Seeker 970, United Composites 8030 reel seat location help needed!

[F-Minus]

I'm building three rods actually:
8' Calstar GF800M with full cork grip, so I didn't need to ask about where to put the reel seat!

7' Seeker E-Glass 970, right now the Fuji trigger seat I bought snugs up at 17.25" (butt of blank to bottom of seat). It feels OK holding the butt on my hip, hands above/near the reel seat...maybe its close enough then?

8' United Composites 8030 (remake of the Shikari 8030 blank, supposedly) I don't have it in hand yet, but I got another Fuji trigger seat for it as well.

I have never tuna fished, so I just don't know how I'll be using/fighting fish with the rods. The GF800M I had in mind as a jig/heavy line bait stick. The 970 I had in mind as a flyline bait stick. And the 8030 as a jig stick.

I'm putting together a couple reels as well: TLDstar 15/30, TR1000 Charter Special with the aluminum frame from Alan (its sweet!), and a CTE401 Calcutta. I also have some bass swimbait reels: CT400 Calcutta and Curado 301. All have carbon drags installed, and are souped up. The Curado casts pretty nicely, and holds 200yds of 50# braid. The two Calcutta's cast pretty nicely, and I've never used the TLD or TR1k.

So many options! What do you guys think?

Thanks,
=stan

[fishhead69]

It all depends on your technique fighting the fish. You can put the rod under your arm pit, the way the deckhands and the big boys do it and point the rod tip at the fish or use a fighting belt. That will all determine where you want the reel seat. The rule of thumb is the longer the rear grip the better the casting. A longer fore grip means more pulling power and leverage in a rod belt set up when you high stick the fish with your rod tip pointed up. All that said you want a really good conventional casting reel with great free spool. I prefer a reel without a level wind like most tuna fisherman. I hope that helps you out.

[Jon Vadney]

the length at 17"+ seems quite long, especially since the reel will be at least 3-4" from where the bottom of the reel seat is.  These are pretty light rods, so I don't think you'll be using them on the rail much so I would look for a different seat, something that will fit somewhere between 12" - 15" from the butt end of the rod.  The exact location will completely depend on you.  For my lighter rods, what I do is this: put the reel you plan to use on the reel seat and then slide it over the tip of the rod, put the butt of the rod on your hip (make sure you have your gimbal or buttcap on there as that will affect the rear grip's length, you don't need it epoxied on, just on there), now with your left hand reach straight out and grab the rod in a comfortable fighting position.  Don't try to over think it, just grab the blank where you naturally put your hand as if you were fighting a fish while keeping your arm straight.  With your right hand, slide the reel+reelseat combo forward.  You will notice that your reel will hit your forearm when you keep on sliding it up.  The point just before it hits your forearm is the absolute furthest out you should put your reel.  You do not want your arm to have to curve around your reel to grab the foregrip because it's secured at a point too far out.  In a long fight with a fish, your arm that is holding the rod should not be bent.   Mark this point on the blank and make sure that your reel seat is secured behind this location. 

If you are fishing the rail....disregard everything I just typed.  I use 15" rear grips on my rail rods which puts the center of the spool about 19" from the butt of the rod (butt cap + the distance from the bottom of the reel seat to the center line of the spool).  15" is my measurement, you'll have to find out what works for you.

[F-Minus]

Thanks for the replies.

I ended up boring out the Fuji TDPSM seat by around .040" to get it further down the blank. This was the max it could be enlarged, as the section under the 'groove' got reeeeeal thin. But that got the seat to around 13" from the butt, and it feels pretty good. I tested both methods of holding the rod (arm pit and hip) and it looks like it will work pretty good.

I quit thinking and just built the rods!

I ordered the United Composites from Acidrod, and have not heard a peep about when its shipping... Too late now for my upcoming trip, so I'm not worried about it.

Again, thanks for the tips.

[Jon Vadney]

Thanks for the replies.

I ended up boring out the Fuji TDPSM seat by around .040" to get it further down the blank. This was the max it could be enlarged, as the section under the 'groove' got reeeeeal thin. But that got the seat to around 13" from the butt, and it feels pretty good. I tested both methods of holding the rod (arm pit and hip) and it looks like it will work pretty good.

I quit thinking and just built the rods!

I ordered the United Composites from Acidrod, and have not heard a peep about when its shipping... Too late now for my upcoming trip, so I'm not worried about it.

Again, thanks for the tips.

Yeah....Acidrod has had some issues.  They have had some extremely rough personal stuff happen so it's understandable why there have been delays.  Just for future reference, I stock UC and have a bunch of their blanks in stock, ready to ship.

http://www.californiatacklehouse.com/collections/united-composites