I am building a 7'-6 MH Fast rod that will primarily be a top water frog rod. What is a good handle length for something like this? FYI I don't have anything in my shop to measure or reference. I was thinking 10" but I'm not sure

Handle length in inches is not a good way to express things - check the latest issue of RodMaker for an explanation on that.

We all hold our rods and reels differently, so a 10 inch handle for you might put the rod butt at your elbow, while it might put it beyond or short of someone else's elbow. So ask yourself where the rod butt needs to hit your arm for the best fish fighting and casting qualities. I'm thinking that you're going to want the rod butt for that rod to reach back to within an inch of your elbow. So make the rear grip however long it needs to be there to hit your arm at that point based on how you hold the rod and feel while fishing.

One last thing to consider - are you throwing frogs that might require a very long handle? This is the only reason I'd ever have a freshwater rod with a rear handle that extended beyond my elbow. If you're not using that additional length for casting, it's just wasted length that could be served you better on the "other" end of the rod. So unless you need more length for casting, set the butt length so that you can effectively fight the average fish you normally catch.

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Good advice, clear and complete, well expained, Tom. Too often builders focus on "handle length" instead of the true parameters of ergonomics. I always emphasize it's the reel position that needs to be considered since seats vary. And the techniues and even the clothing expected to be worn.

At Tackle Ware house you can see handle lengths listed for similar rods built for your intended purposes. They measure from butt to front of foregrip, but it gets you in the ballpark.

G Loomis, St. Croix, and other used to list which type grip was used on each build and then had pictures of each rear grip, reel seat and fore grip with an inch scale alongside to get a feel for what they used.

I agree that handle length depends on physical factors and can be different by individual. One thing that definitely needs considered is the use of the rod, as IMO that can be a big factor in rear grip length. If you're walking a frog most of the time, you may want a shorter rear grip than if you were fishing a frog over thick matted vegetation most of the time. For me a 7'6" rod would mean I won't be walking a frog with it, so I would be going with probably an 11 to 12" rear grip.

If I am going to be walking a frog at all I would go with the 9 1/2 - 10" rear grips that my flipping and pitching rods have.

It just depends.