Rod companies with the best balance? 2024
newyorktoiowa57 reply :
Personally I find most rods I have handled $200 or less are still quite tip heavy if either over 7 feet or at least medium heavy, and certainly if both. A what price point does balance start to get better? My SA 692 is quite tip heavy even though dobyns are revered for there balance. I have a champion 734FH on the way so I am hoping for more on that one.
I have handled st. croix avid x and hated them from an ergonomics standpoint. What about Megabass Orochi XX? Kistler helium 3?
dodgeguy reply :
The longer the rod the more tip heavy it will be no matter what.over 7 feet you will feel it. I agree st croix feels heavier to me. I just got a 7ft Johnny Morris Patriot series and was pleasantly surprised at how light the overall weight and tip weight feels. Tackle tour always comments on tip weight when they do a review. You might read some of their reviews.longer heavier action rods are going to start having more tip weight.i also will not buy a rod without holding it.
FryDog62 reply :
SC is very tip heavy IMO... Dobyns is great for balance... I have Orochi, Helium 3, Tatula Elite, ALX Zolo, NRX and they are all superb in my book from a balance standpoint. Best balance/lightness under $200 I’ve found are any of the Duckett’s, and Daiwa Tatula.
After 6 hand/wrist surgeries, weight and balance are pretty important to me...
Jrob78 reply :
Another thing I will add to the above is longer handles, heavier grip material or full grips and micro guides generally help aid in balance.
J Francho reply :
All rods are tip heavy when a bait is tied on. Balance depends on the reel paired with the rod. Balance is also subjective. Try before you buy.
fishwizzard reply :
On 3/18/2019 at 11:20 PM, J Francho said:All rods are tip heavy when a bait is tied on. Balance depends on the reel paired with the rod. Balance is also subjective. Try before you buy.
Balance preference is subjective, but the center of mass of a given rod can be found and easily expressed in “inches from rod butt”.
It would be great if rod manufacturers would list this info. This would let you compare Rod A to Rod B and buy to fit your personal preference.
waymont reply :
I agree with @FryDog62 about St Croix rods. I have two Legend bass rods that are amazing but a touch tip heavy.
The best balanced rods I've come across have been G Loomis, the new Tatula Bass rods, and Dobyns regardless of which reels are on them.
Jrob78 reply :
On 3/19/2019 at 1:07 AM, fishwizzard said:Balance preference is subjective, but the center of mass of a given rod can be found and easily expressed in “inches from rod butt”.
It would be great if rod manufacturers would list this info. This would let you compare Rod A to Rod B and buy to fit your personal preference.
This would be useful information. TW lists handle length, it wouldn't take much to add balance point to that.
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
There are just too many variables and preferences for any kind of generalized concept of 'balance" to be valid. Like JF said, trial and error and decide for yourself what you like.
J Francho reply :
I had a 7' MHF Avid that I hated with a TD-A reel on it. Switched it out for a TD-X, and bam! I had a great general purpose rod.
fishwizzard reply :
On 3/19/2019 at 1:21 AM, Jrob78 said:This would be useful information. TW lists handle length, it wouldn't take much to add balance point to that.
It would not but given how hard it is to even get a rod’s weight out of the manufactures, I am not holding my breath on getting a CoM rating.
Jrob78 reply :
On 3/19/2019 at 1:52 AM, fishwizzard said:It would not but given how hard it is to even get a rod’s weight out of the manufactures, I am not holding my breath on getting a CoM rating.
No, I don't expect anyone to do this either. It would be nice though. It would be pretty easy for an individual to figure out where they prefer CoM based on the reels they use, how they hold a rod and rod length.
fishwizzard reply :
On 3/19/2019 at 1:57 AM, Jrob78 said:No, I don't expect anyone to do this either. It would be nice though. It would be pretty easy for an individual to figure out where they prefer CoM based on the reels they use, how they hold a rod and rod length.
Yep, I am firmly in the “light tip heavy butt” category so even a single pic of a rod balaned on someone’s finger tells me what I need to know.
WRB reply :
If the CG or pivot point is the center of the reel seat the reel weight shouldn’t affect the rods balance.
That is why the reel seat moves forward and handle gets longer as the rod gets longer moving the pivot point.
Tom
Maw69 reply :
I really enjoy my Lew’s Custom Speed Stick Lite (7’ M/F).
Light and nicely balanced with a Daiwa Fuego...
newyorktoiowa57 reply :
On 3/18/2019 at 8:03 PM, FryDog62 said:SC is very tip heavy IMO... Dobyns is great for balance... I have Orochi, Helium 3, Tatula Elite, ALX Zolo, NRX and they are all superb in my book from a balance standpoint. Best balance/lightness under $200 I’ve found are any of the Duckett’s, and Daiwa Tatula.
