Breakaway/Coaster or Non-Traditional Reel Seat

Started by sundancer, August 23, 2018, 12:44:50 PM

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sundancer

Gents

Good day...

RE:  Breakaway/Coaster or Non-Traditional Reel Seat

I did a cursory search and nothing came up.  I am kicking around the idea of starting to build a Rod. 

As an FYI - I just received a couple of packs of interesting 'slip-over' Guides (from China - ok, let the beatings begin..   ;) ).  Interesting concept, cheap, and for me, worth a look. 

Anyway, I am kicking around not installing a Reel Seat but using Reel Clamps that are available for many Reel Models to affix the Reel.  Might have to 'pin' the Reel Seat to a short slot in the Blank to further locate the Reel and still allow some fore/aft adjustment.  I have seen a few cheapo Blanks on eBay that i might use as test subjects..

I would like your thoughts on this method of going 'Seatless'. 

Thanks
Steve

sundancer

ARGHHHH

started to do other searches and up comes 'Cork Puppy'..  this might be my answer.. 

https://www.thelongfin.com/cork-puppy-reel-clamp.html



S

mhc

#2
Hi sundancer, Try searching 'Deck Hand' or 'Deckhand' rods as well. I don't use them but someone here will know the pros and cons. Here's a link to a thread by jurelometer about converting a travel rod to deckhand style http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=15390.0

Mike
It can't be too difficult - a lot of people do it.

thorhammer

cork puppy available from Charkbait and also comes with trigger grip option. suggest you wrap some cork tape or cord  / epoxy on blank to clamp to; wrap maybe a 9" section which will allow you to position clamp as you wish and still serve as grip on both sides of the reel. 


John

sundancer

Gents

perfect - thanks for the suggestions..

John..

That is exactly my intent..   lololol  now that i found Cork Puppy..

S

thorhammer

heat shrink plain or over cord / cork  is option also. i think i have some cork tape if you need. PM your address if you want some.

John

Jim Fujitani

Cork Puppies come in three different sizes, depending on the diameter of the grip where you want to seat the reel.  I have always recommended that people take their rods and reels into the tackle shop (difficult if not local) and get the correct size Cork Puppy to fit.

There are other newer types of clamping systems, usually produced by reel manufacturers (such as Accurate Pit Bull and Diawa) to accommodate their reels after a demand has built up.  And they are usually higher priced but better at anchoring their reels.

The Cork Puppies use just the two screws and allow the owner to swap rods and reels easily whereas some of the newer systems can easily require four or more screws to change rods and reels.  I also keep an assortment of nylon spacers since the Cork Puppy wraps part way around the rod grips, so I can switch out the reels as I want.

oc1

Do not pin the blank.  You'll ruin it. 

Cork puppy or just lash the reel in place.  Lashing provides a more comfortable grip.
-steve

sundancer

UPDATE

got 4 and still waiting on another group of 4 light duty 'plate-type' reel seats..  4 have a rubber cushion on the bottom of the plate. 

will be doing a split butt.

these will be for Penn 9's...  Couple of the Reels will be loaded with 20# Braid.  they will be for Boat fishing, dragging bait, light jigging...  nothing technical...

now to the question.........

when looking at Rod Blanks, they have Casting and Spinning as different categories.  is there a functional difference in a Casting v Spinning on a Blank?  seems once the Blank is splined, the location dictates the usage - Casting v Spinning.

I am looking to go as cheap as possible for my first couple of attempts with building a Rod

thanks

Ron Jones

I love deckhand Ross. The advantages are you don't deal with a reel seat and you get to decide where the reel goes depending on your particular body build and intended use. I can't really think of any disadvantages. Newell made a few deckhand stands for Penns that take 4 bolts. I have 1 and would like a lot more.
Ronald Jones
To those who have gone to sea and returned and to those who have gone to sea and will never return
"

Jim Fujitani

Quote from: sundancer on September 27, 2018, 04:55:55 PM
UPDATE

now to the question.........

when looking at Rod Blanks, they have Casting and Spinning as different categories.  is there a functional difference in a Casting v Spinning on a Blank?  seems once the Blank is splined, the location dictates the usage - Casting v Spinning.

I am looking to go as cheap as possible for my first couple of attempts with building a Rod

thanks

Basically, conventional casting reels sit above the rod, and the guides would be wrapped on the opposite side of the spline.  Guides tend to be smaller.  Spinning reels hang below the rod, so guides would be wrapped along the spline.  Guides tend to start out larger, before funnelling down in size.  Jigging methods can be used with rods that have guides above or below the rod.

To further muck up the basic differences, there are closed face spin cast reels, ala basic Zebco 33, that sits above.  There are also high priced jigging reels (conventional design), that hang below the rod.  And there are spiral wrapped (or 'acid' wrap) guides that start out opposite the spline, but rotate around the blank until the guides align with the spline.  The spiral wrap allows the use of conventional reels, but remove torque (trying to twist the reel over) from the forces when fighting a large fish.

Better to figure out what you want to use the rod for, what type of reel you will use, and then what purpose/method you will use.  Length of blank, weights of line, and action would be the initial considerations.  Ie, 8', 20-40#, extra fast (for casting 3/4 to 2 ounce top water/mid column jigs).

Check out from a library/buy a book on rod building, for the basics.

And yes, a Cork Puppy on a 'deckhand style' rod would work just fine.  Always consider wrapping extra material in the immediate area where the reel will sit, to protect the blank from deep damage from heavy flexing (fish or snag).

Good luck!

thorhammer

Ross, I have built dozens of rods, and except where I was after a big-game rod for large conventional reels, cannot tell a difference between spinning and casting blanks. As you say, it's about splining, and now we are wrapping helical orientation on casting rods (spiral or acid wrap), so in essence (if it makes a difference) you would get a spinning blank to wrap an acid wrap on...

IF it actually makes a difference, when applied to the appropriate application in terms of action / lure wt / line wt, is for someone that gets to use them a whole more than I, unfortunately. If I'm not catching fish, that's probably reason #44 on the list...

John

sundancer

I guess John understood my point

before a Blank is splined, it isn't categorized as a Casting/Conventional or a Spinning..  It is only the placement of the Guides/Seat that defines it. 

Thoughts??

I just want to understand the options so i don't 'build myself into a wall'...

steve

thorhammer

Jim beat me on trigger....same view.


One thing you may consider is to get a rod from flea mkt / yard sale / pawn shop and fully strip it, then do you as you wish and transpose you learning experience to a new blank later....frequently you can get decent enough stuff for pennies on the dollar especially if missing a guide or two- point that out in your negotiation. Even if you find a cheap enough blank in catelogs that you would spend the effort on, your shipping cost alone will likely exceed what you could find a used practice stick for- there are a zillion rods out there in re-purpose land that are appropriate for a Penn 9 (one of my favorites). Also don't be afraid of someone's 7' broken off to 6'3"- that may be just the action you are now looking for.

sundancer

I thought of stripping down an old Rod.. 

the effort/mess of peeling off the Seat just seems more than the savings..  Mudhole has Blanks that ship for <$35 in the weight/action that I would use if it turns out nice..

S