Balancing Out Rods

[Ozark_Basser]

How much weight do you think it would take on the end of the rod to balance out a 7'mh casting rod with a carbon fiber handle?

[S Hovanec]

No way to really tell unless you build it and put the intended reel on it. Handle length and reel weight play a big part in balance.

[Ozark_Basser]

The reel doesn't necessarily matter in my case. I hold the rod with the trigger between my ring and pinky finger with my index finger against the line right as it comes out of the reel. So I palm the whole reel. I have never understood how someone could hold the trigger between their index and middle finger. Either way I was pretty much just looking for an estimate. Just brainstorming. I would guess around 2 oz if I used a full length arbor under a twelve inch handle.

[shanksmare]

Rod balance is a rather subjective thing. No matter how you get the rod to balance when you change the weight of lures it upsets that balance. With fly rods the more weight (within reason) that I could concentrate towards the butt of the rod, the better it felt (to me). With a bait casting rod I'm not sure what if any the benefit would be.

 

You could try wrapping sheet lead around the butt of the rod until the proper feel is achieved. Then put a like amount of lead shot and epoxy up the butt of the rod to make a permanent fix. Of course you have to configure the rod butt during the building process to allow this.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

There is no right or wrong way to balance a rod. The feel is a personal preference. I almost never add any weight to a bass rod and the builds feel pretty good in hand even if I do say so myself. 

[BobP]

I have added butt weight to longer heavy action flipping rods and it made them a lot more enjoyable to fish.  As to how much, that depends entirely on you, the specifics of the rod, and the reel you plan to use.  You need to experiment to get where you want to be.  JMHO, it can be a good thing on rods used for plastics, jigs, or other "still presentations".  It's a total waste of time on rods used for moving presentations.

[FD.]

There is no right or wrong way to balance a rod. The feel is a personal preference. I almost never add any weight to a bass rod and the builds feel pretty good in hand even if I do say so myself. 

 

X2

 

I never add any weight.  Maybe it's just a combination of my choice of components and where I like the reel seat, but all of my rods seem to balance at the reel seat.  Without a lure hanging on the end, they feel weightless.

[.ghoti.]

I'm convinced that the worst thing you do to a rod, outside of breaking it, is to add weight to "balance" it.

[FD.]

I'm convinced that the worst thing you do to a rod, outside of breaking it, is to add weight to "balance" it.

 

 

And you would know a thing or two about "adding weight" and being unbalanced...

[Ozark_Basser]

I'm convinced that the worst thing you do to a rod, outside of breaking it, is to add weight to "balance" it.

Why would you say that?

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

Because it's true. Lol A properly built high quality rod will be relatively balanced to begin with. You will have varying amounts of pressure on the tip as you fish and the rod is worked at various angles. With this said though balance, like beauty is in the eye of the (be)holder.

[Ozark_Basser]

Because it's true. Lol A properly built high quality rod will be relatively balanced to begin with. You will have varying amounts of pressure on the tip as you fish and the rod is worked at various angles. With this said though balance, like beauty is in the eye of the (be)holder.

Haha I see what you did there. Jokes aside. I think it matters to certain degree. If the rod is pretty tip heavy, like some rods I've owned, then it definitely is a less of a joy to fish with compared to one that isn't. Also it depends on the technique intended for the rod. I guess I will just have to build one and see how it balances out.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

That's right. Try to avoid preconceived notions and keep an open mind in your rod building and you'll get a lot more from the custom aspect imo.

[papajoe222]

And you would know a thing or two about "adding weight" and being unbalanced...

Ouch. I thought we were only allowed one per post. Next thing you know, the age factor will be included.  You guys are brutal.

[FD.]

Haha I see what you did there. Jokes aside. I think it matters to certain degree. If the rod is pretty tip heavy, like some rods I've owned, then it definitely is a less of a joy to fish with compared to one that isn't. Also it depends on the technique intended for the rod. I guess I will just have to build one and see how it balances out.

 

 

There are some badly built rod out there.  Mostly factory built.  But as you are mocking up your handle assembly you will get a good idea of how the finished rod will feel.  Moving your reel seat trigger 1/4 inch one way or another can make a huge difference in balance.

[FD.]

Ouch. I thought we were only allowed one per post. Next thing you know, the age factor will be included.  You guys are brutal.

 

 

I still owe Gary for trying to knock off a six pounder with the net about 7 years ago.  Plus he is one of the few with a hat as ugly as mine so it's all good.

[.ghoti.]

I still owe Gary for trying to knock off a six pounder with the net about 7 years ago.  Plus he is one of the few with a hat as ugly as mine so it's all good.

Hey Lee, my fav fugly hat is at the bottom of a strip mine pit in Missouri. If you had made it to the RoadTrip last year, I would have stolen yours.

You're making some fine lookin fish sticks, amigo.

[Sam]

Find the fulcrum and you can balance the rod.

 

No idea why you would want to do this but you can find the middle of the rod and add 1/4 ounce bullet weights until the rod is parallel to the floor.

 

This will give you an idea of the weight needed to balance the rod without a reel on it.

[.ghoti.]

Why would you say that?

 

Think about how you hold the rod while fishing, and consider two basic scenario.

 

One; you're fishing a "horizontal" bait, like a crankbait, jerkbait, spinnerbait, etc. You can't possibly "balance" the rod against the pull of a big spinnerbait or deep crank, and, even if you could, it would be out of "balance" as soon as you changed baits.

 

Two; you're fishing a vertical bait, such as  jig, t-rig, etc. You hold the rod pointing close to straight up. If you're holding the rod exactly vertical, it can't possibly be tip heavy. The only force on your wrist will be the weight of the rod and reel, pulling straight down. If you hold the rod tilted a bit from perpendicular with the ground, the forces on your wrist will be the weight of the rod and reel, plus a tiny bit of torque. The closer to horizontal you hold the rod the higher the torque against your wrist. The weight of the rod and reel remain the same no matter how you hold the combo.

 

I also say that because I perfectly balanced a rod one time. I mounted the reel, and started taping weights to the butt end of the rod until it would balance perfectly on my finger right at the front of the reel. I then removed the butt cap from the rod. I turned down two brass c-rig weights to achieve the correct weight, and to fit inside the rod blank , and epoxied them in place before gluing on a new butt cap. I then proudly took my perfectly balanced rod fishing. I gave it away the next day.