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Old 10-28-12, 09:27 PM   #1
Rebbasser
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Default Do any of you weight balance your rods?

I recently added some weights on the butt of my flipping stick to balance it and it made a huge difference for me. It added a little overall weight to the rod, but made it much easier to use as far as my wrist is concerned and seems to improve the sensitivity of the rod. I looped a wire on the butt of the rod that I could hang weights on and added weights untill the rod was no longer tip heavy and the tip kind of "floated". I found 4 oz. to be the right weight. I then took a rubber cap like you put on a chair leg, inserted a 3 and 1 oz. disk weight in it and pushed it on the butt of the flipping stick. I did flatten the 1 oz. disk weight to make it thinner and fit inside the cap better. It fits tight on the. butt cap so I did not have to epoxy it and it can be removed if I want to. All told it cost me about $3. BPS has ready made kits for about $10.

I was just wondering if any of you had done this with any of your rods. If you flip/pitch and your wrist gets tired or starts to hurt I found this makes a huge difference.
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Old 10-28-12, 10:31 PM   #2
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I have a 7'6" flipping stick that I did this to a while back. I used the rubber cap like you did but I just used metal washers as the weights. Your right, it makes the overall weight of the rod heavier but it makes it a lot more comfortable to fish with.
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Old 10-28-12, 10:38 PM   #3
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Two schools of thought on that one, some like a balanced combo (and not everyone wants the balance point in the same spot), others want the combo to be as light, overall, as possible. I am of the latter. I spend good money on quality rods and reels to keep them as light as possible, I would not think of spending $400 - $600 on a combo then adding weight to it, kinda defeats the purpose and expense - for me.

Whatever you're comfortable with is what is important.

I can't imagine adding four ounces of weight to a rod I spent $300+ on to keep it under 5 ounces then almost double the weight by putting lead in the butt. There is something to note - most commercial manufacturers have been picking up what custom builders have done for years now, just look at the advertising: "LIGHT" and "SENSITIVE" are two words you'll see in a LOT of rod descriptions (especially those in mid-range and higher price points). The split grip came into being to reduce weight, lighter graphite blanks, foam grips, two piece reel seats, MICRO guides - all are used to reduce weight. So if you spend good money to take advantage of all the manufacturers do to reduce the weight of their rods, why counter act that and add weight to a rod? Doen't make sense to me, but that's me, other's opinions obviously differ.

"Feel" is very important to angler's and each has his own idea of what "feels" best, if it's balance that's fine, but if it's overall weight that works too. Just depends which side of the fence you're on.
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Old 10-28-12, 10:52 PM   #4
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I thought the same thing-that adding weight would be a problem, but surprisingly it is not. A tip heavy rod really made my wrist hurt, but it is much easier with the weight on the backside of the rod, and I really do not notice the added ounces. I was really quite surprised at how much easier it is to flip/pitch with the balanced rod. Plus, I just cannot justify paying the big bucks for a rod-$100 to $150 is the max I can comfortably go for a rod, and those are few and far between. Now the only time I spend that kind of $$ is to replace a rod that I stick in a ceiling fan-yes, I have doe that a few times
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Old 10-28-12, 10:59 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bassboogieman View Post
Two schools of thought on that one, some like a balanced combo (and not everyone wants the balance point in the same spot), others want the combo to be as light, overall, as possible. I am of the latter. I spend good money on quality rods and reels to keep them as light as possible, I would not think of spending $400 - $600 on a combo then adding weight to it, kinda defeats the purpose and expense - for me.

Whatever you're comfortable with is what is important.

I can't imagine adding four ounces of weight to a rod I spent $300+ on to keep it under 5 ounces then almost double the weight by putting lead in the butt. There is something to note - most commercial manufacturers have been picking up what custom builders have done for years now, just look at the advertising: "LIGHT" and "SENSITIVE" are two words you'll see in a LOT of rod descriptions (especially those in mid-range and higher price points). The split grip came into being to reduce weight, lighter graphite blanks, foam grips, two piece reel seats, MICRO guides - all are used to reduce weight. So if you spend good money to take advantage of all the manufacturers do to reduce the weight of their rods, why counter act that and add weight to a rod? Doen't make sense to me, but that's me, other's opinions obviously differ.

