I wanted to show y’all a pic of my current build and show how nice this Fuji SBPULSMPS17 reel seat is. The grips are NFC 3k soft touch and the rod is the NFC Fast Glass APFG745-1. The reel seat and grips have the same soft touch coating that feels like velvet in the hand.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/19/2023 06:53PM by Tom Kirkman.

Has anyone ever used weight strips to balance a rod? I had these sitting around in my garage and figured they’d work fine for adding some more weight to the rear.

I never add weight to a build. For one thing, I do value aesthetics, not over function, but this just doesn't fit with my values.

I believe in butt weighted rods for certain techniques, but my rods have weight adjustable butt caps. Your method looks very interesting and should be perfect as long as you're sure the weight will always be needed. You seem to be sure and I say go for it.

I usually don’t add lead weights to my rods. This one was just too tip heavy after dry fitting the components and I want this build to balance closer to horizontal during the retrieve.

If those were my only option, I would’ve glued them inside the end of the blank. But, if all options are on the table, I think I’d go with Lynn’s idea.

I plan to use this rod specifically for fishing chatterbaits so I won’t need the versatility of the adjustable butt.

Taped up the handle and covered those weights. This 7’4 rod now floats in my hand! Feels like a much shorter rod now that its balanced.

I decided to build on the spine… I know this is highly debated topic but after checking and bending, over-and-over again, it just felt right.

Is there a window under the reel seat also,near the trigger?

Dennis J. Danku
(Sayreville,NJ)

Michael Tarr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I decided to build on the spine… I know this is
> highly debated topic but after checking and
> bending, over-and-over again, it just felt right.

That’s the beauty of building your own rods. You can build it however you wish.

Looks good! Nice clean look!

Dennis, there is a window on the bottom.

Michael, beautiful clean work. Seeing those soft touch grips in a picture on a rod, has me intrigued.

A few of questions for those that have used the NFC soft touch grips?

How long have you had a set of them in service?

How often do you use the rod (s) you have them on?

And ..... do they show any signs of wear after being in service for a while?

Basically I am wondering if the show wear, and if so, does the wear end up looking like an EVA grip that shows wear by getting shiny?

Oh and just a mention..... I assume the window in the bottom is the same as the one on top, in that it is exposing the insert, and not the blank. Nothing at all wrong with that, Just kind of mentioning it in case some are confused as to what the bottom window exposes.

The day NFC put the soft touch grips on the market I bought a dozen sets, half of them casting the other half spinning (IPS) and have been using them ever since. Almost all of my personal rods have carbon fiber grips, and I have built a lot of rods using them for other Serious fishermen. I find them extremely durable and very comfortable. I have not noticed any wear or tear on them; they still look brand new. I’m retired and live on the water and thus fish all the time, so they get a lot of use.
Norm

The bottom window on the reel seat shows the carbon insert not the blank.

The grip on the left, I would guess, has 30hrs of use. The grip on the right is new. I would say the older grip is more tacky and a tad duller looking. The older grip has been in use since February of 2021. I’m happy with them.

Static guide placement?

If the weight is glued inside the blank, it's in there forever. The method used makes it "possible" to remove the weight in the future by only sacrificing the fighting butt.

If you feel the need to add a weight, spent brass bullet casings can be custom weighted and then taped to get a tight fit inside the butt without gluing them in. Then slip the end cap over it.

I’m happy with the balance of the rod even if it adds more to the overall weight. The added weight and the rod being balanced makes it feel lighter than before, I’m sure you know how this works. I’m not sure if I’d ever want to remove the added weight to make it tip heavy, not sure when that would be necessary.