After 6 hand/wrist surgeries, weight and balance are pretty important to me...
which ZOLO models do you own?
5by3 reply :
dobyns is the best balanced rod on the market imo. For what it’s worth, I own a few of the current GLX model and find them to be much more tip heavy than my champions.
Recently bought a few ALX Zolos after reading all of the great reviews online. I am very happy with them so far, but do not have much time on the water with them yet this year. I have the Toadface, deputy, dragger, and brawler.
newyorktoiowa57 reply :
On 3/19/2019 at 9:07 AM, 5by3 said:dobyns is the best balanced rod on the market imo. For what it’s worth, I own a few of the current GLX model and find them to be much more tip heavy than my champions.
Recently bought a few ALX Zolos after reading all of the great reviews online. I am very happy with them so far, but do not have much time on the water with them yet this year. I have the Toadface, deputy, dragger, and brawler.
If those models are well balanced I assume that the 7' medium will be too.
FryDog62 reply :
On 3/19/2019 at 8:34 AM, newyorktoiowa57 said:which ZOLO models do you own?
I sold my St. Croix LTB for a Zolo Dragger... lighter and much less tip heavy. Ordering a Toadface next...
Joshua van Wyk reply :
On 3/18/2019 at 11:41 AM, newyorktoiowa57 said:Personally I find most rods I have handled $200 or less are still quite tip heavy if either over 7 feet or at least medium heavy, and certainly if both. A what price point does balance start to get better? My SA 692 is quite tip heavy even though dobyns are revered for there balance. I have a champion 734FH on the way so I am hoping for more on that one.
I have handled st. croix avid x and hated them from an ergonomics standpoint. What about Megabass Orochi XX? Kistler helium 3?
What reel are you planning to put on the rod?
newyorktoiowa57 reply :
either another chronarch or a JDM metanium.
jbsoonerfan reply :
Wouldn't the weight of the reel determine the answer to the question? A Steez at 5.6 vs a Antares at 8.2? Call me crazy
Jrob78 reply :
On 3/19/2019 at 11:44 AM, jbsoonerfan said:Wouldn't the weight of the reel determine the answer to the question? A Steez at 5.6 vs a Antares at 8.2? Call me crazy
Yep, definitely a factor
newyorktoiowa57 reply :
On 3/19/2019 at 12:28 PM, Jrob78 said:Yep, definitely a factor
A chronatch or metanium so either 6.5 or 6.2 oz.
Jrob78 reply :
On 3/20/2019 at 1:30 AM, newyorktoiowa57 said:A chronatch or metanium so either 6.5 or 6.2 oz.
.3 oz won't make any difference so either should be good.
Choporoz reply :
On 3/18/2019 at 11:41 AM, newyorktoiowa57 said:Rod companies with the best balance?
Maybe Daiwa and Shimano--- both have good rods AND good reels
anderb54 reply :
My Destroyers all balance on the locking nut with no lure attached and a reel on them.
newyorktoiowa57 reply :
On 3/20/2019 at 7:49 AM, anderb54 said:My Destroyers all balance on the locking nut with no lure attached and a reel on them.
Lol that is amazing!
jbsoonerfan reply :
On 3/20/2019 at 7:49 AM, anderb54 said:My Destroyers all balance on the locking nut with no lure attached and a reel on them.
No matter the weight of the reel? No matter the length of the rod? I am no rocket scientist, but I don't see how that could be.
newyorktoiowa57 reply :
On 3/20/2019 at 10:44 AM, jbsoonerfan said:No matter the weight of the reel? No matter the length of the rod? I am no rocket scientist, but I don't see how that could be.
I agree.
QUAKEnSHAKE reply :
On 3/19/2019 at 2:01 AM, fishwizzard said:Yep, I am firmly in the “light tip heavy butt” category so even a single pic of a rod balaned on someone’s finger tells me what I need to know.
Whats this say?
Camera angle a little off but maybe an 1/8" gap between reel and finger
Medium/Fast 7'1" 13 fishing Omen Black (rod weighs 4.8oz) shown with Tat SV reel
jbrew73 reply :
If you have to even discuss rod balance you may want to consider buying new rods.
J Francho reply :
Is the balance point the same if it's upside down?
fishwizzard reply :
On 3/20/2019 at 11:47 AM, QUAKEnSHAKE said:Whats this say?
Camera angle a little off but maybe an 1/8" gap between reel and finger
Medium/Fast 7'1" 13 fishing Omen Black (rod weighs 4.8oz) shown with Tat SV reel
That is about my ideal. I rarey get my combos to balance that good as I find smaller reels more comfortable and will trade way some
balance for palming comfort.
