Carbon grip sensitivity

[JeffD]

So what are your opinions. Are carbon (CFX / Forecast)

grips more sensitive than 

EVA or cork grips?

[Captain Phil]

All my earliest rods had cork grips.  I believe a Lewes Speed Stick was my first composite handled rod. I actually liked composite grips better than cork.  Later I purchased a few foam grip rods which I liked as well.  Everything changed when fishing rod construction moved from fiberglass to graphite.  We really didn't know sensitivity was an issue until these rods became available.  Today's carbon grips are amazing.  I have two Shimano Zodias rods.  They are so sensitive. it's like having eyes on my bait.   I am sure the blank runs the full length of the rod into the handle.   I can feel the lightest of bites.  It took some getting used to, but once you do you won't want to go back.  

[MikeK]

I have all three on MHX MB752-XF and on MHX SB812HM and I can't say I notice any difference.

[spoonplugger1]

The commercial carbon/foam grips are not built anything like the original hand poured ones we built 15 years ago and yet everyone assumes they are for some reason, we built them because they were fairly easy to do, a bit lighter, unlike commercial ones, and cheaper than cork. Cost savings? Not so with commercial grips now. There is very little if any difference in weight between the commercial grips be they cork, eva, or carbon/foam. I don't know about you, but my hand is on the reel seat more than the grips while fishing, making the grips fairly irrelevant.

[MickD]

They have to be more sensitive than the flexible EVA grips, and I think they are more sensitive than cork.  They are lighter and rigid, so it makes sense that they would transmit bites better.  I agree that with spin the hand isn't into contact with the grips that much, and on many baitcast techniques sensitivity isn't much of an issue either.  If one is not using braid then the biggest thing they can do to improve sensitivity, bigger than any high tech rod they could buy, would be to switch to braid.  

[corey90]

cant go wrong with cfx grips they are more sesitive than cork but i love american tackle full carbon grips they make any blank more sensitive. MY OPINION

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

1 hour ago, spoonplugger1 said:

The commercial carbon/foam grips are not built anything like the original hand poured ones we built 15 years ago and yet everyone assumes they are for some reason, we built them because they were fairly easy to do, a bit lighter, unlike commercial ones, and cheaper than cork. Cost savings? Not so with commercial grips now. There is very little if any difference in weight between the commercial grips be they cork, eva, or carbon/foam. I don't know about you, but my hand is on the reel seat more than the grips while fishing, making the grips fairly irrelevant.

I’m with this 100%. My hand makes little contact with the grip after the cast. Plus what we feel is movement of the blank more than vibration. Lighter is better imo but outside of that grip material and style is largely a cosmetic concern. 

[WRB]

I rely on line movement with my finger tips, far more sensitive then any rod material.

Lamiglas came out with carbon handles to achieve lighter rod rod weight but they were unconventional and didn’t sell well.  

Now Edge offers the same design.

Tom

[spoonplugger1]

The Lamiglas and Edge Black Widow tubing are not the same in any way but shape. The Lamiglas stuff can be bought from many sources in many different "K" styles which is only the size of the pattern, the larger the "K" the larger the pattern, I've used it to 12 K. The NFC tubing is hand laid up with the higher modulus materials they build their rods out of, they pull off strips of the prepeg and lay it up on custom mandrels, all the work is done by one highly skilled lady, US materials built in the US. Makes a thinner walled, lighter product with all the strength and durability needed. The Lamiglas rods had weighs in the butt to make the rods feel more balanced, if you look at the posted rod weights you will see they weren't particularly light. Comparing like powered rods in the steelhead category the medium power G Loomis rod was a full ounce lighter, even though the Lamiglas rod was higher modulus and had better, lighter components. If you look at other species, you will see that the tube grips used by Lamiglas are now virtually the industry standard. Dick Posey was never one not to push the status quo further up the scale. Nothing is lighter and slides out of a rod holder/rocket launcher slicker than a carbon grip, the reason all my Kayak rods have them. The same with Rich Forhan and others that changed the face of bass rods and tackle, the norm today wasn't so 20 years ago.

[1984isNOW]

I love it when @spoonplugger1 drops knowledge, little history lesson keeps me feeling like I wanna know more.

 

If anybody is a believer in stiffness to weight ratio having an impact on sensitivity then carbon fiber grips must be the most sensitive.

 

@Delaware Valley Tackle what do you mean by "What we feel is movement if the blank"? If you mean to say we merely feel resistance causing the rod to deflect and not vibrations I'd lay off the RM magazine for a bit haha.  I have dragged lures over boulders not causing the lure to pull, but causing the lure to vibrate which I've felt in my hands. I would encourage you to rub chalk over a chalk board and feel the same sensation that a lure sends back to our hands. Ever feel a spinnerbait blade stop spinning?

 

@MickD is definitely right about using braid to increase sensitivity more than a grip. Although I would say plenty of baitcast techniques are improved when we can feel what the lure is doing.

[MikeK]

44 minutes ago, PUTitinYOURmouthFISH said:

If anybody is a believer in stiffness to weight ratio having an impact on sensitivity then carbon fiber grips must be the most sensitive.

 

Always like to hear the history too from both the older manufacturers and the rod builders who have built for a long time!

 

It seems weird that Rich Forhan worries about about components to shave a few grams while using a set of heavy composite blanks for the Magic Wands:

BSC7801 to BSC7808 range from 2.45 to 3.75 ounces according to the Thrasher website.

[1984isNOW]

Idk which magic wand he was building with those composite blanks, but they have their place for some. Even on a composite build, which I haven't done yet, I'd absolutely have a goal of losing weight where I can - no reason not to and a number of reasons to.

 

Rod balance is huge, especially if the blank is already a little heavy by itself.