"Feel" is very important to angler's and each has his own idea of what "feels" best, if it's balance that's fine, but if it's overall weight that works too. Just depends which side of the fence you're on.
I agree with what your saying Bruce. I will add though that I don't know what rod Reb added weight to, but mine wasn't a very expensive rod. It is a Falcon Original flippin stick that I bought probably 6-8 years back and although it is what I would consider a middle of the road rod price wise, I think it's a rod made by a top caliber company but it's a rod from their bottom line and even if it were made after micro guides came out it wouldn't be produced with them anyways. If a rod needed weight added to it for it to be comfortable to use I wouldn't spend a heap of money on it, but it's a good solution to a problem that is common with rods that are less expensive. I have several micro guide rods now and I love them. I also have several rods without micro guides but are very well balanced on light blanks and I agree that adding weight to these more expensive rods should never be needed.
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Old 10-29-12, 09:29 PM   #6
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I should mention that the only rods I would even consider doing this with is a flipping/pitching rod. For a rod I cast with it would net even enter my mind.
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Old 10-29-12, 10:31 PM   #7
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I've heard of doing this and may play with it this winter with a couple of my pitchin rods. But they are already pretty well balanced so I doubt I'll change much. I think that with the newer casting reels being made so light now days, the balance is off when pairing those reels to older model rods. Weighting the butt of the rod might be just the ticket in those situations.
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Old 10-29-12, 10:43 PM   #8
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I have never weighted one and never will. Flipping sticks are heavy enough.
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Old 10-29-12, 11:09 PM   #9
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I have weighted 2 rods, 1 of them worked out great and one of them didn't. I had an old All Star flipping stick that was really tip heavy, I used one of those BPS slip on butt caps that you could put weights in and it worked great. The rod was much more comfortable to fish and it actually felt lighter because of the better balance.

The 2nd one was a cranking stick that I built, it was a composite blank that was a little tip heavy because of the glass top half. I glued some weights in the butt of the blank to balance it out, I really wish I hadn't of. It fishes fine but it threw something off, I think I added too much weight. It made it really difficult to cast lighter baits with, it's almost like the rod didn't load up properly. It would have been tip heavy but not so bad that it would have been a problem, lesson learned.

From my experience, a long rod that is really tip heavy might be ok to add a little weight but only if it is extremely tip heavy. Don't add so much weight that the balance point is behind the reel seat and definitely don't make the added weight permanent like I did.
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Old 10-31-12, 03:32 PM   #10
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Usually threads about rod balancing include at least one post stating as fact what the "right" balance is for a rod and I cringe every time I see it. The basic premis here is on track. It is totally personal preference. Since everyone's grip varies somewhat and rods are used for different techniques it is impossible to have a one size (feel) fit all. My personal opinion is that weight is weight and eliminate as much as possible. At the end of the day, a custom rod is just that and the customer gets what they want.
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Old 10-31-12, 05:06 PM   #11
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I did. I had the whole balancing kit from BPS (monkey bite). In the house, it needed a ton to make the combo balance out (6'6" rod and older Daiwa Pro Caster reel). After using it for a few trips and adjusting it more and more as I used it, I wound up taking it all off. I didn't even notice it wasn't "balanced". Now it's got a PQ on it and it's balanced fine.
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Old 11-01-12, 08:42 AM   #12
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Too bad a Tennessee handle isn't available on all rods.
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Old 11-01-12, 09:29 AM   #13
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Hmmm im still trying to balance mine im up to 132 lbs and cant seem to gain any more.
Also shrank was 5 ft 6 now 5 51/2.
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Old 11-03-12, 08:45 PM   #14
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I used a Batson weight system on a rod I built one time. It was for a flipping stick and he wanted it to rest between 1-2 o'clock in his hand at rest. It worked and felt good.