On 3/20/2019 at 9:04 PM, J Francho said:Is the balance point the same if it's upside down?
Hah, that is correct, the true CoM will obviously involve the reel being upside down.
J Francho reply :
I heard these balance nicely:
Diggy reply :
On 3/20/2019 at 11:47 AM, QUAKEnSHAKE said:Whats this say?
Camera angle a little off but maybe an 1/8" gap between reel and finger
Medium/Fast 7'1" 13 fishing Omen Black (rod weighs 4.8oz) shown with Tat SV reel
I came in to mention my Powell 723 and Orochi XX EMTF gen 1 being superb with balance as well as this this 13 Omen rod, except mine is in MH. It balances with almost every reel I put on it. I also had it paired with a Tatula funnily enough. The newer omen black 2 7'3" MH balances pretty well with a Tatula as well. I have a gen 1 envy 7'3" medium with a steez on it that feels almost weightless, but I am done buying 13 fishing after my customer service issue.
CrankFate reply :
I just wonder why super low weight split rear grips are all the rage these days when a full rear grip could eliminate some tip heaviness? IMO, shimano, in particular, seems to use big grips on their rods, probably for balance.
lmbfisherman reply :
Personally balance is subjective, at least for me. Call me crazy for any tip down presentation I like tip heavy.
WRB reply :
Reel weight shouldn’t affect a properly built rod if the reel seat is centered over the balance point (pivot point).
It’s like a teeter totter; Put a 100 lbs over the pivot (balance point) it doesn’t affect the ends. Move the balance point (reel seat) and the ends require off set weight.
Reel weight should only affect overall weight.
Tom
anderb54 reply :
On 3/20/2019 at 10:44 AM, jbsoonerfan said:No matter the weight of the reel? No matter the length of the rod? I am no rocket scientist, but I don't see how that could be.
A well designed rod should balance on the locking nut with an appropriate reel on it. The balance on my OneTen Special only moves a few millimeters when I put my Chronarch on it vs my Aldebaran. Same with my Javelin or FMJ. If I were to put a 300 or 400 size reel on it, I'd expect different results though. I can post pictures if you're not convinced
fissure_man reply :
Locating the balance point is a poor way to compare tip heaviness of different setups. Rather than asking “where does it balance,” we should ask “how well does it balance at my grip location?” Mounting a heavy enough reel can make any combo balance near the reel seat, but won’t reduce the combo’s tip weight unless you’re gripping ahead of the center of the reel (and even then, the detriment of added weight needs to be considered against the potential improvement in balance).
Instead of comparing balance points, it would be less ambiguous to measure actual tip heaviness as the torque required to prevent rotation of the rod held in a given orientation (horizontal) about a given axis representing the grip location (for simplicity, say this is through the center of the reel seat which should approximate the reel COG). Without bungling around with scales and weights, one should be able to easily calculate this knowing the weight of your reel and measuring the balance points with and without the reel mounted:
T = (R*x)/(1- x/y)
Where:
T = static tip heaviness (torque to prevent rotation about the center of the reel seat when the rod is held horizontally)
R = reel weight
x = distance from the center of the reel seat to the balance point when the reel is attached
y = distance from the center of the reel seat to the balance point with no reel attached
Would be interesting to see how the various rods line up when measured in this way, in comparison to our perception of tip heaviness.
…
Worth noting that even though the above approach gives an objective way to quantify and compare ‘balance’ between different rods, the question remains: “what is best?” An 8 ft 2x4 with a reel seat dead center might be perfectly balanced, but can you imagine hopping a jig or working a spook with it? Inertial characteristics of the combo related to overall weight and distribution of weight will affect how the rod feels and performs while you’re swashbuckling it around, beyond simply affecting the balance point. Ergonomics of the reel and reel seat are important, too, as is overall weight from a sensitivity and fatigue perspective.
If we accept a certain level of balance or tip weight as ideal (subjective), the way in which that balance is achieved matters: lighter blank, lighter guides = good; butt weights, heavy grip components, excess handle length = less good, potentially bad. The former qualities can be found in shorter, less powerful, and/or (typically) more expensive rods. The latter can be found anywhere - any rod could be balanced by weighting the butt, though whether or not the result is an improvement is subjective.
Ultimately, trying out the setup to see how it feels (to you!) is still the best way to go.
fishwizzard reply :
Tackle Tour does calculate balancing tourqe for their reviews.
WRB reply :
On 3/20/2019 at 11:47 AM, QUAKEnSHAKE said:Whats this say?
Camera angle a little off but maybe an 1/8" gap between reel and finger
Medium/Fast 7'1" 13 fishing Omen Black (rod weighs 4.8oz) shown with Tat SV reel
If you take off the reel where is the balance point? As shown the reel is counter balancing a heavy tip end and your finger will be about in front of the hook hanger.
