rods Foregrip or no foregrip?

[bwjay]

After my first real season of fishing ever, I've learned some things about fishing rods. I won't go into all of them. But one of the things I learned is that I think I prefer a short foregrip so my finger can touch the blank. I can only do this on my Kistler Helium3 rods, which have no foregrip, just the reel seat screw which is padded with EVA foam. When palming the reel, or almost-palming(?) it, I have my little finger under the trigger and my index finger on the blank. I use my index finger for leverage when walking baits, which helps to not wear out my wrist like when frogging for 4 hours straight (or longer). Having my index finger on the blank also allows me to feel more with the rod, and with the NFC blanks that Kistler uses for the Helium3, I can feel a LOT. I feel like if my hand was only on the reel, and a cork foregrip, I wouldn't feel as much. I would still hope to feel a lot, and I will often put my finger under my line when jig/bottom contact fishing, but I can't always comfortably put my finger under the line and have a good grip on my rod, so I really like being able to touch the blank.

 

What do you think? Do you like to be able to touch the blank? Do you think it's even necessary? Do you prefer rods without foregrips or rods with foregrips? Maybe rods that have small foregrips that just barely allow you to touch the blank? I'd like to hear from people to see if they think touching the blank helps, or if they think it's unnecessary.

[jbsoonerfan]

No foregrip

[Tennessee Boy]

Anything you feel through the blank came through the line so I would rather touch the line.  A short foregrip makes that easier.

[GReb]

Doesn’t make a difference to me. 

[WRB]

All my rods have a fore grip at least 2" long in front of the reel.

Tom

[MN Fisher]

5 minutes ago, GReb said:

Doesn’t make a difference to me. 

Same here as I don't palm my reels.

[bwjay]

2 hours ago, WRB said:

All my rods have a fore grip at least 2" long in front of the reel.

Tom

Do you find that it's more comfortable for you to hold or looks better or what?

[WRB]

4 minutes ago, bwjay said:

Do you find that it's more comfortable for you to hold or looks better or what?

I have always used rods with fore grips becuase they allow me to hold the rod and reel pulse feel the line over my index finger tip the thumb to detect strikes and when needed to control line pressure going back onto the reel. Palming a reel without have direct contact with the line means you miss a high percentage of very subtitle strikes. There hasn't been a rod made that is anywhere close to the Sensitivety of your finger tips.

Tom

[bwjay]

2 minutes ago, WRB said:

I have always used rods with fore grips becuase they allow me to hold the rod and reel pulse feel the line over my index finger tip the thumb to detect strikes and when needed to control line pressure going back onto the reel. Palming a reel without have direct contact with the line means you miss a high percentage of very subtitle strikes. There hasn't been a rod made that is anywhere close to the Sensitivety of your finger tips.

Tom

I don't see how a foregrip would help me hold my rod any better than just touching the blank for leverage; it might feel nicer over time with cork or foam but I still get leverage by touching the blank and I get sensitivity there. I do still put my finger under the line most of the time for bottom contact/finesse applications, but sometimes if I'm popping/hopping something on bottom and the line is repeatedly going slack, I will just put my finger on the blank since I'm not in contact with the line for half the time while it's on the rise/fall, and rely more on following/controlling the rise and fall of the bait (taking care not to leave too much slack) feeling for tension changes indicating a fish picked it up. I know feeling for tension doesn't work for subtle bites which is why I like to not only be able to feel the line but also the blank itself, based on how I want to hold the rod for a given bait/presentation.

[Shimano_1]

Most of mine have no fore grip but I honestly could care less.  I don't think it would help to have one....while other than a lil added weight I see nothing wrong with them.

[WRB]

A few years ago nearly every rod maker offered bait casting rods without any type of fore grip, the exception was G. Loomis and St. Croix who continued offering rods with cork foregrips. Today the majority of rod makers have gone back to short fore grips that severe as the reel front locking ring. 

The reason is anglers learned quickly the bare reel locking rings and threads were uncomfortable plus the rod slipped in the hand easy.

I will garantee my strike detection ability exceeds anyone who relies on the rod blank to detect strikes and I am more then likely a few decades older then most bass anglers.

The proof is in the catching of hundreds of big bass using jigs. 

It's time on the water, use whatever you prefer.

Tom

 

[Hammer 4]

All my rods have a short fore grip. As far as not having one, I keep in contact with the line with my finger, so it really doesn't matter. Personally I think a short fore grip looks good vs none.

[CrankFate]

I prefer a foregrip. It’s no fun reeling in a lot of fish by holding the reel. Especially if you are catching big ones. You only need the Foregrip for reeling in. I’m looking to add Foregrip to some of my newer rods. Especially my Kistler KLX, which is for inshore fishing. Anyone know a good source for a 5” cork Foregrip that I can add to a rod?

[RB 77]

Cork fore-grip. Always. While we're at it, full cork handle as well.

[deadadrift89]

No fore grip and on my jig/worm rods I do same with index finger under blank. 

[Raul]

All my rods had foregrip until I purchased a couple of Kistler Magnesium TS rods, I didn't like nor the look, nor the feel nor the balance of them, I prefer my rods with foregrip.