Personally I have never done it for a personal rod. I think it is a matter of personal preference though. And if it feels good, roll with it. And thanks for the economical tip!
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Old 11-03-12, 10:46 PM   #15
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What do you guys use as a center of balance when balancing a rod?
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Old 11-03-12, 11:06 PM   #16
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I like a rod to balance right around the reel seat nut. Any farther back than that throws things off for me. An inch or so closer to the tip works just fine too.
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Old 11-03-12, 11:33 PM   #17
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I like it at the trigger. That is the best spot for me.
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Old 11-04-12, 12:29 AM   #18
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I kinda had a theory on this but not sure if it is logical or not, see what you think. I like to balance a rod near the center of the reel seat, my theory is that it then makes little difference which reel I use on it, it should be close to balanced.

What you think?
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Old 11-04-12, 02:31 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tavery5 View Post
I kinda had a theory on this but not sure if it is logical or not, see what you think. I like to balance a rod near the center of the reel seat, my theory is that it then makes little difference which reel I use on it, it should be close to balanced.

What you think?
I think it all depends on how you hold your rod and reel while fishing. If I remember correctly you are a reel palmer and the middle of the reel seat should be about center of hand. This should be the most balanced, lightest feeling, "neutral" position on the whole rod. You're right, it should mostly negate reel weight, although reel weight is still going to be what ultimately "sets" the balance point.

I hold a reel with all my fingers in front of the trigger and I have fairly large hands. Dead center of the seat is a little further back than I like it but only by an inch or so. It all comes down to how you position your hands and what feels the most comfortable. I guess I prefer a tiny bit of tip leaning with the rod balanced on the index finger side of my hand.

This is where buying the lightest rods possible or building your own really come into play.
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Old 11-05-12, 09:34 AM   #20
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My index finger is the fulcrum to balance a spinning outfit on. Weight is a bigger issue than balance for me with bait casting equipment as gravity wants to roll the reel under the rod no matter how far back or forward I place it.

oe
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Old 11-07-12, 02:39 AM   #21
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Many of you know my stand on the balanced vs. lightest possible debate; I'm all for balance.

However, I've never added weight to achieve it. Half my arsenal now are Dobyns rods (at least half of the rods that get used on a regular basis are). They're factory balanced and not at all the lightest rods. But the perceived weight on some of my combos is way less than you'd think. Most notable is my 7' MH F Champion Extreme/Daiwa Sol combo. The reel isn't super light, but not heavy either. This combo feels better in hand that many 6'6'" rod combos I've handled. And the rod weighs almost 5oz if I recall correctly.

I also don't see anything useful in the tip up vs tip down argument for balanced rods... Unless you're setting the rod tip on the ground or boat deck, you're holding up against gravity. So I take balance with a reasonable addition in weight over the lightest.

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Old 11-07-12, 08:23 AM   #22
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I never have added weight.
I feel with the Monkeys permission of course, that it's easier to just keep buying 'NEW' rods and reels till they match up in balance and weight.
Just my way of dealing with things.
Frankly it's proven to be a system that works on ALL my tackle 'WANTS'!

In reality, even though I love light and sensitive, heavy and balanced certainly has it's place. Throwing deep or large cranks is an example.
Too light or too fast of tip actually feels 'wrong' to me when tossing them. Even on a perfectly balanced setup.
The pull of lure just 'seems' wrong to me. Hence confidence is lost and fish generally follow the trend.'LOST!
So how it 'feels' on the retreive is usually my goal more than how it feels on TWO FINGERS in my basement. Example above, heavy lure or strong pull means heavier but.
For simplicity reasons, I choose my women the same way.
The one's I've used or tried to use, usually have a light head....mean tip.

Now in the spirit of cooperation and true caring, I am willing to help anyone with that 'high end' rod or reel that just doesn't fit YOUR 'wants' or arsenals.
I guess I'm willing to help with that women that just doesn't fit too.

COME ON, FRIENDS LIKE ME DON'T COME AROUND EVERY DAY YOU KNOW!
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