If the balance point was the center of the reel the reel weight isn't a factor.
Tom
MN Fisher reply :
On 3/21/2019 at 4:25 AM, WRB said:If you take off the reel where is the balance point? As shown the reel is counter balancing a heavy tip end and your finger will be about in front of the hook hanger.
If the balance point was the center of the reel the reel weight isn't a factor.
Tom
I think I'm lucky - all my setups with reel installed balance 1"-2" in front of the seat. I know some will think 'tip heavy', but this is my preferred balance point. Once line is put on, the balance point will shift back...slightly...but it's a go for casting based on my preferences.
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
I float fish for steelhead with a 13’ rod held tip up all day long. The “balance” point is probably 2’ in front of the reel. Lol.
Jrob78 reply :
On 3/21/2019 at 1:32 AM, WRB said:Reel weight shouldn’t affect a properly built rod if the reel seat is centered over the balance point (pivot point).
It’s like a teeter totter; Put a 100 lbs over the pivot (balance point) it doesn’t affect the ends. Move the balance point (reel seat) and the ends require off set weight.
Reel weight should only affect overall weight.
Tom
I don't believe I've ever seen a factory built bass rod that balanced under the reel seat without a reel. What you're saying is correct but it seems like a pipe dream.
WRB reply :
All my custom rods are built to balance without a reel at the center of the reel seat. If I change reels the balance stays the same.
Now let's talk about what matters, how a rod balances while you fishing. That balance depends on how you hold the rod and reel combination. Spinning rods it's easy to adjust balance by moving your grip point. Baitcasting isn't so easy to move your grip point and most of you hold the reel or palm the reel so that determines how the rod feels to you.
I am old school and hold the rod with 3 fingers in front of the reel resting the reel against the palm, the line going between the index finger and thumb to feel it.
This grip tends to make the rod butt heavier however with line cast out and lure weight the total result is a well balanced feel to me and that is how it should be.
Tom
Jrob78 reply :
On 3/21/2019 at 6:25 AM, WRB said:All my custom rods are built to balance without a reel at the center of the reel seat. If I change reels the balance stays the same.
Now let's talk about what matters, how a rod balances while you fishing. That balance depends on how you hold the rod and reel combination. Spinning rods it's easy to adjust balance by moving your grip point. Baitcasting isn't so easy to move your grip point and most of you hold the reel or palm the reel so that determines how the rod feels to you.
I am old school and hold the rod with 3 fingers in front of the reel resting the reel against the palm, the line going between the index finger and thumb to feel it.
This grip tends to make the rod butt heavier however with line cast out and lure weight the total result is a well balanced feel to me and that is how it should be.
Tom
I'm going to assume your custom rods are shorter than what has become commonplace now or have weight added into or on the butt of the rod. With the trend now of longer, 7'+ rods with split grips, achieving that perfect balance you describe seems nearly impossible.
Boogey Man reply :
On 3/21/2019 at 6:25 AM, WRB said:All my custom rods are built to balance without a reel at the center of the reel seat. If I change reels the balance stays the same.
Now let's talk about what matters, how a rod balances while you fishing. That balance depends on how you hold the rod and reel combination. Spinning rods it's easy to adjust balance by moving your grip point. Baitcasting isn't so easy to move your grip point and most of you hold the reel or palm the reel so that determines how the rod feels to you.
I am old school and hold the rod with 3 fingers in front of the reel resting the reel against the palm, the line going between the index finger and thumb to feel it.
This grip tends to make the rod butt heavier however with line cast out and lure weight the total result is a well balanced feel to me and that is how it should be.
Tom
Would you post a pic of your rod balancing at the reel seat without a reel? Like with one finger under the reel seat? I'd really like to see that.
WRB reply :
On 3/21/2019 at 7:07 AM, Boogey Man said:Would you post a pic of your rod balancing at the reel seat without a reel? Like with one finger under the reel seat? I'd really like to see that.
I have one rule with forums sites, never post pictures. I have emailed a few to members if you PM your address.
Tom
newyorktoiowa57 reply :
On 3/21/2019 at 2:47 AM, anderb54 said:A well designed rod should balance on the locking nut with an appropriate reel on it. The balance on my OneTen Special only moves a few millimeters when I put my Chronarch on it vs my Aldebaran. Same with my Javelin or FMJ. If I were to put a 300 or 400 size reel on it, I'd expect different results though. I can post pictures if you're not convinced
Could you do so? Tackletour did a review of the Javelin and said that it was tip heavy when paired with a chronarch.
newyorktoiowa57 reply :
Update: So I recieved my Champion 734 today and was somewhat disappointed by its balance, which isn't any better then my $85 No. *** 76MH.
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