s wrap I incorporate a two turn inlay in the wrap that serves as the 15” marker from the end of the fore grip which I use to measure the min legal keeper length of speckled trout. It’s usually a few inches short of the first guide (and beneath) which keeps it from snagging on the line leaving the reel. An additional advantage is that I like to carry an extra rod on my back. This keeper height keeps the lure away from my clothing and away from my head. And it’s usually low enough to slide on a rod sock when I’m transporting without covering and snagging whatever is hooked to the keeper. Works well for me.

Leslie,
Hook keepers are certainly a personal preference = neither good or bad. While I could not answer definitively why the difference, I Like them on my UL trout rods but not my saltwater rods. But if installing a hook keeper on ANY of my rods, it WILL be a Norman Miller Hook Keeper!!! Every aspect is absolutely perfect, especially Form Follows Function but also easy to make, definitely custom, and just plain look GOOD! I have installed them at 0* and 180* and haven’t really noticed a difference. I should be PO’d with Norman because I have had customers comment on the hook keeper before commenting on the thread wraps lol.

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

I don't use hook keepers, but if I did, it would be the one Norm makes. I like the way it allows the hook to be slid out the back door without the aggravation of the barb hanging up on the keeper.

Every rod has a built-in hook keeper. It's right next to the front reel seat.

Which reel seat is the front one?

Lynn, it,s the other one..lol.