This past weekend I moved my Penn Battle 3 2000 to my 6.5' Ugly Stik elite MH for
a fishing trip.Normally I have one of my 712 spinners mounted on there & it feels a little too heavy.The Battle 3 2000 felt more balanced on there.
So,my question is if I rest a spinning rod/reel on my index finger where should the balanced point be.Mid foregrip seems to be the spot for this combo.
I am not a spinner user but I would think a very slight weight forward of the reel with the reel on the rod would be "proper".
For conventional or baitcaster the balance point is the reel itself IMO.
For a spinner it should be at the top of the reel seat or not further than half way up the foregrip. Again IMO.
Hold the rod as you normally would. It should balance in the palm of your hand as you crank the handle with your other hand.
Add or remove weight under the butt cap until it feels the most comfortable.
Quote from: JasonGotaProblem on April 27, 2026, 03:46:48 PMFor conventional or baitcaster the balance point is the reel itself IMO.
X2
Ok when the 712 is mounted on this rod it balances at the front foot enters the reel seat. So it is too heavy for the rod works ok for live bait fishing.
Cork grips with slip rings eliminate that issue, regardless of the size & weight of the rod and/or reel, because the reel can be positioned wherever it needs to be to feel balanced. That's why I never fish with a rod with a stationary reel seat. ;) ;D
The rings make it a Tennessee rod; in case someone is shopping.
I'm afraid of long term commitments and lash my reel to a deckhand grip. The lashing is more comfortable to palm than a reel seat or clamps.
It's worth noting two specific scenarios where balance matters.
A tip-heavy setup can be an advantage when fishing crankbaits or topwaters, as gravity naturally helps keep the rod tip pointed toward the water.
Conversely, a butt-heavy balance is often preferred for jigging or drop-shotting, as it makes it easier to keep the rod tip angled toward the sky. This explains the design of fly rods: placing the reel at the base counterbalances the long blank, maintaining a high tip position and enhancing the tactile 'feel' during the cast.
Tommy made a great point: cork grips with slip rings eliminate balance issues. Regardless of the rod or reel's weight, they allow you to position the reel exactly where it needs to be to reach that perfect balance point.
Yep it seems like with live bait fishing if the rod is in a rod holder doesn't matter much vs. a combo you are casting
lures with.
Cork grips with slip rings don't work out real well if you're a rod holder type fisherman, but I never use rod holders. I hand hold my rod so I can feel the strike, even when trolling.
My brother likes Tennessee handle when he still fish . Try to get him back to fishing and make a rod for him as he likes but nobody carry that ring anymore . Fuji use to carry graphite rings that very comfort
You can still get them -- https://www.proofflyfishing.com/products/tennessee-grip-rings-only
Kinda expensive $15, or for handle kit with rings $34.
Maybe the Mud Hole ice fishing handle $7 + additional shipping charges would work -- https://mudhole.com/products/tennessee-style-ice-rod-handle-kits?_pos=1&_sid=cd733d372&_ss=r
Here's a set up for around $20 total, but you gotta spend 100 to get free shipping or pay close to 10 bucks to have one thing shipped. The ice rod handle kit James posted a link to should work for ultralight reels. I'm sure someone could 3-D print some slip rings pretty easily these days lol.
EA
Thank you jtwill98 and ExcessiveAngler The graphite rings from Mud hole is exactly what I want . Just check it out shipping $7.50 to my address . Will look to see what else I need , may be a fiberglass blank as my brother like
You can actually get those aluminum slip rings from a company called Versitex in Pennsylvania. But you have to have an account with them. And if you want a hot deal for some really nice Rod blanks. Get bit outdoors is still having a mega blanks sale. They're not allowed to tell you who the manufacturers are, but the blanks look very very nice. And some of them were $40 apiece, and all of them are under a $100.
I prefer the black metal/aluminum rings over the graphite rings. My experience has been the graphite rings have a tendency to come loose too easily.
Quote from: ExcessiveAngler on April 29, 2026, 04:25:06 AMGet bit outdoors is still having a mega blanks sale. They're not allowed to tell you who the manufacturers are, but the blanks look very very nice.
The chances are that the blanks were rolled in Asia and distributed by Batson Enterprises.
I'm gonna have to take a look. What's shipping like?
Edit: shipping isn't so bad so I ordered a 9' blank to build after I finish what I'm building for a certain someone...
:al
Quote from: JasonGotaProblem on April 27, 2026, 03:46:48 PMFor conventional or baitcaster the balance point is the reel itself IMO.
For a spinner it should be at the top of the reel seat or not further than half way up the foregrip. Again IMO.
I will agree with that, considering that the reel forms the "pivot" point.
My experience is more with heavier casting rods requiring a two handed hold while casting. In that case I used to fix the reel seat with tape or hotmelt glue to find the correct spot to counter balance the weight of the long rod. The pivot point would then be somewhere between the the position of the two hands.
This brings up again the discussion of front or rear mounted reels, I won't go there!
Quote from: JasonGotaProblem on April 29, 2026, 11:14:27 AMso I ordered a 9' blank to build
I must resist !!
already too many rods and too little time to use them :'(
I have a Get Bit rod now. Both Lamiglas and St. Croix have stopped offering 11'light action blanks. After receiving the Get Bit, I realized Lamiglas could have been selling me Korean-built, Batson-distributed blanks all along. They're pretty much identical. But, after a year of cast and retrieve they all get soft and loose some of the spunk/snap and are replaced.
Quote from: steelfish on May 09, 2026, 12:31:32 AMQuote from: JasonGotaProblem on April 29, 2026, 11:14:27 AMso I ordered a 9' blank to build
I must resist !!
already too many rods and too little time to use them :'(
It seems to be of good quality with a decent action. And I hate to admit it but the "3k weave" looks kinda cool. I may not cover it with marbling after all. For $64 shipped I'm excited about it. Gotta finish 2 other rods for others (James, and my son) before I can start on it. But I think it'll be ready for summer action.