Question 1 - I apologize if this sounds ridiculous, but I was curious from a rod building and even use stand point. I've noticed a trigger is not on spinning reels and they also seem to be missing from fly fishing reels seats as well.
Why is the trigger there and what purposes does it serve, and the second part being. Can or has anybody used a reel seat intending for a spinning rod and just flipped it upside down. I mean the only real visual difference I see besides the lack of trigger is the fact that a spinning reels hangs from the bottom of the blank versus the top for casting/bait casters. Obviously a trigger would be useless for a Spinning setup, but I'm not entirely certain it serves much of a purpose on casting rods.

Question 2 - Obviously this site either supports or is sponsored by the list on the left. However, are there any parts dealers/suppliers people trust or use that perhaps doesn't have a website. You have to contact them locally or through Facebook. My reason for asking comes from seeing some of the awesome custom rods people build and even things I see on store rods. Winding checks, skeleton blank inserts or just other inserts. Colored reel seats or even reel seats that look like Fuji, Batson, or American Tackle, but has the rob builders name/logo on it instead of the brand name. The 2nd part of that question is seeing things like this [www.rodhouse.fr] and [www.rodhouse.fr], or this [www.rodhouse.fr]. This site [www.rodhouse.fr] appears to have quite a few items that appears to be there own own brand that I haven't seen available from a US company prospective. Pro Bomesh, Lurecraft, and MATAGI FISHING WORKSHOP are some others. Has anybody purchased from these companies or have a US equivalent merchant that carries there products or something similar.

The trigger isn’t necessary IMO. I have multiple saltwater factory rods that I use as beaters or loaners that have pipe style (think Fuji DPSM) reel seats. I have shaved the trigger down to a “nub” on Fuji ECMS reel seats as well. I’ve seen other guys use pac bay minima spinning seats on finesse casting rods. they seemed happy with it and would also give the most blank exposed seat. Fuji makes a micro trigger and I think mud hole has their version too.

VooDoo Rods in the sponsors to the left sells matagi parts. As far as off brand stuff, I’d stick to the big names.....matagi, Fuji, AmTak, batson/forecast/alps etc. I’ve never tried anything from sea guide but I hear good things.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/16/2022 12:26AM by Matt Ruggie.

Trigger reel seats work when you can palm the reel comfortably, when reel sizes get so big the reel is crowding your hand off the reel seat than most just use the spinning seat you mentioned flipped over from what your see while using a spinning rod, now your hands have unobstructed freedom to move and grasp where needed. The last Edge flipping stick I seen had a skeleton reel seat like the Pac Bay Minima spinning seat upside down instead of the trigger version.

Thanks for the feed back. I am a big proponent of doing things the right way or at least understanding why things are done a certain way. There are a lot of things that are done in my industry that from an outside perspective. May seem ridiculous or unnecessary and I will admit even after understanding it, I still sometimes question it more out of the lower percentage factor, but for somebody who deals or works with it everyday. That percentage and possibility go up dramatically.

I don't have very large hands, so for me at least. The trigger feels like it's in the way more than it is a benefit. I suspecting I could just use a spinning reel seat and just turn it upside down, but when your buying parts for rods. You buy enough of the wrong parts and it adds up quick. I want to build good rods not just for myself, but others as well eventually, but I am probably one of those odd people out there. I like to know I can produce a quality product before trying to selling it to somebody else. Otherwise, I'm no better than the plethora of Angler endorsed consumer rods there aren't all that great, but people buy them because this pro or that pro says it's a good rod, but if you saw them actively fish a tournament. You won't see that rod on there deck.