Hello!

I'm building a spinning rod ...

I have a split-grip and now I'm asking myself, how much free (blank) space do I have to leave between the but-grip and the reel seat. Is there any rule to follow?

Regards,
Tolo

The issue is ergonomics, the placement of the reel relative to the butt considering snagging the butt on the elbow area if it gets too long. It might depend on the intended use of the rod; thick clothing might lead you to a shorter dimension. Balance also can get into it as longer dimensions between the reel and the butt often are said to balance better.

There is no set rule. I suggest you use existing rods that you like, and that are used for similar techniques, as a guide until you develop the experience and expertise to be confident in placing the reel.

I wouldn't focus on the gap, but rather on the overall handle length. Find a rod that you like fishing with and then measure from the butt cap to the reel seat. Use that as a guide for where you place your components. Whatever gap that is left is fine.

I'd consider making some tight-ish masking tape arbors that will hold the grip/seat/butt and move them around to what feels right to you.

As above, base it on a rod you like then tweak it a little to test other spacing.

Hello Tolo.

Here is some info for you.

[www.rodmakermagazine.com]

Tight Wraps & Tighter Lines.

I think Pat nailed it logically. It appears that eight inch handles seem to be pretty popular among average sized people, but if you were to have especially long arms, perhaps a touch longer. This should be good for bass type freshwater, and most inshore saltwater use. So that is what you have to work with. If eight inches is the ticket, the bottom of your reel seat will sit at that eight inch mark. Your rear grip components will sit below that, and the lengths of those components will determine what exposed blank gap you have left...not by design, but by consequence. :-)

It's not the seat edge that's important, it's where the reel stem is located. I'm not sure all reel seats have the same dimension from their edge to the stem. To be sure you get what you want, focus on the reel stem position.

Michael Danek Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It's not the seat edge that's important, it's
> where the reel stem is located. I'm not sure all
> reel seats have the same dimension from their edge
> to the stem. To be sure you get what you want,
> focus on the reel stem position.

That MAY be true, but how much variation could there possibly be in constructing a four inch reel seat? I think allowing for the reel stem to anchor centrally is usually the logical goal. Any significant deviation from that is likely going to be a gimmick. That said, I still haven't seen one yet.

I mock up the handle with the reel seat and reel in place and find the handle length that the individual likes. Once we find that length, I measure from the butt end of the blank to the front of the rear grip (or the rear of the reel seat). This is the measurement I use when I glue up the handle, because the reel is not in place when I glue up. Therefore, I rarely do measurements from the reel stem, it’s just not necessary.
It should be mentioned that using a spinning reel seat in the down locking position will place the reel further back than using it in the up locking position. Depending on the reel seat, this difference can be several inches.
Norm

My process for reel placement (where I hold the reel) is to divide the length of the rod by 8. For example on an 84 inch rod I would place the reel at 10 inches.

For overall handle length I divide the length by 6, rounding to the nearest 16th when needed to keep measuring simple. On a 84 inch rod this would be 14 inches. I’ll keep the entire handle assembly (fore grip, reel seat, rear grip, and butt cap) within 14 inches.

Of coarse I’ll tweak things if needed but for the majority of my rods I stick to this process and in return I end up with a well balanced rod.

The space between grips is up to you..

I’d focus more on balance than the amount of space between grips.

A lot might depend on what you’re building spinning for. I build spinning mostly for big smallmouth. Using med or medium light builds, you need the handle to be able to brace against your forearm for leverage when you have a big one on. FUNCTIONALLY, I want the handle long enough that the butt rests on the meaty part of my forearm, which ends up making the end of the butt about an inch and a half from the point of my elbow. You may have different preferences, but I guarantee you that you will feel a lot of pressure here when you have a 6 pound smallmouth fighting you. The gap you’re referring to is irrelevant, as it is more a function of how long your fighting butt section is, and the grip length. For my purposes, those tiny decorative butts do little to help leveraging, so my butt is about 2 3/4” with some meat built into it. I don’t have any need for a grip past where my pinky finger rests, so my handle portions are as short as I can get them to accomplish this. Total handle length is also irrelevant (uncomparable) because that is more a function of feel seat design and foregrip size (or no foregrip).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/24/2024 05:59PM by John Santos.